News Headlines
Haywood County takes stock, plots post-Helene recovery
Solid numbers on damage from Hurricane Helene are finally coming into Haywood County, along with a state plan to repurpose federal funds that will help speed recovery.
Helene damage coming into focus in Waynesville
Like much of Haywood County, Waynesville wasn’t affected by Hurricane Helene as badly as many other Western North Carolina communities, but businesses, residents and the town still incurred millions in costly damages that will take time to fix.
Canton honors radio stations for service during Hurricane Helene
In recognition of the exceptional public service provided by a trio of radio stations during Hurricane Helene — when nearly all other communication infrastructure had failed — the Town of Canton has named them grand marshals for the annual downtown Christmas parade.
Jackson, Macon, Swain reach FRL agreement
Macon County has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains changes made by all three counties in the system. This marks the end of almost two years of controversy over the library agreement, libraries themselves and the merits of a regional library system.
Macon votes to retain environmental health fees
Macon County Commissioners decided last week to oppose Commissioner Paul Higdon’s push to eliminate environmental health fees, an initiative he put forth as a way to address the issue of affordable housing that plagues not only Western North Carolina but also much of the country.
Canton Fire Department moving to new temporary home
The Town of Canton’s temporary operations hub on Summer Street, home to town hall and the police department since shortly after deadly flooding in 2021, is about to get a little bigger.
Hellbent Hope: Generative writing workshops
Helene tore through many people’s lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Some lost homes, as well as the very soil on which their homes were built. Even for those whose homes were spared, the effect of being near such devastation reverberates.
Shop local, shop small for hurricane recovery
Holiday shoppers across the region, the state, the country and even the world can give the gift of Haywood by visiting gifthaywood.com — an innovative new program helping local small businesses recover from Hurricane Helene.
Volunteer effort hooks up displaced WNC residents with temporary housing
As the recovery from the flooding disaster brought on by Hurricane Helene transitions to a different phase with more long-term priorities, housing solutions have become a major focus of volunteers still looking to lend a helping hand.
