Since the late 1990s the citizens of Macon County have steadily embraced the idea of recycling and as the wait for a new Solid Waste Management and Materials Report begins, the county anticipates another high showing and hopefully even a number one ranking in the state for its efforts in recycling.

According to the Macon County Solid Waste Department, 80 percent of waste is recyclable or compostable. Some of these recyclable materials include corrugated cardboard, newspapers, various types of plastics, aluminum cans, glass, metal, etc. Some centers also accept materials such as used oil and used anti-freeze, tires, electronic waste, and used car and truck batteries.

More than 150 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed since 1999 after being struck by vehicles along America's highways, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. To combat that problem, the State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists across the state to be vigilant of all emergency vehicles on the sides of highways and interstates.

To date, 43 states have enacted Move Over laws in the hopes of preventing needless deaths and injuries along the nation’s highways.

North Carolina is not immune to these deaths and injuries. Since the Patrol’s inception, two troopers have been struck and killed while countless others have been injured while conducting traffic stops. Just recently, Trooper Matthew Mitchell, stationed in Madison County was struck during a traffic stop on US19. Trooper Mitchell had exited his vehicle and was speaking to the driver when a passenger car struck him, knocking him several feet. As a result, Trooper Mitchell sustained critical injuries. He has since made immense improvements but the road to recovery is on-going.

Some remain open in defiance of deadline for closure.

Late last week, sweepstakes gambling establishments in Macon County re-opened their doors after a mandatory state shutdown on Jan. 3. While several establishments have begun operating again, according to Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland, they may be operating illegally.

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Macon County's Tax Administrator Richard Lightner was on hand during Saturday's Board of Commissioners meeting to discuss the inevitable 2015 Tax Revaluation.

In September 2011, while facing a gloomy real estate market, commissioners made the controversial decision to delay the county's 2013 property revaluation process until 2015, placing the county back on an eight-year-cycle, the longest period allowed by the state. The decision to delay the process was not unique to Macon County, but instead was a state-wide trend followed by most counties including neighboring Jackson County.

The State of North Carolina mandates local governments to do revaluations at least every eight years, so if the county pushes the process back to 2015, they will not be able to prolong the process any further. When the decision was made in 2011, there was no guarantee home prices would stabilize by 2015, but commissioners were willing to take the risk.