Following a rough 2024, many around Western North Carolina were wondering what 2025 would have in store. Undoubtedly it was a challenging year as the area continued the uncertain process of recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, but it also brought plenty of other news — from Jackson County’s curious withdrawal from the Fontana Regional Library system to former Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran’s early retirement following numerous charges tied to the alleged sexual assault of multiple vulnerable women. Of course, a lot more happened — even some good things! The Smoky Mountain News is here to recap it all for you as we remember just what made 2025 so memorable.
Opinion
A new type of energy for 2026......................................................................................14 Don’t expect better results with same choices........................................................14
A&E
A year in review: The best albums of 2025..............................................................16 Blue Ridge Big Band celebrates NYE........................................................................22
Outdoors
WCU names basketball locker room in honor of program matriarch................24 Tips sought in poached deer case in Cades Cove ..............................................25
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commitment to solving problems that do not exist while inventing several new ones along the way.
From Jackson County’s continued Quixotic campaign against its own public library to the Department of Transportation’s discovery that some Haywood County roads remain dangerously intact, the year has already produced a wealth of developments that demanded immediate, serious attention — or at least, a healthy dose of mockery.
As ever, the stories in this year’s Fake News Freakout were reported using only the highest journalistic standards available to satire, including multiple dubious sources, selective context, errors of omission and an unwavering refusal to explain the joke.
What follows is a curated snapshot of a region grappling with governance, infrastructure, public morality and the unregulated transfer of knowledge — a yearlong reminder that the line between news and parody is not only thin, but frequently unmarked.
News Editor Kyle Perrotti and Staff Writer Lily Levin contributed to this year’s Fake News Freakout, which is fake.
SHOCKING DOT REPORT FINDS SOME HAYWOOD ROADS STILL NOT UNDER CONSTRUCTION
A startling internal review released by the North Carolina Department of Transportation earlier this week confirmed that a small but unacceptable number of roads in Haywood County remain free of cones, barrels and torn-up pavement. In response, NCDOT issued a statement acknowledging the oversight and promising to do better.
improves.”
The department said it is also coordinating closely with the orange construction barrel industry, which has reportedly enjoyed record profits supplying the state. Industry observers say “Big Barrel” has now become one of North Carolina’s most powerful special interests.
Looking ahead, NCDOT confirmed plans to tear up even more roads in 2026 to ensure no resident feels convenienced or gruntled.
“We understand the frustration, but rest assured, if you can still recognize your daily commute, we are working to fix that,” the spokesperson said.
ESIGNATION LETTERS SUBMITTED ENTIRE BOARD OF SWAIN OUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Following in the footsteps of a slew of Swain County employees, every commissioner has posted a letter of resignation, effective by the end of January.
“We thought we’d do it as soon as possible, so as not to keep the public in the dark. It’s all about our focus on transparency,” said chairman James Costco.
Incinerator Road and Thickety, as well as bridges at Sonoma
[We don’t remember which commissioners said everything else — the audio from live videos can be patchy and sometimes it’s hard to differentiate among various white middle-aged and older men. So, when we use “he,” assume we’re referring to particular individuals.]
Current projects include the Waterville bridges on Interstate 40, two bridges at Cove Creek, two additional bridges in eastern Haywood County, several U.S. 74 bridges and I-40 bridge work at Beaverdam, Champion Drive,
One commissioner called the move an act of “mutually assured destruction.”
“And I killed two birds with one stone,” he said with a wink.
While some on the board have been previously labelled as “RINO” [Republican In Name Only] he alleged they all share a new category, CINO (“commissioner” takes the place of “Republican.”)
There will be no responsibilities or actions before the board’s effective date of resignation.
Another commissioner said even though he’s happy to be leaving, he’s been disappointed with the low morale among fellow county officials.
“We just sit and stare at the floor for a whole hour during meetings. No orders of business. I mean, I never thought I’d say this, but I almost miss the infighting and watching security evict disruptive members of the audience,” he said.
When asked what happens next, he made a show of exiting the room. Of the remaining four commissioners, only one had an answer.
“Listen, I’ve instructed my entire church to pray for Swain County government,” he said.
FEDS GREENLIGHT TRUMP’S CATALOOCHEE VALLEY RESORT
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is about to become even greater,
me that thousands used to live in that valley, and we’re going to bring it back bigger and better than ever. A lot of people are saying it’ll be the biggest, best thing to happen to North Carolina, and frankly a lot of people are saying that Biden could never pull this off.”
The news broke late last week that President Trump has, by executive order, greenlighted the construction of the resort. While few details are available at this point, the property will feature an 18-hole golf course.
Permitting for the project has been expedited as federal employees who regulate anything that may hold up Trump’s plans were deemed nonessential by DOGE earlier this year.
Trump told reporters during the press briefing that the aesthetic will be his trademark gold and marble.
“This is what the original settlers of this great area would have wanted to see,” he said.
Trump characteristically ad-libbed while talking to reporters, hinting at just how extensive the project may be.
“Folks, we may even build a new Trump Tower here — a big, beautiful Trump Tower,” he said. “I love the Bible, probably more than anyone else, so here’s something for you. Some people are saying Trump Tower Cataloochee could be even bigger, even better than the Tower of Babel, which we all know was a big hit.”
according President Donald Trump.
During a White House press briefing last Thursday, the President took a few questions, including one from Rick Stone, an OANN correspondent who asked just why it is that the resort will be the best thing to happen to Appalachia probably ever.
“Everyone agrees that Trump Tower is the best building in the once great city of New York and Mar-a-Lago is the envy of the world, so why not bring something big and beautiful to the people of Western North Carolina, who everyone knows loves Trump and MAGA,” Trump said. “Someone told
offers their gun.
“Every time a weapon is discharged by a member of law enforcement, it must be reported to state officials,” added Swain Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tays Hurr.
“That measure, just like our investment in a fleet of Axon body cameras, adds extra transparency to the process,” he added.
According to ASO Gordon Setter, there’s an extra layer of positive pressure with the temporary loan of a law enforcement firearm — which he hopes will help his shot.
“It’s like when a friend lets you take their Mercedes for a joyride. Are you going to be reckless, crashing into a few unlucky pedestrians? Of course not. You’ll be a careful, law-abiding driver.”
ANIMAL SERVICES ORDINANCE ADDS FIREARM EXCEPTION
After Swain County commission’s Dec. 16 failure to advance a proposed animal services ordinance, its committee has added a new clause sure to guarantee its passage.
“Don’t worry,” assured a committee member at a second public hearing. “Animal services officers still can’t carry lethal weapons. But there is one exception that permits them to use a firearm.”
The member then explained that ASOs may shoot if and only if a deputy voluntarily
The project came about in unusual fashion earlier this year after a public hearing was convened at the town courthouse, during which citizens offered ideas on how to spend what the mayor called an unexpected $2 million windfall.
Setter did admit that he’ll need to head to the range if LEO guns become a standard part of operating procedures.
“I’m a little rusty,” he said.
CANTON MONORAIL NEARLY COMPLETE
After months of cautious optimism, Canton residents are finally getting excited about the imminent completion of a major project.
The mayor was immediately corrected by a pointy-haired girl in the audience, who insisted it was actually $3 million. With that settled, one woman said she thought the money could be used to put out the town’s longstanding mulch fire, but a husky gentleman in the audience stood
S EE FAKE N EWS, PAGE 6
An artist’s rendering of Trump Tower Cataloochee, which upon completion will signify that America is finally great again. chatGPT photo
Monorail projects have put towns like Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook on the map, supporters say. File photo
up and described her idea as “boring.”
Another man, who gave his name only as “Mr. Snrub,” suggested the money be invested in the local nuclear plant. A man sitting near Snrub said he agreed with Snrub, but the audience was not as receptive.
A local shopkeeper asked for more police protection before being dismissed as a “crybaby.”
Another woman said the money should be used to pave Main Street, and was supported by an elderly man who said the town should “put all [its] eggs in one basket.”
His comments were met with riotous applause and the issue seemed to be settled, but as a motion was made for project approval, the final speaker of the public comment session remarked that a town with money was akin to a mule with a spinning wheel because it wasn’t fully clear how the mule came to acquire the spinning wheel and wasn’t certain as to whether the mule possessed the knowledge and/or skill to utilize the spinning wheel in a safe, efficient and productive manner.
The man, later identified by The Smoky Mountain News as Lyle Lanley, said he had an idea, but appeared to second-guess himself as he opined aloud that maybe the project would be a better fit for neighboring Candler. After assurances from the mayor that the residents of Canton were twice as smart as those of Candler and that Canton would most assuredly vote for the project once they knew what it was, Lanley revealed a large-scale mockup of the town, accurate in nearly way — but for one bold, visionary addition.
