The Shining Rock Classical Academy board at its Feb. 25 meeting voted unanimously to end grades 9-11 instruction effective June 30, 2026, and to close grade 12 after the fall 2026 semester, in front of an audience of more than 100 people.  The high school had been consistently running a deficit, and the board argued that it has a fiduciary responsibility to move the organization in the right direction. 

Just after 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, the drizzle became a downpour — a moment of serendipity for those gathered in what’s now the town of Franklin to watch the deed transfer of the Noquiyisi (Nikwasi) mound to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 

“Any time it rains, it always washes away anything that’s happened. So, it’s like a cleansing so it’s almost a perfect weather, you know? That this rain is here. It’s kind of washed away for a new beginning,” tribal council member Adam Wachacha said to the audience. 

Democrats Erika Smith and Chris Reed, with 667 and 541 votes, respectively, and Republicans Jason (Jay) Kirkland and Lisa Stevenson Barker, with 1,081 and 721 votes, respectively, will proceed to the General Election. In November, the four candidates will face off for two open spots currently held by Phil Carson and Bobby Jenkins on the board of county commissioners. Carson sought re-election as a Republican but came in last of the three contenders, while Jenkins threw his hat in the ring and finished second in the Primary for chair of commissioners. 

Sheriff's office candidates Democrat David Southards and Republican Brian Kirkland, with 1,279 and 656 votes respectively, will proceed to the November election. Both swept their field; Southards beat outDouglas "Tank" Anthony with 71.46% of the vote, while Kirkland surpassed Wayne Dover with 87.42%. 

Republicans Lisa Loftis, with 983 votes, and Jason Lambert, with 728 votes, have won the Republican Primary for the Swain County Board of Education. In November, they’ll face Democrats Brandy Monteith and Dannie Shuler in a bid for two seats currently held by Loftis and Republican Robert Taylor, who is not seeking reelection. 

Republican Robbie Brown and Democrat Jeramy Shuler, with 510 and 610 votes, respectively, have won their respective Primaries for chair of the Swain County Commissioners and will face each other on the November ballot.  On the Republican side, current commissioner Bobby Jenkins trailed Brown with 443 votes, representing 31% of Republican ballots. Courtney (Wilde) Dills received 24.35%; 8.96% of voters cast their ballots for the withdrawn candidate Eugene Shuler. 

The Shining Rock Classical Academy board at its Feb. 25 meeting voted unanimously to end grades 9-11 instruction effective June 30, 2026, and to close grade 12 after the fall 2026 semester, in front of an audience of more than 100 people.  The high school had been consistently running a deficit, and the board argued that it has a fiduciary responsibility to move the organization in the right direction.

For months, Jackson County commissioners have been making material decisions to advance a costly and widely criticized plan to pull its two libraries from the Fontana Regional Library system.

Nonetheless, in 2025, the Jackson board proposed three amendments which, contingent on passage by fellow FRL-member counties Macon and Swain, might convince commissioners to change their course. 

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors is expected to vote on a new academic freedom policy at its Feb. 26 meeting — though to many UNC-system professors, the proposed changes do little to encourage academic freedom and instead risk suppressing it. 

Vincent Russell, assistant professor in Western Carolina University’s Department of Communication and president of the WCU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said the policy that’ll likely be deliberated this Thursday doesn’t align with the AAUP definition — one that has been the foundation of academic freedom since 1940. 

A teacher at Swain County East Elementary School is under investigation for alleged non-sexual child abuse, according to The Swain County Sheriff’s Office. 

Swain County commissioners held a Feb. 3 work session with updates about animal shelter funding and the interim county manager. But since neither process was explicitly spelled out to the public, audience members may have left with remaining questions. Here’s a breakdown of some potential questions. 

What happened regarding the labor cost of the animal shelter? Did commissioners do anything wrong?

The U.S. Census Bureau on Feb. 2 announced that it was cutting four of six 2026 nationwide test sites aimed to inform the 2030 decennial count — Colorado Springs, Fort Apache Reservation, western Texas and Western North Carolina. It will now conduct operations in only Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

The most powerful person in any North Carolina county is the sheriff, an elected position mandated by the state constitution. 

County elections determine who will don the badge and serve the four-year term in office. Such a system ostensibly ensures sheriffs are accountable to voters, but a 2024 Ballotpedia analysis of all United States’ elections excluding the presidency found that 7 8% of law enforcement races had only one candidate. 

 The head seat of the Swain County Board of Commissioners was a topic of discussion long before this year’s Primaries. 

After Republican Chairman Kevin Seagle announced his resignation, effective Aug. 31, 2025, the role went to Commissioner Tanner Lawson during an appointment process that included individual applications, Republican Party nominations and the late October 2025 selection of Jay Kirkland. 

