Since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, residents have learned countless lessons and encountered unforeseen circumstances, even long after the initially recovery phase began. 

To the Editor:

Thank you for including the article by SMN News Editor Kyle Perrotti, "COVID mounts late summer surge amid onset of flu season" in the Aug. 27 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. The article was-well written, factual, informative and encouraging.

Vecinos, Inc. has humble origins. First founded through the Jackson County Health Department, the nonprofit, which provides “equitable, culturally centered healthcare and wellness services in Western North Carolina,” transitioned in 2004 to providing bilingual healthcare to migrant farmworkers through mobile clinics. 

Macon County Commissioners will gather public comments on Tuesday, Sept. 9, ahead of a potential decision to take over the county health department. 

In North Carolina, county health departments are tasked with acting in residents’ best interest to promote good public health, including environmental health, personal health, vaccinations and disease tracking. 

Of all the chapters that I read and reviewed in my most recent review of the book “Letters From the Smokies” in Smoky Mountain Living (June-July 2025), the story of the Walker Sisters was the one story that got my attention probably more than any of the others.

The last year has brought an unusual pattern in COVID surges. 

Typically, the virus is worst during the winter with an additional summer surge beginning around June. Last winter, there were fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths, and while this year’s summer surge has been delayed, it’s now being felt across the region.

I once spun my wheels searching and seeking an experience outside of myself or something big and expansive to find happiness. This tactic sort of worked for a while, but eventually I realized that looking forward to the next vacation or celebration or milestone was preventing me from all the in-betweens, all the goodness that happens in the weeks and months and years that unfold quietly, slowly — these are the minutes and hours we need to embrace more fully. 

With each passing year, I think more and more about the longevity of life. When I was young, I couldn’t wait to be older, to reach those milestone birthdays — 16, 18, 21. Even turning 10 was fun because it’s the first double digit and also 13 because one can finally use the descriptor “teenager.” 

You need a sweet treat but don't want to add too many calories or carbohydrates/sugar to your meals ...what can you do?

Here are 10 ideas to satisfy that craving without going overboard and that contain nutrients that will contribute to health more so than just having candy or a pastry: 

Do you have celiac disease or do you follow a gluten-free diet for another health condition?

Did you know there is a Facebook group for that? I set up this group over 10 years ago and it now has over 1000 members. Look for “Gluten-Free Asheville and WNC” on Facebook.