When the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in the closing of millions of businesses across the United States in March 2020, federal response was swift and decisive, helping to save as many as could be saved with multiple forms of assistance.

The legacies of Western North Carolina’s two previous Republican congressmen, Mark Meadows and Madison Cawthorn, haven’t exactly aged well. 

As Western North Carolina recovers from one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state, residents alongside local leaders have been working to rebuild their communities just ahead of one of the most consequential elections in American history. Jason Simmons, chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, recently toured hard-hit communities in the region on a visit that was part political, part personal.  

With the North Carolina General Assembly’s preliminary $273 million relief bill in the rearview mirror, Western North Carolina Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) is looking down the road at the General Assembly’s next move — a billion-dollar relief bill coming Oct. 24. During a recent meeting with Haywood County officials, Corbin spent about an hour trying to learn what, exactly, the needs are.  

“I can promise you what you won't get,” Corbin said. “You won't get things you don't ask for.”

Western North Carolina’s small businesses, even those that suffered no damage, now occupy an unenviable position — struggling to rebuild and retain employees amid disruption to the transportation infrastructure that drives the tourist trade while still paying off COVID-era loans. Canton’s mayor is calling for help to avert a larger economic catastrophe. North Carolina’s governor and senior senator appear to be listening.

Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers, respectively chair and vice chair of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, both ran for reelection last in 2020 amid unprecedented economic challenges and a contentious national election. It’s little different this time.  

After a series of emotional speeches by western legislators during an Oct. 9 press conference and assurances from Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) that the measure was only a “first step,” North Carolina’s General Assembly unanimously passed, and Gov. Roy Cooper signed a wide-ranging $273 million storm relief act on Oct. 10 that will fund recovery spending by state agencies and loosen regulations that can sometimes get in the way.

North Carolina’s commissioner of agriculture is responsible for leading an agency that plays a vital role in one of the state’s most important economic sectors. With a record-setting $111 billion impact in 2023, the Tarheel state leads the nation in the production of eggs, poultry, sweet potatoes and tobacco and ranks second in Christmas trees, trout and turkey.

Effective 5 p.m. today, Haywood County will still be under a state of emergency; however, the countywide curfew will be extended later into the evening.

A region largely dependent on the tourism industry is now asking a question not heard since the COVID-19 pandemic — how to support retail and hospitality businesses that depend on foot traffic while respecting public safety guidelines and strained infrastructure across the region.

Let’s not sugarcoat it anymore. To call it “misinformation” is, in itself, misinformation. Let’s just call it what it is — straight-up lies, of the sort that would earn you a whoopin’ by meemaw if you repeated them to her face instead of spreading them from behind a keyboard like a coward. 

Where once were surging floodwaters, now elected representatives from both the federal and state level are pouring into Western North Carolina and Haywood County, touring damaged areas, talking to local officials about needs and thanking first responders for their service to their communities.  

Hurricane Helene has dealt serious damage to Pactiv Evergreen’s shuttered Canton paper mill, but the St. Louis-based demolition and development company owner trying to buy the 185-acre parcel remains undeterred. 

Despite criticizing ridiculous conspiracy theories that came in the wake of Hurricane Helene — and supporting state Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) for calling them out — North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis made clear today that in his opinion, not everything has gone smoothly during the state’s recovery from the storm. Gov. Roy Cooper pushed back on at least one aspect of Tillis’ claim.

Josh Stein, North Carolina’s attorney general, visited Canton today to survey damage, to talk with local leaders and first responders and to caution those seeking to profit off of the misery of a storm-lashed region.

Throughout Hurricane Helene, the slogan going around Haywood County has been, “neighbors helping neighbors.” The personification of those words is nowhere more apparent than at Haywood Pathways Center in Waynesville, where a small group of volunteers gathered on Oct. 5 to minister to some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

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.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, with FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell in tow, continued his multi-day western swing today, making stops in Haywood County to survey damage from Hurricane Helene, to thank volunteers and to hear from local officials.

Hurricane Helene has dealt serious damage to Pactiv Evergreen’s shuttered Canton paper mill, but the St. Louis-based demolition and development company owner trying to buy the 185-acre parcel remains undeterred.

AGAIN. For the second time in three years, Haywood County, the highest east of the Mississippi River, experienced devastating flooding from a tropical weather system that reached mountainous Southern Appalachia’s narrow, rocky canyons and broad, lush river valleys — wiping out whole towns, inundating normally impregnable areas and crippling the communications and transportation infrastructure that powers public safety, commerce and the dissemination of information. 

