Archives

MountainTrue, a nonprofit conservation organization serving Western North Carolina, is partnering with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to…

Comment

Stein announces $11 million for WNC trails

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded more than $11 million authorized by the General Assembly in grants…

Comment

Cooperative Extension to host gardening classes

Subscribe to this RSS feed

N.C. Cooperative Extension of Haywood County is hosting a Learn to Grow series and Lifelong Gardening classes, which provide information…

Comment

Master gardeners available to answer questions

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and or-namental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife…

Comment

Combat mosquitos in Haywood County

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Haywood County Development Services is offering free insect repellent with deet and insect repellent bracelets to anyone who needs them.

Comment

As seen in this photo from the outfield, the diamond looks better but still needs some minor work.

Volunteers overhaul Waynesville little league field following Helene

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Mountaineer Little League Baseball has been around since the 1970s, but like everything else, once Hurricane Helene hit, its immediate…

Comment

Child care has been a critical problem that Gov. Josh Stein is attempting to address through a March executive order.

Report dives into ongoing child care crisis

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The child care industry has been sounding the alarm for years now, but with federal stabilization grants drying up a…

Comment

Ballots are set for upcoming municipal elections

Subscribe to this RSS feed

With the end of the municipal election filing period, candidates are now gearing up to take their message to voters…

Comment

Haywood commissioners took a big step in combatting substance use disorder.

Haywood allocates nearly $3M in opioid funds to treatment, prevention

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Haywood County commissioners have adopted a resolution and corresponding ordinance that lays out how nearly $3 million in opioid settlement…

Comment

Meet Chris Cox at Smoky Mountain Roasters

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Local author and award-winning Smoky Mountain News columnist Chris Cox will make an appearance at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Hazelwood…

Comment

From Creek to Classroom: NC Collaboratory funds local research in wake of Helene

Subscribe to this RSS feed

This past spring, a group of teenagers waded through Waynesville’s Richland Creek under the watchful eye of Suzanne Orbock Miller,…

Comment

Former Swain County Sheriff indicted on rape charge

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Former Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran, who retired earlier this month amid sexual assault charges, is now facing a second-degree…

Comment

Commonly known as British soldiers lichen, Cladonia cristatella is a lichen with a long scientific history, having been first described in 1858 by American botanist Edward Tuckerman.

‘Lichen heaven’: Smokies emerges as research hub for understudied organisms

Subscribe to this RSS feed

When visitors come to explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they have access to a wealth of knowledge highlighting the…

Comment

Heritage demonstrations will be held onsite with artisans showcasing the skills that were needed for daily living in the early 1800s

Pioneer Heritage Festival comes to Clyde July 26

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Haywood County Historical & Genealogical Society is hosting a Pioneer Heritage Festival in Clyde, from 10 a.m. to 5…

Comment

Demonstrators light candles in memory of the late John Lewis on July 17, 2025.

Waynesville march honors the legacy of John Lewis

Subscribe to this RSS feed

On the five-year anniversary of the death of civil rights icon and longtime U.S. Congressman John Lewis, more than 170…

Comment

The rain-swollen Pigeon River eroded the base of I-40 lanes through the Pigeon River Gorge during Tropical Storm Helene last September. The NCDOT and its contractors have had to rebuild the embankment to get travel lanes back open.

Locating I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge was a bad idea, but we’re stuck with it

Subscribe to this RSS feed

If you’re like me, you avoid driving I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge like warm beer on a hot summer…

Comment

The meeting drew enough of a crowd to fill the small room at the Nantahala Community Center, which is attached to the Nantahala Community Library.

Fontana Regional Library addresses upcoming issues ahead of split

Subscribe to this RSS feed

As the Fontana Regional Library sizes up a monumental change coming into the focus over the hill like a band…

Comment

Sylva’s Brown regrets ‘rookie mistake’ on Fontana library resolution

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Two weeks after instigating the removal of a resolution supporting the Fontana Regional Library from a Sylva Board of Commissioners…

Comment

Municipal candidate filing period ends on Friday

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Candidates across Western North Carolina have begun filing for the 2025 municipal elections, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov.…

Comment

Waynesville seeks forgivable loans for storm-damaged utilities

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Facing aging infrastructure and costly repairs made worse by Hurricane Helene, the Town of Waynesville is preparing to apply for…

Comment

Speakers will present the history of the Cowee School, from the days of the site as a CCC camp, construction by the WPA during the 1940s, over 60 decades as a public school to its present as a thriving community and arts center.

Franklin hosts lecture on history of Cowee School

Subscribe to this RSS feed

On Monday, July 21, the series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture,” will present a program on the history…

Comment

Volunteers will assist with traffic management and guiding visitors.

National Park seeks ‘Elk Rover’ volunteers

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking individuals to join the Elk Rover volunteer team for the upcoming 2025 season.…

Comment

Rent canoes, kayaks and paddleboards as well as recreation equipment at Lake Junaluska Outfitters.

Lake Junaluska announces summer programming

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Each Thursday evening at 8 p.m. through Aug. 7, Lake Junaluska will feature a family-friendly storyteller and music at the…

Comment

The roadwork will include repaving the roadway from milepost 20.90 to 27.90, as well as repaving six primary parking areas along this section.

Parks Service to improve 7 miles of Newfound Gap Road

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Starting July 14, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will kick off a rehabilitation of a 7-mile stretch of Newfound Gap…

Comment

In this lecture, Prince will examine the extraordinary impacts of Helene, which caused unprecedented flooding and landslides across the southern Appalachians.

