Big heart: Following cancer battle, J Rex releases new album

For Jerad Davis, it all started with a dry, nagging cough in the summer of 2022. With shortness of breath, low energy, brain fog and night sweats, he initially chalked it up to long COVID. But, upon going to the doctor and through some medical procedures, he was eventually diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 

Finding healing and acceptance at the end of a trail

Peter Conti seemed destined for a life of chronic pain. 

For nearly two years after a devastating motorcycle accident left him with a shattered pelvis and nerve damage in his leg, Conti battled depression and suicidal ideation while struggling to manage his debilitating, demoralizing condition with dangerously addictive opioids. 

Red wolf recovery plan complete

A final recovery plan for the red wolf, a document from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will guide recovery efforts for an imperiled native species, is now complete.

A hero comes home

America reckons with its legacy in Vietnam, one soldier at a time

Haywood program offers path out of addiction

The first thing anyone likely sees when they walk into Amanda Seay’s Haywood County Courthouse office is her quote of the month. 

Jackson moves forward on opioid recovery

Jackson County Commissioners are set to approve two grant-funded positions aimed at substance use disorder recovery and treatment during a regular meeting this week with little controversy.

Building second chances: Conference explores impact of trauma on tribal workforce — and how to help

When Katelynn Ledford McCoy stood in front of her Cherokee High School classmates in June 2009, the class valedictorian was so high that, later, she wouldn’t be able to recall a word she said in that long-awaited speech.

Taylor pleads guilty, judge commends him on alcohol recovery

Bill Taylor, a former chairman and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council, pleaded guilty Monday, Jan. 9, in a case stemming from an Oct. 6 domestic dispute at his home in Cherokee.

Western counties may combine opioid settlement funds for regional treatment center

No matter how it all shakes out in the end, Nov. 3, 2022 will be looked upon as a historic day in Western North Carolina as regional leaders took the first few tenuous steps towards creating an enduring partnership to combat the opioid epidemic.

Finding Refuge

I did hard things last weekend.I put myself in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation with no idea of what to expect or how I’d fare so far outside my comfort zone. 

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