Americana/bluegrass sensation The Darren Nicholson Band will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley. 

After a spring lull, the coronavirus has returned with a vengenance, leading to a surge in Western North Carolina that experts didn’t expect. 

Tourism remains a critically important component of Western North Carolina’s economy. To ensure it remains strong well into the future, the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is fine-tuning a forthcoming destination master plan that focuses on underutilized assets and what visitors seem to really want — authenticity. 

A “community passport” program with the goal of increasing tourist visits and overnight stays by spotlighting businesses that pledge to fight racism, prejudice and discrimination will roll out in September, and the organization charged with implementing the program is looking to spread the word.  

The first of eight planned new river gauges will be installed in Haywood County this week. When complete the project will greatly enhance Haywood County Emergency Services’ ability to monitor upstream river levels. 

Buncombe County’s first state park, near the eastern gateway to Haywood County, remains on track for a 2025 opening after the final in-person public input session for master planning concluded at Upper Hominy Fire and Rescue Department on Aug. 1.  

After twin tragedies in 2021 and 2023, the town of Canton still has a substantial list of ongoing projects in various stages of completion — in addition to the usual long-range planning initiatives most municipalities at some point undertake.

Just months after a staff realignment meant to free up then-Town Manager Nick Scheuer to focus on recovery and resiliency efforts in the wake of twin tragedies, Scheuer has submitted his resignation to Canton’s town attorney and governing board. 

In the past, Canton required that a request to use public spaces for events be submitted four months in advance. Thursday night’s council meeting changed that. The newly adopted special events outdoor policy lowered the submission requirement to 60 days to 120 days. 

Have your say in the future of the county’s tourism industry by attending a community input session for the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s forthcoming destination master plan.