On May 1, several dozen students, faculty and community members gathered beside Western Carolina University’s “Catafount” in Cullowhee for a May Day action celebrating the history of labor organizing — and demanding the rights workers have yet to be afforded. 

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is an expression of worker solidarity in honor of those who lost their lives in the aftermath of Chicago’s Haymarket affair. 

The Fontana Regional Library has held part of Tracy Fitzmaurice’s heart for over half of her life, and now she must consider what to do without it.

Fitzmaurice, 60, first came to the region during a March 1985 vacation. While in the region, she visited Western Carolina University. After returning home to England, she applied to attend college in the place that instantly captured her heart, and in August 1985, she made the move. 

The United States cannot keep breaking the rules of international law and then congratulate itself for the results. That is the uncomfortable truth exposed by the 2026 military operations in Venezuela and Iran. Both actions removed brutal, destabilizing leaders — one captured and jailed, the other killed. Many around the world understandably welcomed those outcomes. But the way the United States achieved them violated the very legal order that keeps the world from sliding toward permanent conflict. 

Fifteen years ago, Main Street in Franklin was a pretty quiet place. It wasn’t hard to find a parking space and most of the things we enjoy downtown today didn’t exist, at least not yet. But, 15 years ago, an anchor business appeared on a hope and a dream — Outdoor 76. 

“There were a lot of empty storefronts and not much energy or activity. Still, we knew we wanted to be on Main Street because, to us, community has to start there,” said Cory McCall, co-owner of Outdoor 76.

In late fall, after all the Halloween candy has been consumed and the fall décor removed from store clearance aisles, we step on a conveyor belt heading straight for Christmas. Even those hangers-on who kept their rotting pumpkins on their porches through Thanksgiving finally pull out the twinkle lights and decorate their trees. Christmas music blasts in every store. Eggnog and cookies are consumed at will. For many people, the span of weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas is a blur of planning, partying and shopping. 

The Environmental Action Community of Western North Carolina (EAC) invites supporters and the public to its year in review celebration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Folkmoot Auditorium in Waynesville. The evening will feature an informative program, raffle prizes, partner presentations, resource tables and light refreshments. 

Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina (GOTR WNC) will host its annual Fall 5K Presented by AdventHealth. Hundreds of girls, families, coaches and community members will lace up their sneakers for this celebration of confidence, connection and joy. 

As the sun set behind the Saunook fire station in west Haywood County, members of the community gathered in the bay that would normally house the fire trucks and anxiously took their seats. They were told the news was good, they just didn’t know how good.  

Growing up, my family spent every July Fourth at Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had a little blue and white camper on a permanent lot. It wasn’t much, but it was ours, and years of special memories were made on that little piece of property.

My office is cool and our building on Montgomery Street in Waynesville is quiet. Almost everyone who works at The Smoky Mountain News has gone home for a few minutes to tend to kids, dogs, wives and husbands as it’s one hour before the annual first Friday in June birthday bash celebrating another year of putting out this weekly print newspaper (and now a seven-day-per-week news website).