The statue of Harriet Tubman that has been standing at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva depicts a woman in motion. Tubman is actively pressing forward, leading a child behind her. She looks ahead, and slightly up, her face contorted in determination and concentration. 

Due to rising construction costs, estimates for the total cost of the new Jackson County Pool currently exceed the original $20 million borrowed  for the project by $1.5 million. During a Jan. 4 board meeting, commissioners reviewed cost-saving measures with principal architect Chad Roberson to help keep project costs as close to original estimates as possible.  

Shining Rock Classical Academy may have just opened the doors to its new building  at the start of this school year, but plans for phase II of the construction process were in the works long before students ever stepped foot in the new building. 

The statue of Harriet Tubman that has been standing at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva depicts a woman in motion. Tubman is actively pressing forward, leading a child behind her. She looks ahead, and slightly up, her face contorted in determination and concentration. 

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has approved the use of American Rescue Plan funds to buy a new integrated system for the sheriff’s office that includes tasers, body cameras and in-car cameras. 

Discussions for a skatepark in Jackson County are set to begin in January when Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Ellis will bring the issue to the recreation advisory board. 

Tourism in Jackson County is set to break all records for fiscal year 2021-22, and for the first time ever, county officials will get to choose capital projects to fund with tourism dollars. 

In the midst of the third school year affected by COVID-19, school systems are keenly aware of the stress the pandemic causes for staff. Teachers and support staff alike have left their positions in record numbers as the occupation changes at breakneck pace, and Swain County Schools is doing what it can to identify obstacles to recruiting and retaining teachers. 

There is a special moment that happens whilst playing music, a moment when concentration takes over as a musician uses both hands in a complicated way on their instrument or tunes into harmony with another voice. It is a moment when nothing else exists. All of a sudden it is only the musician and the sounds that are being created. Despite anything and everything else that may be challenging or distracting, in that moment it all disappears. 

Maggie Valley Town Hall was packed Tuesday evening for the regular December Board of Aldermen meeting. This was the first regular meeting for incoming board members John Hinton and Jim Owens, and a meeting of great concern for anyone with an opinion about the future of development in Maggie Valley. 

The secret to this cake is the peppermint Hershey’s Kisses. The little morsels are made of smooth white chocolate, but filled with tiny, satisfyingly crunchy pieces of peppermint candy. It takes a bit of time to unwrap all of the peppermint kisses you’ll need, and a lot of willpower not to eat them as you go, but the result is worth it. The already moist pound cake is full of little bits of creamy white chocolate, and the red and white dusting of peppermint kisses on top looks very festive. If you’re looking for something smaller than a pound cake, these would make great cupcakes (pictured is a miniature bundt cake). Enjoy!

Ghost Town developer Frankie Wood made his case to members of the Maggie Valley business community during a presentation at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company on Monday. 

Jackson County and the Town of Sylva have officially declared Dec. 10 as Darrell Woodard Day of Service. 

Jackson County commissioners have approved a Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center Master Plan that will include the construction of a splash pad in place of the existing pool. The preliminary cost estimate for the entire plan is just under $2 million. 

When I was little, I thought pockmarked skin was beautiful — a sought after trait that made someone especially handsome. 

The American Rescue Plan, signed into law March 6, allocated $350 billion for state and local relief in response to economic fallout from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Jackson County will receive a total of $8,534,441 as a result. 

Just after the Coronavirus Pandemic broke out in the United States in March of 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. Among other things, this bill established the Education Stabilization Fund, part of which is designated for K-12 public schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, also known as ESSER funds. 

Maggie Valley will discuss restricting all campgrounds and RV parks after newly-elected Alderman Jim Owens recommended the move during his first board of aldermen meeting. 

“Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself.” — Virgil Abloh.

Miss Virginia stretches unassumingly in the lamplit window of Wall Street Books. While she used to host bridge once a week at her house in Bethel, she now hosts readers and wanderers in the front window of the used bookstore nestled behind Main Street. 

Harris Regional Hospital, Swain Community Hospital and Haywood Regional Medical Center, all owned by Duke LifePoint, will require the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees. 

Last week the Macon County School Board approved the use of ESSER funds to give recurring $1,500 bonuses to all full-time employees and $750 to all part-time employees for the coming three years. The first payment will be given out on the December payroll. 

Holiday decorations have a way of bringing joy into our lives. Whether by their pleasing aesthetic, or by the anticipation created for holiday festivities. Enjoying decorations is even more rewarding (and eco-friendly) when we can make them ourselves. Below is a list of a few wreath-making events in WNC. 

After years of working to provide public education during a pandemic without pay raises, or a state budget, public schools in North Carolina will once again operate with a state budget in place after it was signed Nov. 18 by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. 

David Williamson was removed from his position as Planning Board Chairman for the Town of Maggie Valley following a 3-2 vote by the Board of Aldermen Tuesday, Nov. 9. 

Pecans, and all the delicious recipes that come with them are a particularly North American affair. Pecans are native to North America and as such have been used by Native Americans for millennia — from what is today the southern United States to the river valleys of Mexico.

