October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time to raise our collective consciousness about family violence in our community and to highlight the critical support systems available for survivors locally.  

Waynesville resident Sam Wilds is blind, cannot work, uses her entire Social Security disability check for household bills, has approximately $50 left on her SNAP card for the month of October, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. 

Jackson County commissioners have approved a sweeping new conservation framework designed to balance growth with preservation across some of the most ecologically significant lands in Western North Carolina, located in the southern part of the county. 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month in the United States.

This week, the Smoky Mountain News has partnered with REACH of Haywood County to publish a series of stories outlining the ways domestic violence perpetrators can victimize those they should love and what resources are available for anyone in need.  

Every October, we see purple ribbons, social media posts and brief mentions on the news about Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For many, it comes and goes like any other month. But for survivors, advocates and loved ones, October carries the weight of remembrance, grief and determination. 

For many of us, pets are family. They greet us at the door, comfort us when we are sad and offer love without judgment.  

As a mental health clinician specializing in animal-assisted therapy, I have witnessed the deep, healing bonds that can exist between humans and their animals. Companion animals are more than just pets. They often serve as family, as emotional support and at times as the only source of wholehearted love in a person's life.  

It was a time and a place, and now that place is gone.

Or is it?

I came across some version of that idiom about time and place a few months ago, just as we at The Smoky Mountain News were beginning to discuss how to cover the one-year anniversary of Helene’s historic and deadly impact on this place we call home.

It has been months since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and recovery is still ongoing throughout the region. Many residents and growers had devastating losses, but work is under way to rebuild and move forward in 2025. 

Haywood County offers resources for farmers needing hay are encouraged to contact the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office to speak with a livestock agent. 

Hurricane Helene was and continues to be a traumatic event for our region, but even within the worst of it, there are stories of resilience and ingenuity in ways that many had to deal with making or getting meals while having no power or water for days.