Safe Dates is a three-to-four-day Hazelton Betty Ford Foundation course about healthy relationships, and for nearly 20 years, Buffy Queen has been bringing it to Haywood middle schools. 

She started at KARE House, a Haywood County advocacy center responding to child abuse and neglect through outreach and intervention, after a grant enabled the nonprofit to train a staff member through the nationally recognized curriculum. 

My high school English teacher might have had a love-hate relationship with the phrase “hurt people hurt people,” challenged by its poetic symmetry yet grammatical ambiguity. My hesitation in putting it on a bumper sticker is that it could easily be mistaken for an imperative. It isn’t. A less succinct — but clearer — version would read: People who are hurting often hurt others. 

Protecting children from harm requires a coordinated, informed, and proactive approach. KARE House, a children’s advocacy center in Haywood County, is dedicated to supporting children and families affected by abuse, neglect or exploitation. This work is carried out through comprehensive services including outreach, advocacy, specialized interventions and a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach designed to put children first. 

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.  

In recent years, the phrase “God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers” has evolved from its originally earnest and spiritual meaning to an ironic online take on the resiliency needed, given the current state of affairs, to maintain day-to-day existence. It’s a rebuke of the idea that if bad things come into our lives, it’s because we know how to handle them — or that we must suffer immensely, with a brave face, in order to grow. 

This story was updated Dec. 24 to include a quote from  NC DHHS. 

Between 2017 and 2025, Swain County Law Enforcement Center failed 13 of 16 biannual inspections, according to Disability Rights North Carolina. 

The existence of one or more documented violations requires the sheriff to submit a plan of correction to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services detailing the steps that will be or already have been taken to remediate each issue.

To the Editor:

The elections last November ushered in a new wave in American politics with speeches and assurances of lower food and housing prices, the elimination of inflation, dramatically reducing the federal deficit, real government transparency and efficiency, a better healthcare system and a safer, wealthier America. Heck yeah! Who’s not in favor of helping all working people get ahead and keeping family safe? 

Keohana Lambert’s presentation was catalyzed by a question.

“What’s one word comes to mind when you think about the intersection of [Native Americans] and justice?” she asked, eyes searching the audience. 

The responses were rapid-fire.

“Nonexistent.”

“I think it’s a myth.”

“Invisible.” 

Maggie Jackson doesn’t plan to stop spreading awareness about domestic violence in her community come November. Instead, the Qualla Boundary Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s group co-chair knows it to be a timeless issue. 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month in the United States.

This week, the Smoky Mountain News has partnered with REACH of Haywood County to publish a series of stories outlining the ways domestic violence perpetrators can victimize those they should love and what resources are available for anyone in need.