Haywood County will mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene this week with a series of commemorations beginning during the opening ceremonies of the annual Haywood County Fair. At 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, a proclamation will be read at the Smoky Mountain Event Center, and attendees will have the chance to recognize first responders, volunteers and partner organizations who have played a role in recovery.

NC Governor Josh Stein announced the launch of a new $50 million state-funded grant program to support local governments in their recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. The Office of State Budget and Management will administer these Helene Local Government Capital Grants to repair, renovate or replace infrastructure damaged by the hurricane.  

The annual elk breeding season, known as the rut, is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rut can be exciting to witness, but it can also be dangerous, as elk are especially unpredictable during this time.  

Two Haywood County water systems will benefit from a combined $15 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program for disaster-affected states. North Carolina is the first state impacted by Helene to award grants from this program. 

Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is now accepting applications for its sixth Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. The annual program is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with the national park while focusing on their craft in an inspiring, retreat-like setting. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 33 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.

Under Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations, only catch-and-release of trout is permissible from program waters between Oct. 1, 2025 and June 5, 2026.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has awarded a total of $3 million to two local partners in Haywood County to support ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene and to strengthen the region’s resilience to future storms. 

After over a year of discussion, Macon County has canceled is contract with the Burningtown-Iotla Fire Department and has begun working toward changing the Cowee Fire Department’s contract to provide permanent coverage to the areas BIFR used to have jurisdiction over. 

The Smoky Mountain Long Term Recovery Group will host a free “Day of Resilience” event on Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 566 S. Haywood St.

Haywood County will mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene this week with a series of commemorations beginning during the opening ceremonies of the annual Haywood County Fair.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advises that black bears’ eating behavior changes in the late summer through fall. They significantly increase their food consumption to prepare for the colder months when natural food is less available. It’s called hyperphagia and it means “extreme appetite.” Which means they are on the search. 

Experience the rich traditions of Appalachian Mountain life at the annual Mountain Life Festival, happening Sept. 20 at the Mountain Farm Museum, located just behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee. 

Eligible livestock producers will receive disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire to help offset increased supplemental feed costs due to a qualifying flood or qualifying wildfire in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office announced a $10 million Home Repair Weatherization Readiness Program to supplement North Carolina’s existing Weatherization Assistance Program.

Mainspring Conservation Trust has named Sylva resident Jeremy Hyatt as its new Executive Director.

Hyatt, a Tribal citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in government, natural resources and cultural preservation.

The extended Cashiers Greenway Ramble is one step closer to completion thanks to a $212,000 grant from Jackson County.

The grant contributes to the $4 million in funding needed to complete the Ramble’s five-mile network of pathways, sidewalks, boardwalks and public spaces. 

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in Western North Carolina approaches, two faculty members in Western Carolina University’s College of Business served as project managers for an in-depth study of storm damage to the North Carolina Arboretum in an effort to develop a plan for its recovery. 

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed a $221 million federal block grant agreement that targets aid to North Carolina farmers who sustained losses and damages from Hurricane Helene in 2024. 

 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation. 

The N.C. Department of Transportation is calling on volunteers to help clean up roadsides during the 2025 Fall Litter Sweep, scheduled for Sept. 13-27.

The statewide cleanup, held each spring and fall, brings together neighbors, civic groups and businesses to remove litter from North Carolina roadsides. 

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Sept. 4 held its general election for tribal council. Twelve tribal members — two from each community — are elected to tribal council every two years. Turnout hovered at about 30% of eligible voters. Four women were elected to the board, a historic marker. 

The Smoky Mountain Long Term Recovery Group will host a free “Day of Resilience” event on Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 566 S. Haywood St.

The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will host its annual “Farm 2 Table” Fundraiser from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. The event promises an evening of dining, dancing, local art, live music and community spirit.

Greenhill Cemetery will once again take part in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, a national observance that began in 1992 and has grown each year as more cemeteries across the country join in the effort to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of American veterans.