Lanley explained that he’d previously sold monorails to Brockway, North Haverbrook and Ogdenville and that the projects had put those respective towns “on the map,” because there’s nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified six-car monorail.
Questions about the monorail quickly arose from the crowd, one of whom asked if they were loud. Lanley compared their silence to that of a cloud.
Calling another man “friend,” Lanley assured him the track would not bend.
A brain-dead slob asked what was in it for the town’s brain-dead slobs; Lanley said they’d be given cushy jobs.
Pointedly, a final speaker asked Lanley if he was sent by the devil, but Lanley insisted he was on the level.
Lanley said it was Canton’s “only choice,” so the crowd threw up their hands and with one big voice, sang “Monorail, monorail, MONORAIL!”
In related news, Haywood Community College just graduated its first class of monorail conductors, all of whom passed the MCAT (Monorail Conductors Aptitude Test).
Editor’s note: after fielding substantial community concerns, The Smoky Mountain News has confirmed with healthcare professionals that you cannot get mono from the monorail.
EBCI NOW BUSSING TOURISTS TO DISPENSARY, CASINO
Due to recent developments, Eastern Band of Cherokee businesses have taken to creative measures to encourage new and existing patrons.
The “Qualla Bus Line” is a new bus service with four routes: West, from Nashville, Tennessee, with stops in Cookeville, Crossville, Knoxville and Gatlinburg; East, from Raleigh, with stops in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Asheville; North, from Charlottesville, Virginia, with stops in Roanoke, Blacksburg, Johnson City and Asheville; and South, from Columbus, Georgia, with stops in Atlanta, Athens, Cornelia and Dillard.
Swayed by public demand, Western Carolina University has added another undergraduate major to its list of options, effective Fall 2026. Educators say the new Bachelor of Arts in education marketing is sorely needed in recent times given what’s happened in the area.
Students will take roughly one-third of classes through the School of Teaching and Learning and the rest through the College of Business, immersing themselves in the details of both grade-level and higher education while developing a foundation in public relations.
In an economy increasingly more hostile
All QBL routes will depart from these locations 5 a.m. Saturday morning, arriving at the Qualla Boundary by early afternoon. Passengers will shop at the dispensary until 4 or 5 p.m., receiving a private tour and information session. They’ll then take the bus from the dispensary to the casino.
All must be seated on the bus by 1:30 a.m. when it exits the casino. Those departing from the initial site can expect to be dropped off no later than 11 a.m., and from other stops even earlier.
Tickets are priced at $25, $20 or $15 depending on location, and require a $100 minimum deposit to spend at the dispensary or casino for a budget-friendly visit. While the commute might take up to eighteen total hours from the starting destination, the bus is equipped with seatback TV screens that offer a variety of options.
An EBCI spokesperson stressed that the QBL will not be used as a cheap form of public transportation for anyone wanting to get from, say, Raleigh to Charlotte.
“The tickets require a guaranteed deposit. Though we’re happy to take you if you simply want to use the bus for a $125 leisure ride across the state of North Carolina,” she said.
To register, guests must provide first and last name, date of birth (21+ only), chosen bus line, pickup point, T-shirt size (S, M, L, XL) and sign a statement indicating permanent and unequivocal agreement that federal tribal recognition can only be achieved through a rigorous and evidence-based process.
to recent college graduates, the education marketing program offers a solid opportunity for real-world employment. Already, school administrators are adding new positions for the first class of graduating students.
“I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western Carolina. I had ten extracurriculars, published a chapter in a research journal and was on the short list for the Nobel Peace Prize. But I chose to major in anthropology, so I’m working double shifts at Five Guys,” said Flippa Berger, Class of 2023.
“If I could do it all again, I’d pick something like education marketing that combines skills from two different disciplines,” Berger said, before adding, “and one that gets me a job paying more than $14 per hour.”
The Smoky Mountain News wanted to know why an employer would hire someone with an education marketing degree, so we talked to school administrators about the motivation to create new positions.
Everett Eyes, chief executive officer of Haywood public schools, said it’s all about “competition.”
“We’ve lost too many students to homeschool and charter academies, and I blame it on our PR. We’ve got no TikTok presence, so we’re not relatable to students. Our website is due for a massive upgrade. Most importantly, we need to get into the business of selling our school to parents,” Eyes said.
That might necessitate partnering with agencies to add perks
The Qualla bus line will offer four routes. Google Gemini photo
“Like, if you go to Tuscola High School, you get 50% off at Ingles and a free Great Clips haircut,” he explained, adding that a hire with an education marketing background would need to facilitate this bargain.
“And if you’re a parent of a student at Tuscola High School, you’re shipped a monthly basket of your choice of beverage,” the CEO said. “Gatorade is one option, but so is Smirnoff.”
MAGGIE MAN STUCK IN ROUNDABOUT
A Maggie Valley man had his vehicle towed after it ran out of gas in the new traffic circle connecting the town to neighboring Jonathan Creek.
Brent George, 61, could be heard shouting over the cacophony of car horns Tuesday night, expressing anxiety over his lack of ability to exit the traffic circle.
“What the carpetbagging hell is this?” witnesses recalled him shouting from his 1996 Ford Ranger that was decked out in Nascar bumper stickers, perhaps explaining his commitment to going around in circles for over two hours.
Admittedly, the roundabout has caused some confusion with drivers as construction has progressed and every week seemed to bring a new traffic pattern. For George, Tuesday’s shift was one too many. He entered the traffic circle, and unable to figure out how to exit, continued to drive around until the truck puttered to a stop.
Other drivers tried to help George, some exiting their vehicles, shouting and gesticulating in hopes of instructing him how to make a right turn.
Police, who opted not stop George as he made hundreds of laps around the circle, marveled at the spectacle.
“We consider this a teaching moment,” the patrol sergeant on scene said.
George expressed gratitude to officers and also wanted to raise awareness about the perils of traffic circles, which he called “suspiciously European.”
“Not everyone knows how to do everything,” George, wrapped in a blanket and clutching hot cocoa, told reporters who arrived on-scene just after the truck was towed.
An NCDOT spokesperson told The Smoky Mountain News that the department is working up a plan to air-drop leaflets over Haywood County containing instructions for using traffic circles, claiming that the social media campaign has clearly failed.
Either way, George said he will avoid roundabouts going forward.
“Next time I need to go to Waynesville from Maggie Valley, I’m going through Cherokee,” he said.
HELIPADS COMING TO WNC COURTHOUSES
The seven westernmost counties will soon be outfitted with helipads and accompanying choppers at their courthouses to provide judges with reliable transportation so they
can better serve the judicial district.
Critics decry the use of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, saying that simply splitting the judicial district would alleviate the stress on judges, who often have to drive from Waynesville to Murphy several times per week for district court sessions. However, citing unspecified political pressures, the chair of the state house judiciary committee declined to let the bill see the light of day.
The operational expense for the plan should range in the low seven figures per year, but that’s a small price to pay, legislators in Raleigh said, for improving the justice system while also ensuring the comfort of everyone who works therein.
Dozens of attorneys in the area griped about the size of the district and the effect it has on judicial efficiency, but none would go on the record, saying they wanted to preserve their relationships with prosecutors, judges and golf buddies. One prominent defense attorney said he was mortified at the prospect of crossing a fellow attorney politically and then drawing their name for the Western North Carolina Bar’s white elephant gift exchange.
“Imagine how awkward the cocktail parties would be,” he said. “I was the best man at a judge’s wedding, and a prosecutor is godfather to my son. I’m not trying to rock the boat here.”
JACKSON COUNTY VOTES TO WITH DRAW FROM LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Commissioners in Jackson County voted to withdraw from the eight-decade-old Fontana Regional Library partnership earlier this year — citing concerns over cost, obscenity and local control — but their latest move shows their attack on the First Amendment is far from complete.
On Dec. 25, commissioners voted 4-1 to withdraw from the Little Free Library, the near-ubiquitous (that means “plentiful,” if you’re a Jackson County commissioner reading this) hand-made structures designed to allow people access to reading materials outside a library setting — often at public parks and playgrounds, alongside trails, in church parking lots or even on the lawns of private homes. The LFLs are stocked with books, magazines and pamphlets by community members who are free to take what they like.
LFL, in perpetuity.
The board concluded by reminding residents that while Jackson County residents remain free to read whatever they like and think whatever they like, they should do so only within tightly-controlled government-owned structures that feature only government-approved rightthink.
