Haywood County Community and Economic Development Manager Hannah White used a Jan. 5 presentation to give commissioners a detailed accounting of where broadband access stands today, how far the county has come since the depths of the digital divide were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and what work remains before reliable high-speed internet reaches every single household tucked into the county’s ridges, hollers and remote valleys. 

The word home evokes images that go deeper than its definition “the place where one lives.” 

Home means more than a house or domicile. It speaks of a place you live, and also a place that lives within you. It can mean where you come from, a place you aspire to go or return to, and it can mean emotional connection to a living space, or land that you are connected to emotionally.

This afternoon, when I walked into my publisher’s office here in Waynesville, I sat down to catch up with him about nothing and everything, the holidays and how things are on the home-front of our respective lives. After some friendly banter, he handed me a small envelope. It was a handwritten note from his 90-year-old father-in-law, Bill, who lives on the other side of the state. 

What’s the point of human existence if we’re not part of something bigger than ourselves? 

Our need for connection is rooted deep within our biology — as important as food, water and shelter. In fact, a 2023 report by the U.S. Surgeon General stated that the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and supersedes the negative impacts of obesity and physical inactivity. 

The extended Cashiers Greenway Ramble is one step closer to completion thanks to a $212,000 grant from Jackson County.

The grant contributes to the $4 million in funding needed to complete the Ramble’s five-mile network of pathways, sidewalks, boardwalks and public spaces. 

When it comes to songs immortal, 311 has them in spades. From “Amber” to “All Mixed Up,” “I’ll Be Here Awhile” to “Beautiful Disaster,” “Down” to “Love Song,” the band is regarded as one of America’s most successful and enduring rock groups since its formation in 1988. 

The mind, body and soul connection can become the trifecta in our existence if we understand how to blend the information these three powerhouses offer. Most of us honor one or two, but using all three together can vastly change our everyday experience.

Hello operator? I’d like to make a collect call to God …

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | We are all familiar with the expression “so and so is the black sheep of the family.” According to Merriam-webster’s definition; it is a disfavored or disreputable member of a group. We all have someone we can point to that upsets the applecart of our family. These people can’t seem to do life the way we do it, think like we do, or even relate to one another the way that we do. It’s almost as if they are from another world sent here to challenge the very core our belief systems, and honey, I got a news flash for ya…they are! 

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | Last weekend I had dinner with friends and felt so grateful to be with such awesome people.  Think back to the times that you gathered with those you hadn’t seen in a while and nutshelled each other as to what was new and different in order to share your lives. I was having one of these mini conversations with an old friend and she asked me to remind her of my date’s name.  As I did, I added a fun way to remember his name to avoid any awkwardness between them.  She looked at me and said, “I don’t need help remembering that name.  I had a good friend named ….”