The Haywood County School Board approved several personnel recommendations last week that saw the return of a previous finance director and new principals for two schools.

The tangle of trees and vines beyond the playground fence at North Canton Elementary School used to be a no-go zone for students, years of accumulated balls a testament to a long-time school rule against jumping the fence.  

To the Editor: 

I read your article regarding Guaranteed College Scholarships with an enthusiastic interest. I fully support financial assistance to students; however, it is my belief that any qualified student can attend one of our community colleges if not a four-year university. Financial need rarely prevents a determined student from an education.

Josh Brooks will return as head coach for Franklin High School football after players implored the school board to reinstate the recently resigned coach.

A local teacher has won a prestigious award given to new educators in the field. Abby Bentley, a science teacher at Pisgah High School, worked as a research scientist after her undergraduate studies at Western Carolina University.

The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale is now underway, with orders due pre-paid by Friday, March 8. 

A facilities study for Jackson County Schools that will help inform capital improvements for years to come found several schools in the county are overcrowded, something administration and school board members hope a traditional middle school will help alleviate.  

The Macon County School Board has approved a policy for emergency use of naloxone, an opioid inhibitor, within the school system.

The Therapeutic Massage program at Southwestern Community College has opened its learning clinic for the spring semester to allow its first-year students to practice their studies.

The clinic is open to the public, and a 50-minute massage by a student costs $20. Appointments are available on Tuesdays at noon, 1:15 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4 p.m.

To book an appointment, visit massagebook.com or call 828.339.4313. For information about the Therapeutic Massage program, visit southwesterncc.edu.

Registration for Spring Break Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, with Discovery Camp registration following suit at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14.