Commissioners cited the unregulated transfer of knowledge as one of the main reasons for the vote, however this latest withdrawal also addresses cost, obscenity and local control, as with the FRL withdrawal.
“This started out with books we didn’t like,” one commissioner explained, “but then we realized the real problem was books we didn’t authorize.”
Although it’s not clear how, budgeting figures show the county should be in line to save at least $17.50 per shuttered
The Little Free Libraries did not respond to multiple requests for comment by The Smoky Mountain News because they are inanimate wooden objects.
COMMUNITY CALLS FOR END TO ROTARIAN-ON-ROTARIAN VIOLENCE (SEE EDWARDS, P. 84)
NOTHINGBURGER AWARD
Western North Carolina pulled into the congressional drive-thru after Hurricane Helene, placed a large order and waited. And waited. And waited.
What Rep. Chuck Edwards finally handed his constituents was an empty paper bag containing a rather large nothingburger — heavy on branding, light on substance and nowhere near the $60 billion recovery order his storm-famished district actually placed.
Sure, Congress served up a whopping $100 billion continuing resolution/disaster relief bill in December 2024 — Edwards claimed authorship — but for some damn reason, the meat of it wasn’t designated for Edwards’ constituents. Estimates put North Carolina’s piece of the pie at between $9 billion and $15 billion. In fast food terms, that’s like asking for a 10-piece McNuggets but only getting one.
Days ago on social media, Edwards claimed he was “fighting for Western North Carolina” and bragged about the $6.5 billion he says he’s dished out; not exactly a supersized Big Mac meal with large fry — more like a few stray ketchup packets, leaving people who’ve lost their livelihoods and homes asking, “Where’s the beef?”
In Swannanoa and within sight of some of those damaged homes, Edwards famously gave Trump a McDonald’s fry cook pin — a fitting gesture from a congressman who owns multiple franchises and seems more comfortable serving up symbolism than substance.
In the end, Edwards has delivered a master class in empty calories. Big branding. Greasy fealty. Zero nutrition. Western North Carolina ordered disaster relief and got a Happy Meal toy and a few napkins instead.
While somebody should congratulate Edwards on his award by offering him a steaming hot beverage from the McCafe menu, technically, no one can — because coffee is for closers.
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Four women — Shennelle Feather, Lavita Hill, Shannon Swimmer and Venita Wolfe — were elected to a previously all-male Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal council this fall, and they’re ready to make things happen. The 12-person tribal council historically is not entirely
men, so in that aspect, Feather, Hill, Swimmer and Wolfe embark upon a trail that’s already been blazed. But their unique ideas, goals and perspectives — all of which are informed by womanhood — are how they’re carving a new yet connected path.
Each of the four have specialized areas of knowledge. Feather brings a biology background a deeply informed cultural outlook to council. Wolfe has knowledge of all sorts of things, with work experience in research and tribal human resources and a master’s degree in legal studies and public health. Swimmer was a tribal judge and former director of Western Carolina’s Cherokee Center. Hill has spent her entire career in accounting and finance.
in community … And it’s really just a blessing to be able to serve with, to have these river cane women around me, holding me up too,” she said.
“Trailblazers” implies a single path — and multiple people working to get it built.
‘CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC’ AWARD
When Eric Spirtas and Two Banks Development LLC bought the dormant Canton mill property in early January from global corporate supervillain Pactiv Evergreen, the reaction across town was equal parts relief and side-eye.
Relief, because communities across the country have seen too many hulking industrial sites sit shuttered for a decade or more, rotting quietly into the ground while communities wait for a miracle that never comes.
Side-eye, because miracles tend to come with fine print.
To Spirtas’ credit, the lights didn’t stay off for long. Demolition began. The site started moving again. The psychological win alone mattered — it was proof that the mill wouldn’t become a permanent monument to economic catastrophe.
For a town still defining itself after its century-long papermaking era fizzled, that counted.
And yet, caution lingers. The project remains a blank slate, capable at any moment of failing or flipping from community-scaled, ecologically responsible, mixed-use redevelopment that creates jobs and supports the tax base to any number of high-impact, low-return endeavors.
For now, the “Cautiously Optimistic” award recognizes both truths at once — progress without paralysis, and uncertainty without panic. The mill is no longer frozen in time, but its future is still being written — and that gritty little mill town that won‘t stay down knows better than to celebrate before the check clears.
As a collective, these different skills expand what they’re able to do, and how they’re able to do it.
Feather analogized the sense of togetherness felt by the group with river cane, a species of bamboo that’s culturally and materially significant to the tribe.
“You will never see one river cane growing by itself, because it can’t exist. It won’t thrive … That is how we exist
In recent months, the FRL board has been occupied with matters both grand in scale and infinitesimally
We never thought that Micromanager of the Year would become a repeat award, but here we are.
This year’s micromanagers of the year are the members of the Fontana Regional Library Board of Trustees.
As the board continues to handle complex big-picture issues without the guidance of an attorney, some members are also finding time to dictate how staff members conduct day-to-day business. While this mindset doesn’t exactly seem punitive, it does seem to originate in a rusty bucket of red herrings.
Most recently, the board voted in favor of doing away with whatever money goes to pro-
Just put my fries in the bag, dude. Google Gemini photo
small. File photo
fessional dues. The figure stated was $1,440, but it’s unclear whether all of that came from taxpayer dollars or donations. Either way, it amounts to about .03% of the annual budget.
The board also seems to love nothing more than a good committee — after all, a key tenet of the micromanager is to put extreme focus on minute details. These committees are made up of board members, typically from each of the three counties (Macon, Swain, Jackson) that comprise the library system. Having to sit on committees is time consuming, as they require additional research into specific issues, and these committees meet separately.
FRL Director Tract Fitzmaurice, seemingly the target of much micromanagement, has to attend all these committee meetings.
Not all board members seem thrilled with FRL’s micromanagement era. Cynthia Womble and Tony Monnatt, both of Swain County, have expressed strong disagreement and even frustration with a lot of the decision-making. In September, Womble and Monnat both stepped down from their posts as chair and vice chair, respectively.
A common phrase in this area is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” FRL has had a good track record over the years, despite the often-unfounded claims of the harshest critics. Micromanaging it to death may just create the fait accompli they seem to seek.
GOD’S STRONGEST SOLDIERS AWARD
In recent years, the phrase “God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers” has evolved from its originally earnest and spiritual meaning to an ironic online take on the resiliency needed, given the current state of affairs, to maintain day-to-day existence. It’s a rebuke of the idea that if bad things come into our lives, it’s because we know how to handle them — or that we must suffer immensely, with a brave face, in order to grow.
Throughout this past year, perhaps no one has embodied these “strongest soldiers” more than the Cherokee women who allegedly endured horrific abuse at the hands of ex-Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran.
By late June, Cochran had been arrested and suspended from office. By late July, he’d been indicted on an additional rape charge. His case is still making its way through Swain County and Eastern Band of Cherokee courts.
ment, she reported the offense to the Cherokee Indian Police Department.
Fortunately, her account initiated a CIPD investigation. (That’s not always the case, as police often discredit survivors.)
The investigation revealed more abuse claims from other women.
Because of Cochran’s alleged violence, these survivors are likely fighting battles they never wanted to be part of. And they will likely continue to heal from the pain he inflicted, long after the media coverage.
So, “God’s strongest soldiers” are named as such because they are living with tremendous strength — and because they shouldn’t have ever had to.
WHERE’S WALDO AWARD
News outlets have extensively covered the saga. Most of the time, though — and especially in our true crime era — we talk about abuse through a legal lens, and not by its impact on the survivors.
So, let’s talk about the survivors.
One enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians had a verbal altercation with her boyfriend serious enough for her to wave down law enforcement to diffuse the situation (in this case, Cochran).
According to court filings, when she got into his vehicle, crying and in need of help, entrusting him with her vulnerability and pain, the ex-Sheriff drove away and assaulted her. Even after having been violated by a member of law enforce-
If there were an award for being hardest to find while holding an important job, Michael Whatley would have no competition, because he’s the only entry.
President Donald Trump named Whatley Western North Carolina’s hurricane recovery czar at a Jan. 24 briefing, saying he wanted Whatley in charge of making sure “everything goes well.” Trump praised Whatley’s work and assured folks Whatley would be the one to fix it.
