When old Jack Welch sold his Waynesville dairy farm to Jim Long in the early 1920s, he probably couldn’t have envisioned that it would one day become a top-notch golf club with stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountains and clubhouse amenities renowned throughout the southeast as some of the most luxurious. 

When Jason Gregory presented his new book on the history of manufacturing in Sylva at the Jackson County Public Library in August, the room was filled with residents who have a deeply personal connection to the stories Gregory wrote. 

It was one of the best opportunities I’d been given since I became a journalist and moved to Western North Carolina about seven years ago.

For the first time since 9/11, the Tennessee Valley Authority opened up Fontana Dam to a tour by members of the public and I was lucky enough to go along and write this story. 

  This year the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 100 years of work and involvement in its community — fostering both economic development and future leaders.

Gain insight into the cultural heritage of the Cherokee and their historical, sacred landscapes during a lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Highlands Nature Center.

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. 

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 over 50 years of experience in each of their disciplines, award-winning artisan couple Butch and Louise Goings continuously garner attention with their expertise in Cherokee basket making and wood carving. 

Sometimes we read certain histories — Scott’s expedition to Antarctica, for example, or Washington’s troops at Valley Forge, or the prisoners in the Soviet gulag — and are stunned by the endurance and courage of the human spirit.

A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June 23 through July 14 at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.