The Haywood Community College Foundation will hold its annual gala event, the “Lavender Ball,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the HCC Library on campus in Clyde.

Each year, the event supports the area in the most need for HCC. This year, support for the event will benefit the Lavender Fund. These funds are available for HCC students who face an unexpected financial hardship during their time at the college. 

Haywood County School Board at a Jan. 12 meeting officially gave the new Haywood Innovative middle school the green light to open its application to prospective students. 

“We are looking for students who choose to be here, who are motivated to be here, who would benefit from a rigorous and accelerated middle school experience,” said Lori Fox, principal of Haywood Early College and Haywood Innovative. 

John Burgin Construction, LLC workers arrived at Haywood Community College’s Poplar Building Jan. 5, marking the start of an estimated 120-day renovation process driven by the addition of middle school called ‘Haywood Innovative’ and managed by the county school system. 

Haywood County Schools is renting the building to do “a tenant upfit … They’ve hired an architect, and they’re overseeing that,” said Brek Lanning, the college’s vice president of infrastructure, campus development and technology. 

Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer two opportunities for hunter safety courses in Spring 2026. Classes will be offered Jan. 6-7 and April 1-2 from 6-9 p.m. on the HCC campus in Clyde in the Walnut building, Room 3322. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification. 

Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit options as students choose to start their postsecondary education locally before transferring to a four-year institution. 

Michelle Harris, director of engagement & marketing and public information officer at Haywood Community College, has been named the 2025 District 2 Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations.

This award recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership in two-year college communications. 

Students in the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College will host a holiday craft sale from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 on campus in Clyde. The sale will feature student work in four mediums: fiber, metals, ceramics and wood. Held in the Mary L. Cornwell Gallery in the Sycamore Building, the sale is open to the public. 

As Haywood Community College celebrates its 60-year anniversary Thursday, Sept. 18, administrators are reflecting on more than a half-century of progress while looking ahead to the institution’s evolving legacy.  

 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation. 

Haywood Community College will hold the third annual Dahlia Ridge Trail Run at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, in Clyde.

This 5k is a timed, family-friendly walk/run event open to all levels of runners, walkers and hikers.