In a continuation meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen, the board voted to spend all of the $40,000 appropriated in the town's budget for grant requests. With little discussion, the board voted to honor the requests of the nine non-profits applying for funding because of the services they offer Franklin residents.

Non-profit grant requests that were approved include:

September 29 is “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” and the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) has partnered with local law enforcement agencies in Western North Carolina to give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by safely disposing prescription drug medications at designated locations. Members of the community will be able to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs by bringing them to one of the 42 sites open on Saturday. The service is free.

Franklin will have two locations operating on Saturday, one in the Kmart Plaza and the other in the Walmart shopping center. Both locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Macon County Commissioners are moving forward with plans to transform the old Cowee School into a cultural heritage center for the community.

Last Tuesday, the Macon County Board of Commissioners approved $69,448 to be allocated over a nine and a half month period to contract with Stacy Guffey to coordinate the project and to provide additional supplies and furnishings to help get the project started.

Because of his continued dedication and involvement with the Cowee School, Guffey was hired as the coordinator for the project. The nine and a half month contract will pay Guffey $27,000, or $3,000 per month. Guffey's contract includes the business plan developed by Guffey for the old Cowee School property that designated the school as the Macon County Heritage Center.

Homeowners in the Nantahala community will soon be able to expect lower insurance premiums due to the addition of a new substation located about a quarter of a mile above the Nantahala School on Winding Stairs Road.

According to Macon County Fire Marshal Jimmy Teem, the district maps have been approved by Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Macon County Board of Commissioners. “OSFM has also been notified for an inspection to be scheduled so this substation can be brought on-line and the residents and business owners affected by this sub-station can get a lower insurance premium,” said Teem.

Mary Tallent, CIC, of Wayah Insurance Group was recently recognized for professional leadership and advanced knowledge by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC), a leading national insurance professional organization.

Tallent was awarded a certificate marking more than 15 years of participation as a designated CIC, which requires annual completion of advanced education and training.

“Mary’s ongoing allegiance and support of the CIC Program is a testament to the value she places on “real world” education and customer satisfaction. Your clients, associates, and the insurance profession as a whole will benefit from such dedication,” cited Dr. William T. Hold, CIC, CPCU, CLU, President of the Society of CIC.

Southwestern Community College's Small Business Center and The Franklin Chamber of Commerce are hosting a seminar by Martin Brossman entitled “Building Your Web Presence” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 1:30 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Groves Center on SCC's Macon Campus.

So you have a website, but it is not being found? As a small business these days, you really need more than just a website. The seminar will cover how to make your site easy for Google to find, and you'll learn tips and techniques to get results. In addition, you'll learn basic information about search engines, social media, webbased directories, and internet marketing. Brossman will also go over free and easy website and blogging options, plus, how to avoid many of the internet scams related to having a website.

Bids rejected for new ambulances on a technicality

According to Haven, the maintenance is not the only thing that is more costly, but the parts for a Dodge are more than a Ford as well.

Beale said that although the maintenance costs may differ between the two vehicles, another benefit of the Dodge Charger is that the car has been vetted by the Highway Patrol. “The Charger has been used and approved by the State Highway Patrol, so we know what to expect when adding them to our fleet,” said Beale.

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Macon County News reporter travels to the Big Apple.

My historical tour of New York extended well beyond the city's most well known monuments, but encompassed a sense of ambiguity toward the purpose of our visit.

Although Andrew and I have both been to the city multiple times, we still opted to do the typical tourist things like visit Central Park. Now, I was born and raised in Western North Carolina. I grew up barefoot and dirty in these mountains and couldn't imagine living anywhere else in the world. So to just climb on the rocks or lay in the grass of Central Park, seemed like I was getting the short end of the stick. It is inconceivable for me to think that for so many people in Manhattan, the only bit of escape to nature that people have is the acre or so of grass spread beneath the trunks of a few sparse trees. Don't get me wrong, to kick off my flip flops and lay back with my eyes shut, hands behind my head and enjoy the sun beaming through the leaves of an oak tree was therapeutic, but with the faint sound of horns honking and the shuffle of everyday life, it just can't compare to any back yard in Western North Carolina.

September 14 game against Brevard

Franklin High School Booster Club’s annual “Salute to Veterans” is scheduled to be held at Franklin High School’s Panther Pit on Friday, Sept. 14, before the home game against Brevard. Event organizer Rhonda Blanton has spent the last several weeks speaking before civic organizations to inform the community of the event. Blanton has spoken before the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Board of Education and most recently, the Franklin Board of Alderman in hopes of generating community support.

Macon County Democrats sent at least 23 local Democrats to the Democratic National Convention. This is the largest number of Macon County residents to attend any National Convention.

In addition, this is the first time three delegates and one alternate have ever been elected to attend a National Convention from Macon County.

The convention was held in Charlotte, from Sept. 3 through Sept. 6.