As voters cast their ballots each Election Day, judicial races are often overlooked — they’re the least publicized, least funded and least understood of the lot.

In keeping with the theme of The Smoky Mountain News spoof awards in this week’s edition, I thought now might be a good time to talk to you about fake news.

While perusing the vast litany of uplifting Christmas stories, one might not think to probe the mission archives of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

What sometimes gets lost amidst the blizzard of radio, television and internet advertising so ubiquitous this time of year is that Christmas is not solely a season of getting, but also a season of giving.

Something about the holidays always brings out the best — and worst — in people and Santa Claus is the unquestioned arbiter thereof.

It’s been a bizarre year in North Carolina’s state legislature, and that hasn’t led to the state looking good in national media headlines. 

But after four special sessions (and counting), the legislature appears to be finally winding up while addressing the same issue that brought international scorn and widespread business boycotts to the Old North State earlier this spring.

An unpopular policy put forth by the Junaluska Sanitary District requiring landlords to co-sign for their new tenants’ water service has been suspended after tensions between property owners and elected officials reached a boiling point.

Although many property owners and residents have lauded what they call a “much needed” widening project on Waynesville’s most heavily travelled artery, they’ve universally decried the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s plans for Russ Avenue as detrimental to one of the town’s most aesthetically significant corridors.

At just 22 years of age, Kevin Ensley became one of the youngest licensed land surveyors in the entire state after earning an associate’s degree in civil engineering from Asheville-Buncombe Technical College.

There are few things more American than fast food. 

In the United States, fast food restaurants serve more than 50 million customers each day; on average, we each spend more than $100 a month on the salty, fatty fare and consume 54 gallons of sugary carbonated soda each year.

When local businessman Jule Morrow proposed a gun shop and indoor firing range in the pastoral Francis Farm community last winter, not everyone was excited about it.

No one can accuse Canton town officials of not crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s.

Even before BearWaters Brewing announced its intentions to leave Waynesville for nearby Canton, the town has touted itself as Haywood County’s most desirable place in which to locate a business. 

Unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in, some or all of North Carolina’s state senators and representatives will face re-election a year early, not even a year into their new terms. 

Although it is now legal to sell wine and beer outside of incorporated municipalities in Haywood County, businesses can’t just start slinging suds — a thorough permitting process is in place to ensure the responsible issuance of retail permits. 

Just after the secular American Revolution, many Americans also experienced a theological revolution; from the 1790s through the 1830s, a religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening saw Protestant denominations — especially Baptists and Methodists — rise to new levels of popularity.

On Thursday, Dec. 4, 1941, newspapers in Western North Carolina revealed cities in full holiday swing — ads for Philco tube radios, canned Christmas hams and silk stockings filled their pages, along with announcements for holiday parties and special sales.

In addition to welcoming newly-elected Commissioner Brandon Rogers and welcoming back newly re-elected Commissioner Kevin Ensley at its Dec. 5 meeting, the Haywood County Board of Commissioners selected Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick to serve as chairman.

Supporters of a proposed hike in Haywood County’s room occupancy tax were silenced in the state legislature in 2013, but much noise was again made over the issue during the recent election. Now, with new players in place and old adversaries entrenched, is there a chance a room tax hike could pass?

A Connect N.C. bond application approved by the Town of Waynesville could bring more than $90,000 to the town for the construction of a first-of-its-kind playground designed specifically for children with a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities.

Utility companies are not often known for being in harmony with nature; indeed, Duke Energy’s recent coal ash fiascos come readily to mind when environmental and industrial concerns begin to comingle.

Smoky, intense wildfires and a historic drought have been visited upon the region over the past few months, but as much-needed rain moves into the area, could we see yet another biblical plague visited upon us this week?

The tiny but blossoming business community along Hazelwood Avenue is about to get a major boost from the town of Waynesville.

Nearly a decade ago, Southern Concrete Materials began toying with the prospect of leaving its 201 Boundary St., location for more favorable digs.

Canton officials may be starting to wonder if plans to replace the town’s aging public pool aren’t cursed.

To the naked eye, there appears to be a lot going right in Canton these days.

Haywood County’s election results are finally complete.

Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop and Beer Garden on Branner Avenue in Waynesville will close this Saturday, Nov. 19.

After serving as an ad-hoc temporary animal shelter, the old Lea Industries building on Lea Plant Road in Hazelwood is once again empty and silent. 

Another layer of tint has been added to Haywood County’s changing political canvas.

Election Day results paint a picture of a red county growing redder. From Donald Trump to Brandon Rogers, Republicans were the big winners in Haywood County on Nov. 8, splashing broad strokes of red over what was once blue while also deepening rosy hues that have been so for decades.

Two dozen or so forest fires in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Western North Carolina have forced mandatory evacuations in WNC, but the impact is being felt and smelt far beyond the remote coves where they smolder. 

Rhonda Cole Schandevel, D-Canton, ran a surprisingly good campaign that was well financed, but in the end, it wasn’t quite enough to unseat incumbent Rep. Michele Presnell, who has proven popular in her district.  

For the first time since 1952, Haywood County voters were allowed to make a decision on whether or not to allow on- and/or off-premises sales of beer and wine. 

It had been said about newcomer Brandon Rogers that if signs could vote, he would win. 

Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, thought the third time would be a charm. 

The Haywood County Public Library has roots dating back more than a hundred years, but today’s library has its sights set squarely on the next hundred. 

Barring an unforeseen breakdown in contract negotiations, the Haywood Healthcare Foundation will manage the estimated $20 million in funds that resulted from the sale of Haywood Regional Medical Center to Duke LifePoint in 2014.