To be fair, Trump made a rare political mistake when he pinned this unfixable problem on Whatley — America’s laughably and historically poor disaster recovery apparatus that’s been ridiculed over decades because of good ol’ fashioned ineptitude alongside a stupefying reliance on outdated systems and inefficient bureaucracy. Trump dispatched Whatley on this fool’s errand just ahead of Whatley’s run for a U.S. Senate seat that’s also being pursued by a political juggernaut who’s never lost a race.
yeah? Hold my beer.”
The recission would eliminate a 2001 moratorium on logging and roadbuilding in designated acreage of national forests, including Pisgah and Nantahala. While North Carolina’s roadless forests account for only 1% of all such areas nationwide, they’re home to diverse ecosystems that sustain a variety of endangered species and supply drinking water to 2 million people statewide.
The Trump administration announced a notice of intent for the recission in late August 2025, garnering opposition from 99% of the 625,930 commenters, despite an unusually short period — just over two weeks — of open public comment.
The administration first dissolved the Council on Environmental Quality, responsible for soliciting public opinion, as a part of a host of changes to the National Environmental Policy Act. Consequently, while the United States Department of Agriculture still must draft an environmental impact statement and finalize the recission, the process is already slimmer and less regulated than during the Biden era.
But not only is the rule significantly opposed, it’s also costly, with next to zero human benefits. Experts say it’s expensive to build roads in roadless areas; they’re roadless for a reason, often because of terrain or landscape. Roadbuilding would also increase the risk of manmade natural disasters.
After all, according to Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Sam Evans, “the number one risk for wildfire ignition is proximity to roads.”
The Roadless Rule wins the “Hold my beer” award for its role in demonstrating just how little the president cares about public opinion. Likely, 2026 will bring more opportunities for the Trump administration to prove it cares even less.
Nearly 15 months after Hurricane Helene’s floods tore through the mountains on Sept. 27, 2024, leaving roughly $60 billion in damage and thousands of families displaced, local officials, homeowners and small business owners are still waiting on meaningful federal aid. At the six-month mark, only about 4% of the need had been met. Near the one-year anniversary the state reported about 9%. Today, it’s not a whole lot more.
Whatley’s critics say he’s rarely, if ever, been spotted in the disaster zone he’s supposed to lead. Records show he’s had only one conversation this year with Matt Calabria, head of the state’s recovery office.
stretched Western North Carolina’s nonprofit infrastructure to its limits. Jack
So raise a glass to the Where’s Whatley … err, the Where’s Waldo award — for the recovery czar who’s been harder to find than federal help and whose biggest disaster still lies 11 months down the road.
HOLD MY BEER AWARD
The Roadless Rule Recission is genuinely so unpopular to have perhaps been inspired by a claim that Trump couldn’t possibly do anything more universally hated than gutting National Park funding, to which the president said, “Oh
FRONTLINE PHILANTHROPY AWARD
Western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene showed clearly that resilience is built not just by government plans on paper but by people and organizations rooted in community and commitment.
Three regional philanthropy leaders — Dogwood Health Trust, Mountain Projects and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina — stood at the center of that response, stepping beyond missions and acting as frontline partners in relief, recovery and stability when formal systems lagged or gaps emerged.
Dogwood Health Trust was among the first to mobilize
Found him! Facebook photo
Hurricane Helene
Snyder illustration
significant resources, approving an emergency allocation of $30 million in grants in the immediate days after Helene struck and ultimately issuing about $70 million in Helene-related grants over multiple rounds to nonprofits delivering vital services. Those funds supported urgent relief work, main-
nated community outreach, Mountain Projects’ efforts demonstrated how locally anchored nonprofits can save lives and stabilize neighborhoods when disaster hits home. Together, these three institutions illustrate a brand of frontline philanthropy uniquely suited to a region where rugged terrain, limited infrastructure and widespread need challenge conventional disaster
that the area would be built back better. That ambitious promise has been on display nowhere more than I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge. A stretch of four miles or so of the highway had been washed away as the raging river ate away at the banks supporting that vital thoroughfare.
A whole host of state and federal officials have visited the spot around mile marker 3
been the priciest option.
In late August, a large group of eager reporters from around the region gathered along the river and spoke with engineers working on the project. While the engineers certainly didn’t seem thrilled to be put on the spot, they were excited to talk about the massive scope of the project — or at least as exuberant as engineers can get.
housing stability and provided economic support for communities in need.
Dogwood’s effort built on its long-term commitment to improving health and wellbeing across the region, enabled by its endowment and locally informed approach to philanthropy.
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina activated its Emergency and Disaster Response Fund within days of the storm, distributing tens of millions in grants to a wide array of local organizations serving every county in the region.
With more than 500 grants worth nearly $40 million awarded, the foundation helped ensure that small, trusted groups — from food distribution partners to grassroots relief efforts — could meet urgent needs without being slowed by bureaucracy.
Mountain Projects pushed through troubled waters as local families faced displacement, damage and urgent needs. With deep roots in Haywood and Jackson counties, the organization pivoted its work to help tide neighbors through immediate crises and connect them to larger recovery networks. From emergency housing support to coordi-
more than fill gaps; they kept agencies serving children, families, seniors and small businesses in the fight for long-term recovery.
The frontline philanthropy award is also meant to honor the multitude of international, national, state and local nonprofits that bolstered these efforts across Western North Carolina; each of these organizations contributed their expertise, volunteers and resources to meet an extraordinary moment with extraordinary resolve. In the months since Helene, they have shown that philanthropy is not just about giving, but is also about that collective nonprofit network walking alongside communities through challenges and toward renewal.
MEGALITH AWARD
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
— Benjamin Franklin (probably)
When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, an oft repeated theme among elected and civic leaders was
The embankment that had previously washed away will be built out and fortified using rolled concrete, a highly resilient material that hasn’t been used in an NCDOT project to date, at a thickness of between 30 and 70 feet. Everything will be anchored into the ground using an interlocking system of internal pipe piles.
The project is estimated to cost $1.4 billion, almost double the previous most expensive NCDOT project. It will require moving 3 million cubic yards of earth to fill in behind the megalithic retaining wall.
That earth will be sourced from a nearby area in the Pisgah National Forest. While NCDEQ appeared to put up a good fight against the unstoppable force of the federal government, there are still environmental concerns with such an expedited permitting process to dig a giant hole in a national forest that is home to endangered creatures.
I-40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line is expected to reopen in all its four-lane glory sometime in 2028, and when the next climate disaster hits Haywood, we’ll get to see just how resilient our new megalith real-
OTHING TO SEE HERE AWARD
Jackson County’s various governing boards spent much of the year demonstrating that governing does not require attendance, consistency, basic curiosity about consequences, respect for the law or for the feelings of taxpayers, voters and young peo-
disappear entirely, leaving a sharp chasm that has served as the backdrop for pictures seen across state and national media outlets. They all went for that common refrain.
This is not an easy ask, considering I-40 was routed through an utterly treacherous gorge that has caused nothing but problems and cost plenty of taxpayer dollars along the way. Now we’re stuck with it, and the potential solutions to rebuilding that all would have come with a big price tag.
Many hoped to see a viaduct constructed, part of which likely would have set the road right above the river. There are some practical arguments in favor of building a viaduct, but people mostly just thought it would be rad. But it also would have likely
The all-Republican county commission started off the year with the quiet removal of interpretive plaques covering Confederate flags on the pedestal of a monument outside the courthouse, an act that managed to be both historically illiterate and procedurally improper. The plaques disappeared anyway, apparently under the theory that if context is inconvenient, erasure counts as leadership. Next came the decision to withdraw from the Fontana Regional Library system. Commissioners voted to leave the eight-decade partnership despite overwhelming opposition and clear evidence that the move would cost more while delivering less service, fewer resources and diminished access — while also heightening the county’s exposure to First Amendment lawsuits. The county has forced taxpayers to F
The Pigeon River eroded the base of the lanes through the Pigeon River Gorge during Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Now NCDOT is embarking on a monumental project to shore up the highway. NCDOT photo
pay extra for less, an economic philosophy usually reserved for people who attended Trump University and buy Trump steaks, Trump sneakers, Trump Bibles, Trump cryptocurrency or Trump phones off late-night infomercials.
Voters felt the impact again when commissioners approved a significant property tax increase during tough economic times.
The closure of the Western Carolina University early voting site by the county’s Board of Elections — again, ignorant of basic logic, fiscal responsibility and the opinions of the people most directly affected — sent a powerful message to younger voters: your participation is welcome, but elsewhere, and we thank you for helping to bring our $107 million annual budget down to a far more reasonable $106.98 million.
Attendance issues also became apparent throughout the year. Commissioner Jenny Lynn Hooper repeatedly missed advisory board meetings she was appointed to attend, prompting an opinion from the county attorney that the Jackson County TDA violated its own attendance policy — a good reminder that rules only matter when someone checks — by allowing Hooper’s continued “service.”
