It’s been a little under a year since Corrina Ruffieux took over for longtime Haywood County Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Lynn Collins, but Ruffieux’s wasted little time bolstering the TDA’s destination marketing strategy with robust and insightful data meant to show the county’s relative strengths and weaknesses while also hedging against uncertainty with new initiatives designed to keep the money flowing into Western North Carolina’s tourism-based economy — especially in post-mill Canton. 

On Saturday, March 30, hop on over to 566 South Haywood St. in Waynesville at 9 a.m. for a free, eggs-travagant Easter egg hunt.

To the Editor:

The primary voting has ended in North Carolina, and because of those registered voters who chose to do their patriotic duty and turn out to vote, the people of North Carolina now know who the state nominees for each party will be and most importantly which presidential candidates North Carolina has chosen to place their support behind in the upcoming November 2024 elections. 

After deciding that the time is finally right, the owners of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club are making good on a promise by asking the town for permission to develop 25 custom-built single-family homes on the outskirts of the revitalized course — continuing the rebirth of a storied local landmark — but Waynesville’s planning board has now put half the units in doubt. 

 In an effort to raise funds for Misfit Mountain, there will be a special art showcase and sale through March at Panacea Coffee Company in Waynesville. 

A production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. 22-23 and 2 p.m. March 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

Get an early start on this year’s garden by renting space at Waynesville’s Old Armory Recreation Center Greenhouse beginning March 25. 

Trays may be rented at a cost of $5 apiece. The maximum allowed is five trays per person. The Old Armory will provide the dirt and water.

Space is limited; only 200 total trays will be sold. Reservations must be made in person at the facility. 

For more information, please call Keith Shetley at the Old Armory Recreation Center at 828.456.9207 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Waynesville’s North Main Street has been an important economic engine for the town and the county for decades, and the town’s municipal service district has played a significant role in that success.

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has begun work on one of the busiest roads in Haywood County that the DOT hopes will improve Russ Avenue from U.S. 74 to Main Street. 

Waynesville is revving up its eco-efforts with a freshly minted advisory board paving the way for a long-term plan to create an even cleaner environment that will continue to draw tourists — and put some green back into locals’ pockets, too.