Bus drivers in Macon County will receive a retention bonus totaling $500 this year as part of the school system’s effort to recruit and retain those vital employees. Like many school systems in the region, Macon County Schools is facing a shortage of drivers.

Substitute teachers in Macon County can expect a raise in the coming school year after a vote by the Macon County Board of Education. The board will discuss a plan for bus driver pay next month.

Mark Sutton will continue in his role as principal of Macon County Middle School after taking the position late last school year when previous principal, Dr. Kevin Bailey, resigned from the post. 

A recount has been called in the Macon County Sheriff’s race after Election day totals indicated Dereck Jones lost to Brent Holbrooks by just 54 votes — putting Jones within the 1% threshold required to do so.

The clerk of court is a humble albeit crucial office, an elected position filled by someone willing to ensure the county courthouse runs smoothly and without logistical issues. This year, Macon County Clerk Victor Perry will retire, meaning a new person will be tasked with bringing the office into a new age of technology.  

Several problems and opportunities await Macon County’s next board of commissioners.

Among the sheriffs retiring in Western North Carolina who will leave big shoes to fill is Macon County’s Robert Holland, who has served in that position for almost two decades.

In 2020, a trial court accepted the qualified immunity defense of Macon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Anthony Momphard for the 2018 killing of Scott Knibbs.

The Women’s History Trail (WHT), a project of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC), adopted an activity in 2018 that continues each March as a part of Women’s History Month. 

A Macon County firefighter was flown to the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia with severe injuries last week after flames overran his position on a fire control line.