Commissioner John Smith developed a similar pattern of absence — five of six meetings — on the Jackson County Public Library Board, even as commissioners debated leaving the system entirely. Oversight, it turns out, is optional.
Taken together, the year offered a masterclass in selective engagement. Laws broken. Treason celebrated. Libraries abandoned. Taxes raised. Votes suppressed. Meetings skipped. Rules disregarded. Constituents ignored. Nothing to see here.
PERFECTLY CLEAR
PRIORITIES AWARD
Throughout a year when Western North Carolina was begging for more hurricane recovery funding and a less bureaucratic inefficiency, the North Carolina General Assembly demonstrated incredible flexibility and focus — just not on governing.
Republican lawmakers couldn’t find the time to pass a state budget by July 1 due to infighting between the Republican-dominated House and the Republican-dominated Senate, leaving Democrats stupefied, agencies guessing, projects delayed and pay raises for workers in limbo.
But when it came to redrawing congressional lines, urgency magically appeared!
In a purple state that is essentially 50/50 politically, legislators hustled to gerrymander another seat as a political firewall designed less for representation than for protecting President Donald Trump from prison ahead of what some are speculating will be a devastating midterm election for the Grand Old Party.
North Carolina recently had a 7-7 U.S. House delegation under a court-ordered map after judges struck down earlier Republican-drawn lines as unconstitutional
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partisan gerrymandering, but a 2023 decision by a Republican-majority state Supreme Court to rehear that case (spoiler alert: they came to a different conclusion) allowed GOP lawmakers to enact new maps that helped flip three seats, shifting the delegation from 7-7 to 10-4 and positioning Republicans to gain an 11th seat before the 2026 midterms.
Sure, Democrats gerrymandered North Carolina for a century, keeping their boot on the neck of the Republican party though the majority of the 1900s, but now that the shoe’s on the other foot, Republicans — aided by their state Supreme Court — have made the practice of politicians choosing their voters that much more indelible and will probably cry about all this when they’re no longer in the majority.
No budget, no timetable? No problem. The most important thing — the map — came in right on schedule.
QUID PRO Q
President Donald Trump is not typically seen as a friend to Indian Country. His ICE and border patrol agents have made headlines for targeting Indigenous people in deportation raids and refusing to accept enrollment cards as a valid form of citizenship. He changed Denali National Park — “a word from Alaskan Native Tribes that means ‘the high one’ in the Athabascan language” — back to Mt. McKinley. His cuts to federal programs have harmed tribes receiving Bureau of Indian Affairs funding nationwide.
unprecedented turnout likely helped Trump win the swing state of North Carolina.
But on the campaign trail in 2024, Trump pledged to grant the Lumbee — a mixed-race population of over 55,000 that traces its ancestry to intermarried survivors of various tribes and members of the Lost Colony — federal recognition as president. Though then-Vice President Kamala Harris ran with the same promise, the Lumbee thoroughly showed up for now-president Trump, who won the historically Democratic Robeson County with 63.3% of the vote. This
And Trump kept his campaign promise with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in mid-December, which included a bill granting the group federal recognition that had previously failed to pass.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, however, have long opposed Lumbee sovereignty due to what Principal Chief Michell Hicks said are “shifting claims” of identity and heritage.
Furthermore, he called Trump’s granting of federal recognition a “political decision,” not one based in genealogy, documentation or evidence of heritage.
Indeed, the Lumbee have most recently pursued federal status through political allyship and connection.
A Bloomberg article reported that lobbying firm Checkmate Government Relations, headed by Ches McDowell — brother of Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC) and “hunting pal of Donald Trump Jr.” — took on the Lumbee’s bid for recognition pro bono.
Lowery claimed that Tiffany Trump had Lumbee heritage through her mother, Marla Maples.
whether the Lumbee ‘should’ be recognized, one thing is clear: powerful political connections helped secure its win.
QUID
island … And they sell pot. And I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is some of their actions or activities that are, I think, concerning me that actually
Memorial Bill that would preserve the massacre site in mid-November over objections about tribal leadership.
“The act really does need to come into law, just not yet. The reason is I’ve got an issue with their tribal leadership,” he said, adding that a “casino cartel” of multiple tribes led by the EBCI stood in opposition to Lumbee sovereignty.
In response, Hicks wrote a piece titled “Tillis Owes Tribal Nations an Apology,” arguing that his tribe’s steadfast opposition to the Lumbee was grounded in how recognition might undermine the legitimacy of tribal sovereignty, thus hurting every other
In the end, the LFA passed through the National Defense Authorization Act. Two other bills beneficial to the Cherokee and their allies, one of which would preserve the Wounded Knee site, were pulled from the NDAA in the weeks leading up to its
Throughout 2025, Tillis’ relationship with the Cherokee has been motivated not by a mutually beneficial agreement, as with Trump and the Lumbee, by the senator’s attempts to politically and materially punish the tribe for its opposition to the
speak to the broader issue here about marijuana and what we ultimately do with it,” said Sen. Thom Tillis at an Oct. 7 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting.
The senator went on to suggest that EBCI marketing tactics were comparative to the tobacco industry’s early predation on young people. He requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi advise the Department of Justice to investigate Qualla Enterprises, LLC, the business growing and distributing cannabis on the Qualla Boundary.
In a written statement, EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks described Tillis’ attacks as “ego-driven theatrics” and “petty politics.” He posited that the real motivation behind the Tillis’ request was Cherokee opposition to tribal sovereignty of the Lumbee, whom the senator represents.
The rift between the two parties grew as Tillis’ Lumbee Fairness Act advanced, aiming to grant the Lumbee federal recognition.
Tillis blocked the Wounded Knee
AWARD: KRISTI NOEM’S SIGNATURE
While President Donald Trump ran on slimming government bureaucracy — ostensibly the stated aim of the Department of Government Efficiency — given the state of post-Hurricane Helene aid, the Department of Homeland Security could perhaps fill an entire office with paperwork in need of Kristi Noem’s signature.
The problem with the Federal Emergency Management Association rule demanding that all disaster recovery and relief projects over $100,000 be subject to her John Hancock is that there are an exceptional number of qualifying projects, whereas Noem has only one signature. And even when she’s not campaigning for mass deportation or bragging about shooting her puppy, she’s not exactly in a rush to give it out.
F
Local leaders have described
2025,
Thom Tillis has repeatedly insulted the EBCI. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Donald Trump. File photo
Sign on the line which is dotted. File photo
receiving multiple requests for information — with questions that can be redundant and tedious — after sending proposals to FEMA for post-Helene projects. One year after the hurricane, impacted communities in Western North Carolina had only received 9% of funding.
The gatekeeper is the opposite of the trailblazer: it closes doors that were previously open, inhibits movement and prevents an individual from accessing their needs.
If only there was a way to make less of it. But here we are, with a big ol’ bond payment coming up every six months.
For voters to see a bond referendum on the ballot, commissioners must vote in favor. This has happened twice before.
endum and 48.78% voted in favor.
It often happens that counties pass such measures on the third attempt.
game throughout the post season, coming a few at-bats away from advancing to play in the World Series.
In other words, the gatekeeper is Kristi Noem and her absent signature.
CHARM COUNTY
The nature of growth requires counties to constantly develop and improve to keep facilities safe, reliable and up to fulfilling the
Voters in Macon County will have a chance to pass the buck, in a sense, on vital projects looming not far on the horizon. Some are so close you can smell them. In December, the county commission voted to approve a bond for over $10 million to fund the construction of two new landfill cells, which should be built just in the nick of time
A referendum to implement the quartercent sales tax appeared on the ballot in 2022. During the General Election, 15,124 people voted, with 55% voting against the measure and 45% voting in favor.
In March 2024, commissioners voted to put a quarter-cent sales tax hike on the ballot again, this time aiming to fund construction of a new high school. However, like before, the measure was shot down, albeit by a slimmer margin. Of the 21,905 ballots cast in the county, 51.22% were against the refer-
If it’s passed, it will raise the tax so that, for every $100 spent, people pay an extra quarter. This would generate million more in annual revenue, and out-of-town shoppers would contribute greatly to that.
Macon voters have the chance to finally vote favorably on the referendum, and here’s to hoping they do, because there will be always be garbage.
HOMETOWN MVP AWARD: CAL RALEIGH
People from these mountains have gone on to do some pretty great things, but it’s hard to imagine someone in quite a while who’s been a point of pride like Cal Raleigh.
