It had been a warm spring day that finally gave way to twilight of cobalt-grey, sharpening the flashing red and blue police lights slashing through dusk restless and unyielding. Demonstrators waving signs and banging rhythmically on locked glass doors, their chants pulsed through the cool evening air. 

“Save our democracy.” 

In a split vote during its March 11 meeting, Macon County Commissioners decided to reduce the time limit for people speaking during public comment. The decision was made to allow more people to speak during the monthly, 45-minute public comment sessions. 

You might think people don’t care about local government, but sometimes you’re reminded that they absolutely do.

Bryson City’s town government was served a stark reminder of that concept this year when the town proposed significantly raising the water rates. 

The National Park Service will conduct additional design work and technical studies for Foothills Parkway Section 8D. This decision was based on feedback from subject matter experts and public comments received during a 30-day public comment which ended on Aug. 21. 

Two weeks after an unusual meeting where Commissioner Terry Ramey was told to resign over lies he helped spread about the post-Helene housing situation in Haywood County, the other four commissioners made clear they weren’t in the mood for any more shenanigans — removing one woman from the meeting, refuting more lies and even using a little bit of poetry from a cherished Western North Carolina scribe to keep things on track. 

Macon County has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains changes made by all three counties in the system. This marks the end of almost two years of controversy over the library agreement, libraries themselves and the merits of a regional library system. 

The Macon County Planning Board voted last week to recommend a revision of the water supply watershed ordinance to the county commission. Set against the backdrop of catastrophic flooding in Western North Carolina, and despite public opposition to the change, board members maintain the revision is a minor and will have little impact. 

The third public information meeting for the Pisgah View State Park Master Plan will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Upper Hominy Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department at 1795 Pisgah Highway in Candler. 

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to change fees at several recreation areas on the Nantahala and Uwharrie National Forests and the public is invited to provide input to proposed fee changes for 60 days beginning on May 3 through July 2, 2024. 

Macon County Early College student athletes took to the public comment period during the March 25 school board meeting to speak out against the possibility of not being allowed to play Franklin High School sports, as has long been the norm.