Long road to recovery ahead for Waynesville’s post-Helene businesses
A region largely dependent on the tourism industry is now asking a question not heard since the COVID-19 pandemic — how to support retail and hospitality businesses that depend on foot traffic while respecting public safety guidelines and strained infrastructure across the region.
Soul Sisters Depot full of hope after losing business to Helene
Around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, Haley Ramey, co-owner of Soul Sisters Depot in Frog Level, began receiving calls from ADT that the store’s security alert system was sensing motion.
“I tried to look at the security videos on my phone but couldn’t see what was going on. I started breaking down knowing something really bad was happening,” said Haley. “I could just feel it.”
Planting the seeds of tomorrow: A community comes together post-Helene
On Friday evening, downtown Waynesville was in kind of a festive spirit — a far cry from what all of us here in Western North Carolina have felt for over a week now.
This must be the place: The long road home
Putting the truck into park, my girlfriend, Sarah, and I finally returned to our quaint apartment in downtown Waynesville Monday evening. After a long journey from the North Carolina coast back to Haywood County this weekend, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions.
A blank canvas: The world of paint and sip
On a sunny morning, I met Robin Arramae at Panacea Coffee House in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. We sat on the back deck amid other coffee-goers and the relaxing sounds of a nearby creek. The goal was to conduct an interview about her popular business, WNC Paint Events.
This must be the place: ‘That’s the story of my life rich or poor and mostly poor and truly poor’
To preface, this column does not reflect the views or opinions of this publication. For the last 12 years, this weekly column has been (and will remain) a vessel to conjure and express my own personal thoughts amid the wanderings and ponderings of my existence.
Pride parade prevails in Waynesville as opposition evaporates
A controversial email that led many to bring accusations of homophobia against two local business owners in Frog Level has been repudiated by the owners of one establishment and by workers at the other, but not by everyone who signed it.
Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival
The 21st annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, in the Historic Frog Level District of Waynesville.
Spreading it around: Waynesville pushes plans for prosperity in Frog Level, Hazelwood
Waynesville’s North Main Street has been an important economic engine for the town and the county for decades, and the town’s municipal service district has played a significant role in that success.
An unforeseen journey: How J.J. Singleton’s cancer battle instilled a new sense of purpose
Challenges and trauma impact people in different ways. For Haywood County native J.J. Singleton, who has battled cancer for about nine years now, it presented an opportunity for personal growth, growth he feels would have never otherwise been possible.
