While November is usually still a busy time for downtown Bryson City merchants, Paige Christie said her sales are down a third over last year.

While the former Hawthorn Heights teen shelter presented a number of challenges, the only challenge for teens moving into the new shelter will be calling dibs on their favorite room.

As the municipal elections were coming to a close last Tuesday night, it became clear that the race in Bryson City would be too close to call. 

Bryson City’s town election may be too close to call given that there were eight provisionary ballots left to count on election night.

About halfway between Bryson City and the Nantahala Outdoor Center, a small, unassuming building sits alongside the road. The structure is only a stone’s throw from the bustling intersection of U.S. 64 and N.C. 28, and inside Elise Willa Pincu Delfield is at her potter’s wheel, silently spinning magic.

The five newcomers running for the Bryson City Board of Aldermen and mayor have made it clear they want to see some new faces on the board and some much-needed change to the town.

Monica Brown, Innkeeper — Fryemont Inn, Bryson City. Chairperson – Smoky Mountain Host. Board Member – Swain County Tourist Development Authority. www.fryemontinn.com

Diane Cutler, Co-owner Bryson City Bicycles. Board Member – Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. www.brysoncitybicycles.com. 

Most people have had the inclination at some point in their lives to just pack it up and hit the road without a finite destination in mind — to just feel the wind on their face with nothing but highway ahead.

When Josh Ward was earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental health, he never thought it would lead him to running a small town government.