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Four women — Shennelle Feather, Lavita Hill, Shannon Swimmer and Venita Wolfe — were elected to a previously all-male Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal council this fall, and they’re ready to make things happen.
When Eric Spirtas and Two Banks Development LLC bought the dormant Canton mill property in early January from global corporate supervillain Pactiv Evergreen, the reaction across town was equal parts relief and side-eye.
Relief, because communities across the country have seen too many hulking industrial sites sit shuttered for a decade or more, rotting quietly into the ground while communities wait for a miracle that never comes.
The Roadless Rule Recission is genuinely so unpopular to have perhaps been inspired by a claim that Trump couldn’t possibly do anything more universally hated than gutting National Park funding, to which the president said, “Oh yeah? Hold my beer.”
Jackson County’s various governing boards spent much of the year demonstrating that governing does not require attendance, consistency, basic curiosity about consequences, respect for the law or for the feelings of taxpayers, voters and young people.
Throughout a year when Western North Carolina was begging for more hurricane recovery funding and a less bureaucratic inefficiency, the North Carolina General Assembly demonstrated incredible flexibility and focus — just not on governing.
The nature of growth requires counties to constantly develop and improve to keep facilities safe, reliable and up to fulfilling the needs of communities.
Voters in Macon County will have a chance to pass the buck, in a sense, on vital projects looming not far on the horizon. Some are so close you can smell them.
The speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture,” will host a program by Christy Bredenkamp, NCSU Extension Director, who will deliver a talk titled Agriculture in Macon County Through the Lens of Extension.
This slide presentation will offer an overview of Macon County’s current agricultural landscape — from beef cattle production and baling hay, to growing tomatoes and corn, as well as harvesting cut flowers, honey and Christmas trees.
North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like ozone and fine particles continue a long-running downward trend.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is publishing its latest update to the “Air Quality Trends in North Carolina” report.
Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funds to help support their large animal practice.
The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and that spend 30% or more of their patient care involved in large animal veterinary care.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has launched an online application form for Underground Storage Tank permits for newly constructed facilities. UST operators can access the feature through the AccessDEQ Portal, the department’s digital hub for permit applications.
The National Park Service is requesting tips from the public to aid in an investigation of a deer poached from fields near Sparks Lane in Cades Cove.
On the morning of Dec. 22, park rangers responded to a report of a deer that had been shot with an arrow in a field off Sparks Lane within the Cades Cove Loop Road.
Classic rock megagroup Grand Funk Railroad will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center.
Originating from Flint, Michigan, in 1969, this top-selling American rock group of the 1970s is “comin’ to your town to help you party it down,” with hits like “We’re an American Band,” “I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home,” “Locomotion” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint is partnering with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund to provide $1.1 million for three flood risk reduction projects located in Dunn, Clyde and Smithfield.
In total, the projects will restore more than 1.29 miles of stream and 50 acres of floodplain as well as retrofit a pond to reduce flooding.
The Open Space Institute and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust announced the acquisition of the 104-acre Peregrine Tract along the southern face of Whiteside Mountain. Permanent protection of the property, which had been approved for development, marks a major victory in longstanding efforts to safeguard one of Southern Appalachia’s most scenic and ecologically significant landscapes.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) will host its sixth-annual Winter Hiking Challenge in the first two months of 2026, which aims to inspire people to experience outdoor recreation during the winter months.
The 2026 SAHC Winter Hiking Challenge sets a goal of 60 miles in 60 days, from Jan. 1 to March 1, to be completed in your own time and at your own speed.
Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer two opportunities for hunter safety courses in Spring 2026. Classes will be offered Jan. 6-7 and April 1-2 from 6-9 p.m. on the HCC campus in Clyde in the Walnut building, Room 3322. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification.
Martin Tanaka, a professor of engineering and technology at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, has a knack for creating innovative gadgets as a biomedical engineer. He has two patents for medical devices: one to help with rotator cuff surgery and another for a surgical tool for nasal surgery.
Now, thanks to funding from NCInnovation, Tanaka is going for his third.
A weekend rally organized by Hands off Haywood commenced with the presentation of a $2,500 check to Haywood Christian Ministries in Waynesville, highlighting a direct link between protest activism and local hunger relief.
Hands off Haywood organizer Mary Ford told the crowd that demonstrators have faced insults and “more middle fingers since March than we have in our entire lives” while taking to the streets on a weekly basis earlier this year but said the group’s focus has remained on democracy and community support.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is advising residents that it is illegal to keep deer as pets and unwise to try to tame deer. Several incidents have occurred across the state this year involving people and dogs being attacked and injured by deer that were likely raised by humans illegally and regularly fed by local neighbors.
Western Carolina University Athletics welcomed more than 1,000 Jackson County Public Schools students to campus for its annual “Education Days” basketball games — bringing early holiday cheer and an unforgettable afternoon of hoops.
Over two days, elementary and middle school students filled the Liston B. Ramsey Center to cheer on the Catamounts during men’s and women’s basketball matchups.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is celebrating 100 years and revamping its community supporters program.
The Macon County Public Library has been an A.T. supporter since 2014, and recently renewed their status.
Winter weather has arrived in Western North Carolina and the snow guns are blasting at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Haywood County.
As folks prepare to hit the slopes, the Jackson County Recreation is offering night trips over to the ski area, including special rates for passes and equipment rentals.
Throughout her first two-and-a-half semesters in Southwestern Community College’s Medical Sonography program, Emma Dao heard her instructors repeatedly emphasize the value of curiosity.
Because Dao took that message to heart, one area woman received an early cancer diagnosis and now has a much better outlook for treatment and recovery.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, in collaboration with the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (TDA), announced the installation of Sylva’s first “Perfect Spot for a Selfie” stickers. Designed to encourage exploration, engagement and community pride, these designated selfie spots are now located at the intersection of West Main Street and Keener Street — one on each corner.
Embrace the spirit of the season with two festive events at Great Smoky Mountains National Park this December.
Visitors are invited to celebrate Appalachian holiday traditions and create new memories during the “Festival of Christmas Past, Present and Future” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, and the Holiday Homecoming on Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Oconaluftee Visitor Center, respectively.
Macon County Library is hosting a “mind, body, flow” class.
Classes are Tuesdays at 9 a.m. starting Dec. 16 in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has launched the Western NC Recovery Grants Program to help communities affected by Hurricane Helene secure long-term recovery funding. The program offers free grant-writing and technical assistance to local governments, eligible nonprofits partnering with them, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians across 39 disaster-declared counties.
The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a contract to improve travel conditions on N.C. 107 through Sylva.
Buchanan & Sons of Whittier earned the $103 million contract for a transformative project that will improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is seeking applicants for a commissioned contractor to operate a license plate agency in Waynesville.
In North Carolina, NCDMV oversees LPAs, but the agencies are managed by private businesses or local governments.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has transferred 1,060 acres in Haywood County to the State of North Carolina to become part of public lands managed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
These tracts include land for the Cold Mountain Game Land and Pisgah Game Lands, including the 409-acre White Oak Mountain tract adjoining the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that SAHC purchased in December 2024.
The Nantahala Racing Club and Nantahala Outdoor Center announced they have been honored with the American Canoe Association’s 2025 “Event of the Year” award for hosting the 2025 Junior Olympics and Regional Teams Development Camp.
Dreaming of spring? Beat the winter blues by planting native seeds.
Late fall and early winter are the perfect times to sow many native species, which benefit pollinators, wildlife, soil and water quality — all while being low-maintenance in your garden.
A turkey breeding operation in Wayne County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza. The positive sample was first identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh.
This is the first case of high path avian influenza in commercial poultry in North Carolina since January 2025.
Ten North Carolina Veterinary practices were recently awarded grants to help support their large animal practices. This $130,000 recurring fund was created by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023 and is annually administered by the N.C. Ag Finance Authority.
Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit options as students choose to start their postsecondary education locally before transferring to a four-year institution.
Michelle Harris, director of engagement & marketing and public information officer at Haywood Community College, has been named the 2025 District 2 Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations.
This award recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership in two-year college communications.
Students in the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College will host a holiday craft sale from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 on campus in Clyde. The sale will feature student work in four mediums: fiber, metals, ceramics and wood. Held in the Mary L. Cornwell Gallery in the Sycamore Building, the sale is open to the public.
Slumber time for black bears is quickly approaching, and in some cases, already happening. Now is the time to start bear-proofing residential and commercial properties to discourage winter denning.
Black bears have been known to den in surprising places: under decks and storage sheds, crawl spaces, vacant homes and the brush or debris pile in the yard.
State veterinary officials are asking horse owners in North Carolina to watch for symptoms of a highly contagious equine disease following diagnoses of multiple horses with Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy, the neurologic disease associated with Equine Herpes Virus. Cases were confirmed Nov. 9 by the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of EHV-1/EHM in North Carolina.
Farmers, homeowners and small businesses in the region are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of unwanted pesticides at a Free Pesticide Disposal Collection Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Mountain Research Station, located at 265 Test Farm Road in Waynesville.
Waynesville’s farmers market is getting into the holiday spirit by hosting holiday markets. The markets will run from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 29, and Dec. 6.
The Summit Charter School Foundation announced that the 2025 Cashiers Festival of Trees will open on Friday, Nov. 28, at 370 Mitten Lane in Cashiers. The festive fundraiser — accessible both in person and online — will run through Saturday, Nov. 29, with doors open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jackson County Recreation is hosting a guided nature journaling walk, during which participants will deepen observation and recording skills while meandering along the greenway.
The walk will take place from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. It is open to everyone 13 and older who can comfortably walk two miles. Meeting place is the Locust Creek Greenway entrance in Cullowhee.
This year, folks in Haywood County will have the chance to embellish their homes with a one-of-a-kind wreath at the annual NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ Wreath-Making Workshop on Saturday, Dec. 6. The extension office will provide a selection of fresh greenery, natural embellishments and knowledgeable extension master gardener volunteers.
The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) awarded 12 grants totaling $350,365 to environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, expand public use and access to waterways, and increase water quality awareness in Buncombe, Haywood, and Madison counties. With these grants and since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed $10,594,556 in grants.
Right now, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20% discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel throughout November. The discount applies to the first $500 for all new orders, up to a $100 discount.
The Environmental Action Community of Western North Carolina (EAC) invites supporters and the public to its year in review celebration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Folkmoot Auditorium in Waynesville. The evening will feature an informative program, raffle prizes, partner presentations, resource tables and light refreshments.
A still photo extracted from a deputy’s body-cam video shows a critical moment in the events of April 6, 2024, in front of a home near Lake Logan Road, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch told jury members this week.
In the photo the defendant, Steven Hawkins, 49, is pictured. He grips a double-barreled shotgun and directly faces law enforcement officers.
Nineteen new small business recovery projects in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants totaling $13.8 million through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program.
Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit options as students choose to start their postsecondary education locally before transferring to a four-year institution. As spring 2026 registration opens, HCC has two new transfer agreements in place. This offers students additional guaranteed transferable options to two North Carolina universities.
