A planned gift from a longtime Western North Carolina economic development and marketing professional and his spouse has pushed Western Carolina University’s “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign past its minimum goal of $100 million in philanthropic support. 

This program is available for boys and girls in second to eighth grade.

Register participants with the recreation center where they will be practicing, either Cullowhee or Cashiers.

Tara Pruett’s running journey emerged from a rough childhood. The art of running, the sport itself — with its life lessons and camaraderie within its vast community of athletes — became a beacon of safe harbor and personal resolve for Pruett. 

When he was just a kid, Cole Taylor vividly remembers the first time he watched wrestling on TV. It was a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) show called “Superstars” that was mixed in with the Saturday morning cartoons. Taylor was utterly captivated by the spectacle. 

Heavy Metal Ric Savage couldn’t stand it. He was helpless, sidelined while his tag-team partner, Shane Austin, took a beating from a pair of masked maniacs.

Just when things looked their bleakest, after barely breaking free of a chokehold, Austin mustered the strength to tag Savage in. Savage went to work, dishing out elbows like hot biscuits on a Sunday morning before grabbing each villain by the neck and banging their heads together like Moe would do Larry and Curly.

Leaders from Western Carolina University kicked off a massive $37 million renovation to the school’s E.J. Whitmire Stadium last Thursday.

The event, which brought in a large and energetic crowd, severed as a groundbreaking ceremony for the project, which will include a new press box, coaches’ offices, player study areas and a hospitality center which will be known as the “Western Skybox.” The stadium, which is over 50 years old, will now feature over 10,000 square feet of new space. 

Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced on May 19 the selection of Kyle Pifer to serve as the director of athletics following approval of his contract by the university’s Board of Trustees during a special called meeting.  

Western Carolina University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 12, to kick off the first phase of a series of planned upgrades for E.J. Whitmire Stadium and other aging facilities used by Catamount student-athletes. 

Jackson County’s Blue Ridge School is offering a soccer camp at its field.

The camp will run from 8 a.m. to noon from May 28-30. Ages 6-12. Cost is $60 per day, and registration is open through May 26. 

The Macon County Board of Education approved funding to permit Macon Early College in Franklin to apply to become a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and field its own sports teams. Previously, MEC students had participated in athletics at Franklin High School.