Jackson needs more transparency
To the Editor:
I would like to thank the local author David Joy for speaking out about the removal of the plaque from the Confederate statue outside the Jackson county Library. He spoke for many of us, but being a multi-generational Southern man his words carried more weight.
Jackson commissioners likely violated law by removing plaque
In response to a public records request made by The Smoky Mountain News, Jackson County Manager Kevin King revealed that commissioners not only failed to discuss in any official meeting removing plaques placed on the controversial “Sylva Sam” Confederate statue at the old courthouse in 2020, they also failed to document any deliberations — likely violating state sunshine laws.
Stand against partisanship in schools
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote a column for this space. Instead, we’ve been fortunate enough to print your opinions.
I take it as a sign of a newspaper’s health relative to its relationship with readers when we have a lot of letters to the editor or guest columns coming to my inbox.
Commissioners address library security
A Jackson County commissioner brought up the issue of library security during the commission’s March 4 meeting, citing safety concerns for staff at the Jackson County Library in Sylva.
Partisan school board system a bad idea
To the Editor:
I was dismayed to learn that Jackson County’s all-Republican commissioners voted to approve a resolution to make local school board elections partisan.