“Into the Mist: Tales of Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Volume I” is now available in e-book format on popular electronic reader platforms.

The first group of checks have been sent to farmers who applied for disaster assistance through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss, with more to follow in the coming weeks, said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The first round of checks was sent to farmers in Western North Carolina. 

Kuwohi Road will be temporarily closed for half-days on Sept. 9 and 16 to facilitate special educational programs for students from Swain County and Qualla Boundary schools. The park will close the road at midnight the night before each event and will reopen it by 2 p.m. 

Highlands Biological Station is hosting a free “celebration of place” event.

The one-day event will feature:

• Rare & unusual native plants for sale, including the beloved Oconee Bells. 

Haywood Community College will hold the third annual Dahlia Ridge Trail Run at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, in Clyde.

This 5k is a timed, family-friendly walk/run event open to all levels of runners, walkers and hikers.

This program is available for boys and girls in second to eighth grade.

Register participants with the recreation center where they will be practicing, either Cullowhee or Cashiers.

The Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Grassroots Arts Program grants.

Applications are open through Sept. 5, 2025. Local nonprofit arts organizations and arts programs are encouraged to apply. This grant opportunity is not open to individuals. 

Indivisible CommonGround WNC will host its August meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The Colquitt Foundation has given $750,000 to the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies to save historic structures and help the national park’s Cataloochee Valley recover from damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

This month, The North Carolina Arboretum and ecoEXPLORE celebrates 100,000 observations of wild plants and animals taken by North Carolina youth and submitted to iNaturalist. In celebration, the Arboretum is inviting everyone to pitch in on selecting the top 10 photos by voting in this poll. The deadline to participate is Sept. 1. 

WNC Communities announced the induction of the 2025 honorees into the prestigious Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes individuals who have shown unwavering dedication, visionary leadership and outstanding contributions to the agribusiness sector of the region. 

Friends of Panthertown invites the public to a one-of-a-kind outdoor skills event: “Orienteering With Map and Compass,” led by renowned wilderness guide and author Burt Kornegay (“A Guide’s Guide to Panthertown”). 

The open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other man-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a public health risk, it’s against state law.

Open burning is only allowed in limited circumstances and only for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs and yard debris. 

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) announced the launch of its Birding in Jackson County guide — a free, full-color publication designed to help locals and visitors discover one of the most engaging outdoor activities the region has to offer. 

 Haywood Community  College’s Department of Arts, Sciences and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer 4 opportunities for hunter safety courses in Fall 2025.

Unearthing history is nothing new to Cherokee Language Program director and associate professor Sara Snyder Hopkins. Thanks to a federal grant, she and a group of colleagues will continue to do so. 

Gov. Josh Stein announced the state is accepting applications for a new program to repair or rebuild homes in Western North Carolina that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

Indivisible Commonground WNC will host a free candidate forum for the upcoming Sylva Board of Commissioners municipal election on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Jackson County Public Library. The event will be held in the Community Room from 6-7:30 p.m. 

Indivisible CommonGround WNC will host its August meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The event will take place in the Community Room from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The National Park Service urges visitors to not feed or approach black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park has seen an increase in incidents involving visitors feeding bears. Feeding wildlife is illegal and endangers you, other visitors and bears. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allocated $409.4 million to North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for public water systems to improve local drinking water utility infrastructure so their systems can better withstand natural disasters. 

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust announced the conservation of 31.69 acres of ecologically valuable land within the town limits of Highlands. Located off Bowery Road, the property overlooks Horse Cove Valley. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission welcomed Justin Boyd to its governing board. Boyd was appointed as an at-large member by North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and will serve a four-year term until June 30, 2029. Boyd was sworn in on July 22 at the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Raleigh. 

Earlier this summer, two Western North Carolina artists completed and installed a new public sculpture at a park in Virginia.  

Metalsmith William Rogers designed the work and created steel elements that support hammered copper panels made by Nathan Bush.

A critical process has been completed, permitting the N.C. Department of Transportation and its project team to extract rock necessary for reconstruction of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.