To the Editor:

I liked Scott McLeod’s column last week, but disagree with the characterization of Pactiv Evergreen’s disastrous decision to close their Canton mill as a problem of “corporate culture.”

Great Smoky Mountains National Park experienced its second busiest year ever in 2022 with 12,937,633 visits. Last year’s visitation was more than 1.5 million above the park’s 10-year average and more than the visitation of Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon national parks combined. This marks the fourth time the park has exceeded 12 million yearly visits. 

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has been awarded $25,000 from Lawson Family Foundation to support their efforts to connect people with nature through innovative pathways. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is currently recruiting local volunteers to ‘Adopt-A-Plot’ and track the seasonal change of trees, also called phenology.   

The process of termination (unwinding) of Medicaid coverage for those enrolled in the program because of the Covid Public Health Emergency begins on April 1, 2023. 

A 1,295-acre prescribed burn in the Yellow Creek area of Graham County could take place any time before April 15. 

Much of the maintenance on one side of the Spur Tunnel is complete, allowing contractors to begin work on the other side. Depending on weather conditions and arrival of supplies, the single-lane closure will switch to the opposite lane sometime between March 1-3.  

During a business meeting Thursday, Feb. 23, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to adopt eight proposed rules related to wildlife management for the 2023-24 season.

The 2022 Classic Hikes of the Smokies Series has begun. 

To the Editor: I was heartened to see the recent coverage that the Pilot Travel Center off of I-40 on Exit 24 received from WLOS in Asheville. In this featured segment, the dangerous situation that has developed from the lack of adequate pull-in access for trucks was highlighted.

David Green Edwards, 32, of Cherokee, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual contact with a minor. 

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority announced the hire of Kara Addy as its new Social Media Manager.

Jake Tallent vividly remembers the impact that the New Century Scholars program had on his life.

Dana Soehn, a 34-year employee of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who has been part of its management team for the past decade, will be the next executive director and president of Friends of the Smokies. 

Folkmoot USA has announced the second semester of its “Life Long Learning” education initiative. Conceived and sponsored by Dr. Darryl Nabors, Life Long Learning offers a variety of subjects tailored to our residents.

Tax season officially began at the end of January. While most people don’t particularly enjoy dealing with taxes, we can make our lives easier by being prepared. Below are five tips to better prepare you for this tax season and those in the future. 

The N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority has approved $13.7 million to fund 11 capital improvement projects at state parks, including $900,000 for maintenance facility renovations at Mount Mitchell State Park. 

Equine infectious anemia has been found in 19 horses located in nine counties, including Henderson County. Of the 19 horses, 17 have been euthanized to prevent further spread. 

Construction of 4 miles of new trail will soon be underway on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest in Old Fort, part of a planned 42-mile trail expansion in the Old Fort area. 

To the Editor: I enjoy the articles written by Chris Cox. They are always thoughtful and thought provoking. I particularly appreciated his Feb. 8 article about meeting Jean Ellen Magers and beginning his work at Southwestern Community College. 

Megan Emily Tate, 28, of Sylva, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf last month and pleaded guilty to distributing a substance that contained fentanyl which resulted in serious bodily injury, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

An act of arson will cost James Ralph Brady, 55, of Cherokee, four years in prison, five years of supervised release and $10,000 in restitution. 

The immersive installation ”Courtney M. Leonard — BREACH: Logbook | CORIOLIS” is being showcased through May 5 in the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 

For the next two years, Appalachian Trail users will experience delays at Stecoah Gap due to construction on Corridor K. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which is the nonprofit partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, has confirmed new leadership to its organization. 

Access to the entire Greenbrier area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed from Feb. 13 until at least March 31 for flood damage repairs. 

Boone-based Destination by Design will be leading efforts to create an economic development plan tying together all 29 counties along the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor, following a decision by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. 

The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act that became law on Dec. 29, 2022, included a major win for wildlife advocates — inclusion of the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act. 

To the Editor: I recently read in The Smoky Mountain News the article regarding the January 17, 2023, county commissioner meeting on the grant offered to Haywood County to help educate people about the safety of the COVID vaccine. 

To the Editor: I don’t like paying taxes. Why should I pay my hard-earned money to a government? Governments are full of waste and corruption, I could spend it better for what I need. Why can’t my church help the poor? Are Social Security and Medicare just socialist programs? These are valid questions. 

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), along with regional partners — including the Asheville Area Arts Council, Transylvania Community Arts Council, the Tryon Fine Arts Center, and the Arts Council of Henderson County — recently announced the 2022-2023 Artist Support Grant awardees. 

Discover Life in America had a busy year, with many new species added to the nonprofit’s ever-increasing inventory of species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Friends of DuPont Forest has received $99,000 in grants from the Tourism Development Authorities in Henderson and Transylvania counties. The money will help fund creation of a master recreation plan to plan a sustainable future for DuPont State Recreational Forest. 

Twelve rock faces in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are closed to climbing, rappelling, hang-gliding and other activities through Aug. 15 in order to protect the rare peregrine falcons that nest there. 

Registration is open for two upcoming sessions of Outdoor Adventure Kids, or OAK, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. 

To the Editor: I’m writing a very heartfelt concern I have for the health and safety of all the people in our community. Many are influenced by the local news media from the reports made on important topics. Specifically, I’m referencing the piece in Issue 35, Jan. 25, 2023, Vol. 24. 

On Jan. 26, one day before the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department released video footage of the beating that led to the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, the Town of Waynesville Police Department issued a statement calling the conduct of the five MPD officers involved “indefensible.” 

Mountain BizWorks is now accepting applications for its first Latino Catalyst Cohort, which will be facilitated entirely in Spanish.