The Cherokee Central Schools Board has chosen Consuela Girty, a 20-year employee of Cherokee Central Schools, as the school system’s next superintendent.

A beloved gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 2, in downtown Waynesville.

In honor of a beloved local canine celebrity, MollyFest will take place from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

A regional Americana/bluegrass act, Granny’s Mason Jar will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Mountain Layer Brewing in Bryson City.

Starting Thursday, June 1, adult soccer pickup games will be held weekly at 6:30 p.m. at the Cullowhee Recreation Park in Jackson County.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter David Childers will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 28, on the side lawn stage at Yonder Community Market in Franklin. 

The N.C. House of Representatives is considering a bill titled the North Carolina Native Plant Act after it unanimously passed the Senate May 3.

Rising area rock/jam act Arnold Hill will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, May 26, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.

The Highlands Nature Center kicks off its summer season on Memorial Day weekend, with extended hours noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 28, and summer hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday starting Monday, May 29.

The ancient art of bonsai will take center stage during the “Bonsai as Fine Art” exhibition June 2-11 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. The event will feature 20 works created by professional bonsai artists and members of the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society. 

Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its Women’s Paddlefest Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4, hosted by inspirational paddler Anna Levesque.

Help is now available for Pactiv Evergreen Canton paper mill workers to determine how they can maintain health insurance after the mill closes. Health insurance for many workers is expected to lapse Aug. 1.

Country megastar Martina McBride will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. 

Famed actor, author and standup comedian Nick Offerman will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center. 

This spring, the Blue Ridge Music Trails’ trailblazing musical project, “Fine Tuned,” supports the next generation as they take to the stage at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin. 

The 27th annual Swain County Heritage Festival will be held May 26-27 at Riverfront Park in Bryson City. 

A special stage production of “Big Fish” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. May 26-27, June 2-3, 8-10 and 2 p.m. May 28, June 4 and 11 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

A beloved cultural gathering for almost 40 years, Folkmoot USA will go on hiatus as of this year, with its future uncertain as to when or if the festival will return. 

The Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville is currently showcasing works from the Graduating Class of 2023 of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program. 

The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 14th annual season of the “Concerts on the Creek” music series. 

This weekend, The SHARE Project will host its third annual WNC drug awareness event — “Hope Not Stigma.”

A Swanannoa man forfeited his vehicle and received a stiff prison sentence after pleading guilty in Haywood County Superior Court to trafficking illegal drugs and other crimes, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Agricultural producers and private landowners have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a federal program that lets producers and landowners continue grazing and haying while conserving grasslands and promoting diversity and healthy soil.

The ‘Kids Hike Highlands’ trail passport program is back, with a refresh for the 2023 season. 

Experience the “Appalachian magic” of lightning bug season with a series of walks planned throughout the spring and early summer to experience the show from a variety of different species. Naturalist Sarah Johnson will lead these walks on her farm in Macon County.

Students from The Christ School in Asheville have won one of five annual awards given by Blue Ridge Parkway managers to recognize volunteer contributions to preservation, protection and enjoyment of the Parkway.

When Western Carolina University registrar Larry Hammer began working a garden plot with his family in the Cullowhee Community Garden, he realized that the garden’s water delivery system was not working like it needed to and had not been for years. He also knew exactly who to contact for help.

A team from Bethel Middle School in Haywood County took top honors at the 2023 Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament.

The Bethel Middle team won the overall junior division with a total score of 3,499. Students competed in rifle, shotgun and archery marksmanship, orienteering and a hunter responsibility exam. The team rose to the top of 28 teams competing at the state level.

Championship competitors advanced from district events held in March to showcase shooting and outdoor skills, as well as knowledge learned through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Hunter Education Program. The teams were made up of participants from public and private schools, as well as homeschool associations and 4-H clubs.  

A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.

Presented by the Sylva Art + Design Committee (SADC), the third annual “Sylva Sandwich Competition” is currently underway throughout the month of May at participating restaurants around the community. 

Upon passage of a bill by the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced changes to the graduated driver licensing (GDL) program for teens.

A South Carolina man who used social media to groom then entice an underage teen to meet him in both Franklin and Cherokee recently pleaded guilty to statutory rape, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Explore the love-hate relationship between birds and insects during a talk from Balsam Mountain Trust Executive Director Michael Wall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a chance for deeper connection to this landscape.

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field Site Program.

Pick up the Pigeon River during a cleanup 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in Canton.

An Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan is out for public comment through Friday, June 2.

After an extensive 11-day search, on May 6 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park halted its active field search for missing Tampa man Gordon Kaye, 68.

Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday of each month throughout its 2023 season. 

The Town of Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen will now be known as the Town Council, after an April 25 vote made it official.

This year’s election for seats on Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen — recently re-styled as “Town Council” — will proceed with a new sense of urgency after council members voted to enact a long-sought change in how they’re elected.

Take a leisurely hike to the Waterrock Knob overlook for sunset yoga with Tara Scarborough at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, May 9

No criminal charges will be brought against a South Carolina resident who shot and killed Lambert Wilson last fall, according to District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch.