The Republican-led North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines to allow the closure of a Democrat-leaning early voting site at Western Carolina University, against overwhelming opposition from the people the closure would affect.

The Smoky Mountain News is hosting a forum for the three candidates running for Haywood County Sheriff in 2026. 

Sheriff Bill Wilke was first elected to the office in November 2022 and will run as an incumbent. Challenging Wilke in the primary is fellow Republican Mark Mease, who served under former Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, and Waynesville Police Department Detective Tyler Howell, a Democrat who is running unopposed in the primary. 

Candidates will offer opening and closing statements, in addition to answering a series of questions, which will not be provided ahead of time. Candidates will also have chances to provide rebuttals.

The forum, moderated by SMN News Editor Kyle Perrotti, will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Haywood County's historic courthouse. It is open to the public and will also be streamed on the SMN Facebook page.

Paul Maddox has spent decades studying sickness. A cancer researcher, tenured professor and lifelong learner, he’s spent much of his career exploring how to heal the body. Now, Maddox says, he’s ready to heal something else.

The field for one of North Carolina’s most closely watched congressional races grew again this week with the entry of Dr. Richard Hudspeth, a physician with deep ties to the region who says his experience caring for mountain families gives him a unique perspective on what Chuck Edwards has failed to deliver.

Weeks after a bitter dispute over a Democratic gala laid bare divisions in Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, the field is shifting again.

Retired Air Force Col. Moe Davis is stepping back into familiar turf — running for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.