Highlands hosts lecture on ‘Helene as a Geologic Event’

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Highlands Biological Foundation invites the public to continue exploring the forces that shape our region with the next installment…

Comment

Audubon welcomes Dana Sargent as community building director

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Audubon North Carolina has named Dana Sargent as the organization’s new Community Building Director. Sargent comes to Audubon after serving…

Comment

Learn about beekeeping at the Marianna Black Library

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will be hosting The Wonderful World of Bees from 11 a.m. to noon…

Comment

The Town of Sylva owns one of the most unique pieces of real estate in all of Western North Carolina.

Sylva accepts state grant for trail expansion at Pinnacle Park

Subscribe to this RSS feed

A popular hiking destination in Jackson County will soon see expanded access and new trail construction, thanks state funding awarded to…

Comment

An eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) surveys its surroundings as dusk approaches. During the summer, turtles are most active in the morning or after rain, and during spring and fall they’re active throughout the day.

Word from the Smokies: The eastern box turtle’s path to state symbol status

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, so it’s no surprise that…

Comment

Debris sits piled (foreground) near the Main Street Bridge in Canton on Sept. 28, 2024, with the nearby ABC store (background) right in the path of destruction.

Canton to purchase former ABC store parcel

Subscribe to this RSS feed

A land purchase approved by Canton’s governing board July 10 will bring more parking to the town’s increasingly popular downtown…

Comment

This image shows renderings of Shining Rock’s new school, which was completed in 2021.

Mom wins court fight with charter school, defamation countersuit backfires

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Rebecca Fitzgibbon hasn’t breathed easy since her 11-year-old son was put in the back of a police car by his…

Comment

Jackson residents blast library exit, demand explanation

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Public frustration boiled over at the July 1 Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting, where speaker after speaker condemned the…

Comment

Edwards said ‘no interest’ in Medicare cut, votes to cut anyway

Subscribe to this RSS feed

In Western North Carolina, where aging populations and rural poverty place extraordinary pressure on the social safety net, few programs…

Comment

Municipal candidates file for elections

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Candidates across Western North Carolina have begun filing for the 2025 municipal elections, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov.…

Comment

Forest Hills fights back: Village cancels planning contract with county over FRL withdrawal

Subscribe to this RSS feed

In a move that evokes imagery from the biblical battle between David and Goliath, the tiny Jackson County municipality of…

Comment

Lunsford federal gun case continued, again

Subscribe to this RSS feed

James Lunsford, controversial proprietor of the “Haven on the Hill” campground, will begin another chapter in his federal gun case…

Comment

Following sexual assault charges, Swain County Sheriff retires

Subscribe to this RSS feed

In the wake of numerous criminal charges from both the state and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tied to…

Comment

Two arrested with nearly 500 grams of meth

Subscribe to this RSS feed

On July 4, the Haywood County Sheriff’s office announced that Kelly Diane Shelton, 42, and Charles Edward Morris, 56, both…

Comment

Michael Noland, Outdoor Maintenance supervisor for Town of Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department beside the town’s electric mower. Donated photo

Waynesville celebrates purchase of electric lawnmower

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The electric lawnmower the Town of Waynesville bought in 2024 is paying off, according to Outdoor Maintenance Supervisor Michael Noland.…

Comment

Folks worked to complete the native plant garden on June 26. Donated photo

Volunteers beautify Franklin’s Women’s History Park

Subscribe to this RSS feed

On June 26, the Folk Heritage Association/Women’s History Trail completed the final stages to beautify the town’s Women’s History Park.…

Comment

NC Forest Service tree seedlings on sale

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The N.C. Forest Service began accepting orders July 1 for its annual tree seedling sale. With an average annual production…

Comment

NCDEQ Division of Water Resources urges caution around discolored water

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Amid summer’s high temperatures, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources reminds the public to avoid contact with discolored…

Comment

Adult kickball league begins in Jackson County

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Registration has started for an adult kickball league in Jackson County. Participants must be at least 14 years old to…

Comment

Western North Carolina is a bastion for outdoor recreation, especially when it comes to trail running and hiking. Garret K. Woodward photo

Run to the hills: Some of our favorite trails in WNC

Subscribe to this RSS feed

In this day and age, when the world seems to be one chaotic situation after another, all while the incessant…

Comment

Meadowlark gets the blues

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

Comment

Not many people hiked the Appalachian Trail back in the early 1970s, and 50 years later, Mike Rayder decided to turn his experiences into a book.

Sylva man pens Appalachian Trail book 50 years after his hike

Subscribe to this RSS feed

Thousands of people set out to hike the Appalachian Trail every year. About a quarter of those people finish. In…

Comment

North Carolina Arboretum unveils new “Trolls: a Field Study” exhibit

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The North Carolina Arboretum and Explore Asheville announced the arrival of “Trolls: A Field Study.” Visiting on their first North…

Comment

‘George Masa: A Life Reimagined’ wins two regional awards

Subscribe to this RSS feed

“George Masa: A Life Reimagined,” was recently recognized with two regional awards: the 2024 North Caroliniana Society Book Award and…

Comment

Moving aquatic species to other water bodies can lead to issues with introducing invasive species.

Trout jeopardized by unauthorized stocking and relocation

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission asks the public to refrain from the illegal practice of moving inland fish, specifically mountain trout, to other…

Comment

In her talk, Carpenter will explore the importance of fostering a culture that celebrates and integrates native species into our public and private landscapes.

Discussion on native species coming to Highlands

Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Highlands Biological Foundation is excited to continue its 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series with Sonya Carpenter, Co-founder and President…

Comment