What started off as a clever idea to address recidivism has grown into something more — a community-driven response to concerning and costly social ills like homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse disorder. 

In a series of pointed comments, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance took aim at their respective opponents during separate visits to the Tarheel state last week, with Walz largely blaming former President Donald Trump for the country’s woes, while Vance continues to target unauthorized migrants. 

A growing tropical storm that’s expected to become a major hurricane is tracking through the Gulf of Mexico and appears to be headed right for Western North Carolina. Local officials aren’t taking any chances.

He fought to get on the ballot, and then fought to get off the ballot. 

Now, after a favorable ruling from North Carolina’s highly politicized Supreme Court, anti-vax conspiracy theorist and Trump endorser Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will have his name removed from North Carolina ballots, costing counties large and small, rural and urban, thousands upon thousands of dollars and delaying the start of absentee voting in a crucial swing state. 

The old paper mill in the heart of Canton will have a new owner by the end of the month — if everything remains on track — according to a three-page letter filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 30.

Sure, mosquitos are an important link in the food chain for amphibians, birds and other insects, but they’re annoying, they’re persistent and they can actually kill you. Two researchers at Western Carolina University are working on a faster, cheaper, more reliable method to identify which ones will. 

A  bipartisan panel of election law experts is largely satisfied with the integrity of the American election system, but they’re also warning about evolving threats from artificial intelligence, foreign governments and home-grown malfeasants spreading rumors and lies about the process and the outcome of the 2024 General Election. 

Remarks given by Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, stumping for the Democratic presidential ticket during a visit to Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, took on a more poignant air due to a tragic coincidence and a surprise guest — suggesting Americans remain especially divided on a controversial issue. 

It’s a name familiar to older North Carolina voters largely due to her father’s two separate eight-year terms as the state’s governor, but Mecklenburg attorney, former House representative and current Sen. Rachel Hunt’s been building her own legacy and is poised to serve as lieutenant governor in what she hopes will be a Gov. Josh Stein administration, if they can both win. 

Visitors to one of the country’s most unique national park units pumped nearly $1.4 billion into local economies in 2023, continuing a growing trend that has powered rural Western North Carolina’s economy over the past decade. 

Editor’s note: This story is a compilation of Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatches, “Via Chicago,” originally published online from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago the week of Aug. 19. 

Torches were passed at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, even more so than most people might have seen on their television screens. 

The long and winding road to the White House passes through North Carolina, but in this swing state of nearly 11 million people, that road is more likely than in any other to be gravel or dirt. 

Editor’s note: This is the final installment of “Via Chicago,” Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Look for a new installment each day this week, through Friday.

Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Look for a new installment each day this week, through Friday.

At his Aug. 14 rally in Asheville — billed as an opportunity to deliver remarks on the economy — former President Donald Trump didn’t have much in the way of specifics, but he may have finally found his voice on the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Seeing surging poll numbers and sensing strong momentum, Western North Carolina Democrats spoke out during a press conference in advance of former President Donald Trump’s appearance in Asheville last week, touting nominee Kamala Harris’ working families agenda and suggesting the state — as well as the 11th Congressional District — will be competitive this year. 

Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Look for a new installment each day this week, through Friday.

Clarification: In the original version of this story, SMN reported that TDA Executive Director Corrina Ruffieux said that IDEA of Haywood County was named on the signature line of the grant application along with Misfit Mountain. Documents provided by the TDA show that to be true for the initial application, but not the subsequent revised application, where no organizations are listed on the signature line. The story has been updated to reflect this information. 

The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority voted unanimously today to rescind a $10,000 grant it had previously approved, citing its own failure to properly vet the grant application.

Flying in the face of stats from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that say veterans continue to commit suicide at higher rates than non-veterans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week declined to approve MDMA, a psychedelic compound, as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. 

So I walk into Gary Carden’s room in the ICU and the first thing he says to me in his sonorous growl is, “OK newspaperman, take this down. I want you to turn this into a story.” 

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.  

Since unceremoniously announcing its exit from Canton early in 2023, Pactiv Evergreen, owner of the now-shuttered 115-year-old paper mill, has had very little to say — except which bills it refuses to pay. On July 29, the $6 billion multinational company did it again.