Raleigh, an all-star catcher for the Seattle Mariners, was a star in both basketball and baseball at Smoky Mountain High School. He was even a bat boy at Western Carolina University, where his father played catcher and was inducted into the athletics hall of fame in November.
The Mariners made a deep playoff run this year, playing close game after close
What’s more, Raleigh finished a close second in the American League MVP voting behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with many crying foul after the results were announced. While Judge taking home the honor is attributed by many to his higher batting average, it ignores that Raleigh has had possibly the best season of any catcher ever. Ever.
Raleigh’s nickname, which he doesn’t always seem to love, is “The Big Dumper,” a name he earned due to his plentiful posterior, from which he draws the herculean power to hit a home run on any given trip to the plate.
Part of what makes both Seattle and the Smokies so endeared to Raleigh is that seems to have a genuine nature — he’s a regular guy who just happens to be big enough, strong enough and determined enough to make the show. He feels like someone who’s of the mountains and has the work ethic to match. He’s one of us.
Here’s to Cal Raleigh, our hometown MVP.
P.S. Cal, if you read this, the award-winning reporters here at The Smoky Mountain News are down for an interview at any time.
A new type of energy for 2026
Iwas once a real sucker for the New Year’s Eve hoopla — toasting with champagne and making grandiose resolutions, but the past couple of December 31sts, I’ve felt a little lackluster in terms of the anticipatory energy that typically surrounds the beginning of another year.
Today, however, the old me is back. While 2025 was certainly a bizarre and divisive year in regard to our nation’s political landscape, it was a great year for me, personally. I found a balance with my health and wellness that feels good for my age and fitness level. My spirituality, which is a blend of principles and practices from a number of religions, feels good to my soul. It is rooted in compassion, trust, kindness and giving back. I’m working to stay off technology unless it’s being used for essential tasks or a creative outlet. Most importantly, I’m beyond grateful for the people and relationships in my life.
This year I married my best friend and partner of many years. I’ve written about Matthew before — my guy, my person. We blended families in 2020 but waited to get married because those of you who’ve been divorced likely know it’s not something you rush into a second time. Last New Year’s Eve, he asked me to marry him and I happily said yes. Then a little over 10 months later, on October 19, 2025, we got married in a beautiful, small, historic chapel with a handful of family members as witnesses. It was special. It was intimate. It was perfect for us.
The older I get and the longer social media is around, the
more I dislike it and the more I crave the old ways of life where a phone call, card in the mail or face-to-face interaction were the ways of communicating big news. For this reason and others, Matthew and I never truly announced our engagement online and we haven’t posted wedding photos. We’re obviously proud to be married, hence me writing about it in this column, but for some reason, I’ve felt compelled to keep the details and photos private.
Needless to say, that was one of the highlights of the year. Additionally, our five kids have also had exciting years in terms of graduating, starting college, academic accomplishments, excelling in their athletics and so on. We couldn’t be prouder of them. They are truly the joy of my life and Matthew’s life.
For 2026, I’m feeling a different type of New Year’s adrenaline. On Christmas evening, we were at Matthew’s grandfather’s house. He may be the most salt-of-the-earth man I’ve ever met — and at one point during the night, he said something like, “I love having everyone here. I love all of the smiling faces and happy words.”
That’s what I want, too — for me, for you, for everyone. I know life presents stressors, but if at all possible, let’s have
Don’t expect better results with same choices
BY WALTER COOK G UEST COLUMNIST
Western North Carolina is a region defined by resilience. Mountain communities have endured floods, factory closures, rising housing costs and the slow erosion of public institutions with a steadiness that deserves admiration. None has beaten our people.
But there is one challenge the region has not met with the same determination: demanding better from the people elected to represent it.
For two decades, Western North Carolina has voted itself into decline. This is not a matter of what party you have signed up for. It is a matter of outcomes. And the outcomes in the mountains are becoming impossible to ignore. We have become a region with one party and no competition.
Today, every state legislator representing Western North Carolina is a Republican. Not one dissenting voice. Not one alternative vision. Not one lawmaker who ran on rebuilding the public institutions that once made North Carolina a national model. Not one lawmaker seriously passing laws to help our people’s welfare.
In a region struggling with healthcare deserts, underfunded schools, aging infrastructure and slow disaster recovery, voters have handed every lever of power to one party — and then wondered why nothing changes or becomes worse.
Political uniformity is not stability. It is
stagnation.
North Carolina used to lead the South. For much of the 20th century, North Carolina was the Southern exception. It invested in public education. It built world-class universities. It modernized infrastructure and expanded healthcare access. It proved that a Southern state could compete nationally by embracing pragmatic governance rather than ideological warfare.
Then the legislature — now dominated by the very regions that benefited most from those investments — systematically dismantled them. The consequences are visible everywhere in the mountains: hospitals closing or cutting essential services, teachers leaving for better pay across state lines, our children fleeing for opportunity, roads and bridges failing faster than they’re repaired, broadband expansion lagging national standards, disaster recovery slowed by politicians afraid to challenge their national party leaders. Wages lower than our neighbors.
These are not random misfortunes. They are the predictable results of policy choices. Fear has become a political strategy. Election after election, mountain voters are told to fear change, fear education, fear new ideas, fear anything labeled progress, even when those ideas have succeeded in rural regions across the country.
Instead of asking, “Will this policy improve life in my community?” voters are encouraged to ask, “Who can I punish?” “What color of folks should I blame?”
our goals be smiling faces and happy words. It goes back to the old adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” One judgmental, cruel or unkind statement can circulate in a person’s mind for the rest of their lives, so it’s best to keep those thoughts to ourselves. In the coming year, let’s work to build others up — to help them see their light, if they can’t find it on their own.
We’re big “Stranger Things” fans in our house and in the latest episode, one of the characters says, “Fortune favors the bold.” I love that mentality. With work, with relationships, with adventures and with life — let’s be bold. Let’s take steps toward our craziest dreams and see if fortune follows suit.
I’ve been a cerebral, serious person my entire life. This benefits me when I’ve got my writer’s cap on, but a heavy emotional lens is vexing during the day-to-day. I often feel a need to make every situation or circumstance a very deep and complicated thing. With this in mind, I’m trying to be more playful and lighthearted. And to be honest, I’m loving it so far and plan to continue in this vein, if at all possible.
For me, 2026 feels exhilarating. My goals are clear. I want to help other people feel good about themselves. I want to take bold leaps in all areas of my life and I want to have a little more fun. What are your plans, thoughts, goals? Whatever they are, take them on with gusto. We’re alive on this beautiful earth with all these incredible human beings. That alone is magical. We really don’t need much else. It’s our own thoughts and self-limiting beliefs that hold us back. Let’s choose 2026 to bust those down — to be the person we know we can be because as they say, time waits for no one.
(Susanna Shetley lives in Haywood County. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
And so, elections become referendums on cultural grievances rather than the real issues affecting daily life. Culture wars don’t fix schools or hospitals. While classrooms struggle to hire teachers and rural hospitals teeter on the edge of closure, political energy is spent on symbolic fights designed to inflame emotions, not improve lives. A viral speech about bathrooms does nothing to keep a maternity ward open. A fiery debate about library books does nothing to repair a washed-out road. A promise to “own” political opponents does nothing to keep young people from leaving because they can’t support themselves.
The mountains cannot afford another decade of politics as performance art. Voting against self-interest is not a value — it’s a deadly habit. When lawmakers repeatedly vote against expanding Medicaid, against raising wages, against investing in public schools, against modernizing rural economies — and still win re-election — something deeper is happening. It is not loyalty. It is conditioning. Voters have been taught to expect less, to accept decline as inevitable, and to blame distant forces rather than the people whose names appear on their ballots..
Young people are not leaving because they dislike the mountains. They are leaving because the region refuses to invest in a future that includes them. Communities that embrace evidence-based policy thrive. Those that cling to grievance politics fall behind. Western North Carolina has chosen the latter path for 20 years.
Progress isn’t radical. Refusing it is. It is natural to want progress, to make your life better. Wanting good schools, reliable healthcare, safe roads, broadband access, a competitive economy, disaster preparedness that actually works … is not radical. What is radical is repeatedly electing leaders who reject proven solutions, that work elsewhere and then acting surprised when nothing improves.
North Carolina once knew better. It built the Research Triangle Park. It invested in public universities. It led the South in education funding. It demonstrated that prosperity is a choice. Then the legislature dismantled those investments. And Western North Carolina handed them the power to do it. Our mountains, our people deserve better.
