Mountain View Intermediate School hosted a Poets' Cafe last Thursday to give budding young writers the opportunity to showcase their talents.

From poems about sports to the changing seasons, students braved the stage to receive “snaps” for their masterpieces.

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, REACH of Macon County is partnering with Main Street Coffee and Tea this Friday evening, April 26, for a special event.

Coined the “Jeans for Justice,” the event will feature a gallery of jeans made by Franklin High School freshmen that tell a story about the alarming statistics and consequences of sexual assault. The Jeans for Justice idea was first started in 1999 after a judge in Italy overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing jeans at the time of the assault. The judge ruled that it was common knowledge that jeans were not able to be forcibly removed, therefore, despite other evidence, rape was not possible.

For the very first time, officials  raised a flag outside of the Macon County Board of Education Central Office on Monday, April 15.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan had submitted a request to Senator Richard Burr’s office last November to obtain a flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol. That request was fulfilled and Macon County received a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol on Dec. 11, 2012.

David Curtis and the county's maintenance department worked to get the flag pole in place to begin flying the flag.

Photos by Travis Tallent

Clowning around for books

The ambassador clowns (Cherie and Dave Gregg) from the Ringling Brothers Circus visited the Macon County Children's Library and Macon Program for Progress on Tuesday, April 16.

The event, which was made possible through the library, kicked off a literacy program that allows local children to earn a free ticket to the circus by picking up their reading coupon at the library.