Eireann's Call will play Waynesville Dec. 12. File photo
 

Ready for ‘A Kilted Christmas’?

Featuring Celtic/world musical ensemble Eireann’s Call, the “A Kilted Christmas” concert will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec.…
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‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ will be at HART on select dates. Donated photo
 

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

A special stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas Musical Extravaganza” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13,…
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Haywood County hosts wilderness navigation course
 

Haywood County hosts wilderness navigation course

Haywood County Recreation is offering a wilderness navigation course that will equip hikers with the basics of modern navigation required…
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Volunteers needed for Richland Creek cleanup
 

Volunteers needed for Richland Creek cleanup

Haywood Waterways is hosting a cleanup session for Waynesville’s Richland Creek. The cleanup will be held from 10 a.m. to…
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Haywood County Commissioner Terry Ramey is facing at least one call for his resignation. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Haywood commissioner Ramey rebuked

Editor’s note: this story contains strong language.  Since his election in 2022, Haywood County Commissioner Terry Ramey has been known…
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The Waynesville Plaza Laundromat. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: ‘Bourbon laughter, ghosts, history falls,to park ing lots and shopping malls’

Thursday morning. Although the sunshine and blue skies over Western North Carolina seemed rather inviting, it was false pretense as…
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Shawn Lane will play Balsam Nov. 30. Wayne Ebinger photo
 

Bluegrass legends to play Balsam Mountain Inn

Featuring bluegrass legends Shawn Lane & Darren Nicholson, the “Balsam Christmas Concert” will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov.…
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Bird in Hand will play Bryson City Nov. 29. File photo
 

Americana, folk at Mountain Layers

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company…
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The sampling was performed at various locations around the mill property and along the Pigeon River. File photo
 

Canton paper mill environmental report released: Findings offer few surprises

Almost a year after its internal publication, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has made public a report detailing…
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Josh Shapiro, Trails Forever supervisor, cuts the ribbon for Ramsey Cascades Trail. NPS photo
 

Three-year restoration of Ramsey Cascades Trail completed

In collaboration with Friends of the Smokies, the National Park Service (NPS) has a completed a three-year restoration of the Ramsey…
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Cataloochee Ski Area. File photo
 

Cataloochee ski area opens for the season

Following a cold snap and a couple of inches of fresh snow, the Cataloochee Ski Area in Haywood County opened…
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The drought has spread in Easter North Carolina while the whole state remains at least abnormally dry. ncdrought.org photo
 

Drought creeps into WNC

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified parts of Western North Carolina as being in a moderate drought.
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Nominations open for Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards
 

Nominations open for Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards

North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) announced that nominations are now open for the 60th Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards. This…
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The workshop will be held Dec. 7. Donated photo
 

Master Gardeners host wreath-making workshop

The North Carolina State Extension Master Gardeners are hosting a wreath-making workshop Dec. 7. The extension will provide a selection of…
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Permit-free firewood collection begins on reopened areas of the Pisgah National Forest
 

Permit-free firewood collection begins on reopened areas of the Pisgah National Forest

The U.S. Forest Service invites the public to gather firewood for personal use without a permit on reopened sections of…
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George Masa strikes a pose with three of his cameras. George Masa photo
 

Winners announced in George Masa Youth Conservation Photography Prize

The George Masa Foundation proudly announces the winners of the inaugural George Masa Youth Conservation Photography Prize, a competition designed…
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Lessons from Noah’s flood — confessions of a progressive
 

Lessons from Noah’s flood — confessions of a progressive

After reading the point-counterpoint last week from David Lawson and Tom Powers, I was inspired to offer a third path forward.…
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Destruction from the MAGA storm
 

Destruction from the MAGA storm

To the Editor: Helene brought destruction and chaos! Homes, businesses, cars, people washed away, roads and bridges washed out, people…
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Have we lost our way, America?
 

Have we lost our way, America?

To the Editor: As I ponder the implications of the presidential election, I have to ask myself and I ask…
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You are not alone: Macon housing needs assessment tells familiar story
 

You are not alone: Macon housing needs assessment tells familiar story

When Patrick Bowen, president of Bowen National Research, presented a housing needs assessment to the Macon County’s board of commissioners…
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The bill Gov. Cooper vetoed includes $463 million in funding for vouchers. Stock photo
 

Veto override: Lawmakers expand funding for private school vouchers

Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly voted last week to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto and pass a mini…
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Roy Wijewickrama will be the new senior resident superior court judge over Haywood and Jackson counties. Donated photo
 

Cooper taps Wijewickrama for superior court seat

Judge Roy Wijewickrama has been appointed to fill the recently vacated senior resident superior court seat in the district made…
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While in town for the 112th Annual Cherokee Fair, stickball team Wudeligv (woo day lee guh), came to volunteer at The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center after Hurricane Helene. Donated photo
 

The Pigeon Center responds to community’s disaster needs: Support needed to make up fundraising shortfall

The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center quickly became a storm recovery hub in Waynesville just days after Hurricane Helene devastated…
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WNC law enforcement aims to turn ‘Blackout Wednesday’ blue
 

WNC law enforcement aims to turn ‘Blackout Wednesday’ blue

In some areas, Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, and it is known the…
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Rental assistance available for homeowners, renters
 

Rental assistance available for homeowners, renters

Homeowners and renters in North Carolina may be eligible for FEMA Rental Assistance if they cannot live in their homes because…
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High drama is unfolding at the North Carolina General Assembly over a Hurricane Helene flood relief bill. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Sham Helene relief bill riles western leaders: Contentious veto override vote likely looms

To be, rather than to seem; North Carolina’s aspirational state motto evokes notions of determination and the desire for substance…
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Sylva Christmas Parade will be Dec. 1. Nick Breedlove photo
 

Christmas in Appalachia

As the temperature drops in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with…
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President Joe Biden (center) meets with North Caroline Gov. Roy Cooper (center-left) and a group of Western North Carolina leaders, including Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers (far right).
 

