The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a contract to improve travel conditions on N.C. 107 through Sylva.

Buchanan & Sons of Whittier earned the $103 million contract for a transformative project that will improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Law enforcement leaders and elected officials from across Western North Carolina gathered the day before Thanksgiving to remind people about the dangers of consuming alcohol and getting behind the wheel while also reaffirming their commitment to combatting drunk driving. 

Farmers, homeowners and small businesses in the region are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of unwanted pesticides at a Free Pesticide Disposal Collection Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Mountain Research Station, located at 265 Test Farm Road in Waynesville. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reporting the first presumptive detection of Chronic Wasting Disease in Edgecombe County. NCWRC has received a preliminary positive test result on a white-tailed deer harvested by a hunter in the eastern corner of the county. The closest confirmed location from this new suspected site is 92 miles away in Cumberland County. 

Farmers, homeowners and small businesses are invited to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Road, Waynesville.

This free collection, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and N.C. Cooperative Extension, is open to individuals, farmers and small businesses—no dealers or large retailers. 

For close to four decades, I’ve been an advocate for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. It has been quite a journey. 

Along the way, I’ve met so many incredibly strong, wise, brave, and determined women who have faced terrible abuse from the person who, at the beginning of the relationship, claimed to love them. They have learned the hard way that love and abuse do not go together. 

A backyard flock in Rutherford County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh. 

This time of year, new cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) begin to emerge due to the high numbers of migratory waterfowl that pass through or congregate in North Carolina. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) monitors HPAI in wildlife populations across the state, with an emphasis on birds. 

There for a minute, the world-at-large and its illusion of doom almost forced me into a chrysalis. I was on my way to burrowing so far into my own safe space it would take pure magic to turn me into a butterfly. But, an ever-present voice inside me kept pushing, kept asking, kept believing. 

Autumn is a beautiful — but busy — time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors should plan ahead and be prepared for incredible fall colors, but also crowds, traffic congestion and limited parking throughout the park.