Gov. Josh Stein announced that the Dogwood Health Trust, the Duke Endowment and the State of North Carolina have distributed $55 million to 2,812 small businesses through the Western North Carolina Small Business Initiative. These grants are supporting Western North Carolina businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene and bolstering regional economic recovery. More than 7,300 businesses applied.  

Claiming that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ “stances on certain issues are against the party platform and Republican ideals,” Republicans in the 11th Congressional District voted April 26 to continue a censure issued by the state party in 2023. 

The aim of newly-elected State Superintendent of Public Schools Mo Green’s “Mo Wants to Know” tour is simple — to garner as much input as possible about the direction North Carolina Public Schools should be heading in the coming years.

Haywood Christian Ministry’s food infrastructure is moving to a new facility in Bethel.  

HCM’s new food plan aims to ensure equitable food distribution across the county, not just in the population centers.

The N.C. Forest Service has designated the fire danger for the state’s far western counties as high.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity posted Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program scopes of work to expand high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved homes and businesses at approximately 67,724 eligible locations, in several counties, including Haywood, Macon and Swain. 

In a turn of events for the volunteers and members of the public that have been showing up in an effort to preserve Macon County’s floodplain ordinances, the planning board has opposed the third and final recommended change up for consideration. The move comes after months of outspoken opposition to the measure and a two-month delay in addressing the proposed ordinance revision due to canceled meetings.  

In listening to the tributes regarding the death of President Jimmy Carter, a phrase from his inauguration speech struck a chord: “…. individual sacrifice for the common good.” 

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has again classified the whole state as at least abnormally dry with a moderate drought now affecting the entire Smoky Mountain News coverage area other than a sliver of northern Haywood County. 

Glass half full, that’s me. Lots of good folks out there doing good things. We had a couple of gentle reminders of this on Monday. 

I’m hunkered down on a drizzly day in the cabin of our boat, which is docked at Duck Creek Marina in Bridgeton, North Carolina. That’s just across the Neuse River from New Bern for those familiar with the Carolina coast.