Work on a 60-unit affordable housing complex in Franklin is set to begin in January and town officials anticipate the project will benefit multiple areas of the community.

The Westgate Terrace Affordable Housing Complex, which will be constructed on 4.4 acres behind the Westgate Plaza Ingles on Roller Mill Road, is in the final stages of the planning process and is projected to be completed by fall of 2013.

According to Franklin Town Planner Derek Roland, leaders in Franklin were instrumental in obtaining the necessary requirements to finalize the $7.6 million project ...

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Following a closed session of the Franklin Board of Alderman Tuesday night, Town Manager Sam Greenwood announced Wednesday afternoon that Warren Cabe will be replacing him as manager, effective mid 2013.

“I have been authorized by the Town Board of Aldermen to continue the transition plan for Warren Cabe to be trained for eventual appointment as Town Manager,” said Greenwood in a submitted announcement. “Mr. Cabe currently serves as Fire Chief for the Town of Franklin coming to the town after several years as Emergency Management Director for Macon County.”

Since beginning work with the Town of Franklin last year, Cabe has been responsible for the reorganization of the Franklin Fire Department, providing the leadership, which along with the hard work of Franklin Fire Department firemen and many other Town and County employees, allowed Franklin Fire Department to do well in its ISO rating.

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Mayor signs proclamation for Constitution Week.

The Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen officially declared the week of Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in Franklin during its September meeting.

At the request of Franklin resident Judith Hughes, the board unanimously voted to allow Mayor Joe Collins to sign the proclamation which celebrates the anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention.

Macon County Commissioners heard from architect Tom Ritter last week regarding plans to make over the county pool, which hasn’t seen any improvements since it was constructed in the 1970s.

Commissioners approved plans on Tuesday for a new pool house and pool at the Veterans Memorial Park, which will now be sent out for bids.

Seth Adams, director of Macon County Recreation Department informed commissioners that because of the change in laws and regulations, if an upgrade is done to the pool or the adjoining facility housing the showers, the entire facility must be renovated to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.

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With the new school year in full swing in Macon County, its Board of Education got down to business by awarding educators, supporting programs and beginning its search for a new superintendent.

The board recognized Tolly Bowles, of South Macon Elementary, as Principal of the Year. “I am honored and humbled,” said Bowles.

Rita Esterwood, of Franklin High School, was recognized as Teacher of the year. Esterwood was not present for the meeting, so the board said that they would present her with the award at a later time.

Carolyn Anderson, who has worked at East Franklin Elementary since 1994, was also awarded Support person of the Year.

Authorities in Franklin launched an aggressive campaign this month to increase motor vehicle safety.

Dubbed “Safe Streets,” the multi-agency campaign was held from Aug. 16-19 and was spearheaded by the Franklin Police Department. The operation yielded several arrests and citations, as officers aggressively sought speeders, reckless and drunk drivers.

Nineteen officers from several jurisdictions participated in the Safe Streets campaign, including officers from the Franklin Police Department, Macon and Jackson County Sheriff’s Offices, the State Highway Patrol and the Highlands Police Department. Officers set up roadblocks in and around Franklin city limits.

With the coming of autumn, the grand opening of Franklin’s new Walmart Supercenter also draws near.

Last week, the company announced its search for potential employees, signifying the highly anticipated grand opening of the store almost two years since contruction began in 2010. With a tentative opening date of Oct. 26, the corporation is looking to hire 85-100 additional employees to work at the new Wells Grove Road store.

As the new Walmart hits its growth spurt— from 90,000 square feet to 118,000 square feet— the need for additional employees must be met.

Board secures $1.5 million loan for upgrade.

During a brief meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, August 14, commissioners voted to finance the new computers that will bring the school system's technology up-to-date.

Originally commissioners were going to pay for the $1.5 million upgrade out of the county's fund balance for this fiscal year, but after county attorney Chester Jones and finance director Lori Hall explored financing options, commissioners decided to break the payments up over two fiscal years.

With the advent of social media on the rise in American culture, The Macon County News & Shopping Guide has now come into the technological fold.

This week, MCN’s website, maconnews.com, is proud to present a new feature that will allow its readers to interact with one other in a whole new way. We hope to generate public interest and discourse on local matters with the new feature. It serves to further involve readers in the issues that matter most. We want to know; What are your thoughts? At the bottom of each news article, our online readers can find a comment box and “like” button, which will allow them to interact with one another via Facebook. There they can share their thoughts or questions on any given subject. User generated content will be moderated in order to avoid inappropriate or gratuitous language. The new feature mirrors the activity generated on the Macon County News’ Facebook page.

MCN invites you, the reader, to not only get involved in online discussion, but to also “like” our Facebook page for all current news and updates for the Macon, Jackson and Rabun county areas. We look forward to hearing your views.

Deputies with the Macon County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) arrested Scott Cole IV on Thursday, Aug. 16. Cole was charged with felony counts of manufacturing marijuana, marijuana possession and maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance. Cole, who is expected to appear in court on Aug. 30, was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to an application for a search warrant from MCSO Detective Chris Murray, after Cole became the owner of his residence, the power records indicated a dramatic increase in power consumption. The search warrant shows that the power consumption ranged from being 2045 kilowatt hours at a cost of $188.83 for the period of Nov. 22, 2011, to Dec. 22, 2011, and steadily increased until reaching a high of 4144 killowatt hours at $404.16 for June 21, 2012 to July 2012.