Seventy five Franklin area youth and more than 60 adults participated in this year’s 30-Hour Famine event, a worldwide movement to help fight global hunger, collecting a record amount of food and funds for local and global relief agencies.

By the final count, participants collected $2,247 for World Vision, a national relief agency that focuses on feeding the world’s poorest children. On a local level, the students raised $1,031 in donations and more than 8,000 cans of food for Franklin relief agency CareNet — all on an empty stomach.

The Highlands Town Board met at 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 2, in a special called session to once again discuss a revision to Town ordinances and the Town Charter. The revisions would, in essence, give the Town Manager the authority to hire and fire the Police chief and the Planning Director/Zoning Administrator. The decision to call the special session was made too late to publish in local media but was posted, however, in Town Hall.

Discussion about these changes has been ongoing for several months. Currently, the Town Manager has hiring/firing authority over all Town personnel with the exception of those two. The Police Chief and the Planning Director/Zoning Administrator serve at the pleasure of the Town Board.

The Franklin Main Street Program is moving forward with plans recommended by a 2010 market analysis.

Program members discussed the objectives in establishing downtown signage along major corridors, way-finding for visitors and a shop crawl for district business owners.

A shop crawl is an initiative that would familiarize downtown retailers on what other businesses have to offer, so they can better provide references for customers. MSP chair Janet Greene said no definite plans had been made yet.

Authorities in Jackson County are investigating the discovery of human remains in Cashiers. The Sheriff’s Office is trying to determine whether the body is that of a man who was reported missing last winter.

On Feb. 21, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of possible human remains discovered in the Mill Creek area of Glenville. The call came in at approximately 12:33 p.m. by Sallie Clawson, who advised that a human skeleton was found in the yard of 2396 Mill Creek Road, according to initial dispatch reports.