As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to impact local businesses, restaurants and bars have been trying to look for ways to expand their outdoor seating capacities.

As part of its mission to continuously provide communication solutions that evolve with the needs of our world, TekTone (based in Franklin, N.C.) has acquired majority ownership in Stay Smart Care, a company whose expertise lies in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solutions. Stay Smart Care will operate as a subsidiary of TekTone, allowing the two companies to provide a wider variety of intercommunication solutions and resources to care providers in a variety of markets.

District Attorney Ashley Welch announced that Jeremy Edward Stepp has been sentenced as a habitual felon and can expect to spend the next 25 to 42 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine.

Just like every other local government in the nation, the Town of Franklin is facing uncertainty when it comes to trying to budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

Nikwasi Initiative, a new nonprofit established in 2018 with the mission of preserving the Nikwasi Mound in downtown Franklin and expanding access and educational activities, has hired its first executive director. 

In the last two weeks, the world has changed. From darkened downtown windows to packed-full parking lots at Ingles and Wal-Mart, the evidence is everywhere, impossible to ignore.

The town of Franklin is working toward creating a vision for the community that will guide growth and investment for years to come.

Franklin Town Council recently approved purchasing two parcels of land in the downtown area for a total cost of $206,660. 

Capt. Danny Bates will serve as Franklin’s interim police chief while the town goes through the hiring process to find its next full-time leader of the police department. 

Franklin Police Chief David Adams will have some big shoes to fill when he becomes Waynesville’s new police chief, but according to Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites, Adams is the right person to fill them.