When it comes to the rich, vibrant history of Haywood County Fair, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone as passionate and knowledgeable on the subject as Alex McKay. 

“I think what people here now take for granted is that, for so long, Haywood County was farming and agriculture,” McKay said. “And a lot of that is physically disappearing.” 

Local author and award-winning Smoky Mountain News columnist Chris Cox will make an appearance at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Hazelwood from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.

In a town where history lives not just in the pages of books but on every brick-lined sidewalk, beneath every gabled rooftop and deep within every stately mansion, Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission is stepping boldly into the future by leaning into a past that, for many locals, hasn’t yet passed. 

A series of recent bomb threats to multiple targets across Waynesville has law enforcement asking for tips that could help with arrests. 

On April 14, the Hazelwood Ingles was evacuated due to a threat, the seventh in 10 days according to Waynesville Police Chief David Adams. Previously, Walmart had been evacuated at least twice.

“We don’t have any leads right now,” Adams said. “We definitely need the public’s help.”

Adams said his department had received assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation and that they were reviewing videotape from the incidents, which appear to involve written threats in bathrooms.

Anyone with information about the messages can submit an anonymous tip through the town’s police app, by calling Crime Stoppers at 877.92.CRIME or the WPD at 828.452.2491 or through WPD’s Facebook page.

On March 19, a threat cleared out the Haywood County Courthouse in the early afternoon; however, a suspect was apprehended less than four hours later.

Sheriff Bill Wilke said the courthouse threat was different from the others in that it was submitted by phone.

“Not to reveal too many methods, but with the utilization of witnesses and technology, that came to a close very quickly,” Wilke said.

— Cory Vaillancourt, Politics Editor

“What are you reading after the election?” a friend asked me last week. She asked me because she had picked a book specifically for the occasion. She was reading “Democracy in America.”

“De Tocqueville?”

“Yes,” she said. “When I had to read it for school it was boring. It’s not boring now.” 

We’ve had more than a week of picture-perfect fall days, usually a part of the recipe for a busy, successful tourist season. But there’s an unshakeable uneasiness among the business community since Helene, and especially in Haywood County. I hope elected leaders take note. 

Waynesville’s North Main Street has been an important economic engine for the town and the county for decades, and the town’s municipal service district has played a significant role in that success.

To the Editor: 

Regarding the Oct. 25 article, “The heart and soul of Waynesville is on the ballot,” I was born in Hazelwood, am a lifelong resident of Haywood County and owned a small business on Main Street for many years.

It’s that small town feel — the Normal Rockwell-esque Main Street dimly lit by vintage streetlights, the brilliant fall colors painting Church Street in amber hues, the historic homes, the little off-the-beaten-path shops like Wall Street Books, the squeak of the floorboards at Mast General Store. That’s what makes Waynesville special, members of the public told Annie McDonald during her presentation before Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission on May 11.

In this day and age of Amazon, Kindles, big box bookstores, streaming services and social media that fight for more of our attention everyday, local, independent bookstores are in constant competition with these heavy hitters. And yet, those like Blue Ridge Books seem to weather it all. So what’s the secret?