For the fifth time in eight years, and the second time since July, someone has died while incarcerated at the Jackson County Detention Center.

The latest development in the Leandro v. The state of North Carolina court case came last week when the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that state officials can be ordered to transfer the funds necessary to fully fund a sound basic education to the state’s k-12 public schools.

Ted Budd has beat Cheri Beasely to become the next senator for North Carolina. 

In another tight race for Jackson County, Republican Doug Farmer has come out on top of the race for sheriff. 

Stephanie Hyder Laseter and Diedre Kaye Breeden will join the Macon County School Board after winning elections for their respective districts. 

With all precincts reporting, the race for Jackson County Commission is too close to call. Results will not be official until certified by the board of election. 

All three incumbents in the race for Haywood County School Board will return to their seat on the board alongside one newcomer. 

With all precincts reporting, unofficial results show Republicans R.L. Taylor and Lisa Loftis have won seats on the Swain County Board of Education. These Republican candidates beat out Democrats Jamie Fisher and incumbent Travis Hyatt. 

When Western Carolina University Professors Katie Allen and Cyndy Caravelis approached Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton with a proposal for a Community Care pilot program, using social work interns in the police department he was understandably skeptical. Crisis response involving a student intern seemed like a risk he was not willing to take.

Macon County Commissioners approved a slew of capital improvement projects totaling almost $10 million during a joint meeting with the board of education Oct. 18. However, all members were not in agreement about approving the spending.

The Macon County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education have authorized architectural firm LS3P to submit designs for the new Franklin High School to local and state agencies for review, the next step in a multi-year process toward a new facility.

I am standing in my warm, dimly lit living room clutching a hot mug, scowling at the frostbitten ground outside, blanketed with air that has yet to feel the sun's warmth, when my black cat pounces onto the rocking chair on the porch. She jolts me out of my reverie and I spill coffee on socks that don’t match. She balances precariously on the top rung of the chair as it rocks back and forth with the sudden momentum of her scrawny body. Yellow-green eyes find me through the glass and a pointed meow reminds me of what I should have already known — she is hungry and cold. 

A parent at Shining Rock Classical Academy has filed an official complaint about discipline at the school with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Sylva plans to hold a public hearing on a panhandling ordinance after residents raised concerns about its growing prevalence at the Asheville Highway, NC 107 intersection during an August meeting.

Earlier this school year, Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte declared his impending retirement. Shortly thereafter, the school board announced it had selected his replacement, Associate Superintendent Dr. Trevor Putnam. Now, the school system has chosen which administrators will fill in the positions left open down the chain of command.

Sylva has taken the next step in the long process of repairing Allen Street after slope failure destroyed parts of the road early in 2020. 

The race for United States Senate in North Carolina has been dubbed a sleepy one, but with Election Day now just three weeks away, things are heating up and both candidates are ramping up the attacks.

Last week I spent a four days biking across North Carolina with family and friends. It was an incredible chance to challenge the mind and body. We saw the rural areas of the state that are tucked far off our major highways, explored small towns we would otherwise be unlikely to visit and were almost exclusively out of doors for four days and nights — a rare opportunity in this day in age. 

Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club has not one, but two new coaches at the helm that know a thing or two about swimming, leadership and working together. The newly married couple, Dan and Sydney McGuire took the reins of the now 20-year-old team this September.

Public schools have grappled with constant change over the last several years due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Unique among the Smoky Mountain News’ four county coverage area, the Swain County School Board is a partisan-elected board. This election cycle there are four candidates competing for two seats. One is currently held by Travis Hyatt, a Democrat, who is seeking reelection. The other is held by Kim Carpenter who is not seeking reelection.

On the heels of new academic data showing Haywood County Schools ranking seventh among the state’s 115 districts, school board elections will bring four seats before voters.

This year, Macon County Schools began the process of building a new high school. The Franklin High School that exists now has been there since the 1950s and current plans are for the new school to be built on the same site, through a multi-year process of demolition and construction.

As part of its public art initiative, Sylva will host a large, interactive cat sculpture in Bridge Park this fall and winter, after which the Sylva Art + Design Committee will find a more permanent home for the feline.

In the face of a housing shortage and increased competition for employees, the Town of Sylva has updated its policy that allows police officers a take-home vehicle. The board also decided that in the future, updates to this policy would not have to come before the board but would be an administrative decision made within the police department. 

Amaya Hicks, Swain County High School senior and captain of the women’s cross country, basketball, indoor and outdoor track teams, came before the Swain County Board of Education on Sept. 12 with a unique, albeit impressive problem. She and her peers had won so many state championships over the last several seasons that the teams were having trouble raising enough money for the state championship rings. 

