To the Editor:

I sent this letter via email to our congressmen, Rep. Chuck Edwards and Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis.

In Bryson City, I'm preparing to vote in the Primary. We’re a poor county; most of the property is national forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Candidates for local offices are telling us how they plan to fund our outdated, worn-out infrastructure. There’s not enough sewer or water service for a new middle school, new housing or new business structures.

Swain County commissioners held a Feb. 3 work session with updates about animal shelter funding and the interim county manager. But since neither process was explicitly spelled out to the public, audience members may have left with remaining questions. Here’s a breakdown of some potential questions. 

What happened regarding the labor cost of the animal shelter? Did commissioners do anything wrong?

The most powerful person in any North Carolina county is the sheriff, an elected position mandated by the state constitution. 

County elections determine who will don the badge and serve the four-year term in office. Such a system ostensibly ensures sheriffs are accountable to voters, but a 2024 Ballotpedia analysis of all United States’ elections excluding the presidency found that 7 8% of law enforcement races had only one candidate. 

Fontana Regional Library Director Tracy Fitzmaurice has tendered her resignation letter.

To the Editor:

In response to guest columnist Walter Cook’s recent article, “Don’t expect better results with the same choices,” (Dec. 31 edition of SMN) Mr. Cook accurately describes a political reality in Western North Carolina: for far too long, many voters have cast ballots strictly along party lines — then wondered why so little changes, or why things get worse. 

The Voices in the Laurel choirs have announced that spring registration is now open and the organization invites new/returning singers from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson and Swain counties to be part of its 30th season. 

 The head seat of the Swain County Board of Commissioners was a topic of discussion long before this year’s Primaries. 

After Republican Chairman Kevin Seagle announced his resignation, effective Aug. 31, 2025, the role went to Commissioner Tanner Lawson during an appointment process that included individual applications, Republican Party nominations and the late October 2025 selection of Jay Kirkland. 

On March 3, six candidates — three Democrats and three Republicans — will compete for Swain County commissioner. The winner of each primary race will move to the General Election Nov. 3, where they’ll face the opposing party in a bid for the seat held by current commissioner Philip Carson. 

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Duke LifePoint hospitals, are pleased to announce that Rebekah Artman has been named chief nursing officer for both facilities. In this elevated leadership role, Artman will guide overall nursing strategy and clinical operations, leading initiatives that support exceptional quality, safety, and patient experience across the region. 

The Sylva Herald and The Smoky Mountain News last Friday received anonymous emails threatening both publications if the papers, specifically The Herald, do not report on the Fontana Regional Library kerfuffle the way the author of the email wants.