United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director.  

The Jackson County Health Department announced a new wellness program, Elevate828.

A pair of lectures planned for the Highlands Nature Center over the next couple weeks will explore the complexities of old-growth forests and avian life.

Learn more about gardening at the Master Gardener Booth, available 8 a.m. to noon on the second and third Saturday of the month through August at the Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market, located in the HART Theatre parking lot in Waynesville.

Recent cases of malaria in Texas and Florida have caused alarm about the potential for the disease to spread in warmer regions of the United States, but according to mosquito researcher Brian Byrd, a different type of mosquito-borne illness is of greater concern in Western North Carolina.

Record wildlife and remove litter from the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City during a family-friendly event Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15.

Learn about lightning bugs — and how your yard care choices can help reverse their decline — during a program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center near Franklin.

A trio of programs aimed at allowing people with disabilities to explore the outdoors will be held in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this summer, starting with an event Saturday, July 22, at Deep Creek Trail near Bryson City.  

A feature documentary exploring the release of the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan will have its premier screening at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville.

An information session and display of electric vehicles will be offered 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

It’s time to sign up for sports with Jackson County Parks and Recreation.

The observation tower and access trail at Look Rock in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Foothills Parkway will be closed July 10-15 for a radio system upgrade.

Jacob Ryan McClure, 25, of Waynesville. was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised released for possession of machine guns.

A former two-time Western Carolina University Academic All-American football player wants to help ensure that future Catamount student-athletes have similar experiences. 

United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director.  Ann Selby replaced retiring Director, Karen Johnson.

Champion Credit Union announced it has been named to the Great Employers to Work for in North Carolina 2023 list by Best Companies Group, a BridgeTower Media Company.

To help create a pipeline of future health care workers for the region, Dogwood Health Trust has awarded a $500,000 grant to Southwestern Community College’s Health Sciences Division.

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) recently approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools in 19 counties.

Five new graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Human Services Technology (HST) program are ready to help address the opioid and mental health crises facing the region and nation.

A recent collaboration between Junaluska Elementary fifth graders, Haywood Community College students and Haywood County Solid Waste and Recycling will keep about 90,000 juice and milk cartons out of the county landfill each school year.

A campuswide and community driven project will soon be underway to recenter Cherokee history and culture on Western Carolina University’s campus.

Over the coming weeks, maintenance work will begin on six bridges on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including two in the Asheville and Linville Gorge areas.

The Carolina Mountain Club is inviting the community to help celebrate its 100th birthday 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Restrictions on use at Max Patch in the Pisgah National Forest will remain in effect through June 30, 2026, extending a two-year ban on certain activities instituted on July 1, 2021.

The Environmental Action Community of WNC is celebrating Plastic-Free July with an initiative encouraging all Haywood County restaurants, cafes and coffee shops to phase out single-use plastic items like straws, takeout containers, utensils and condiment packages.

Two Western North Carolina people and organizations were recognized in this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, presented by the N.C. Wildlife Federation.

Free screenings of the wildlife documentary “RATTLED: Conserving Rattlesnakes in Appalachia” will be offered at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.

Youth have multiple opportunities to get outdoors this month with a variety of events offered by Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo and Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received the 2023 Distinguished Contributions to Social Contexts in Education Research Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Educational Research Association Division G. 

The American Red Cross will host its 36th annual Operation Blood Drive on Thursday, June 29, in Asheville, Hendersonville and Waynesville.

Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospital recently announced that Missi Bowman has been recognized as the facility’s 2023 Mercy Award winner.

Around 6:30 a.m. June 22, a Haywood County ambulance based out of Bethel lost control on a curve in a wet road and rolled down an embankment in the 700 block of Kim’s Cove Road.  

North Carolina’s five-week wild turkey season had its highest ever recorded harvest of 24,089 birds, surpassing the previous record of 23,341 set in 2020.

Make sure the water’s clean before taking a swim using the Swim Guide app, a resource offering a weekly update on E. coli levels in water recreation areas across the region.

A community conversation about reducing plastic pollution will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at Grace Episcopal Church in the Mountains in Waynesville.

Geologist and author Bill Jacobs will discuss the captivating geologic history of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during a free lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at the Highlands Nature Center.

After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is once again open to the public.

A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project there.

A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June 23 through July 14 at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The formal process to determine the future of the Ocoee Whitewater Center after the facility was destroyed in an April 2022 fire has begun.

Visit a hub of nature exploration and interactive programs focused on pollinators 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Highlands Nature Center, in honor of National Pollinator Week.

 The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of States and the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network.

ArborEvenings is back at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, offering opportunity to spend Thursday and Friday evenings strolling through the gardens through Sept. 22.

Learn about plastic pollution and the threat it poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems during a free lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.

A new study from researchers focusing on the forest-water connection in the Southern U.S. found that, over the coming decades, many forested watersheds could be lost to development, lowering water quality and raising water treatment costs.

A record number of black bears were killed during the 2022 bear hunting season, according to records from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Following its Bloom with a View event, the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville donated flowers and plants to various organizations in Western North Carolina, including Haywood Community College.

Help scientists band birds this summer with the “A Bird’s Eye View” program at Highlands Biological Station June 22, July 3, July 12, July 25 and Aug. 2.

North Carolina apple growers will vote Tuesday, June 27, in a referendum conducted by the N.C. Apple Growers Association regarding assessments for apples sold to first purchasers in the state.