As a plant-predominant eater, lentils are a staple of my diet. With protein and carbohydrates, plus plenty of vegetables, this bulgur lentil salad is perfect for weekday lunches. It is also particularly appropriate for fall because it can be eaten warm when the weather is brisk, or cold on the days when summer weather lingers in the air. The creaminess of greek yogurt or feta cheese is a great topping for the dish. 

With the impending retirement of Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall, two candidates will compete for the seat this fall in the General Election. While their careers and background vary greatly, both men have vast experience in law enforcement.

The Jackson County Commission has three seats on the ballot this fall. In addition to commission chairman, districts one and two are up for election. Democratic incumbents Gayle Woody and Boyce Deitz are challenged by newcomers Todd Bryson and John Smith respectively.  

This election season, there are three seats up for grabs on the Jackson County Commission, all held by Democrats, all of whom are seeking reelection. One of those seats is the commission chair. Voters will have the opportunity to choose between a candidate with ample experience as chairman and a newcomer to the field.

The Jackson County Commission allocated just over $60,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to AWAKE Children’s Advocacy Center for the organization to finish renovation of its current building.

Just over a month after Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte announced his impending retirement, the Haywood County School Board has chosen to forgo a search process in favor of its established succession plan and selected its new superintendent — Dr. Trevor Putnam.

When the Town of Sylva instituted its social district earlier this year, it planned to revisit the ordinance six months later to determine how things were going. That six-month mark came up last week and the town board decided not only to keep the ordinance in place, but also extend the social district’s operating hours.

New state testing results reveal that schools in Western North Carolina are in the process of a mixed recovery from COVID-era learning disruptions, something state officials say may take years.

Over the next month, the Town of Sylva will be constructing a temporary skatepark in the lot behind Motion Makers, the result of work by both the town and a grassroots group of Jackson residents.

Bus drivers in Macon County will receive a retention bonus totaling $500 this year as part of the school system’s effort to recruit and retain those vital employees. Like many school systems in the region, Macon County Schools is facing a shortage of drivers.

New short-term rentals in Sylva will only be allowed as an accessory use to an existing dwelling, not the only residence on a lot, after the board unanimously voted to approve a revised ordinance on the issue last week. The move is part of an effort to address affordable housing, a problem plaguing many communities in the region.

Over the last eight months, three board members have either resigned or been removed from the Shining Rock Classical Academy Board of Directors, two of whom had issues with school leadership. During that time, no replacement board members have been added.

Jackson County will receive more than $3 million as part of an opioid settlement. The timeline for collecting that money, 18 installments over 18 years, makes meaningful use and allocation complicated. 

This time of year is arguably the best for fresh produce. Gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with tomatoes, squash and zucchini, leafy greens and spicy peppers. With the heat hitting its peak in mid-august, it’s also a great time to create fresh, light, easy meals with all of that produce. Late summer meals have the good fortune of being assembled, rather than baked, cooked or boiled. The right amalgam of flavors can create a satisfying meal out of all fresh ingredients. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 17, 2021, the second day of the school year, Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte announced that school would be closed the following day. “Early and extensive flooding from Tropical Storm Fred” had damaged several roads used for bus routes, and there was uncertainty about scheduled food deliveries to the school system. It would be an optional workday for teachers, not a remote learning day for students.

Each year, hundreds of comedians from across the country compete for the chance to perform at the nationally acclaimed Asheville Comedy Festival, and each year just over 50 are chosen. This year, the lone local chosen to perform is Marlene Thompson. 

With the beginning of the school year right around the corner, school systems across North Carolina are struggling to fill a wide range of positions. Schools in the western part of the state are no different, and every school system in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area has several positions still open. 

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority created its own Tourism Capital Project Fund  this year. However, when the deadline came around for the first cycle of funding on Aug. 1, no applications had been submitted.

Jackson County Public Schools has more than doubled its preschool capacity prior to the start of the new school year thanks to donations from the Dogwood Health Trust and the Blue Ridge School Education Foundation.

The first class to graduate from the current Franklin High School did so in 1952. Back then, there were fewer buildings and less developed grounds, but 70 years later, much of the high school remains largely the same.

The Town of Sylva updated its zoning ordinance earlier this year but left the short-term rental ordinance as it was written with the plan to hammer it out at a later date. 

An inclinometer on the prefab slope above Bryson Park shows that some movement has occurred since it was installed more than 60 days ago, indicating a need for repair. 

Jackson County has approved an architectural contract and laid out a timeline for the construction of its domestic violence shelter, acting on a plan that has been several years in the making. 

Substitute teachers in Macon County can expect a raise in the coming school year after a vote by the Macon County Board of Education. The board will discuss a plan for bus driver pay next month.