To the Editor:

It’s unfathomable that the citizens of North Carolina are still dealing with delays in the certification of Justice Allison Riggs’s November 2024 election to the state Supreme Court because of baseless attempts to overturn the results of a legitimate election. 

A bill introduced by Macon County Republican Rep. Karl Gillespie that seeks to bolster North Carolina’s local sawmill industry has garnered widespread bipartisan interest for its potential economic, environmental and housing affordability benefits. 

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified most of the state as abnormally dry, while 56 counties are at least partially in a moderate drought, including almost the entire Smoky Mountain News coverage area. 

It had been a warm spring day that finally gave way to twilight of cobalt-grey, sharpening the flashing red and blue police lights slashing through dusk restless and unyielding. Demonstrators waving signs and banging rhythmically on locked glass doors, their chants pulsed through the cool evening air. 

“Save our democracy.” 

Simon Thompson, an international birding expert, will discuss surprising effects of climactic changes on North Carolina’s and the world’s wild bird populations. He will speak to the WNC Sierra Club at 7 p.m. on April 2, in the UNCA OLLI/Reuter Center, at 300 Campus Drive. 

Before he was sworn in on Jan. 20, Donald Trump had a lot to say about the agenda he plans to pursue during his final term as president.

At the request of Gov. Josh Stein, FEMA has granted North Carolina an extension for local governments and certain types of non-profits to apply for public assistance until Feb. 6, 2025. 

Following this year’s budget season, Macon County maintains its position with the lowest property tax of any county in the state of North Carolina at $0.27 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

Christmas Eve. With the sun fading behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, the sky transitioning into bright pink, purple and orange, I found myself quietly jogging the four-mile path around Lake Junaluska. Nobody around me, the air quickly gets cold during sunset. Dozens of Canada geese roaming the walking trails and shoreline, with many more either swimming or in-flight nearby. 

I started this annual feature nearly a decade ago to poke fun at the emerging scourge of fake news — lies, really — that had popped up at local government meetings. It was a prophetic move, unfortunately, and in the intervening nine or so years it’s only gotten worse.