Rep. Mike Clampitt dies following cancer battle
Mike Clampitt, the Republican State House representative for Swain, Jackson and Transylvania counties, has passed away at the age of 71.
The conservative legislator was particularly dedicated to wildlife conservation issues, as well as combatting impaired driving.
Holton returns to Mountain Layers
Regional blues/folk singer-songwriter Heidi Holton will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City.
Holton is turning heads with her unique take on one of America’s oldest popular musical traditions: the blues. She began young, leaving Murphy to play in rock bands in Athens, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana, before the blues called and she answered.
Fontana Regional Library board finds footing, but challenges loom
The palpable undertones of tension felt at the last several Fontana Regional Library board meetings seemed to have subsided at last week’s trustees meeting, but the system’s challenges continue to mount.
Don’t sacrifice Swain’s future
To the Editor:
In a current notice, the Swain County Commissioners have asked for public input on March 17 at 5:30 p.m. concerning a moratorium on permitting of high-impact facilities, including but not limited to data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations, server farms and similar uses within the unincorporated areas of Swain County.
Primary Election results shake up Western North Carolina
A turbulent primary season has already reshaped Western North Carolina’s political landscape, toppling incumbents, elevating new contenders and setting the stage for a consequential General Election.
Across the region, voters delivered decisive verdicts in races for Congress, the General Assembly and key county offices, while several high-profile contests reflected deeper tensions over taxes, disaster recovery and divisive social issues.
Teachers’ arrests expose abuse of EC students
On Feb. 16, one teacher and three teacher’s assistants were transferred from the Exceptional Children’s program at Swain West Elementary to the exceptional children program at Swain East following authorization by the county school board. By the end of the second day there, two of these TAs had already allegedly witnessed multiple instances of non-sexual child abuse of several East students.
Amid uncertainty, Swain commissioners accept revised FRL amendments
For months, Jackson County commissioners have been making material decisions to advance a costly and widely criticized plan to pull its two libraries from the Fontana Regional Library system.
Nonetheless, in 2025, the Jackson board proposed three amendments which, contingent on passage by fellow FRL-member counties Macon and Swain, might convince commissioners to change their course.
New Jackson library director avoids book policy controversy
When Grace Powell walks into the Jackson County Public Library on June 1 as its new full-time director, she will inherit more than a building full of books — she will inherit a community still divided.
Powell, a lifelong Sylva resident, earned her elementary education degree at Western Carolina University, taught third grade at Scotts Creek elementary school for a year and a half before earning a master’s degree in library science from East Carolina University.
Swain teacher under investigation for allegedly abusing special-needs students
A teacher at Swain County East Elementary School is under investigation for alleged non-sexual child abuse, according to The Swain County Sheriff’s Office.
Meetings set on updated flood risk data
Residents, business owners and community leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Swain County are invited to attend a pair of public open house meetings.
The Swain County open house will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the Community Room of the Swain County Administration Building in Bryson City. The EBCI open house will be held from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Yellowhill Community Building in Cherokee.
