SMN staff
The Cullowhee Native Plant Conference returns to Western Carolina University July 19-22, with the public invited to take part in programs offered Saturday, July 22, free of charge.
Western Carolina University biologist and best-selling author Jim Costa will discuss his newest book, “Radical by Nature,” during a special summer “Golden Hour” talk at 6 p.m. Friday, July 21, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.
A pair of land trusts has worked together to permanently protect 1,125 acres spanning parts of Wilkes, Alexander and Iredell counties.
Learn how to stay found with a land navigation course offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville.
On the heels of an unseasonably cool May, based on the average statewide temperature of 71.1F, June finished up as North Carolina’s 13th coolest in 129 years.
On a recent mid-May morning, Kevin Sandefur spent five hours spreading gravel in the parking lot of the brand new BearWaters Brewing location on South Main Street in Waynesville.
For most people, the word “snorkeling” conjures images of blue Caribbean waters, pink coral reefs and a rainbow of tropical fish. But witnessing a world of aquatic beauty doesn’t require a flight to the Florida Keys.
When Cheryl Hillis started managing vacation rentals in Haywood County 15 years ago, Airbnb didn’t exist, reservations were made with phone calls and mailed checks, and she lived nowhere near Western North Carolina.
Showcased at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center in Cherokee, a recent exhibition, “Behind the Mask: Cherokee Mask Makers and their Legacy,” aimed to reinforce the significance of Cherokee masks — their history and use, as well as their meaning and significance.
While studying English at the University of Mary Washington, Christina Bendo decided to, by chance, take an elective one semester — pottery.
Sliding into a booth at Meatballs Pizzeria in downtown Sylva, Crystal Pace and Santiago Guzzetti gaze out onto a bustling Main Street rushing by the front windows.
This past spring, guitarist Seth Taylor and his band, longtime bluegrass staple Mountain Heart, once again took the stage under the bright lights at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Coffee shop becomes Canton staple Like many recent businesses opening in downtown Canton, it’s usually a story of someone deciding to take a chance on a quiet town — a community full of potential that many have either disregarded or overlooked.
Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Greg Wasik saw firsthand that trademark sense of community at neighborhood taverns around the Motor City.
In an effort to preserve and perpetuate the heritage arts and lore of the Great Smoky Mountains and greater Southern Appalachia, the Smoky Mountain Heritage Center has now come to fruition at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.
With a hot sun falling behind the mountains, rock legend Tommy Stinson strapped on his Gibson acoustic guitar and stood behind a microphone on the side lawn of Yonder Community Market in Franklin.
The series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture” will host the Women’s History Trail program “Voices from the Past” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
The 8th annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will showcase some of the finest regional artisans from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 15, in downtown Dillsboro.
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director.
The Jackson County Health Department announced a new wellness program, Elevate828.
A pair of lectures planned for the Highlands Nature Center over the next couple weeks will explore the complexities of old-growth forests and avian life.
Learn more about gardening at the Master Gardener Booth, available 8 a.m. to noon on the second and third Saturday of the month through August at the Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market, located in the HART Theatre parking lot in Waynesville.
Recent cases of malaria in Texas and Florida have caused alarm about the potential for the disease to spread in warmer regions of the United States, but according to mosquito researcher Brian Byrd, a different type of mosquito-borne illness is of greater concern in Western North Carolina.
Record wildlife and remove litter from the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City during a family-friendly event Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15.
Learn about lightning bugs — and how your yard care choices can help reverse their decline — during a program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center near Franklin.
A trio of programs aimed at allowing people with disabilities to explore the outdoors will be held in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this summer, starting with an event Saturday, July 22, at Deep Creek Trail near Bryson City.
A feature documentary exploring the release of the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan will have its premier screening at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville.
An information session and display of electric vehicles will be offered 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
It’s time to sign up for sports with Jackson County Parks and Recreation.
The observation tower and access trail at Look Rock in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Foothills Parkway will be closed July 10-15 for a radio system upgrade.
Jacob Ryan McClure, 25, of Waynesville. was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised released for possession of machine guns.
A former two-time Western Carolina University Academic All-American football player wants to help ensure that future Catamount student-athletes have similar experiences.
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director. Ann Selby replaced retiring Director, Karen Johnson.
Champion Credit Union announced it has been named to the Great Employers to Work for in North Carolina 2023 list by Best Companies Group, a BridgeTower Media Company.
To help create a pipeline of future health care workers for the region, Dogwood Health Trust has awarded a $500,000 grant to Southwestern Community College’s Health Sciences Division.
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) recently approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools in 19 counties.
Five new graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Human Services Technology (HST) program are ready to help address the opioid and mental health crises facing the region and nation.
A recent collaboration between Junaluska Elementary fifth graders, Haywood Community College students and Haywood County Solid Waste and Recycling will keep about 90,000 juice and milk cartons out of the county landfill each school year.
A campuswide and community driven project will soon be underway to recenter Cherokee history and culture on Western Carolina University’s campus.
Over the coming weeks, maintenance work will begin on six bridges on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including two in the Asheville and Linville Gorge areas.
The Carolina Mountain Club is inviting the community to help celebrate its 100th birthday 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.
Restrictions on use at Max Patch in the Pisgah National Forest will remain in effect through June 30, 2026, extending a two-year ban on certain activities instituted on July 1, 2021.
The Environmental Action Community of WNC is celebrating Plastic-Free July with an initiative encouraging all Haywood County restaurants, cafes and coffee shops to phase out single-use plastic items like straws, takeout containers, utensils and condiment packages.
Two Western North Carolina people and organizations were recognized in this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, presented by the N.C. Wildlife Federation.
Free screenings of the wildlife documentary “RATTLED: Conserving Rattlesnakes in Appalachia” will be offered at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.
Youth have multiple opportunities to get outdoors this month with a variety of events offered by Haywood County Recreation and Parks.
Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo and Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received the 2023 Distinguished Contributions to Social Contexts in Education Research Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Educational Research Association Division G.
The American Red Cross will host its 36th annual Operation Blood Drive on Thursday, June 29, in Asheville, Hendersonville and Waynesville.
Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospital recently announced that Missi Bowman has been recognized as the facility’s 2023 Mercy Award winner.
Around 6:30 a.m. June 22, a Haywood County ambulance based out of Bethel lost control on a curve in a wet road and rolled down an embankment in the 700 block of Kim’s Cove Road.