To the Editor:

“No taxation without representation” the patriots cried 260 years ago. Now there is a move to change the voters’ representation of District 2 on the Macon County Board of Commissioners. Currently there are five commissioners, each representing approximately 6,000 voters in Macon County.

Following his first four years as Macon County’s sheriff, Brent Holbrooks is facing a primary challenge as he seeks a second term. 

Following former Sheriff Robbie Holland’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek reelection in 2022, Holbrooks emerged from a crowded Republican primary field that included multiple candidates who worked in high-level positions in Holland’s office.

Fontana Regional Library Director Tracy Fitzmaurice has tendered her resignation letter.

The Sylva Herald and The Smoky Mountain News last Friday received anonymous emails threatening both publications if the papers, specifically The Herald, do not report on the Fontana Regional Library kerfuffle the way the author of the email wants.

The Nikwasi Mound in Franklin is one step closer to being transferred back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a process almost a century in the making. 

At a Franklin Town Council meeting Jan. 5, the board voted unanimously to transfer the deed for the property, which is just south of downtown near the Little Tennessee River, from the Noquisi Initiative, a nonprofit formed for this very purpose about a decade ago, to EBCI. 

Following a presentation discussing the results of a feasibility study, the Franklin Town Council has withdrawn its offer to buy the property where the Angel Medical Center used to sit for $910,000. 

The medical center came under the control of Hospital Corporation of America when HCA purchased the Mission Health System in 2019.

The nature of growth requires counties to constantly develop and improve to keep facilities safe, reliable and up to fulfilling the needs of communities.

Voters in Macon County will have a chance to pass the buck, in a sense, on vital projects looming not far on the horizon. Some are so close you can smell them.

The speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture,” will host a program by Christy Bredenkamp, NCSU Extension Director, who will deliver a talk titled Agriculture in Macon County Through the Lens of Extension.

This slide presentation will offer an overview of Macon County’s current agricultural landscape — from beef cattle production and baling hay, to growing tomatoes and corn, as well as harvesting cut flowers, honey and Christmas trees. 

Western North Carolina’s next election cycle is already shaping up amid a volatile mix of entrenched incumbents, disaster recovery fallout and deepening national divides, with competitive races stretching from the U.S. Senate on down to county-level offices. 

While marquee statewide contests appear to be headed toward familiar General Election matchups, cracks are emerging down the ballot, where public trust and institutional legitimacy are demanding attention from voters now more than any other time in recent memory. 

Fifteen years ago, Main Street in Franklin was a pretty quiet place. It wasn’t hard to find a parking space and most of the things we enjoy downtown today didn’t exist, at least not yet. But, 15 years ago, an anchor business appeared on a hope and a dream — Outdoor 76. 

“There were a lot of empty storefronts and not much energy or activity. Still, we knew we wanted to be on Main Street because, to us, community has to start there,” said Cory McCall, co-owner of Outdoor 76.