Putting in the work: Responders of all stripes converge on Haywood County following Helene
On the morning of Sept. 27, as rain fell steadily from the pre-dawn sky, Travis Donaldson took a drive around the eastern end of Haywood County. Donaldson, the county’s emergency services director, made a lap around all the appropriate areas, finishing up in Cruso with the intention of turning around and heading back toward Waynesville, where an emergency operations center had already been set up.
Waynesville budget will come down to the wire
A rare public impasse by Council Members over the Town of Waynesville’s proposed budget will leave things unsettled for the time being, foreshadowing prolonged negotiations over an all-but-certain tax increase.
Slow burn: NC 107 work marches on
The towns of Sylva, Webster, Cullowhee and Cashiers are all connected by five lanes of chaos, better known as N.C. 107.
Macon firefighters battle multiple blazes in one day
Fire crews responded to three structure fires in Macon County over a 24-hour period.
Fire activity resumes
Despite an uptick in precipitation and humidity levels, the region is still facing the worst drought conditions since 2017, with renewed fire activity over the past week.
Burn bans lift and wildfires wind down following rain
Burn bans have been lifted and wildfires contained after steady rains Tuesday, Nov. 21, put a pause in a relentless drought that has been growing since an abnormally dry weather pattern emerged in September.
Wildfires burn across the region as drought continues
For the first time since 2016, Western North Carolina is in the midst of a severe drought coupled with an active fall wildfire season . Research shows that’s right on schedule.
