Libertarian David Coatney entered the race for North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District long before Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) announced his intention to run in the newly-penned 13th District on Nov. 11. A lot has changed since then, but not Coatney’s desire to give voters a third option — outside of the typical American two-party dynamic. 

Saying that he feels he can “offer more to the citizens of Western North Carolina as a senator than as a freshman congressman,” Franklin Republican Kevin Corbin has removed himself from the milieu of Republicans supposedly seeking the 14th Congressional District seat. 

Western North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn has become known for saying some surprising things to further his political agenda, but Cawthorn’s most recent statement is by far his most surprising. 

Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s decision to leave his 14th Congressional District seat open has already produced a “ripple effect” of electoral implications across the region, but now that the big splash is over, there’s at least one Western North Carolina Republican thinking about dipping his toes into the water. 

On Veterans Day, we commemorate the service of members of the armed forces of the United States, past and present. But for some of those veterans, the call to serve persists long after they take off their uniforms for the last time and return to civilian life. 

It’s said that the pun is the lowest form of humor — unless it’s yours. 

Exactly 123 years to the day after a Black man was dragged from his cell in Franklin and hung from a bridge at the edge of town, a group of activists took the first step in attempting to reckon with Macon County’s most infamous lynching. 

The North Carolina General Assembly passed new House, Senate and congressional maps last week, but if the lawsuits — some existing, some perhaps forthcoming — can’t stop them, Western North Carolina’s voters will be on the receiving end of something old, something new, something borrowed and nothing blue. 

During his brief political career, Western North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn has become known for saying some surprising things to further his political agenda, but Cawthorn’s most recent statement is by far the most surprising.

A series of suspected arsons in Buncombe County has drawn the attention of multiple law enforcement agencies, and due to their proximity to Haywood County, Sheriff Greg Christopher is urging residents – especially in rural areas – to remain watchful.

It’s not the first thing people usually think of when they try to recount the relative prosperity of a community over generations. 

After more than a dozen public hearings and substantial study by the North Carolina General Assembly, the decennial redistricting process in North Carolina is more or less complete. 

The mountain mill town known for its downtown rejuvenation as well as its “ grit and grace ” in the face of tragedy may still be recovering from the raging floodwaters of the Pigeon River, but on Nov. 2, voters night kept the town government on solid ground. 

Plans are underway for a Nov. 6 event in Franklin to commemorate the lynching of a Black man more than 120 years ago, but if organizers are successful, the Mozeley Memorial Walk will also initiate debate over how, if at all, Mitch Mozeley should be publicly acknowledged. 

An Oct. 26 report in Rolling Stone  based on the claims of two anonymous sources places Western North Carolina freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) at the center of the planning of the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

Western North Carolina Republican Rep. Mike Clampitt is an Oath Keeper. 

Since his election last November, President Joe Biden has spent a lot of time — and untold political capital — pursuing a sweeping domestic agenda.

Developers associated with the rejuvenation of Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town in the Sky are moving forward with plans to resurrect the iconic mountaintop attraction and have enlisted some high-level talent to help redesign and prepare the park for reopening. 

It was Friday night football on a perfect fall evening under the lights in front of a capacity crowd at C.E. Weatherby Stadium in Waynesville, and as per usual, the rivalry game between the Mountaineers of Tuscola and the Pisgah Black Bears — the county clash, the “Mill versus the Hill,” whatever you want to call it — lived up to the hype. 

Raised in humble circumstances in Woodfin, Rod Honeycutt could have ended up on a very different path were it not for the United States Army. 

Municipal elections in Western North Carolina will be held in some jurisdictions on Tuesday, Nov. 2, but in-person early voting is now available. 

The Town of Waynesville’s years-long attempt to address homelessness within its borders has been filled with raw emotion, whimsical theatrics and at times even elements of pure fiction, but the story’s far from over. 

North Carolina’s known as a purple state where fierce partisan divide is the norm, but after two high-profile politicians — one a former NC-11 candidate and the other the current lieutenant governor — prompted outrage with recent vulgarities, their respective parties are stuck in a tough spot and facing difficult decisions over how to respond. 

After emerging from the early stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic virtually unscathed, Haywood County’s lodging industry rebounded with a year that exceeded all expectations. 

Waynesville’s historic Green Hill Cemetery has long been a centerpiece of the community, but of late it’s been at the center of controversy. After a botched cleanup prompted a closer look at management of town-owned cemeteries, restrictions on tours were implemented due to complaints of disrespectful behavior.

