On Tuesday morning, Sheila Boggan of Clayton, Ga., driving a Dodge Caravan, was turning right into a parking place near Doobies, at 3046 Georgia Road, attempted to hit the brakes and accelerated instead.

No injuries were reported.

Boggan was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid collision with property.

No estimate of the damages were available at presstime.

On Tuesday morning at approximately 12:10 am, Audra Thomas made a 9-1-1 call to request assistance after wrecking her 1998 Toyota 4-runner.

According to the State Highway Patrol, Thomas was traveling south on U.S. 23 near the Franklin Ford dealership.

Thomas ran off the road to the right at which point she lost control of the car causing the car to swerve back onto the road before overturning three times.

Former N.C. State Senator Robert C. Carpenter passed away Saturday in his Franklin home at the age of 87.

Lovingly known to many as Senator Bob, an entire community mourns the loss of a legend, but finds comfort in remembering his tireless efforts and dedication to the people of Macon County.

The Macon County Board of Commissioners took time to honor Carpenter before beginning their August meeting. Before Macon County Commissioner Kevin Corbin led the invocation, he offered attendees the opportunity to join in a moment of silent reflection or prayer for Senator Bob. Corbin said, “Senator Bob was probably a friend to everybody in this room, regardless of political affiliation.” Corbin continued, “He was a true gentleman, a servant to Macon County and a servant to this state; we all loved him.”

You might be from Franklin, NC if… “you’ve ever been terrified of getting stuck on town hill in a straight drive!” posts Melissa Watts, one of the over 1900 members of the new hit Facebook group “You might be from Franklin, NC if...”

The group, which started a mere two weeks ago, was started by Franklin native Oren Coin and is spreading like wildfire.

“I started this group July 29, with no great expectations,” said Coin. “It just went cosmic. I was bored at the time and looking for trouble. Damn sure got me some trouble.”

According to group member, Gail Kelly Lester, the group appeals to such a broad audience.

Macon County authorities are looking for an unknown man who reportedly sexually assaulted someone at their Rose Creek Cove Road on Monday evening.

At approximately 6:10 p.m., authorities responded to a 9-1-1 call referencing a breaking and entering and sexual assault that occurred just an hour or so before that day. According to reports, the victim did not know the suspect, nor did they know his mode of transportation is also unknown.

Immediate after the incident was reported, an investigation began and two Investigators were assigned to the case that night, at which time they began processing the crime scene and interviewing witnesses.

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Several Superior Court cases were continued for fall hearings last week in Macon County. The honorable Judge Sharon Tracey Barrett presided during the proceedings.

— Nathaniel Joshua Cabe, 27, faced several charges stemming from an incident last Spring including false imprisonment, extortion, communicating threats, interfering with emergency communications and injury to personal property. Cabe continued his hearing until Sept. 26.

Along with co-defendant Ian Thomas Spies, 22, Cabe was arrested near South Macon Elementary after being stopped by deputies on April 19. After initially being spotted in a grey Mitsubishi car matching the victim’s description, both suspects attempted to flee Officer Bryant Hodgin, who eventually captured Cabe.

Even after 150 years, the voices of some Civil War soldiers of Western North Carolina can still be heard, or at least read. Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library has a special collection of about 200 Civil War letters and documents, most of which range from 1862-1863 to and from family members and friends of soldiers. This collection is only a small piece of a national puzzle, but gives a more personal perspective of residents of western North Carolina and the realities of the Civil War.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War when, in 1861, Fort Sumter, S.C., was fired upon.

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A Franklin man was arrested last month after allegedly assaulting an eight-year-old boy and threatening to stab him.

On the evening of July 18, Sergeant A.C. Stahl, of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a complaint of an assault on a child at 648 Jones Ridge Road.

According to 9-1-1 dispatch, the caller stated the assailant “has him by the throat and he just threw him down on the floor and is threatening to stab him.” Upon arrival, Stahl met the child's mother who made the call. A young boy was with her.

Warren Cabe, current director of emergency services for Macon County, will be leaving the position later this month to take a new job with the Town of Franklin.

On Monday, the town announced that it had hired Cabe as the director of fire and emergency management, a new position that will allow the town to develop its own emergency operations plan and tailor such planning to the town's specific needs. The position will absorb to role of the town's fire chief, a job which is soon to become vacant with the retirement of Pete Haithcock.

Cabe says establishing the new department will help the town as it plans, not just for fire or standard emergencies, but for natural disasters and other catastrophes. He added that many towns in North Carolina have begun looking at the advantage of having a person on staff that is specifically responsible for such planning.

After careful consideration, members of the Franklin Fire and Rescue Equipment Committee made recommendations to the board concerning the future purchases of department equipment. At the behest of Town Manager Sam Greenwood, the committee was charged with examining the equipment needs of the department last June.

Chairman of the committee, Warren Cabe, recommended to the aldermen that they consider the purchase of a new ladder truck.

“For practical purposes, this device, if we were to need one for firefighting or rescue purposes, the closest one we could possible call if available is at least 40 to 45 minutes away,” said Cabe, adding that the closest of the types of fire trucks were in Highlands, Cullowhee or Cherokee. “So obviously we felt like the need was there.”