Municipal elections in Maggie Valley drew a record number of voters in a contest that boiled down to growth and investment in the small mountain town. 

Tabbouleh is a delicious, fresh Lebanese salad made with parsley, mint and a little bit of bulgar. This “Harvest Tabbouleh” is a heartier, cold-weather-friendly version of the traditional Lebanese dish. It is a widely variable recipe. No pumpkin on hand? Substitute butternut squash, acorn squash or sweet potato. No bulgar? Substitute quinoa or couscous. No sliced almonds? Use any other toasted nut or seed. No craisins? Substitute finely diced apple. Top with feta cheese for added depth. 

The Macon County School Board decided last week to make masks optional for all K-12 students. The decision came on the same day that the state Department of Health and Human Services updated its guidance for North Carolina schools, no longer recommending districts require face masks for all students and staff in school. 

John Hinton and Jim Owens have secured seats on the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen beating out incumbent Alderwoman Twinkle Patel and Planning Board Chairman Jeff Lee. Maggie Valley voters showed up in record numbers to elect the two newcomers, casting a total of 943 votes for aldermen compared to 598 in 2019 and 312 in 2017. 

Shortbread cookies are a traditionally Scottish “biscuit.” Unlike almost any other sweet treats, they contain no leavening — no eggs, no baking soda, no baking powder, no yeast. 

Halloween. The annual opportunity to eat too much candy, dress up however you please, channel your inner witch and maybe communicate with some spirits along the way. How did this miraculous day come to be?

The eighth annual African Americans in Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia Conference will be held virtually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6. The focus of this year’s event is “Reparations, Revelations and Racial Justice: The Path Forward.”

John Hinton, a candidate for Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen, prompted an investigation by the North Carolina State Board of Elections after he admittedly sent a letter containing campaign information, along with a dollar bill to a friend whom he was asking for his vote. 

A slew of zoning decisions in the Town of Maggie Valley have revealed deeper concerns about development and the future of Haywood County’s tourist hotspot. 

A Maggie Valley Town Board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 12, reached capacity with nearly 100 attendants, several people listening from the hallway outside the boardroom as the board was scheduled to vote on three property zonings.

On an unusually warm fall afternoon in the mountains, art class is taking place in the outdoor pavilion at Full Spectrum Farms in Cullowhee. Participants are using recycled magazines and newspapers, paint and markers to create mixed-media collages. 

The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a trying experience for everyone. Quarantine, the threat of serious illness and job loss have affected millions of people in the United States. But what about those who don’t have access to basic health care? How do non-English speakers find information about COVID-19? How do people without an identification card find COVID-19 testing or vaccines? 

Over 790,000 students ride the bus to and from school each day in North Carolina. That’s almost half of all K-12 public school students, making bus drivers a crucial part of the state’s education system.

Performance data recently released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows that just 45.4% of elementary, middle and high school students passed state exams given during the 2020-21 school year and 29.6% passed college or career readiness tests. 

Four candidates will compete for two open spaces on the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen in municipal elections this November. 

After a long summer of half-hearted gardening, the vines around my house are starting to brown. Nights are getting longer and colder and as they do, the garden slows down its once aggressive turnout of bulging tomatoes, glossy peppers and giant squash. 

As fall rolls into the mountains, so too does the season for soups, stews and chilis. Cold weather sparks cravings for all food warm, hearty and comforting. But, while the weather is still balmy early in the season, cast iron skillet recipes are a nice way to transition into cold-weather food. One of the best things about the skillet? There is minimal clean up involved. Below are two quick and easy cast iron skillet recipes I’ve been enjoying lately. 

Maggie Valley has decided on the details for its Food Truck Pilot Program, slated for approval Oct. 4. 

Maggie Valley has decided on the details for its Food Truck Pilot Program, slated for approval Oct. 4. At the Sept. 14 board meeting, Town Planner Kaitland Finkle presented Food Truck Pilot Program options to the board so members could decide what would work best for Maggie Valley. 

Beginning Sept. 20, students at Central Haywood High School will return to part-time in-person learning. These students have been learning remotely since flooding from Tropical Storm Fred caused severe damage to the school building in Clyde. 

Makeup is a part of the human experience. Almost as far back as historians and archeologists have artifacts of human existence, there is evidence of makeup. Think about little kids, coming home from school with magic marker drawings, stickers or other decorations adorning their arms or face. It seems there is a natural instinct to explore, decorate and enhance our appearance. 

Healthy skin is sold to us every day. Bottles and jars of every shape and size contain soaps, creams, oils, and tinctures that promise perfect skin. Just buy this one, new product and all your skin qualms will be quelled. But deep, deep down we all know the truth. Good skin, just like any aspect of a healthy body, starts from within. And a huge part of what is “within,” is everything we choose to eat. 

Like the rest of the world, Sylva has had to grapple with the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout. However, Sylva not only maintained a healthy, downtown business district, it has added new businesses and new elements to the downtown scene throughout the course of the pandemic. 

Under bright blue skies filled with hot sun, Sylva hosted its inaugural Sylva Pride celebration this past Saturday. Over 500 people nestled into the small, burgeoning mountain town to celebrate and show support for the queer community.