On March 3, six candidates — three Democrats and three Republicans — will compete for Swain County commissioner. The winner of each primary race will move to the General Election Nov. 3, where they’ll face the opposing party in a bid for the seat held by current commissioner Philip Carson. 

Haywood County School Board at a Jan. 12 meeting officially gave the new Haywood Innovative middle school the green light to open its application to prospective students. 

“We are looking for students who choose to be here, who are motivated to be here, who would benefit from a rigorous and accelerated middle school experience,” said Lori Fox, principal of Haywood Early College and Haywood Innovative. 

On March 3, incumbent Lisa Loftis and Republican challengers Jason Lambert and Josh Oliver will compete in the Republican primaries for the Swain County Board of Education. The candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the General Election, where they’ll face Democrats Brandy Monteith and Dannie Shuler in a bid for two seats currently held by Loftis and Republican Robert Taylor, who is not seeking reelection. 

John Burgin Construction, LLC workers arrived at Haywood Community College’s Poplar Building Jan. 5, marking the start of an estimated 120-day renovation process driven by the addition of middle school called ‘Haywood Innovative’ and managed by the county school system. 

Haywood County Schools is renting the building to do “a tenant upfit … They’ve hired an architect, and they’re overseeing that,” said Brek Lanning, the college’s vice president of infrastructure, campus development and technology. 

For nearly 20 years, the United States Department of Education has helped fund Full-Service Community School programs in “high-poverty” and “high-poverty rural” schools across the nation, while coalitions and existing community partners ensure on-the-ground, local implementation. 

This story was updated Dec. 24 to include a quote from  NC DHHS. 

Between 2017 and 2025, Swain County Law Enforcement Center failed 13 of 16 biannual inspections, according to Disability Rights North Carolina. 

The existence of one or more documented violations requires the sheriff to submit a plan of correction to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services detailing the steps that will be or already have been taken to remediate each issue.

The National Defense Authorization Act cleared the House with bipartisan support last week, prompting the Senate’s Dec. 15 procedural vote — which all but guarantees that the $901 billion spending bill will be at the president’s desk before the holidays. This year, the “must-pass” annual legislation will represent the largest single sum of funds devoted military programs in the nation’s history. And yet, those appropriations have nothing to do with the strong opposition voiced by a community in Western North Carolina. 

For decades, college athletes generated millions of dollars in revenue for universities in exchange for a full tuition scholarship, at best. But a series of lawsuits beginning in the late 2000s — and a cultural shift toward athlete equity — paved the way for a monumental National Collegiate Athletic Association decision. The policy change, effective July 1, 2021, allowed these players to profit from any promotional use of their name, image and likeness, known as NIL, in company marketing. 

Six months after the North Carolina General Assembly’s deadline to produce an annual budget, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee is left weathering the effects of this stalemate — and preparing for an uncertain future. 

Travis Smith began his career with the Tribal Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission on Feb. 27, 2024. He was guaranteed a four-year term until a fellow TABCC member submitted a grievance to the Eastern Band of Cherokee’s Office of Internal Audit and Ethics Aug. 14 of this year. 

Swain County’s standing animal services ordinance dates back to late 2019, pending the establishment of an animal services center and adequate funding for its operation and staff. 

As Swain’s first county-operated animal shelter prepared to open its doors — with staff to include Jerry Bryan, who has served for two years as the department’s director, and Pam Orr, who has worked as an officer for six months — the animal services committee began working on a new draft. 

When Drake Fowler returned to the North Carolina Arboretum after Hurricane Helene, the extent of the damage broke his heart. 

“We lost 10,000 trees over 80 acres,” he said.

However, as the initial shock of grief subsided, Fowler, the arboretum’s executive director, considered how to find opportunity amid destruction.

Lavita Hill has dreamed of joining tribal council since high school. 

Painttown’s Shannon Swimmer feels less like she’s taking on responsibility with her new role — and more that she’s “stepping into it.”

Shennelle Feather of Yellowhilll took the leap because she saw the right opportunity. 

At any given moment, Perry Matthews — caterer, culinary instructor, homeschool curriculum-builder and veteran chef of upscale restaurants — was juggling enough responsibilities to fill an entire resume. Then along came November, and with it, another new role. 

After a sweeping victory in last month’s municipal elections, Matthews became a newly minted member of Sylva’s town council.

Keohana Lambert’s presentation was catalyzed by a question.

“What’s one word comes to mind when you think about the intersection of [Native Americans] and justice?” she asked, eyes searching the audience. 

The responses were rapid-fire.

“Nonexistent.”

“I think it’s a myth.”

“Invisible.”