2019 Camp Guide
It’s never too early for parents to begin planning for the summer and deciding which summer camp they want their…
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Camp WILD educates through adventure
Every summer for the past seven years, the warmer months have brought opportunity for adventure and learning to the small…
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Registration open for Lake Junaluska summer youth events
From early June through early August, the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center offers residents and visitors of all ages…
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Camp focuses on life with legacy in mind
Three years ago, Meg Hanshaw was in full-on planning mode for a camp that she hoped to see grow into…
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Art camps at The Bascom
In addition to the year-round fun art spaces and activities for youth, The Bascom, A Center for the Visual Arts…
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Pigeon Center camp adds a touch of civics
Sure, summer camps are all about creating precious childhood memories filled with friends and fun, but at Waynesville’s Pigeon Community…
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Skyland Camp for Girls steeped in tradition
When Susan Courtney Harris first came to the Smokies, she was just looking for a place to escape the stifling…
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WNC camp spots in high demand
Most families in Western North Carolina haven’t even taken their spring break yet but already parents are clamoring to secure…
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The after action report: 50 fast facts from the Haywood election results
Two years ago, a Smoky Mountain News analysis of precinct-level elections results painted a portrait of a red county getting redder — at least electorally. This year was almost as rosy for Haywood’s Republican voters, who saw their candidates return to the U.S. House and the N.C. Senate as well as swing the Haywood Commission from a 3-to-2 Democratic majority to a 4-to-1 Republican advantage.
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Eastbound and down: GOP gains on Haywood commission run downhill
Results in the Haywood County Board of Commissioners race hit the county like a cannonball, with Republicans taking two of three seats — all previously held by Democrats — while also earning themselves a 4-to-1 majority on the first-ever Republican-controlled commission.
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High voter turnout impacts Jackson commissioner race
Robust voter turnout and early voting enthusiasm made the difference in three Jackson County Board of Commissioners races, causing the board to flip from a Republican to a Democratic majority.
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Sales tax to increase in Swain
Swain County voters have typically been adamantly opposed to any sort of tax hike, whether it’s a property tax or a sales tax, which is why many were pleasantly surprised to see a quarter-cent sales tax increase approved following the Nov. 6 election.
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Republicans take majority on Haywood commission
With the retirement of Democratic Commissioner Bill Upton, one commission seat was up for grabs, with two more being defended by their Democratic occupants, Commissioner Mike Sorrells and Commission Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick.
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Regional roundup of election returns shows mixed results
Any notion of a red tide or blue wave ebbed quickly Nov. 6, as both Republicans and Democrats celebrated victories, mourned defeats, said goodbye to some incumbents, and hello to new ones.
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Jackson Dems win county commission
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will flip to a Democratic majority following a hotly contested election in which three of the five seats appeared on the ballot.
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Jackson sheriff wins second term
Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall will keep his job for another four years following a decisive victory on Election Day.
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Incumbents get another term on Macon commission
Despite challengers’ loud cries for change in Macon County leadership, voters have given incumbents Ronnie Beale (Democrat) and Gary Shields (Republican) another four-year term on the board of commissioners.
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Incumbent wins another term as Macon’s sheriff
Republican Robert Holland will serve a fifth term as Macon County sheriff after a clear victory Tuesday night.
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Cochran to continue as Swain sheriff
Incumbent Republican Curtis Cochran has secured his fourth term as sheriff of Swain County after facing off against Democratic challenger Rocky Sampson.
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Close race in Swain County commission race
With six candidates running for three seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners, it was a close call Tuesday night as election results began to roll in.
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Late surge in Dem fundraising for WNC General Assembly races
Third quarter fundraising reports submitted by candidates to the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement last week show most Democratic challengers in Western North Carolina with substantial fundraising advantages over their Republican incumbent opponents.
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Two seek to sink Rep. Meadows reelection bid
Since 2012, Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District has been represented by Asheville Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a Florida native who moved to the region in 1986. Meanwhile, Meadows has enjoyed great electoral success and become the standard-bearer for what remains of the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party nationwide.
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Proposed N.C. Constitutional amendments leave unanswered questions
Most years, voters head to the polls with a few candidates or a political party in mind, push some buttons, and go home. But this year’s ballot also contains six proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
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Early voting turnout up in N.C., slightly up in Haywood
The bad news is almost six million North Carolinians still hadn’t voted as of Monday, Oct. 29. The good news is more than a million had — 1.23 million, to be exact.
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Meadows rides a rising red tide
Asheville Republican Mark Meadows has now served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives — the last two as a powerful figure in the majority party, the most recent under unified Republican control of the presidency, the Senate and the House.
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Rowland challenges Rogers in lone Haywood School Board race
Haywood County’s high-performing schools slipped a few notches in state rankings this year — from 11th the last two years to 14th this year, of 115 districts statewide — and although that’s not cause for alarm, school board members are focused on the challenge of returning to the top 10 percent again this year.
