Sliding Rock to open for summer season
Sliding Rock, one of the most popular destinations in Pisgah National Forest, will open for the summer season beginning Memorial Day weekend, operating daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Labor Day. During that time, visitors can expect lifeguards on duty, restrooms open and staff on site to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
Clampitt keeps 119th House District
The man still known for his protracted electoral feud with former Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen — the two faced off five times from 2012 through 2020, with Mike Clampitt winning three times — will continue to represent Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties.
Dangerous storm bears down on WNC
A growing tropical storm that’s expected to become a major hurricane is tracking through the Gulf of Mexico and appears to be headed right for Western North Carolina. Local officials aren’t taking any chances.
Pisgah View State Park comes into focus
Buncombe County’s first state park, near the eastern gateway to Haywood County, remains on track for a 2025 opening after the final in-person public input session for master planning concluded at Upper Hominy Fire and Rescue Department on Aug. 1.
Tons of trout coming to WNC
More than 67,000 pounds of trout will be stocked in the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina between Nov. 29 and Dec. 21, including locations in Jackson, Macon, Buncombe and Transylvania counties.
Gorges campground closed after bear encounter
The campground at Gorges State Park in Transylvania County is closed through Nov. 16 after a bear attacked an RV last week.
State budget commits substantial funding to critical needs in WNC
This year’s state budget process may have been one of the most discordant in recent memory, but Western North Carolina’s legislative delegation was able to secure record-setting funding for critical needs in a relatively poor region that sometimes feels overlooked when Raleigh gets to dishing out the dough.
Champion Credit Union and Ecusta Credit Union Announce Merger
Champion Credit Union announced that Ecusta Credit Union, which has served Transylvania and Henderson counties since 1976, will formally merge into Champion Credit Union later this year, in a move a press release noted is aimed at enhancing financial services and member experience.
Red spruce greenhouse to break ground this fall
A $100,000 grant from the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority has put a $2 million project to build a red spruce nursery past the halfway mark of its fundraising goal.
Welcome monarchs to the mountains
The Mountain Monarch Festival will return to Gorges State Park in Transylvania County for its second year 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, celebrating the monarch butterfly during its migration season.