Municipal elections in Western North Carolina will be held in some jurisdictions on Tuesday, Nov. 2, but in-person early voting will take place beginning Thursday, Oct. 14. 

Another incident involving Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, possessing a weapon where it’s prohibited drew renewed outrage from many on the left, but the failure of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office to charge Cawthorn for the offense hasn’t stopped one group from seeking alternative means by which to discipline him. 

A scant three months ago, when candidates filed for the upcoming municipal elections, the Haywood County town of Canton was facing the usual set of local issues not much different from any other small-town Western North Carolina government. 

As the filing period for the 2022 midterm elections draws near, moves are being made on the Republican side of the field that could impact how much competition incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, will ultimately face. 

Shawn Gaddis, chief of the Canton Police Department since March, 2018, announced his retirement today according to an email sent to The Smoky Mountain News by Canton Town Manager Nick Scheuer.

Born at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, Democrat Bo Hess is both a product of his upbringing and of the influence of his parents. 

Although a majority of speakers at a Sept. 21 public hearing designed to gather input on the constitutionally-mandated redistricting process put forth generic opinions about how gerrymandering is harmful to representative democracies, drilling down into specific complaints from the five-dozen speakers reveals some very real concerns about House, Senate and congressional districts in Western North Carolina. 

Municipal elections in Western North Carolina will be held in some jurisdictions on Tuesday, November 2, but in-person early voting will take place beginning Thursday, Oct. 14. 

Riddled with dissention, defections and a lack of clear direction, Waynesville’s Task Force on Homelessness finally limped across the finish line last week, issuing final recommendations that will soon be considered by the Waynesville Board of Aldermen.

Progressive Haywood County organizer Chelsea White made it official during a Sept. 19 rally at the Haywood County Courthouse — she’s running for Congress. 

If anyone thought that the political polarization of 2020 died with President Donald Trump’s election loss that year, they’d need only look to a noisy pair of competing actions in Haywood County last Sunday. 

Haywood Pathways Center’s mission has always been to help people from all walks of life get back on their feet, but now for the first time in the organization’s six-year history, it’s taking a bold step into the world of workforce development that could also help alleviate staffing shortages in the region’s hospitality sector. 

The seemingly endless conflict between preservation and development in Waynesville — specifically, badly needed housing — entered a new chapter as a proposal for a major subdivision in Waynesville was met with outcry by neighbors who cite sprawl, density and greed as reasons to oppose it. 

Almost exactly one month after extreme flooding on the Pigeon River killed six, displaced hundreds and dropped mud and debris throughout downtown Canton, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis returned to check in on the progress being made as cleanup operations continue. 

MerleFest has been the premier “traditional plus” music festival in the country for decades, launching the careers of many well-known American roots musicians. Last year, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the Wilkesboro, North Carolina, event, disappointing first-time performers — especially smaller regional acts. 

The aftermath of deadly flooding that killed six people in the Cruso community of Haywood County on Aug. 16 saw federal, state and local governments spring into action. 

A little over a year after she left for a town manager job in Altavista, Virginia, former Waynesville Assistant Town Manager Amie Owens has returned to the region, albeit just a little farther west. 

More than three weeks after deadly flash flooding along the East Fork of the Pigeon River killed six and displaced hundreds, President Joe Biden announced that a major disaster exists and that federal assistance will supplement state and local efforts in the affected area.

Waynesville’s homeless task force, now rocked by resignations and dissention, failed to meet a deadline to present recommendations to the board of aldermen and now appears adrift and rudderless without a consensus or a clear direction forward. 

Born and raised in North Georgia, Katie Dean has taken a different path to the NC11 Democratic primary than most. 

Western North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn is known for making controversial statements, but video footage from a recent Macon County Republican Party that showed him speaking about insurrectionists and another possible rally in Washington has the internet up in arms, and people from both parties again calling for his removal. 

As state elected leaders toured areas of Haywood County decimated by deadly flooding that killed six people last week, local agencies were busy assessing damage and compiling reports in support of a federal disaster declaration that would bring badly needed resources. 

Canton’s elected leaders want to ensure that the public knows the last remaining element of the Town of Canton’s 114th annual Labor Day festival — Monday’s parade — has indeed been cancelled. 

In retrospect it’s odd that a region with such strong historical ties to Scotland doesn’t have a greater number of authentic Scottish pubs, but thanks to Scot and Makyia Blair, that’s about to change — at least in Waynesville.