Gov. Cooper goes to D.C. after General Assembly fails to deliver on storm relief

With North Carolina’s Republican-dominated General Assembly still dead-set on refusing to provide meaningful relief for mountain communities hit hard by…
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Smokies Life CEO Jacki Harp (right) and Smokies Supervisory Park Ranger Lisa Nagurny examine an aquatic creature found in a nearby stream during an Experience Your Smokies session this fall. Photo provided by Experience Your Smokies–Tennessee.
 

Word from the Smokies: New CEO takes the reins at Smokies Life

When 2024 dawned in Chattanooga, Tennessee, job hunting was the furthest thing from Jacqueline “Jacki” Harp’s mind. As regional director…
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'The Nutcracker' returns to the stage at WCU Dec. 6-7. File photo
 

A Cullowhee Christmas: The holidays are in full swing at WCU

As fall is slowly transitioning to winter, so, too, comes the holiday cheer. And although Thanksgiving Day, the official kickoff…
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The Blue Ridge Parkway. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: ‘Light a fire, fight a liar, what’s the difference, in existence?’

It’s not much after 9:30 on Sunday morning. I awoke in bed just as my girlfriend, Sarah, was heading out…
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Darren Nicholson will play Maggie Valley Nov. 24.  File photo
 

Cataloochee Ranch welcomes bluegrass legend

Americana/bluegrass act the Darren Nicholson Band will hit the stage for a special intimate performance at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov.…
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A work from potter Sharla Kauffman. File photo
 

Stecoah Drive-About Tour

The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 29-30 at featured…
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Alma Russ will play Waynesville Nov. 27. File photo
 

Americana, folk at Frog Level

Rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Frog Level Brewing…
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City Lights welcomes Woloch, Sunshine
 

City Lights welcomes Woloch, Sunshine

The following readings will occur at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. • Poets Cecilia Woloch and Louise Morgan Runyon will…
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Lake Emory Dam. File photo
 

Flood damage prevention ordinance, dam removal still on the table

Despite a lack of quorum at the November planning board meeting, both the flood damage prevention ordinance and now the…
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Volunteers will assist with trail and community restoration efforts. Donated photo
 

CMC seeks volunteers for trail restoration workday

Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) is gearing up for another significant trail restoration event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,…
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Each year, installation of the Winter Lights show typically begins in late summer, but two months of that work was lost due to Hurricane Helene. Donated photo
 

Winter Lights display at The NC Arboretum

The 11th annual Winter Lights returned to The North Carolina Arboretum on Friday Nov. 15, with the show running nightly through…
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Military, veterans discounts on tree seedlings
 

Military, veterans discounts on tree seedlings

Beginning Nov. 11, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20% discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably…
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The drought has spread in Eastern North Carolina, while the whole state remains at least abnormally dry. ncdrought.org photo
 

North Carolina gets dryer

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified the whole state as at least abnormally dry and a moderate…
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‘Pickin’ for Pisgah’ Benefit Raises $15,000 for FIND Outdoors and Helene Recovery
 

‘Pickin’ for Pisgah’ Benefit Raises $15,000 for FIND Outdoors and Helene Recovery

FIND Outdoors announced the success of the “Pickin’ for Pisgah” benefit concert, an inspiring evening of music, community, and love…
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DEQ provides funding for projects to reduce flood risks in North Carolina communities
 

DEQ provides funding for projects to reduce flood risks in North Carolina communities

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working with the North Carolina Land and Water…
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Helene disaster isn’t over
 

Helene disaster isn’t over

To the Editor: I was finally able to get through the travel hazards back to Western North Carolina six days…
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Trump’s election tells us a lot
 

Trump’s election tells us a lot

To the Editor: The 2024 presidential election revealed one thing in crystal-clear, proof-positive, light-years beyond any reasonable doubt comprehensibility, that the…
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Helene’s floodwaters in Waynesville caused the most damage to businesses in Frog Level. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Helene damage coming into focus in Waynesville

Like much of Haywood County, Waynesville wasn’t affected by Hurricane Helene as badly as many other Western North Carolina communities,…
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Haywood County Emergency Management Coordinator Zack Koonce briefs commissioners on storm recovery on Nov. 18. Haywood County photo
 

Haywood County takes stock, plots post-Helene recovery

Solid numbers on damage from Hurricane Helene are finally coming into Haywood County, along with a state plan to repurpose…
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Jackson, Macon, Swain reach FRL agreement
 

Jackson, Macon, Swain reach FRL agreement

Macon County has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains changes made by all…
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Macon votes to retain environmental health fees
 

Macon votes to retain environmental health fees

Macon County Commissioners decided last week to oppose Commissioner Paul Higdon’s push to eliminate environmental health fees, an initiative he…
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The new temporary home for the Canton Fire Department, shown here in purple, is flanked by the temporary town hall and police department (lower left) and the town’s garage (lower right). Haywood GIS photo
 

Canton Fire Department moving to new temporary home

The Town of Canton’s temporary operations hub on Summer Street, home to town hall and the police department since shortly…
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Nickole Brown. File photo
 

Hellbent Hope: Generative writing workshops

Helene tore through many people’s lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Some lost homes, as well as the…
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