News Headlines
NCDMV announces moratorium on driver license expirations
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced a moratorium on the expiration of Class C driver licenses in North Carolina.
Under this legislation, Class C licenses (standard passenger vehicle licenses) expiring on or after July 1, 2025, will remain valid for driving purposes within the state for up to two years beyond the printed expiration date.
Jackson commissioner violated state law by skipping ethics training
Unlike the other four members of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, John W. Smith did not take the basic ethics training within 12 months of election as required by state law, The Smoky Mountain News has learned.
Chair resigns, Democratic gala lineup revised after NC-11 candidates protest
A blistering letter signed by four Democratic candidates for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District is raising questions about party neutrality in primaries, calling the party’s decision to include only one congressional candidate — Jamie Ager — as the keynote speaker at the NC-11 Democratic gala “deeply unfair” and fundamentally at odds with core party values.
Democratic candidates protest NC-11 gala exclusion, threaten boycott
A blistering letter signed by four Democratic candidates for Congress in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District is raising questions about party neutrality in primaries, calling the party’s decision to include only one congressional candidate — Jamie Ager — as the keynote speaker at the NC-11 Democratic gala “deeply unfair” and fundamentally at odds with core party values.
Sylva passes resolution in support of Fontana Regional Library
UPDATE: The initial version of this story noted that the resolution passed unanimously. Due to poor video and audio quality of the meeting, Commissioner Blitz Estridge's "no" vote appeared to be a "yes" vote. The story has been updated to reflect the true vote tally.
Two weeks after spearheading the removal of a resolution in support of the Fontana Regional Library system from the Sylva Board of Commissioners agenda, a move he later called a “rookie mistake,” Commissioner Jon Brown made good on his promise to introduce a new resolution of support, which passed July 24 — more than a month after Jackson County commissioners voted to leave the system over LGBTQ+ content.
The rise and ruination of Swain County Sheriff Curtis A. Cochran
For nearly two decades, a self-styled reformer with no law enforcement experience who toppled a longtime sheriff and rode a rising red tide to four reelection victories enjoyed his unusual transformation from outsider to one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in rural Western North Carolina, but it came with a growing cost — budget troubles, payroll strife, political grudges and ultimately a cascade of criminal charges that would chase Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran from office, leaving behind an unanswered torrent of questions.
‘A new direction’: Shining Rock shakeup signals shift in school strategy
In its first regular meeting since a superior court judge ruled that Head of School Joshua Morgan was responsible for the “improper use of governmental authority to stop or inhibit the public from accessing public records,” Shining Rock Classical Academy’s governing board doubled down on Morgan’s leadership, bid farewell to two longtime advisors, took substantial steps to bolster transparency and voted not to appeal the case.
Waynesville officials ignore board term limits
Two members of Waynesville’s Zoning Board of Adjustment were improperly appointed by Town Council in violation of the town’s own term limits policy, a Smoky Mountain News investigation has found.
Swain County Board of Elections office to move
On June 17, the Swain County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the Board of Elections to relocate to the Swain County Business Education and Training Center, located at 45 East Ridge Drive in Bryson City. The Board of Elections voted unanimously to request this relocation at its regular meeting on May 13.
