Aspiring food truck owners and mobile food entrepreneurs are invited to take their business dreams to the next level at the upcoming Food Truck Boot Camp, hosted by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems (EMFS) project in collaboration with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Division of Commerce.

Members of Western Carolina University fraternities and sororities contributed more than $1.5 million to the Catamount Club during the 2024-2025 edition of the Greek Challenge, an annual competition to see which organizations can raise the most money in support of the university’s athletics program. 

Following a period of decreased activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was exacerbated by the impacts of Hurricane Helene, the Association of Retired Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University has embarked upon a process of organizational reinvigoration. 

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced that a Waynesville man pleaded guilty this week to calling in a bomb threat last spring that forced authorities to evacuate Haywood County Justice Center. 

The N.C. Department of Transportation has been nationally recognized for its collaborative and dynamic emergency response to Hurricane Helene last fall.

The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration continue to work toward emergency repairs for U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road following the Aug. 1 washout and landslide. The agencies plan to award a contract in August and expect that construction will be complete in early October.

Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina (GOTR WNC) announced the appointment of Stacie Marlowe as its executive director. A Henderson County native and long-time advocate for youth development, Marlowe steps into the role with a passion for empowering girls and a strong background in youth development programming and nonprofit leadership. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is awarding another $1.91 million for new public electric vehicle chargers across North Carolina, filling gaps in the state’s charging network along highways and in rural communities. 

The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the Greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane. 

The Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville will use its cafeteria to host a two-day show featuring the work of local painter Richard Baker.

Featuring over 200 works from Baker, the exhibition will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 8-9. In addition, there will be a reception from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. 

A Western Carolina University instructor of management will be leading a weeklong entrepreneurship and leadership camp for underserved youth in Western North Carolina to help them get an early jump on learning some of the steps necessary for starting a business. 

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 in Sylva.  

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch today announced the successful prosecution of a Swain County man on drug trafficking charges.

A Haywood County Superior Court jury late Friday found Clinton Leslie Ensley, 45, guilty of: 

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced a moratorium on the expiration of Class C driver licenses in North Carolina.

Under this legislation, Class C licenses (standard passenger vehicle licenses) expiring on or after July 1, 2025, will remain valid for driving purposes within the state for up to two years beyond the printed expiration date. 

The Highlands Biological Foundation will welcome Megan Sutton, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Southern Blue Ridge Programs, as the featured speaker for the final installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.

Twenty-seven counties across the state will receive more than $204 million in funding for 48 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The awards will improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, address PFAS and other forever chemicals, identify and replace lead pipes, and improve resiliency after future storms. 

County governments and conservation nonprofit groups may apply for grant funding from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund for farmland preservation projects. 

The National Park Service (NPS) reminds visitors to slow down and enjoy the views in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the next month, park rangers in cooperation with partner agencies will conduct increased traffic safety enforcement throughout the park.

“Farmers & Artisans Market” will be every Friday morning (May-October) at 117 Island St. in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn along the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies/preserves, authentic crafts and more.

The Haywood County Arts Council’s latest exhibition “Chiaroscuro” will run through Sept. 1 at HCAC’s Handmade Gallery in downtown Waynesville.

“Chiaroscuro” highlights the bold use of light and shadow to create depth, mood and movement in art.

On June 17, the Swain County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the Board of Elections to relocate to the Swain County Business Education and Training Center, located at 45 East Ridge Drive in Bryson City. The Board of Elections voted unanimously to request this relocation at its regular meeting on May 13. 

 Watching Cal Raleigh win the final round of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on TV last week was a special kind of thrill for Steve Wilson, who works in Purchasing, Shipping and Receiving for Southwestern Community College. 

The Town of Sylva was selected to be the host of the 2025 CycleNC Mountain Ride August 1-3, 2025, hosted by North Carolina Amateur Sports. Approximately 400 cyclists and their families from across the state will be attending. For this event, cyclists will be enjoying “go at your own pace” riding tours on country roads throughout Jackson County (and Swain County on Sunday). 

The Highlands Biological Foundation is welcoming celebrated author and nature writer Georgann Eubanks as the featured speaker for the next installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series. Her talk, titled “Finding the Fabulous Ordinary,” will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Highlands Nature Center. This event is free and open to the public, with a small reception to follow. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Dam Safety Program, with help from Applied Weather Associates, is releasing the state’s first Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) study and evaluation tool, which is designed to better prepare for future storms and their possible impact on dams in the state. 

