Naturalist and scholar Julie Thomson will present her latest work “Weaving at Black Mountain College: Anni Albers, Trude Guermonprez and Their Students” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 

A Haywood County jury found a former jailer-turned-security guard guilty of strangling, raping and assaulting his then-wife. 

A bartender has been criminally charged following a single-vehicle collision in Macon County. 

The campground at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County is closed through Nov. 16 after a bear attacked an RV last week. 

A photography exhibit showcasing the floral diversity of Western North Carolina will hold a reception 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

Prescribed burns on about 1,200 acres of fields in Cades Cove are taking place this fall. 

A burn ban has been issued for 14 Western North Carolina counties in the face of expanding drought following the state’s 10th-driest October since records began in 1895. 

Celebrate National Take a Hike Day by walking among the hemlocks with an entomologist, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, in Panthertown Valley near Cashiers. 

Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park in Canton. 

Hike to Courthouse Falls in the Pisgah National Forest Wednesday, Nov. 9, leaving from Cullowhee. 

Learn how to stay found with a land navigation course offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville. 

Learn about how septic systems work and what to do when they don’t during a workshop 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Haywood County Agricultural Service Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. 

Join Trout Unlimited Sylva for its monthly “meet and eat” 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Sylva United Methodist Church. 

Kids 10-14 can get started in archery with a course offered 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center.  

It’s time to sign up for basketball in Haywood County. 

Presented by Adamas Entertainment and Frog Level Brewing, rising Florida jam/rock act Ajeva and Asheville-based rock band Buddhagraph Spaceship will play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 at The Lineside, the new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. 

A film about one of Western North Carolina’s most revered literary figures, Gary Carden, will be screened at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

Regional rock/jam group Arnold Hill will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville. 

Popular Florida-based indie/soul singer Shane Meade will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. 

Rising singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alma Russ will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at The Scotsman Public House in Waynesville. 

Katherine Soniat will present her eighth collection of poetry, “Polishing the Glass Storm,” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in downtown Waynesville. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moving ahead with significant changes to the Laurel Falls Trail intended to improve visitor experience at the popular site, with an 18-month closure to start next year.

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County beginning at 10:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 6.

Go on foot or by boat to pitch in on the sixth annual Fontana Lakeshore cleanup, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3-5.

Friends of Panthertown will host a trail workday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, meeting at the Cold Mountain Gap Trailhead.

Check out the many migrating birds that make Haywood County their winter home at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at Lake Junaluska.

Make room for Thanksgiving dinner with one of two 5Ks offered at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 23.

Learn about efforts to clean up waterways impacted by Tropical Storm Fred with a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Crestview Baptist Church in Bethel.

Mainspring Conservation Trust has received $175,000 to clean up and restore a brownfield site near Nikwasi Mound in Franklin. The money will help Mainspring remediate petroleum-contaminated soils on a vacant gravel lot in downtown Franklin.

The 13th annual Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup will be held, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Towns County Swim Beach Pavilion in Georgia.

Residents in the furthest west counties may see smoke over the coming months as the Cherokee National Forest carries out prescribed burns on an estimated 18,500 acres in Monroe and Polk counties, Tennessee, which abut Graham and Cherokee counties in North Carolina.

Experience the legacy of Lucy Morgan, one of the few Craft Revival leaders born and raised in Western North Carolina, with a presentation from Foxfire Museum 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Hike Sams Knob in the Pisgah National Forest Saturday, Nov. 4.

Hone your fly fishing skills with an expert angler at 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Waynesville.

A former Haywood Country resident who now lives in Virginia was arrested after she allegedly kidnapped three of her children on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 6.

The 18th annual WNC Pottery Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Bridge Park in Sylva. 

Haywood County’s three Rotary Clubs collected non-perishable food on Sept. 30 at the Canton and Waynesville Ingles locations.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program identified the seven western counties as a pilot region to test new strategies to curb drunk driving.

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling over $1.4 million in the 2023 grant cycle.

Vaya Health unveiled the latest addition to its “Pathways to Permanency” program.

Through Nov. 18, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is accepting comments on a proposal to add 9 new miles to the Foothills Parkway, extending it from Wears Valley to the spur near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Crews are now working to reconstruct the viewing platform atop Mount Pisgah in the Pisgah National Forest, a project that is expected to take about two weeks to finish.

A 4-mile hike exploring the Waynesville Watershed will embark at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The Panther Top Tower in the Nantahala National Forest near Murphy will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 28-29 and Nov. 4-5, offering spectacular views of fall colors in the surrounding mountains.

Spend November exploring some of the region’s most beautiful hikes with a slate of excursions offered through Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

Experience the hemlock trees growing at the historic Cradle of Forestry in America during a hike starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4.

The North Carolina Spider Search, which runs Oct. 21-29, is now underway.

A pair of opportunities to explore the geologic wonder that is Panthertown Valley near Cashiers will be offered over the coming weeks.

Give your two cents on the future of DuPont State Recreational Forest with a public information drop-in session slated for 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Transylvania County Parks and Recreation Gym in Brevard.