In the wake of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene, “Rock For Relief: A WNC Flood Benefit Festival,” an all-day musical gathering for charity, will take place Saturday, Nov. 2, at a variety of venues in Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton and Sylva. 

Anyone on the internet knows that it can be a place of negativity and division. But it’s also a powerful tool for connection, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Crystal Cochran harnessed that connection to build a community of volunteers that provided vital assistance to thousands in Western North Carolina. 

Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is now accepting applications for its fifth Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. The annual residency is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with the Great Smoky Mountains while focusing on their craft in an inspiring, retreat-like setting. 

Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, announces Jacqueline Harp as its new chief executive officer. After a national search, Harp was selected and approved by the board of directors and will begin as CEO on Sept. 11, 2024.

Laurel Rematore, CEO of Smokies Life, will be recognized with the Excellence in Cooperating Association Partnership Award at the National Park Service’s Excellence in Service Awards to be held Aug. 21 in Washington, D.C.

Macon County Schools has spent the better part of a year undergoing a strategic planning process that charts a course for the school system’s future. 

The Haywood County Soil & Water Conservation District is a recipient of three of this year’s N.C. Grange grants to aid in land preservation efforts within the county. 

Jennie Ratcliff was only 21 years old when she met Jackson, a 16-hand-tall horse with a chestnut coat that matched her own auburn locks. Not much is known about Jackson’s life before he was purchased at auction by a horse trader to prevent him from being slaughtered. 

 In an effort to raise funds for Misfit Mountain, there will be a special art showcase and sale through March at Panacea Coffee Company in Waynesville. 

After a quiet couple of years through the uncertainty of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Haywood Advancement Foundation is pursuing closer economic development coordination with Haywood County government at a time when the county needs capable strategic partners more than it has in the past two decades.