Silicon Valley and Sylva are about as different as any two places can be, but they do share at least one thing in common. 

In Cupertino, billion-dollar office buildings rise within sight of tents and tarps. People sleep in cars or on bare ground backdropped by a landscape where extreme wealth and extreme poverty exist side by side. 

The question of who will control one of Jackson County’s most visible public assets is beginning to draw clear lines, and on March 26, Sylva’s Board of Commissioners stepped firmly onto one side. 

In a unanimous vote, commissioners adopted a resolution supporting continued control of the Jackson County Library Complex by the Jackson County Public Library, signaling opposition to any effort that would shift authority elsewhere. 

To the Editor:

Does it seem like every day you are overwhelmed by the atrocities in the news? Are you feeling beaten down in despair and hopelessness? Are you longing for some positive energy, some common sense, some time to gather with others, a chance to make some changes in the world?  

We invite you to come join us.

To the Editor:

In Western North Carolina we’ve been insulated from the horror and tragedies across the country. We haven’t seen the ICE raids, but sadly I recently learned that ICE is around. We don’t have the details but in Asheville a friend of one of one of my friends was picked up and sent to Atlanta. 

Haywood Community College will welcome multiple speakers, guests and partners to campus on Friday, March 20, for the WNC Environmental Summit.

The WNC Environmental Summit will provide educational opportunities for regional groups to come together, share ideas, encourage each other and take action to make a difference.

It was always more than just a place to pick up the mail. Long before asphalt and electronic highways reduced time and space to mere trivialities, a quieter system stitched scattered settlements together. The tiny Jackson County municipality of Webster grew up around that system, bringing residents together, creating a sense of identity and promising them that even remote mountain towns belonged to a wider republic. 

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, the alarm went off from the smart phone on my nightstand. Reaching for the contraption and reading the morning text messages, it appeared our weekly editorial meeting set for 10 a.m. would shift to Friday. And yet, before I could roll back over to sleep a little more, another message pinged on the phone. 

The Raccoon Creek Bike Park remains closed to the public as construction continues on the site, which is still an active work zone. Haywood County officials appreciate the community’s patience as work moves forward on the project and is anticipated to open in Summer 2026.

Once complete, the Raccoon Creek Bike Park will be a family-friendly outdoor amenity designed to serve riders of all ages and skill levels. The park will provide a safe and welcoming space for recreation, skill development and community programming. 

The Voices in the Laurel choirs have announced that spring registration is now open and the organization invites new/returning singers from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson and Swain counties to be part of its 30th season. 

At the Southwestern Child Development Commission building, the future is meeting the past.

Western Carolina University construction management students brought SPOT, the College of Engineering and Technology’s robotic dog, to scan a 3-D model of the nearly century-old building in Sylva.