Macon County commissioners have been working for the last couple of years to preserve McCoy Bridge located on Rose Creek Road. When the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) informed Macon County that the iron truss bridge would be torn down and a new one built in its place, members of the community stepped up to plead with commissioners to save the bridge. As one of the last remaining true iron truss bridges in the state, McCoy Bridge is more than a steel structure, it is a piece of history.

McCoy Bridge (bridge 172 on SR 1456), crosses the Little Tennessee River, connecting Hwy. 28 with the northern end of Rose Creek Road in the Oak Grove Community...

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Both ends of Siler Road are now open and construction is virtually complete, said Mitchell Bishop, engineer for the project. Late last week, the portion of Siler Road featuring the new bridge was opened up having to be temporarily closed to allow final upgrades.

“When the contractor built the bridge there was a slight differentiation in the elevation of the pavement which caused a bump in the road,” explained Bishop. “In my opinion the bump caused the road not to be up to standard so we closed it to fix it and to allow a smoother ride on the road.”

A collision involving several vehicles occured at a red light on the Highlands Road Wednesday afternoon.

At least three vehicles were involved and victims were transported to Angel Medical Center.

Details were sketchy at presstime and the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

A Franklin man was recently arrested and faces numerous charges following an incident of road rage.

Michael James Trainor, 66, of Trimont Lake Road, was arrested at approximately 9 p.m. on December 5. He is facing two counts of assault by pointing a gun, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggressive driving all misdemeanor offenses.

According to reports, the complainant, off-duty Macon County Sheriff's Officer Stephanie Robbins was heading northward on Green Street. She reportedly passed a man in a maroon Toyota Camry who appeared to be driving “erratically.” It appeared to the driver at this point that the man, who would later turnout to be Trainor, was upset with her because she had passed him.

An incident of domestic violence in Clayton, Ga., on Sunday, ended with a Franklin man driving himself all the way to Angel Medical Center with a gunshot wound. Investigators with both the Clayton Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are still trying to put the pieces together.

At approximately 9 p.m., Clayton Police officers reportedly responded to a complaint of domestic violence on Duncan Street, behind the post office in downtown Clayton. Upon arrival, officers Riley Owens and Shawn Wilson detected a strong odor of alcohol on Marty Thompson, Nikki Wykle, Brandon Coalley and Lesley Anglin, all of Franklin, whom were reportedly “shaken” by what had just transpired minutes before. According to reports, officers noted that they appeared to be inebriated.

Across North Carolina on Tuesday, newly elected officials were sworn into office. In Macon County, the Board of Education swore in two returning board members and welcomed one new face. After running uncontested races, Stephanie McCall and Jim Breedlove secured their seats on the board and were sworn back into office. Melissa Evans, who won the November election against long-time board member Tommy Baldwin, was sworn into office for the first time to represent the Nantahala District.

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During December's regularly scheduled meeting of the Franklin Board of Aldermen, Town Manager Sam Greenwood asked the board to consider moving Pickin' on the Square to the Town Hall parking lot for the 2013 season.

Historically held on Town Square at the Gazebo, Pickin' has been temporarily moved to Town Hall from time to time for small renovation projects to the Square, and according to Greenwood, individuals involved with the event seems to like the alternate venue.

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Ricky Fouts is scheduled to be in court today (Dec. 6).

A Burningtown man charged with murdering his son made bail last week.

Ricky Fouts, 52, was charged with second degree murder after he allegedly shot his 30-year-old son Cy Levi Fouts after a family dispute lead to his death on the evening of Nov. 13. The father was arrested and held in Macon County Sheriff’s Office custody on a $125,000 secured bond.

On Monday, Nov. 26, bail bondsman Darlene Ensley posted bail releasing Ricky Fouts from custody at approximately 10:24 a.m. As part of the condition of his release, Fouts is to have no contact with incident witness Julia Hixon.

During the November meeting of the Macon County Board of Education, long-time board member Tommy Baldwin was honored for his service to the students in the county.

Baldwin, who has served a combined 28 years on the Board of Education, represented District three, Nantahala.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Jim Duncan (left) and Board member Tommy Cabe (right) presented Baldwin (middle) with a plaque in appreciation for his service.

A Burningtown man charged with murdering his son has made bail this week.

Ricky Fouts, 52, was charged with second degree murder after he allegedly shot his 30-year-old son Cy Levi Fouts after a family dispute lead to his death on the evening of November 13. The father was arrested and held in Macon County Sheriff’s Office custody on a $125,000 secured bond.

On Monday, Nov. 26, bail bondsman Darlene Ensley posted bail releasing Ricky Fouts from custody at approximately 10:24 a.m. As part of the condition of his release, Fouts is to have no contact with incident witness Julia Hixon.