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. 

At a Feb. 27 budget retreat, Waynesville aldermen confronted a familiar tension — how to keep municipal salaries competitive in a tightening labor market while staring down mounting infrastructure demands and lingering financial uncertainty tied to Hurricane Helene. 

Two presentations from Human Resources Director Page McCurry outlined the first steps in an overhaul of pay classifications, beginning with public works positions and moving next to police and fire. 

After nearly a decade at the helm of Waynesville government, Town Manager Rob Hites announced Feb. 27 that he will retire July 1. 

Hites arrived in 2016 following a long career in local government across North Carolina. Born in Reno and raised in Alabama, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. An urban government course led to an internship with the Greensboro mayor, setting him on a path that would lead to decades of local government administration.      

Waynesville did not reject solar last year; it hesitated. Twelve months later, amid skyrocketing electricity costs, a shortened federal incentive window, a roof nearing the end of its life and more rate spikes on the way, council is again weighing whether the town’s recreation center should become its own power producer. 

The solar push aligns with the town’s goal of carbon neutrality and net zero emissions by 2050.   

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.

On a quiet stretch of county-owned land once defined by grass and gravel and garbage, a ribbon of asphalt now loops, banks and swells in tight rhythmic curves — engineered not for pedaling, but for flow. Riders generate speed by pumping their bodies through rollers and berms, transforming momentum into motion without ever turning a crank. In September, that motion will carry Haywood County into the international spotlight. 

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, the alarm went off from the smart phone on my nightstand. Reaching for the contraption and reading the morning text messages, it appeared our weekly editorial meeting set for 10 a.m. would shift to Friday. And yet, before I could roll back over to sleep a little more, another message pinged on the phone. 

As the sun set over Canton on Feb. 11, the scene at the town’s makeshift municipal building more closely resembled that of a trendy big-city nightclub. More than 100 people had lined up outside, hoping to join the other 49 people who’d pushed the modular double-wide’s fire code to its absolute limit by making it inside. Their minds weren’t focused on drinks or dancing, but instead on data — Big Data, and its effect on small towns. 

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will host expert fly-tying instructors from the Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited and conduct an “Introduction to Fly Tying” class on three evenings in February. Intended for first-time fly tyers wanting to learn the basics, the class will also appeal to crafters seeking a challenge, as well as to anglers looking to get some expert tips. 

People new to vegetable gardening and folks looking for a refresher to hone those skills can learn from a master gardener next week.

Topics covered in the class will include starting a new garden, planning a garden for spring and fall planting, following a garden calendar, improving soil and composting. The class will involve both lectures and hands-on demonstrations.