Saving the storm's silent victims: Helene stressed animal care infrastructure to its limits

Mary Garrison and her husband, Fairview Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Garrison, awoke around 4 a.m. on Sept. 27 to a darkened home with no electricity, torrential rainfall pounding the ground and high winds from Hurricane Helene screaming through their tiny, isolated Craigtown community. 

ASPCA launches animal assistance efforts in wake of hurricane

In response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on communities throughout North Carolina, the ASPCA® is announcing the launch of an animal assistance hotline for residents in Western North Carolina affected by the catastrophic storm. 

Leave nature to tend to itself

To the Editor:  

Thank you Gwen Landt and the Edith Allen Wildlife Sanctuary for caring for animals in need. We leave our field/meadow alone so deer can bed down and does can safely raise their fawns. As conveyed in the article, understanding the relationship between a doe and her fawn is important.

Haywood Arts ‘Pets’ exhibit

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will unveil its latest exhibit, “Pets,” with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 7, at the Haywood Handmade Gallery at the HCAC in Waynesville. 

Off course: Strange species make 'accidental' appearances in the Smokies

Red-necked phalarope, Bonaparte’s gull, band-rumped storm-petrel and harlequin duck. If you are thinking these don’t sound like names that should be included in a story about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’re right.

Word from the Smokies: What we can learn from wild turkeys

If you plan to travel around Western North Carolina or East Tennessee to visit friends or family and eat turkey for the coming Thanksgiving holiday, there is a good chance you’ll spot a few wild turkeys along the way.

When in Edisto, it’s jungle rules

Edisto Beach, SC – Not more than 15 minutes after we finished lugging all of our stuff up two flights of stairs to our vacation rental overlooking a lagoon in the Wyndham Resort, Tammy spotted two turtles, an alligator, and a rat snake as big as my arm winding around the house, and then weaving its way up the lattice-work to the deck where we were all standing, watching in disbelief. 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.