Adults and youth ages 10 and up are welcome to kayak Wolf Lake with Jackson County Recreation.

The day will begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 7 by meeting up at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. 

The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University has just received a grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources for $54,612. 

MountainTrue, a nonprofit conservation organization serving Western North Carolina, is partnering with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to launch a comprehensive River Debris Cleanup Program to address ongoing impacts from Tropical Storm Helene.

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded more than $11 million authorized by the General Assembly in grants to communities and nonprofits in Western North Carolina from Great Trails State Program funding. 

N.C. Cooperative Extension of Haywood County is hosting a Learn to Grow series and Lifelong Gardening classes, which provide information presented by the horticulture agent, Rachel Douglas, and N.C. State Extension Master Gardener volunteers on a full variety of home garden-ing topics.

Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and or-namental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to pest problems. 

Haywood County Development Services is offering free insect repellent with deet and insect repellent bracelets to anyone who needs them.

The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the Greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane. The public is welcome. 

Local author and award-winning Smoky Mountain News columnist Chris Cox will make an appearance at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Hazelwood from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.

The Haywood County Historical & Genealogical Society is hosting a Pioneer Heritage Festival in Clyde, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.

On Monday, July 21, the series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture,” will present a program on the history of Cowee School, now the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center. Speakers will be Bill Dyar, long-time principal of the school; Stacy Guffey, founding director of the Arts and Heritage Center; and Laura Brooks, current director. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking individuals to join the Elk Rover volunteer team for the upcoming 2025 season. Elk Rovers share information with visitors about safe wildlife viewing and help keep elk and visitors safe. Elk Rovers will be stationed at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Volunteer duties include: 

• Standing and walking for extended periods. 
• Assisting with traffic management along US 441/Newfound Gap Road. 
• Assisting and guiding visitors. 
• Educating visitors about wildlife safety and etiquette. 
• Answering general questions about the park.

Interested volunteers should commit to one, four-hour afternoon shift per week on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday starting in July and continuing through mid-November. 

All new Elk Rovers are required to attend a mandatory in-person training session in July. Additionally, volunteers will have the opportunity to learn alongside a dedicated team of experienced rovers and park rangers who will provide on-the-job training.

Learn more at nps.gov/grsm/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.

Each Thursday evening at 8 p.m. through Aug. 7, Lake Junaluska will feature a family-friendly storyteller and music at the fire pit just below Shackleford Hall. Bring a chair or blanket and sit on the hillside. Afterward, enjoy s’mores under the stars. This event is free. 

Starting July 14, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will kick off a rehabilitation of a 7-mile stretch of Newfound Gap Road on the North Carolina side of the park.  

The Highlands Biological Foundation invites the public to continue exploring the forces that shape our region with the next installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.

Audubon North Carolina has named Dana Sargent as the organization’s new Community Building Director. 

Sargent comes to Audubon after serving as executive director of Wilmington-based Cape Fear River Watch for the past seven years, where her work included leading high-profile campaigns against PFAS and forever chemical pollution.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will be hosting The Wonderful World of Bees from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 19. Fred Crawford, local beekeeper, will be presenting on bee conservation and pollination.

On July 4, the Haywood County Sheriff’s office announced that Kelly Diane Shelton, 42, and Charles Edward Morris, 56, both of Clyde, were arrested June 29 on multiple felony drug charges following an investigation by the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. 

The electric lawnmower the Town of Waynesville bought in 2024 is paying off, according to Outdoor Maintenance Supervisor Michael Noland.

At the time, the purchase kicked up some dust, with some residents arguing that the additional expense of buying an electric mower instead of a traditional gas-powered lawn mower was wasted taxpayer money.  

On June 26, the Folk Heritage Association/Women’s History Trail completed the final stages to beautify the town’s Women’s History Park.

In March 2024, FHAMC and the Town of Franklin opened the park.

The N.C. Forest Service began accepting orders July 1 for its annual tree seedling sale. With an average annual production of 10 million seedlings, the NCFS Nursery Program produces enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 18,700 acres of land. 

Amid summer’s high temperatures, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources reminds the public to avoid contact with discolored water that could indicate the presence of an algal bloom. 

Registration has started for an adult kickball league in Jackson County.

Participants must be at least 14 years old to participate. The team fee is $150, and games are played Wednesday nights in Cullowhee starting Aug. 6. 

Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. 

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will launch its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 4, in downtown Waynesville.