Western North Carolina does not lack potential. It does not lack hard-working people or community spirit. What it lacks is political competition — and the willingness to demand more from those who claim to serve it. At some point, voters must own the outcome if the region continues to elect candidates who reject expertise, mock education, govern through outrage, cut essential healthcare, prioritize culture wars over community needs. Then the results belong to the voters, not the politicians.
But until voters insist on better — until we ask why every single lawmaker speaks the same, votes the same, and delivers the same failed results, we will continue to get less. Western North Carolina has the power to change its future. The question is whether we will choose to use it.
(Walter Cook lives in Franklin and can be reached at walterallencook@yahoo.com.)
Susanna Shetley
A year in review
The best albums of 2025
the position of arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News. I writer for Rolling Stone.
BCarolina to Montana, Florida to Colorado, Tennessee to Utah and then some — always in search of all things beautiful and true, especially when it comes to the sacred, ancient act of live performance.
Support live music. Support independent artists. Support local venues. For the more you do, the more these incredibly creative and intrinsic folks can do for you, musically and spiritually.
I’m With Her
— “Wild and Clear and Blue”
I have approximately the time it takes for I’m With Her to pile into a sprinter van backstage at Colorado’s Telluride
Bluegrass Festival and drive to their late-night show at the nearby Sheridan Opera House to conduct a fast-paced interview.
But, in truth, three and a half minutes of listening to songs like “Ancient Light,” “Year After Year,” or “Mother Eagle (Sing Me Alive)” is all you need to grasp the appeal of the supergroup trio. Their innate gifts for harmony, melody, and songwriting make their songs, especially those on the new album, “Wild and Clear and Blue,” all but irresistible.
“We’ve just lived so much life together, much more life together than we had on our first record,” the band’s Sarah Jarosz says. “This [album], we know what our sound is, and now what do we want to say?”
The seamless blend of ancient tones and soaring voices is what elevates I’m With Her, and “Wild and Clear and Blue,” in the roots-music world. The members are well-aware of their chemistry.
“People have passed on. New lives have come into this world. Families have grown,” Jarosz says. “And we’ve all kind of experienced that together. Just that richness of life and grief and all of the above — all of that fed these songs.”
the way that impede my mental health. I’m just stripping everything down to the studs right now and building it back.”
A sonic kaleidoscope of soaring funk, seductive soul and undulating rock, “Return to Zero” is signature Neal Francis — the 36-year-old is a mesmerizing presence coming through the speakers or across the stage. When he’s behind the microphone, Francis thinks of one of his heroes.
“That’s what makes Iggy Pop who he is. He’s just doing his thing as though nobody’s there,” Francis says. “Of course, responding to the crowd is part of it, if you’re lucky. But, no matter what, I’m going to have fun. I’m having the time of my life.”
Tony Joe White — “The Real Thang”
Today, [the late Tony Joe] White remains revered by a select group of music fans in the know, but it’s a segment that the singer’s son, Jody White, is determined to grow. [Recently], Jody oversaw a rerelease of “The Real Thang,” his dad’s 1980 album that featured songs like “Good-bye L.A.” and “Cowboy Singer.” And there’s more on the way.
“Everything that we put out is just another chapter of
upon its initial release, the album has become a cult classic of
“He was able to put that into words in a way that nobody else could.”
Sierra Hull — “A Tip Toe High Wire”
It’s early evening in Asheville and Sierra Hull, the singer, songwriter, and mandolin virtuoso, is standing in Studio A on the third floor of the Citizen Vinyl record-pressing plant in downtown.
Although the room is filled with state-of-the-art recording equipment, the space itself is sacred ground: In 1939, the “Father of Bluegrass,” mandolinist Bill Monroe, first introduced his new sound live on WWNC radio during the “Mountain Music Time” program — not long before he headed to Nashville to become a star on the Grand Ole Opry and forever change the course of American music.
“There’s a certain inspiration you get from just thinking about it,” Hull says. “His music has meant so much to me, both directly as a fan, and also in the shared culture of the bluegrass community. If he didn’t exist, I don’t think I’d be doing this.”
Rich in string-music sounds, [“A Tip Toe High Wire”] also includes elements of indie folk and pop. Hull says it’s all part of her journey in trying to find her version of bluegrass music. The album title nods to the fine line that Hull walks, keeping one foot in tradition and the other in the progressive quest.
“I really want to push my own boundaries of what I can do as a musician,” Hull says.
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘I pulled off into a forest, crickets clicking
in the ferns’
Late Monday morning. While taking a sip of my coffee at the Main Street Diner in Waynesville, I scanned the room at the tables filled with faces enjoying warm meals and hearty conversation. It was at that very moment when I started thinking about this anonymous postcard I received several years ago.
It was mailed from Charleston, South Carolina. No name on it or return address, but it read: “Instead of insight, maybe all a man gets is strength to wander for a while. Maybe the only gift is a chance to inquire, to know nothing for certain. An inheritance of wonder and nothing more.” It’s a quote from the seminal novel, “Blue Highways,” by William Least Heat-Moon.
find my balance again. I didn’t know where or where or with whom I would find that balance, I just knew that everything was going to be different from that point forward. Head held high, always.
Early January 2025. By this point, I was doing weekly online therapy, something that became quite a blessing, in terms of really digging into my past and figuring out the how and why of things happening (or not happening) in my daily life. The weather was cold and unforgiving, as was the deafening silence of my apartment in Waynesville, now half-empty once she moved out.
By the time you read this column, it’ll be Dec. 31. The end of the line for 2025. The final sunrise/sunset at the culmination of another calendar on the wall of my memory. As a sentimental old soul kind of person, I take pause at the end of the year to reflect on the road to the here and now, to take inventory of what the last 365 days have shown me in this vast universe that is existence.
For one thing, I vividly remember how I spent last New Year’s Eve. Alone and sitting at the end of a packed bar. The Scotsman in Waynesville. I was only a week removed from having my entire life blown up by my ex-partner. She disappeared on Christmas Eve and wasn’t heard from for almost three weeks. Radio silence, all while our apartment was still filled with her stuff.
Watching the brightly-lit ball in Times Square ring in the New Year on the big, glowing TV above the bar, I felt completely empty, incredibly lost, and sick to my stomach. The last two years of our life together just imploded with little notice or fanfare, the moments together soon to gather dust in the coming days, weeks, and months as we parted ways and figured out our next move.
And yet, I remember, even in that moment as drunk folks yelled and screamed all around me in celebration of the moment, that things could only go up from here. I was at my absolute rock bottom, but I felt deep within that I would, in time and in patience,
HOT PICKS
1
Classic rock megagroup Grand Funk Railroad will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center.
2
Folkmoot LIVE! will present “Chikomo Marimba: An Evening of High-Energy Zimbabwean Marimba” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
3
High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3.
4
Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Sugah & Thuh Cubes (funk/blues) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8.
5
“Christmas Light Show DriveThru” will be running through Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park in Bryson City.
Swimming in sapphire-colored lakes just outside of the small, picturesque town.
Cue mid-August and another trip to the Park City Song Summit in Utah. Flying solo, I was granted a surreal townhouse with a hot tub and panoramic views of the Wasatch Mountains that cradle the resort. Midday trail runs along dirt trails crisscrossing ski slopes eager for the impending winter. Latenight musical shenanigans in and around the high-brow downtown corridor.
By March 2025, I was slowly, steadily getting back to my real self. Although I still was licking my wounds and wandering the Southeast with my tail between my legs, the warmth of the emerging spring and the sunshine of coastal Florida (while visiting my folks) sure accelerated my growth, both emotionally and spiritually. Even though I knew I still had a long way to go, I was beginning to find truth and purpose once again, and it felt so damn good.
To that, it really wasn’t until I took off on assignment to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado in mid-June when I really, honestly felt like my old self. And there was an exact moment, too. It was the last day of the festival, and I found myself on an extended trail run atop a ridge overlooking the Mountain Village and surrounding San Juan range. With sweat dripping down my face, I gazed at the mountains in pure awe of time and place, a big smile ear-to-ear. By mid-July, I had taken off from Haywood County and bolted west towards Whitefish, Montana, for the Under the Big Sky festival. It was my third year-in-a-row attending the wild-n-out event. Familiar faces onsite that I only see that time of year and new, kind souls entering my orbit by chance or happenstance. Trail running in the depths of the Rocky Mountains.
And all of those interviews throughout the last 12 months. Phone conversations with the likes of Alison Krauss. Zoom meetings with rock renegades Larkin Poe. Interviewing The Black Keys in their Nashville studio, all while a film crew from American Songwriter captured the entire interaction. Backstage interactions with Wynonna Judd, Stone Temple Pilots, Warren Haynes, Greensky Bluegrass, Charlie Starr, Goose, Dawes and so on.
