Tropical Storm Helene hits Western North Carolina
Editor's note: Hurricane Helene has already produced flash flooding and dangerous winds across the region, and it has come on the heels of heavy rains, downed trees, sporadic tornadoes and some minor flooding due to a separate system that entered the region from the west. Smoky Mountain News Staff will be out gathering photos and firsthand reports throughout Friday and beyond. This page will be updated with those pictures and stories as they come in from across our coverage area, but you can always find more on our Facebook, Instagram and X accounts.
ColorFest returns to Dillsboro
The 16th annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Dillsboro.
Testing data is in, HCS reaches sixth in the state
This month the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released performance and growth data for the 2023-24 school year, and for another year in a row, Haywood County dominated regional rankings with the top two high schools in the western region.
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.
Drought expands in WNC
Over the last couple of weeks, the drought has expanded in Western North Carolina, and it now covers all of Haywood, Swain, Jackson and Macon counties. There was widespread rain over the last week, but it remains to be seen whether that precipitation cut into the drought.
Changes to Sylva panhandling ordinance fail
After multiple rounds of public opposition to proposed changes to Sylva’s panhandling ordinance, the board decided to dismiss the changes and leave the ordinance as it is written.
‘Social District of Sylva Celebration’
The Main Street Sylva Association will host its “Social District of Sylva Celebration” from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bridge Park and throughout downtown Sylva.
‘Youth Arts Festival’
The annual “Youth Arts Festival” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
Jackson aims for traditional middle school
Jackson County Schools is taking a stab at a traditional middle school and applying for a state grant to fund the potential project.
“It is just the right thing to do for our kids,” said Superintendent Dana Ayers in a presentation to the Jackson County Commission last week.
Blue Ridge School families demand action
Members of the Blue Ridge School community showed up to the Jackson County Board of Education’s August meeting to express concerns regarding the state of the school.
