Experience the rich traditions of Appalachian Mountain life at the annual Mountain Life Festival, happening Sept. 20 at the Mountain Farm Museum, located just behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee. 

Mainspring Conservation Trust has named Sylva resident Jeremy Hyatt as its new Executive Director.

Hyatt, a Tribal citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in government, natural resources and cultural preservation.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians during a Sept. 4 tribal council meeting passed resolution 576 nearly unanimously, converting its $50 million loan — made pursuant to a February 2024 promissory note —- into equity in tribal-owned cannabis retailer Qualla Enterprises, LLC. 

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Sept. 4 held its general election for tribal council. Twelve tribal members — two from each community — are elected to tribal council every two years. Turnout hovered at about 30% of eligible voters. Four women were elected to the board, a historic marker. 

On a quiet stretch of riverfront wedged between Sylva and Cherokee, the old Drexel furniture plant in Whittier is set for new life as an economic development engine that just might end up hosting a few “engines” of its own. 

Aspiring food truck owners and mobile food entrepreneurs are invited to take their business dreams to the next level at the upcoming Food Truck Boot Camp, hosted by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems (EMFS) project in collaboration with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Division of Commerce.

The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration continue to work toward emergency repairs for U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road following the Aug. 1 washout and landslide. The agencies plan to award a contract in August and expect that construction will be complete in early October.

On a fourth-generation family farm nestled in the hills just outside of Fairview, Jamie Ager spent his childhood watching the seasons change, the animals grow and the land evolve with the rhythms of life in the mountains. Today, that land is not only the site of a thriving regenerative agriculture business, but also the launching pad for a campaign that could reshape North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. 

In the wake of numerous criminal charges from both the state and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tied to two alleged sexual assaults, Curtis Cochran has retired from his position as the Swain County Sheriff. 

Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has been charged with several crimes after allegedly soliciting two women for sexual acts and is now suspended from office.

Cochran, who was first elected to office in 2006, was charged on June 27 with one count of sexual battery, soliciting a prostitute and assault on a female, all misdemeanors, as well as felonious restraint. In addition, Cochran has been charged with violations of the Cherokee Code; specifically, two counts of oppression in office and one count of abusive sexual contact.