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Rep. Corbin seeks second House term
The four westernmost counties in North Carolina can be described with three words — rugged, rural and Republican.
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Republicans on the hunt for Haywood commission seats
The only two seats that aren’t up for election on Haywood County’s five-member board of commissioners this November are both held by Republicans. The other three are currently held by Democrats, and have attracted two Democratic incumbents as well as a third Dem candidate seeking to maintain that majority.
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Dems defend Haywood commission seats
Haywood County’s board of commissioners consists of five members, three of whom are up for election Nov. 6. All three of those seats are currently held by Democratic commissioners. One of them, Bill Upton, isn’t seeking re-election.
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WNC goes to the polls
The 2018 Midterm Elections are upon us, and there is still time to register and learn where local and state candidates stand on important issues before early voting begins on Thursday, Oct. 18.
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Haywood’s last female commissioner says we need more women in government
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there should be at least 31,614 women in Haywood County, but judging by this year’s commission race that number is actually zero.
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Tough fight expected in Haywood tax collector’s race
Incumbent Republican Tax Collector Mike Matthews is seeking re-election to an office many people don’t even think should be elected at all. In fact, Haywood County is home to the state’s only remaining elected tax collector.
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Macon commissioner incumbents run to keep seats
Two incumbent candidates running for re-election to the Macon County Board of Commissioners say they want to see the current board’s progress continue, but the two challengers — one Republican and one Democrat — say the county is moving in the wrong direction.
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Jackson sheriff faces challenge for second term
When former Sheriff Jimmy Ashe decided not to run for re-election in 2014, a field of six Democrats and three Republicans signed up for the race to replace him, including Chip Hall and Doug Farmer.
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Sales tax hike back on the Swain ballot
Swain County is once again trying to increase its sales tax rate a quarter of a cent with the intent of putting additional revenue toward school improvements, but the final decision will be left up to voters.
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Three seats open on Swain commission
Six candidates are campaigning for three open seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners — four of the candidates are competing for two seat while the other two are competing to fill a two-year unexpired seat left vacant by the death of David Monteith.
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Incumbent sheriff challenged in Swain
Incumbent Republican Curtis Cochran is running for a fourth term as Swain County sheriff. While he’s never had an easy race, he said, this election cycle has been particularly brutal with mudslinging coming from all directions.
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Elders and Woody vie for Jackson County Commission seat
Jackson County Commissioner Charles Elders is seeking a fourth term in office this campaign season, but challenger Gayle Woody is hoping election results will instead seat her for a first term.
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Three candidates run for Macon sheriff
Talk briefly about your past experience and why you are the most qualified candidate.
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Two Dems in high-profile superior court race
You’ve probably seen the billboards by now, if not for months. Or, you’ve seen the candidates out campaigning in person — incumbent Superior Court Judge Brad Letts and well-known Waynesville attorney Mark Melrose.
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It’s a rematch for Deitz and Cody in Jackson commissioner race
Jackson County Commissioner Boyce Deitz took office in 2014 after wresting the seat from incumbent Doug Cody, but this time around Cody is looking to reverse that result in a repeat face-off to represent District 2.
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Two Republicans vie for district judge seat
One of 43 spread across the state, North Carolina’s 30th Judicial District covers Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and is where many people have their first interaction with the court system.
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Jackson commissioner challenges chairman
Ron Mau is still in the midst of his first term on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, started in 2016, but this November he’s challenging incumbent Chairman Brian McMahan in McMahan’s bid for re-election.
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Sen. Davis up for fifth term
Franklin Republican Sen. Jim Davis is probably one of the most popular legislators in the state with his constituents, winning four straight elections and garnering support on the order of 75 percent in some counties.
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Clampitt faces Queen for fourth time
While not quite reaching the level of Hatfield and McCoy, Western North Carolina’s longest running feud — that of Mike Clampitt and Joe Sam Queen — is no less competitive; after losses in 2012 and 2014, the Bryson City Republican Clampitt finally defeated the Waynesville Democrat Queen in 2016, and will predictably face him again this year in the race for House district 119.
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Schandevel challenges Presnell for state rep
Ask Canton native Rhonda Cole Schandevel why she’s running for House district 118 again after a disappointing yet decisive loss in 2016 and she’ll tell you, in not so many words.
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Waynesville Salt Room now open
Why don’t Polish salt miners ever get sick? No, it’s not a joke, according to Marisa Spagnoli, owner of Waynesville…
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Coaching you through it: Physical therapy can tackle number of ailments
A majority of people wait until they’re ordered to undergo physical therapy after a surgery or injury, but physical therapy…
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Cherokee program yields harvest of self-reliance
With harvest season underway, members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are now reaping the benefits of a springtime…
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