The Waynesville Public Art Commission announced that the Historic Main Street Mural project is underway. The new mural will grace the side of High Country Style at 121 North Main St. 

The WPAC worked alongside the muralist-Max Dowdle, local historian, Alex McKay, local artist, Teresa Pennington, the property owner, Doug Worrell, and held a public input session to inspire a mural that feels like a walk through Waynesville’s history. 

It’s been over a year and a half since the hollow ping of softball bats has rung out over Waynesville’s Dutch Fisher Field, but on April 13, teams again enjoyed the chance to kick up some dust on their favorite diamond. 

When Hurricane Helene decimated the area in September 2024, many community institutions lost so much. Mountaineer Little League lost two fields, including Dutch Fisher.

A low-flying plane circling his property was the first sign. The passes were frequent enough to be noticed. Haywood County farmer and longtime Farm Bureau President Don Smart knew immediately what that kind of attention usually means. 

In the old days, Smart said, they’d have been looking for illegal cannabis or tobacco plantings, but that wasn’t why the plane was tracing slow, deliberate circles in the sky over his farm. Two weeks later, confirmation of his suspicions arrived in writing.

Haywood Christian Ministries has announced its fourth annual Farm Fresh 5K on to be run at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 18.

The Farm Fresh 5K is a chance to come together as a community and make a difference. Runners will support local farmers, putting food on the tables of families in need while strengthening the local economy. 

Knots can mean the difference between success and struggle in the great outdoors.

A hands-on class will dive into the essential knots every adventurer should know — whether securing gear, building a shelter or handling unexpected challenges in the wild. 

The message at the Haywood County Farm Bureau’s April 1 legislative breakfast was unmistakable — more than 18 months after Hurricane Helene, recovery is moving, but not at the pace or scale many farmers say is necessary to stabilize their operations. 

Held annually, the breakfast serves as a touchpoint between Haywood County’s agricultural community and the policymakers charged with supporting it.

A familiar face is returning to county government sooner than expected, as former tax collector Greg West steps back into the role following Sebastian Cothran’s sudden resignation. 

“I would just like to say thank you,” West said. “I appreciate all the support I received during the Primary Election. I’m humbled and very appreciative. I look forward to the opportunity to get back in the office and work hard for the citizens of Haywood County.

For fiscal year 2026-2027, Haywood County Schools is requesting an additional $3 million in annual county funding. 

The ask is driven by several overlapping needs — offsetting state and federal cuts, avoiding fund balance appropriations, covering a $400,000 increase in annual operating costs, financing salary raises and supporting continued program needs — all while facing a budget shortfall between $700,000 and $740,000. 

Full-time residents of Haywood, Jackson and Buncombe counties can save money playing golf at Lake Junaluska Golf Course with a seasonal rate discount card.

With the purchase of a $50 discount card, residents can save $9 on 18-holes of golf with a cart, $4.50 on nine-holes of golf with a cart and $5 off each nine-hole round walking the course. The discount is good May 1 through Oct. 31. 

Before the chants started and long before the first speaker took the microphone, people were already drifting toward one another — introducing themselves, comparing stories, soaking up the quiet relief of being in a crowd where, for once, they didn’t feel outnumbered. 

What emerged in those early moments of the March 28 “No Kings 3” rallies in Haywood and Jackson counties wasn’t just a protest but a kind of recognition, a temporary reordering of identity where private beliefs, often muted in churches, social circles or workplaces, could be expressed openly and without hesitation.