News Headlines
Tribal council supports environmental protections, votes against extraction
Tribal council on May 7 took multiple steps to protect Qualla Boundary rivers and forests, both through supporting land management practices and standing against environmental harm. Among those was a resolution “supporting the removal of Ela Dam and the restoration of Longperson” — which called the dam “obsolete” and noted that it “impairs our watershed.”
Haywood property tax increase: 54% for jail, 21% for education
Historically, Haywood County Schools has run a tight ship in the face of slim county appropriations. Last year, it pulled from its own fund balance to finance operations; in 2022, it cut 36 positions.
But for the coming academic year, Superintendent Trevor Putnam made a dire case for additional funding. Any further cuts, he said, would deny HCS students a quality education.
North Carolina tourism hits record $37.2 billion in 2025
Gov. Josh Stein announced that North Carolina set a record for tourist spending in 2025, with travelers spending more than $37.2 billion on trips to and within the state, surpassing the previous record of $36.7 billion set in 2024.
The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 0.3% to 230,997 jobs in 2025. Tourism payroll increased 3.5% to $9.8 billion. Also as a result of visitor spending, state and local governments saw tax revenues of more than $2.7 billion.
Strive Not to Drive Week returns for 2026
Strive Not to Drive envisions a Western North Carolina where communities have less traffic congestion, better air quality and safer streets for all.
This year’s annual celebration is taking place May 15-22. The purpose is to encourage people to use sustainable transportation for one week. That includes making virtual engagements, walking, biking, riding public transit or even carpooling.
WCU May Day Rally celebrates unions, decries political attacks
On May 1, several dozen students, faculty and community members gathered beside Western Carolina University’s “Catafount” in Cullowhee for a May Day action celebrating the history of labor organizing — and demanding the rights workers have yet to be afforded.
May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is an expression of worker solidarity in honor of those who lost their lives in the aftermath of Chicago’s Haymarket affair.
EBCI talks environmental justice, data center moratorium at town hall
An April 25 Qualla Boundary town hall about data centers, featuring three speakers instrumental in the fight against hyperscale expansion on Indigenous land, both generated support for a tabled tribal council moratorium and explained the myriad ways these facilities can harm environments and cultures alike.
Parents target Whatley over sex offender controversy
A new coalition of North Carolina parents is taking aim at Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, alleging his past leadership decisions placed children at risk and demanding accountability ahead of the November election.
The group, calling itself Parents Against Whatley, launched this week with more than 60 members spanning 19 counties. Organizers say the coalition includes a mix of party affiliations, with more than one-quarter identifying as unaffiliated voters.
Ethics probe targets Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards
Western North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards is under investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics, according to multiple reports, with allegations reportedly involving inappropriate sexual conduct.
First reported by Axios on April 30, a Republican-led bipartisan panel authorized a review into claims against Edwards that have not been fully detailed publicly, but subsequent reporting indicates the probe may center on allegations of sexual harassment and a possible relationship with a former staff member.
Whatley claims on Helene aid collapse under scrutiny
More than 18 months after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction across Western North Carolina, the numbers meant to measure recovery have become a political battleground — one where claims made by Helene recovery czar and Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley are increasingly at odds with the state’s own data.
