The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) in Waynesville has announced the launch of the HCAC Helene Support Grant.

Designed to provide financial assistance to HCAC artist members who have been significantly impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the application process is currently underway.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Jackson County Economic Development has put together a grant opportunity for businesses impacted by the storm.  

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is offering initial emergency loans to 20 local governments for emergency projects to rehabilitate drinking water and/or wastewater systems in response to damages caused by Hurricane Helene. 

The race for state superintendent will determine who will support and advocate for the state’s 2,500 public schools and lead the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). This election cycle, it also a race in which experience in public education is pitted against an outsider to the system.  

Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers, respectively chair and vice chair of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, both ran for reelection last in 2020 amid unprecedented economic challenges and a contentious national election. It’s little different this time.  

Let’s not sugarcoat it anymore. To call it “misinformation” is, in itself, misinformation. Let’s just call it what it is — straight-up lies, of the sort that would earn you a whoopin’ by meemaw if you repeated them to her face instead of spreading them from behind a keyboard like a coward. 

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 Town of Waynesville is applying for the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program grant.

The goal is to implement the "Keeping Waynesville Beautiful Project,” which would aim to address several critical needs related to urban and community forestry.

“We have identified a pressing need for the enhancement of the town's urban tree population and the implementation of sustainable tree maintenance practices in two census tracts that include over half of the Waynesville population,” a news release states. “Furthermore, fostering community engagement and awareness about the importance of urban and community forestry is essential.”

By addressing these needs, the project seeks to elevate the overall quality of living in Waynesville while ensuring the long-term health and sustainability of urban and community forests.

The Town of Waynesville is seeking letters of support from community businesses and organizations that are interested in the beautification of Waynesville and the maintenance of local trees. Those letters can be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by July 31.

Macon and Jackson County commissions signed resolutions this month enabling the governments to receive funding from the Kroger opioid settlement, the third settlement of its kind for both counties. 

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted this month to commit to funding construction and renovation of Fairview School, which was recently identified as the system’s top capital needs priority due to overcrowding and outdated design.