Haywood Community College’s new Creative Arts Building was supposed to be a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly facility.

Haywood County officials and volunteers continue to minister to the needs of 140 — and counting — dogs removed from a property on Terrace Drive in Canton over the weekend. 

Haywood County officials and volunteers continue to minister to the needs of 140 – and counting – dogs removed from a property on Terrace Drive in Canton over the weekend.

The dogs, which were voluntarily surrendered by their owners, require varying levels of medical care and a 72-hour quarantine. Some are pregnant as well.

A press release issued by Haywood County Animal Services Director Doyle Teague said that approximately 55 small breed dogs – Chihuahuas, dachshunds and the like – were living with their owners in a single-wide mobile home on the half-acre property, but dozens of larger dogs were being kept in kennels, a camping trailer and on chains around the property.

“My understanding is that animal services received an animal welfare concern report, which then allowed them to look at the property,” said Haywood County Program Administrator Dona Stewart on Saturday morning.

The owners, James and Angela Croft, appear to be in violation of several county ordinances regarding the care of companion animals, especially those that demand “minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care” and prohibit keeping animals in a “severely” overcrowded environment.

Currently, the animals are being housed at a makeshift shelter located in the former Lea Industries building in Hazelwood, leased by the county from building owner Kelly West for $1.

Volunteers in the building as well as county employees and inmate work crews have been cataloging demographic information about each dog, vaccinating them, and feeding and cleaning up after them with an eye on adopting them out once their quarantine expires Tuesday.

On Monday, county commissioners took an added step towards rehoming the dogs; since the current county shelter is full, commissioners waived adoption fees.

Luckily for the county, this animal rescue came just days before a regularly scheduled meeting of the board of commissioners; had it not, County Manager Ira Dove said, it could have been up to two or three weeks before the fees could be waived.

Alternatively, the county could have called a special meeting to adjust the fees.

Instead, commissioners – at the urging of Chariman Mark Swanger – gave County Manager Ira Dove the power to waive such fees in future emergencies at his discretion.

Although commissioners Michael Sorrells and Kirk Kirkpatrick initially balked at giving the county manager what Sorrells called “blanket authority,” Kirkpatrick opined that any county manager abusing the privilege would be “taking his position in his own hands.”

The measure passed unanimously, however, giving the county manager – whether it be Dove or someone else in the future – the ability to incentivize adoptions.

The Asheville Humane Society, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation, Duke’s Animal Haven and Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter have also been working towards that end, providing hours of volunteer labor and thousands of dollars of donated food, bedding, and cleaning supplies.

Those interested in adopting, volunteering or donating should visit the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter Facebook page for more information. Dogs will be available for adoption beginning Nov. 9. 

According to a press release issued earlier this morning, Haywood County officials are currently involved in the rescue of more than a hundred dogs from a property on Terrace Drive in Canton.

“My understanding is that animal services received an animal welfare concern report, which then allowed them to look at the property,” said Haywood County Program Administrator Dona Stewart. “Doyle [Teague, Haywood County animal services director] has worked with the owners and we were able to achieve a voluntary surrender.”

 The press release issued by Teague at 10:30 a.m. said that approximately 55 small breed dogs – Chihuahuas, dachshunds and the like – were living with their owners in a single-wide mobile home on the half-acre property, but dozens of larger dogs were being kept in kennels, a camping trailer and on chains around the property.

Currently, the animals are being housed at a makeshift shelter located in the former Lea Industries building in Hazelwood. 

Hollie Burris, office manager at the Haywood County Animal Shelter said that volunteers were cataloging demographic information about each dog, vaccinating them and would crate them for 72 hours per state law.

Soon, Stewart said, Teague would formulate a plan of action on what to do with them after that.

“When we found out we needed to create a temporary shelter that met all of the state guidelines, we started to reach out to owners of buildings that would meet the need, and we were very very fortunate that this businessman was willing to grant us a lease gave us on incredibly favorable terms,” Stewart said.  

The lease was signed by the county last night.

“He’s just a really good member of the community who wanted to do something to help out,” she said of the building’s owner. “We have a very active animal rescue community in Haywood County.”

Indeed, volunteers from Sarge’s animal shelter were on hand to assist with intake, but volunteers had also come from outside the county as well.

Michael Mustin is the medical director for the Asheville Humane Society. He said he’d been a part of four other large-scale rescues like this one.  

“I got a call last night saying they were bringing in about a hundred animals, so I just came out to help,” he said.

There was no word on what the owners will be charged with, if anything, but this situation is developing rapidly as of early Saturday afternoon. Check back for updates as they become available. 

UPDATED Nov. 4 , 2016 10:11 a.m.

Third-quarter campaign finance disclosures from state candidates were due by Oct. 31, and as the state board of elections slowly posts them online, they’re also slowly revealing who’s giving, and who’s getting.

Hard-luck Hazelwood may be creating a more lucrative future not by building, but by tearing down.

Safety and aesthetic improvements are coming to the Soco Road corridor in Maggie Valley, and town officials are looking for input to determine their scope.

Voters in North Carolina hoping to visit the polls before the Election Day rush have just a few more days to do so, but they should be able to look forward to a short, smooth trip — especially in Haywood County. 

A group of Second Amendment supporters planning an open-carry gun rights rally will move ahead with their event, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5.

As with any problem, the first step toward solving it is admitting that there is a problem.

As of 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, almost 4,300 Haywood County residents had already cast their vote in person at one of three area One Stop voting locations.