Haywood Regional Medical Center will host its annual free sports physicals event for local student-athletes from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center located at 75 Leroy George Drive in Clyde.

Open to middle and high school students, this event provides a convenient, no-cost opportunity to complete required physicals ahead of the upcoming sports season.

The Shining Rock Classical Academy board at its Feb. 25 meeting voted unanimously to end grades 9-11 instruction effective June 30, 2026, and to close grade 12 after the fall 2026 semester, in front of an audience of more than 100 people.  The high school had been consistently running a deficit, and the board argued that it has a fiduciary responsibility to move the organization in the right direction. 

Shining Rock Classical Academy’s governing board is weighing whether to end its high school operations by summer after a new financial sustainability report revealed the Dellwood Road campus is operating at a $300,000 deficit and would require more than $1.1 million in facility investments over the next few years.

The Macon County Board of Education approved funding to permit Macon Early College in Franklin to apply to become a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and field its own sports teams. Previously, MEC students had participated in athletics at Franklin High School. 

Editor’s note: While it is standard SMN and AP style to use last names when referring to people in articles, this story refers to students by their first names.

The Spanish word “camino” means road or path in English, and according to the student leaders of a new club at Franklin High School, that is exactly what they want their group to be. 

Haywood County high school seniors who have a serious commitment to community service and some degree of financial need can apply for scholarships through April 15. 

The Macon County School Board has voted to require students to play high school sports at the school where they are enrolled beginning in the 2025-26 school year, meaning Macon Early College and Bartram Academy students will no longer be eligible for athletics at Franklin High School. 

The George Masa Foundation has announced the launch of the inaugural George Masa Youth Conservation Photography Prize. This unique competition aims to inspire middle and high school students to connect with and protect our natural world through the art of photography.

After several lengthy discussions, Macon County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget by a split vote with a couple of last-minute changes to the proposed document. 

Established more than 20 years ago, the Haywood County Farm Bureau scholarship program assists graduating seniors who have a financial need as well as a demonstrated history of community service with the cost of obtaining a college education.