The palpable undertones of tension felt at the last several Fontana Regional Library board meetings seemed to have subsided at last week’s trustees meeting, but the system’s challenges continue to mount. 

President Donald Trump recently cast the Democrats as “the party of hate, evil, and Satan.” This incendiary language serves a dual purpose: it presents an easy target for political scapegoating while deflecting attention away from critical issues afflicting the nation. This tactic of blaming an enemy — real or imagined — has become a hallmark of authoritarian regimes throughout history and is a dangerous practice that undermines democratic discourse. 

When you think “politician,” what picture pops into your mind? In today’s world, regardless of party, it is likely a bald or gray-haired old man, fixated on power and money, loyal only to his corporate sponsors. 

Enter Jacinda Ardern. Prime Minister of New Zealand. Elected at age 37 to lead her country. What kind of young woman could handle such a task, survive the opposition and pull her country together? 

To the Editor:

This Easter season — a time for moral reflection and renewal — I feel compelled to speak to the direction of our national leadership. We face a moment where economic manipulation and constitutional neglect are becoming normalized, with grave consequences for all Americans. 

In a year-in-review summary report released this week, Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke outlined key accomplishments and challenges from 2024, marking a year of operational growth, community engagement and the continuing fight against crime and drugs. 

During the early 2000s when I was first teaching middle school, I heard my mentor say to one of our students, “Garbage in, garbage out.” At the time, it was simply a passing comment because the teen was listening to music with foul language, but it stuck with me and often floats through my mind as I consume content or guide my children in their consumption of content.

Helene tore through many people’s lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Some lost homes, as well as the very soil on which their homes were built. Even for those whose homes were spared, the effect of being near such devastation reverberates. 

In 2026, the United States Census Bureau is conducting three field tests in “American Indian Areas” to prepare for unique challenges presented in those areas ahead of the 2030 census. Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council voted to approve the field test. 

The Jackson County Department of Social Services has faced incredible challenges over the past year associated with placing children in foster care. Now both the state and the county are providing funding to try and alleviate that problem. 

Things are changing in Haywood County’s smallest incorporated municipality. Although there are only 754 registered voters in Clyde, the town plays a central geographic and economic role in how the county itself will, or will not, thrive and grow in the 21st century.