General Assembly approve private school vouchers
Last week the North Carolina General Assembly passed a conference report, also referred to as a mini budget that includes…
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Changes to Sylva panhandling ordinance fail
After multiple rounds of public opposition to proposed changes to Sylva’s panhandling ordinance, the board decided to dismiss the changes…
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Superior Court judge nearing EBCI Supreme Court confirmation
Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts has confirmed he has the intention of vacating his seat on the bench to…
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Macon County manager announces resignation
After more than a decade of leadership in Macon County, Derek Roland announced last week that he intends to resign…
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Lake Junaluska names leadership award winners
Judy and Ed LaFountaine, wife and husband, are the 2024 recipients of the Junaluska Leadership Award, an honor bestowed annually…
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Wreaths Across America returns to Waynesville
Started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester with the donation and placement of 5,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery during the…
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Documents indicate shuttered Canton paper mill will soon be sold
The old paper mill in the heart of Canton will have a new owner by the end of the month…
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Here’s what’s keeping America’s elections experts up at night
A bipartisan panel of election law experts is largely satisfied with the integrity of the American election system, but they’re…
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Another school shooting, another call for assault rifle bans
Remarks given by Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, stumping for the Democratic presidential ticket during a visit to Western…
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Jackson aims for traditional middle school
Jackson County Schools is taking a stab at a traditional middle school and applying for a state grant to fund…
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Pigeon Center hosts farm-to-table dinner
Celebrate the change of seasons with your friends and neighbors at a farm-to-table dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21,…
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Bus drivers wanted: Local schools face non-certified staffing shortages
Finding enough bus drivers to operate all necessary routes has become a common issue for school systems across North Carolina…
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Rachel Hunt seeks to build on her own legacy in Lt. Gov. race
It’s a name familiar to older North Carolina voters largely due to her father’s two separate eight-year terms as the…
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Bryson City residents decry water rate increase
It’s been a long time coming, in a sense, but frustrations have finally reached a boiling point as Bryson City…
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Waynesville police chief to appeal certification suspension
Waynesville Police Chief David Adams had all of his law enforcement instructor certifications suspended by the North Carolina Criminal Justice…
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Parkway visitation, spending grows
Visitors to one of the country’s most unique national park units pumped nearly $1.4 billion into local economies in 2023,…
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Cherokee adult recreational cannabis sales begin Saturday
Beginning this Saturday, Sept. 7, anyone over the age of 21 will be able to purchase and use marijuana on…
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Blue Ridge School families demand action
Members of the Blue Ridge School community showed up to the Jackson County Board of Education’s August meeting to express…
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WCU hosts 14th annual ‘Rooted in the Mountains’ symposium
Western Carolina University is set to host the 14th Annual Rooted in the Mountains Symposium, a two-day event aimed at…
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SCC’s founding Dental Assisting class celebrates at pinning ceremony
Less than a year after starting their studies, the very first Dental Assisting students in Southwestern Community College history earned…
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Jackson TDA announces quarterly cycle for Tourism Capital Project Fund
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) has announced a new quarterly cycle for the Tourism Capital Project Fund (TCPF),…
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Preorder Chris Cooper's latest book with discount promo code
Noted expert on southern politics and North Carolina politics Chris Cooper’s newest book will ship later this fall, and with…
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Sept. 11 commemoration invites first responders
A free event for all emergency responders and veterans will be held in Bryson City on Sunday, Sept. 8 at…
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Closure shorten schedule on White Oak Road
A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation will finish paving a section of White Oak Road in two weeks…
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Four days: Kamala Harris' unlikely journey, via Chicago, plays a huge role in Biden's legacy
Editor’s note: This story is a compilation of Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatches, “Via Chicago,”…
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Bearers of the Tar Heel torch: North Carolina’s youngest DNC delegates reaffirm commitment to party in Chicago
Torches were passed at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, even more so than most people might have…
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Harris ticket energizes rural NC voters, but will it be enough?
The long and winding road to the White House passes through North Carolina, but in this swing state of nearly…
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Jackson County approves new library agreement
The Jackson County Commission has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains some significant…
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Macon considers farmland protection plan
Macon County commissioners are considering the adoption of a farmland protection ordinance that would not only orchestrate cooperation between county…
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JCPS to open infant/toddler classroom
Jackson County Schools will continue to increase its capacity for early childhood education with the opening of an infant/ toddler…
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Cherokee decides how to use opioid settlement funds
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has approved a plan to use money from a settlement with opioid distributors and…
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Sylva proposes changes to fee schedule
The Sylva Town Council will vote next month on changes to its fee schedule regarding costs for renting out Bridge…
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Sarge’s 19th annual dog walk
Join Sarge’s Animal Rescue at 10 a.m. Sept. 7, for a fun-filled annual event at the Haywood County Courthouse in…
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Convicted felon sentenced for trafficking fentanyl
John Edward Bradley, 50, of Cherokee, was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release…
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Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter to meet in Clyde
The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 980 holds its regular meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 5…
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Via Chicago: Day 4, ‘For our future’
Editor’s note: This is the final installment of “Via Chicago,” Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch…
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Via Chicago: Day 3, ‘A fight for our freedoms’
Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National…
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Via Chicago: Day 2, ‘A bold vision for America’s future’
Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National…
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Via Chicago: Day 1, 'For the people'
Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National…
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Commissioners funds free lunches for all Macon students
The Macon County Commission decided last week in a split vote to fund a $200,000 request from the school system…
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Ahead of Trump’s Asheville visit, Democrats fight to maintain momentum
Seeing surging poll numbers and sensing strong momentum, Western North Carolina Democrats spoke out during a press conference in advance…
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Trump, light on policy but heavy on Harris attacks, visits Asheville
At his Aug. 14 rally in Asheville — billed as an opportunity to deliver remarks on the economy — former…
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Catamount School makes its move
“History repeats itself” and “Everything comes full circle,” are just two examples of a myriad of sayings that could describe…
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Macon passes soil erosion and sedimentation control ordinance revisions
Macon County approved revisions to its soil erosion and sedimentation control ordinance despite an outpouring of opposition from the public…
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Pheasant pleads guilty to 2013 cold case murder
Over a decade after Marie Walkingstick Pheasant’s body was found in a burned-out vehicle in Cherokee, the community has finally…
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Financing approved for Franklin’s new high school
Macon County is one step closer in the long march toward a new high school after commissioners approved financing for…
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Mountain Heritage Awards recognize Darnell Farms
Western Carolina University will present the 2024 Mountain Heritage Awards during the Mountain Heritage Day festival Saturday, Sept. 28, on…
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Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser in Bethel
The Bethel Rural Community Organization will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at Jukebox Junction from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26…
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Haywood TDA revokes grant after vetting mistake
Clarification: In the original version of this story, SMN reported that TDA Executive Director Corrina Ruffieux said that IDEA of…
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Of parched corn and rank strangers: Ahead of new book, Gary Carden reflects on a lifetime of storytelling
So I walk into Gary Carden’s room in the ICU and the first thing he says to me in his…
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