The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) with its Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating cardiac cath lab patients. The ACC’s accreditation recognizes Haywood Regional’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who undergo diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.

Through Aug. 31, three Storybook Trail of the Smokies displays featuring pages in English and Spanish will be open in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby Gatlinburg.

Volunteers are needed to help trail crews in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rehabilitate the Ramsey Cascades and Little Cataloochee trails, with work sessions 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through September.

The Highlands Biological Foundation will kick off its annual Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15, with a talk from biologist Allen Hurlbert titled “Birds, Big Data and Citizen Science: Understanding the Impacts of Global Change.”

The Carolina Mountain Club and U.S. Forest Service received the 2023 Public Lands Partner Award, honoring “exemplary partnership” and “stunning achievements” surrounding the restoration of Max Patch. The national award celebrates the best in public lands partnerships.

A bipartisan bill seeking to designate the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives as the Benton MacKaye Trail Association continues a push it began in 2021 to bestow the prestigious designation upon the 288-mile trail.

Learn more about septic systems during an event 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 5, at the Haywood County Agricultural Service Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

A lively conversation on the history of the French Broad River corridor’s transformation — as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the watershed today — will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, at Manheimer Auditorium at University of North Carolina Asheville, and over Zoom.

Campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers on the Blue Ridge Parkway are now open with full services for the 2023 season.

Friends of the Smokies raised more than $400,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during its 25th annual Greenbrier Barn Party Friday, May 12, setting a fundraising record for the event.

This spring, the National Park Service released its third edition of the Green Parks Plan, setting refreshed goals and objectives to advance sustainable park operations.

A press release describes the plan as “a bold vision for national parks to attain net-zero status by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy and water, reducing solid waste, transitioning to green transportation and fostering a culture of sustainability inside and outside of parks.”

The plan also aims to further the NPS’ commitment to work toward phasing out single-use plastics over the next decade.

Five goals in the Green Parks Plan are: combat the climate crisis by achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, achieve net-zero water use and net zero energy for facilities and operations, achieve net-zero waste and sustainable procurement, adopt and support zero-emissions transportation methods, and engage the NPS workforce, partners, visitors, stakeholders and communities to support and participate in sustainability, climate resilience and environmental justice.

The plan is part of the NPS response to climate change outlined in its Climate Change Response Strategy.

The first edition of the Green Parks Plan was released in 2012. The update incorporates advancements in science and technology, as well as new legislation and executive orders. Read the plan at nps.gov/subjects/sustainability/index.htm.

International hiker and writer Jen Seymour will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The deadline for public comments on an Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan has been extended through Sunday, June 4.

Haywood County Animal Shelter is set to receive a $12,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their lifesaving work for animals in Haywood County.

The Cherokee Central Schools Board has chosen Consuela Girty, a 20-year employee of Cherokee Central Schools, as the school system’s next superintendent.

Starting Thursday, June 1, adult soccer pickup games will be held weekly at 6:30 p.m. at the Cullowhee Recreation Park in Jackson County.

The N.C. House of Representatives is considering a bill titled the North Carolina Native Plant Act after it unanimously passed the Senate May 3.

The Highlands Nature Center kicks off its summer season on Memorial Day weekend, with extended hours noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 28, and summer hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday starting Monday, May 29.

Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its Women’s Paddlefest Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4, hosted by inspirational paddler Anna Levesque.

Help is now available for Pactiv Evergreen Canton paper mill workers to determine how they can maintain health insurance after the mill closes. Health insurance for many workers is expected to lapse Aug. 1.

This weekend, The SHARE Project will host its third annual WNC drug awareness event — “Hope Not Stigma.”

A Swanannoa man forfeited his vehicle and received a stiff prison sentence after pleading guilty in Haywood County Superior Court to trafficking illegal drugs and other crimes, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Agricultural producers and private landowners have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a federal program that lets producers and landowners continue grazing and haying while conserving grasslands and promoting diversity and healthy soil.

The ‘Kids Hike Highlands’ trail passport program is back, with a refresh for the 2023 season. 

Experience the “Appalachian magic” of lightning bug season with a series of walks planned throughout the spring and early summer to experience the show from a variety of different species. Naturalist Sarah Johnson will lead these walks on her farm in Macon County.

Students from The Christ School in Asheville have won one of five annual awards given by Blue Ridge Parkway managers to recognize volunteer contributions to preservation, protection and enjoyment of the Parkway.

When Western Carolina University registrar Larry Hammer began working a garden plot with his family in the Cullowhee Community Garden, he realized that the garden’s water delivery system was not working like it needed to and had not been for years. He also knew exactly who to contact for help.

A team from Bethel Middle School in Haywood County took top honors at the 2023 Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament.

The Bethel Middle team won the overall junior division with a total score of 3,499. Students competed in rifle, shotgun and archery marksmanship, orienteering and a hunter responsibility exam. The team rose to the top of 28 teams competing at the state level.

Championship competitors advanced from district events held in March to showcase shooting and outdoor skills, as well as knowledge learned through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Hunter Education Program. The teams were made up of participants from public and private schools, as well as homeschool associations and 4-H clubs.  

A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.

Upon passage of a bill by the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced changes to the graduated driver licensing (GDL) program for teens.

A South Carolina man who used social media to groom then entice an underage teen to meet him in both Franklin and Cherokee recently pleaded guilty to statutory rape, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

Explore the love-hate relationship between birds and insects during a talk from Balsam Mountain Trust Executive Director Michael Wall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a chance for deeper connection to this landscape.

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field Site Program.

Pick up the Pigeon River during a cleanup 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in Canton.

An Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan is out for public comment through Friday, June 2.

After an extensive 11-day search, on May 6 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park halted its active field search for missing Tampa man Gordon Kaye, 68.

Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday of each month throughout its 2023 season. 

The Town of Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen will now be known as the Town Council, after an April 25 vote made it official.

This year’s election for seats on Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen — recently re-styled as “Town Council” — will proceed with a new sense of urgency after council members voted to enact a long-sought change in how they’re elected.

Take a leisurely hike to the Waterrock Knob overlook for sunset yoga with Tara Scarborough at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, May 9

No criminal charges will be brought against a South Carolina resident who shot and killed Lambert Wilson last fall, according to District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch.