The Great Smoky Mountains National Park fisheries department is offering an informative and educational workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Old Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. The workshop is open to any interested folks at no charge. 

A man initially convicted in a Cherokee Tribal Court for playing a role in a debilitating December 2019 ransomware attack is suing the tribe. 

Cody Long, the tribe’s former lead systems administrator for its Office of Information and Technology, was held in jail for 454 days and was in solitary confinement for the better part of a year following his initial arrest for tampering with public records and obstructing government functions.

We hate to belabor one topic, but we have more than one marijuana-related award to hand out this year.  

The steamroller award goes to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who launched their cannabis venture despite no shortage of opposition from outside the Qualla Boundary.

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. 

Editor’s note: This is a re-print of a column that originally ran in 2022.

There are many different plants that Appalachian mountainfolk have used for centuries in their decorations and celebrations on or around the winter solstice. 

The bitter battle between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Lumbee as the Lumbee seek federal recognition has grown even more contentious over the last few months. And now, following the announcement from Attorney General and Governor-elect Josh Stein that EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks — who has long called into question the Lumbees’ identification as a tribe — will be appointed to Stein’s transition team, a state representative from Lumbee country is sounding the alarm. 

Rock icon Jason Bonham will bring his “Led Zeppelin Experience” once again to the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. 

•  “The Merry Buccaneers Holiday Heist” stage production will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 22-23 at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. All ages. Admission is $5. greatsmokies.com/events. 

Last month, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians swore in Bradley B. Letts as the tribe’s new chief supreme court justice. 

While the move installs an experienced jurist at the head of the tribe’s highest court, it created a vacancy in a judicial district that has seen a lot of change over the last couple of years. 

The 112th annual Cherokee Indian Fair will be held Oct. 1-5 at the Acquoni Expo Center site, located at 1501 Acquoni Road in Cherokee.