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Election results will make for a stronger democracy
There were many winners and losers last week on Election Day, but perhaps the best outcome is that the move…
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Time for all to choose dignity over party loyalty
Perhaps you have noticed how popular the “what about” argument has become these days? You know it works: you make…
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A heartfelt thanks to all in District 118
By Rhonda Cole Schandevel • Guest Columnist Good day to all who will take the time to read my long…
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Going for the three-peat: Franklin outdoor store opens two new locations in 2018
When Rob Gasbarro and Cory McCall met in 2008, their friendship formed around hiking and biking the mountains surrounding Franklin,…
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Bear injures Haywood County man
A Haywood County man has become the second person to be attacked by a black bear in Western North Carolina…
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Mount Mitchell gets new leader
Veteran ranger Kevin Bischof has been named to the superintendent’s post at Mount Mitchell State Park in Yancey County.
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Parking and lighting to increase at arboretum
A $905,000 grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development authority will make it possible for the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville…
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Slopes open at Cataloochee
Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the first time this season on Sunday, Nov. 11.
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Jackson gets new interpretive signs
Four new wayside signs have appeared at the Jackson County Greenway, East LaPorte Park and South Painter Park, thanks to…
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Rainbow Falls rehab concludes
After two years of work, the new and improved Rainbow Falls Trail is open for business following a Nov. 14…
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Judge blocks wolf protection rollback
A federal judge found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental…
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Farm Bill still not reauthorized
The 2014 Farm Bill expired at midnight Sept. 30, and Congress has thus far failed to reauthorize a new five-year…
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Evening gosbeaks to make rare appearance
“Seen for the first time amid the snows of winter and against a background of darkling pines these strange and…
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A fine novel about a fascinating literary era
The writers who lived and practiced their art between the two world wars of the twentieth century continue to exert…
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The cost of compassion: Influx of juvenile cases could cause cash crunch
A juvenile justice system already stressed to the limit is about to be stretched even further, thanks to a change…
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Tribal housing reorganization still stalled
For the second time in less than a month, an ordinance that would abolish the Qualla Housing Authority and place…
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The after action report: 50 fast facts from the Haywood election results
Two years ago, a Smoky Mountain News analysis of precinct-level elections results painted a portrait of a red county getting redder — at least electorally. This year was almost as rosy for Haywood’s Republican voters, who saw their candidates return to the U.S. House and the N.C. Senate as well as swing the Haywood Commission from a 3-to-2 Democratic majority to a 4-to-1 Republican advantage.
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Eastbound and down: GOP gains on Haywood commission run downhill
Results in the Haywood County Board of Commissioners race hit the county like a cannonball, with Republicans taking two of three seats — all previously held by Democrats — while also earning themselves a 4-to-1 majority on the first-ever Republican-controlled commission.
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High voter turnout impacts Jackson commissioner race
Robust voter turnout and early voting enthusiasm made the difference in three Jackson County Board of Commissioners races, causing the board to flip from a Republican to a Democratic majority.
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Sales tax to increase in Swain
Swain County voters have typically been adamantly opposed to any sort of tax hike, whether it’s a property tax or a sales tax, which is why many were pleasantly surprised to see a quarter-cent sales tax increase approved following the Nov. 6 election.
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Susan Belcher receives WCU service award
Susan Brummell Belcher, wife of late Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher, received one of the top honors bestowed…
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Jackson to purchase old Pepsi-Cola plant for $500K
If all goes as planned, Jackson County will spend $550,000 to buy the old Pepsi-Cola plant in Whittier, following a…
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Sylva to choose new TWSA board member
The Sylva Town Board is considering who it should choose to replace Commissioner Harold Hensley on the Tuckaseigee Water and…
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Macon to analyze county space needs
Now that the election is over and three incumbents have reclaimed their seats on the Macon County Board of Commissioners,…
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Swain schools earn ‘C’ average
Unchanged over last year, all four Swain County Schools earned a ‘C’ on their 2017-18 annual report card handed down…
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Majority of Macon schools meet growth goals
Eight of the 11 schools in Macon County either met or exceeded their academic growth expectations for the 2017-18 school…
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A fresh look at Haywood school capacity
As the pace of growth and development begins to pick up across Haywood County, demand for basic services like sewer,…
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Amazing Grace makes a full recovery
Beth Cline-Stroud, the executive director of PAWS in Bryson City, was on her way to an important event when a…
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Sessions firing triggers protests
It didn’t take long for protests to spring up across the country, state and region as soon as President Trump…
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Court of Appeals hearing Cherokee cases
On Thursday, Nov. 15, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will make history by holding oral…
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‘Any old road will take you there’: Balsam Range reflects on successful past, a bright future
In 12 years together, Haywood County-based Balsam Range have played some of the biggest stages in the music industry, and…
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This must be the place: ‘The air was just electric. The air was quivering.’
I was handed a telephone number and told good luck. In the fall of 2007, I was 22 years old.…
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Regional Artist Project grantees announced
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), administrator of this year’s Regional Artist Project Grant (RAPG), is pleased to announce grantees…
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Grassroots Arts Program subgrants awarded
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), serving as a Designated County Partner of the North Carolina Arts Council, is pleased…
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‘Hyper-partisan’ moves threaten UNC’s future
The sudden resignation of Margaret Spellings as president of the UNC system should be a wake-up call to every North…
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‘When did we see you, a stranger, and welcome you?’
By Autumn Woodward • Guest Columnist The Irish morning was cool. I’d tumbled over a stone wall into the park to…
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Learning to connect with the other world
The night after my mom died, my dad stepped out on the front porch with my brother-in-law, whose father had…
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Making tracks: Kids trails program earns recognition after decade of growth
In 2008, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation launched a new program aiming to get kids and families out exploring the…
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Bote Mountain Trail partially reopen
A 2.9-mile section of the Bote Mountain Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now open to hikers…
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N.C. governor signs climate change order
Gov. Roy Cooper has signed an executive order directed at “North Carolina’s commitment to fight climate change and lead transition…
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Haywood agricultural leader awarded state’s highest honor
Longtime Haywood County farmer and agricultural community leader Bill Yarborough has been recognized with the highest honor the state has…
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Walk the ‘Missing Link’ of the Foothills Parkway
A celebration of the completed Foothills Parkway section known as the “Missing Link” will be held Thursday, Nov. 8, with…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Flashback
It wasn’t long after we crossed the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, headed west into Louisiana, that we began to see…
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Cookbooks make nice holiday gifts
So there I was on a Wednesday afternoon in October in one of my favorite spots in town: the public…
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Local physician honored with scholarship
The Haywood Healthcare Foundation, Haywood Regional Medical Center, and Haywood Community College recently held a presentation ceremony for Dr. Bennie…
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Interim UNC System president selected
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has selected the man who could well be charged with nominating the…
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Mediation valuable service in criminal justice system
Mountain Mediation Services has been providing an invaluable service to Western North Carolina’s criminal justice system for more than 20…
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Cherokee leaders speak out against Texas adoption ruling
A recent court ruling in Texas has Native American tribes across the country — including the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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WCU to commemorate WWI
Back before incessant war became a hallmark of American foreign policy, U.S. involvement in global affairs was but a shadow…
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Never give up: Franklin native survived years of torture in Vietnam POW camp
Just west of the town of Franklin, along a winding back road heading into the mountains surrounding Wayah Bald, sits…
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