Amid the devastation and human suffering caused by Tropical Storm Helene, it’s only natural to lose sight of the fact that in less than 30 days, voters across the country will head to the polls to participate in a close, consequential election. Come hell or high water — Western North Carolina has had both — local election officials are working feverishly on a short timeline to ensure there are no disruptions to early voting, absentee balloting or Election Day activities.

Editor's note: Hurricane Helene has already produced flash flooding and dangerous winds across the region, and it has come on the heels of heavy rains, downed trees, sporadic tornadoes and some minor flooding due to a separate system that entered the region from the west. Smoky Mountain News Staff will be out gathering photos and firsthand reports throughout Friday and beyond. This page will be updated with those pictures and stories as they come in from across our coverage area, but you can always find more on our Facebook, Instagram and X accounts.

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City. 

This month the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released performance and growth data for the 2023-24 school year, and for another year in a row, Haywood County dominated regional rankings with the top two high schools in the western region. 

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch today said a Haywood County jury recently convicted a Bryson City man on seven criminal charges in connection with trafficking in illegal drugs. 

Over the last couple of weeks, the drought has expanded in Western North Carolina, and it now covers all of Haywood, Swain, Jackson and Macon counties. There was widespread rain over the last week, but it remains to be seen whether that precipitation cut into the drought. 

Americana/bluegrass act Appalachian Smoke will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Swain Arts Center in Bryson City. 

The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. 

Evy Leibfarth may as well have been born on the river. Her parents met while working as raft guides on the Nantahala and had her on the water with them before she could even hold a paddle.

As fiscal year 2024-2025 begins, North Carolina’s county governments are receiving their third installment of the Opioid Settlement Fund. This year, Swain County received $236,111.