News Headlines
Farmers still waiting on Helene recovery
The message at the Haywood County Farm Bureau’s April 1 legislative breakfast was unmistakable — more than 18 months after Hurricane Helene, recovery is moving, but not at the pace or scale many farmers say is necessary to stabilize their operations.
Held annually, the breakfast serves as a touchpoint between Haywood County’s agricultural community and the policymakers charged with supporting it.
Waynesville startup targets medical bill chaos
The numbers arrive without warning, often weeks after the crisis has passed, stamped in clinical language and coded in ways few patients understand — turning moments of vulnerability into prolonged financial strain.
“My first feeling was a very big thud in my stomach to get a big bill like that and not at all expect it. And then the second feeling was like, what the hell?” said Kasha Williamson. “A little bit of anger, I would say.”
Helene relief failures fuel attack ads in NC Senate race
A new political ad marks a sharp escalation in the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley, turning Hurricane Helene recovery into a central line of attack by accusing Whatley of overseeing delays of more than $100 million in disaster relief and framing the stalled aid as a failure of leadership, rather than of bureaucracy.
A pair of ads center on the claim that Whatley was tapped to lead the recovery but failed to deliver timely assistance.
West appointed interim Haywood tax collector
A familiar face is returning to county government sooner than expected, as former tax collector Greg West steps back into the role following Sebastian Cothran’s sudden resignation.
“I would just like to say thank you,” West said. “I appreciate all the support I received during the Primary Election. I’m humbled and very appreciative. I look forward to the opportunity to get back in the office and work hard for the citizens of Haywood County.
Haywood schools requests an extra $3 million in county funding
For fiscal year 2026-2027, Haywood County Schools is requesting an additional $3 million in annual county funding.
The ask is driven by several overlapping needs — offsetting state and federal cuts, avoiding fund balance appropriations, covering a $400,000 increase in annual operating costs, financing salary raises and supporting continued program needs — all while facing a budget shortfall between $700,000 and $740,000.
Brad Hoxit permanently removed as Graham County Sheriff
Superior Court Judge William T. Stetzer has ruled that former Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit will not return to his former office.
In his order, Stetzer determined that Hoxit engaged in “willful misconduct and maladministration.”
Sylva takes another stand in library conflict
The question of who will control one of Jackson County’s most visible public assets is beginning to draw clear lines, and on March 26, Sylva’s Board of Commissioners stepped firmly onto one side.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners adopted a resolution supporting continued control of the Jackson County Library Complex by the Jackson County Public Library, signaling opposition to any effort that would shift authority elsewhere.
Former Jackson nonprofit director charged with 10 felonies
Gretta Worley, the former director of a Jackson County nonprofit established to help support the area’s homeless residents, has been charged with 10 felonies related to the alleged improper use of credit cards.
Worley, 60, served as the director of HERE in Jackson County from 2022 until late last year. After her December departure, The Sylva Herald reported that Worley had chosen to “go in a different direction,” at which point she took a job with the domestic violence support agency Helpmate in Asheville.
Rep. Clampitt laid to rest
Mike Clampitt, the Swain County native and retired fire captain who represented portions of Western North Carolina in the General Assembly until his passing after a long illness on March 18, was laid to rest at the Lauada Cemetery in Bryson City on April 4, after a service at Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center.