But, mostly, the biggest takeaway from 2025, at least in my wanderings and ponderings, was the immense gratitude to be able to get lost, either purposely in thought or purposely on the open road of America. It’s those backcountry roads out west or here in Southern Appalachia. A cloud of dust behind the rusty, musty, trusty truck of mine, cruising along, the windows rolled down, some John Prine, Blitzen Trapper or Cotton Jones echoing from the speakers.
Those wanderings and ponderings. Like that late afternoon thunderstorm that rattled the truck as I made my way north on Interstate 29 from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Or that incredibly inspiring afternoon of sunshine and undulating waves while motoring down State Road A1A from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, to St. Augustine, only to pull over as some desolate beach, kicking off my sandals and letting the water wash over my feet.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
Somewhere in Eastern Idaho. Garret K. Woodward photo
On the wall On the table
Cherokee pottery exhibition
Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.
On view through May 2026, the exhibition features work by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop.
Renowned for her pottery, McCoy began making crafts at 12 years old. She honed her skills while taking arts and crafts classes with Alyne Stamper (EBCI) and has won numerous awards at the Cherokee Fall Festival and at Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market.
Today, she shares her knowledge with others. Designed to increase and uplift pottery making among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, McCoy’s workshop uses a hands-on approach, empowering first-time potters to bring their own personal style to ancestral techniques and methods.
• WNC Paint Events will host painting sessions throughout the region on select dates. For more information and/or to sign up, visit wncpaint.events.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org.
• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com.
Director of Education Dakota Brown (EBCI).
“Tara’s dedication to gadugi (community working together for the common good) and intensive approach to teaching has been hugely successful and is a powerful example of reconnections and resurgence.
Connection and practice to our material culture is a continuation of our shared Cherokee identity and perpetuates Cherokee pride.”
The artists exhibited include Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (EBCI), Barbara Jones (EBCI), Paula Wojtkowski (EBCI), Marisa “Sis” Cabe (EBCI), Lisa Howell (EBCI, Pawnee Nation) Malia Crowe Skulski (EBCI), Samantha Cole-Daniels (EBCI), Elvia Walkingstick (EBCI), Maggie Jackson (EBCI), Michelle Lynn Long (EBCI, Mvskoke Creek Nation) and Tara McCoy (EBCI).
For more information, visit motcp.org.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. 828.452.0593 / haywoodarts.org.
• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.631.0271 / jcgep.org.
• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. 828.339.4000 / southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.
• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. 828.586.2248 / dogwoodcrafters.com.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular culinary events and workshops throughout the week. For a full schedule of upcoming activities, tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays/Saturdays and semi-regular wine tastings on the weekends. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.
• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
MotCP is located in Cherokee. Donated photo
Balsam Mountain Inn. File photo
6,
On the beat
• 4118 Kitchen & Bar (Highlands) will host live music 6-8 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public 828.526.5002 or 4118kitchenbar.toast.site.
• Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library (Cashiers) will host “Community Jam Sessions” from 2-4 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Informal jamming. All skill levels are welcome. Free and open to the public. 828.743.0215 / fontanalib.org/cashiers.
Harrah’s welcomes Grand Funk Railroad
Classic rock megagroup Grand Funk Railroad will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center.
Originating from Flint, Michigan, in 1969, this top-selling American rock group of the 1970s is “comin’ to your town to help you party it down,” with hits like “We’re an American Band,” “I’m Your Captain/Closer to Home,” “Locomotion” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
Tickets start at $44.20 per person. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 / facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.
• Assembly On Main (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 7-9 p.m. Mondays (signup at 6:30 p.m.). Food and drink specials. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0839 / assemblyonmain.com.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host “Open Mic” 8-10 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Picking on the Porch” (open community jam) 6 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.
• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / facebook.com/brbeerhub.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays, “New Year’s Eve Bash” 6 p.m. Dec. 31 and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.
• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every other Thursday of the month and semi-regular live music on the
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Reservations highly recommended. The kitchen and wine bar open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic” at 6 p.m. every second Friday of the month and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free
10.
weekends. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music throughout the week. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.
The V8s return to Sylva
Classic rock/R&B act
The V8s will host a special “New Year’s Eve Celebration” at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.
Most of The V8s have been playing in various bands (often together) since 1975. The outcome is one good-time party band. Classic, danceable tunes delivered from old school musicians with feel.
ond and fourth Saturday of the month (free), Blue Ridge Big Band 7 p.m. Dec. 31 (tickets start at $25 per person, with upgrades available) and Chikoko Marimba 5 p.m. Jan. 10. (pay what you can). 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.
• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.
• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Grand Funk Railroad (classic rock) 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Breeze Cable (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Jan. 3. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.
and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at the Farm” on select dates. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $40 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults, free) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages, free), “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every sec-
On any given night, the band will deliver their smokin’ hot versions of songs by
artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, Johnny Rivers, Van Morrison and many more. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• High Dive (Highlands) will host “Trivia” 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2200 / highlandsdive.com.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singersongwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with Thomas Johnson (of the Futurebirds) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 15. 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678 / innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.
• John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown) will host a “Community Jam” 7 p.m. Thursdays at the nearby Crown Restaurant and semi-regular live music on the weekends. folkschool.org.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. F
Grand Funk Railroad will play Cherokee Jan.
The V8s. File photo
Chikomo Marimba at Folkmoot
Chikomo Marimba will play Waynesville Jan. 10. File photo
828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (free) and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music Mondays” with local/regional singersongwriters. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” on semi-regular dates on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Twisted Spoke Food & Tap (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1730 / facebook.com/twistedspokerestaurant.
• Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 5202 (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.9356 / vfw5202.org.
• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 8 p.m. Mondays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.
Folkmoot LIVE! will present “Chikomo Marimba: An Evening of High-Energy Zimbabwean Marimba” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Chikomo Marimba is a high-energy, Zimbabwean-style marimba ensemble based in Asheville. Founded over a decade ago, the group is known for its joyful, danceable music that blends traditional Shona melodies with modern African-inspired rhythms.
The ensemble features a range of marimbas — soprano, tenor, baritone, bass — crafted from local hardwoods by the group’s director, Steve Kemble. These instruments are complemented by additional percussion, including drum kits and claves, to create rich, layered rhythms. Doors at 6 p.m. General admission is $25 per person, with “pay what you can” options also available.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit folkmoot.org.
Thursdays and “New Year’s Eve Celebration” with DJ Mox & Company 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and “New Year’s Eve Celebration” with The V8s (rock/oldies) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host Blue Mountaineers (Americana/bluegrass) 5-7 p.m. Mondays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.
• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host The Vagabonds (Americana) at 2 p.m. the first and third Monday and a “Song Circle” open jam from 3-6 p.m. the first Tuesday each month. Free and open to the public. 828.524.3600 or fontanalib.org/franklin.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host
Sugah & Thuh Cubes (funk/blues) Jan. 8 and Paddle Faster (Americana/bluegrass) Jan. 10. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Old Edwards Inn (Highlands) will host live music in the Hummingbird Lounge at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Free and open to the public. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.
• Otto Community Center (Otto) will host “Music Nights” with James Thompson from 4-6 p.m. first and third Friday of the month. Free and open to the public. go2ottonc.com.
• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.
• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 /
• Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Music” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Karaoke” 9:30 p.m. Fridays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Sundays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” Wednesdays, “New Year’s Glow Party” 6 p.m. Dec. 31 and Awake In The Dream Jan. 9. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.
• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host “Country Thursdays” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
On the On the stage
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. For tickets, click on caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
(Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center (Highlands) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. mountaintheatre.com / 828.526.9047.
On the beat
facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.
• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” on Mondays and Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) Jan. 10 and 26. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on Sundays. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 / facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open
• Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com.
Mic” first Wednesday of every month, “New Year’s Eve Y2K Party” with DJ BooShaylee (pop/rock) 9 p.m. Dec. 31, Celtic Road (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. Jan. 1, Holler & Crow (Celtic/folk) 3 p.m. Jan. 4, Phil Thomas (acoustic/indie) Jan. 8, Shane Meade & Robert Matsen (soul/indie) Jan. 10 and An Tir Nua (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. Jan. 11. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.
• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Tickets now available, with seating upgrades offered. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.
• Smoky Mountain Dog Bar (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0726 / smokymountaindogbakery.com.
Blue Ridge Big Band celebrates NYE
Popular jazz/swing act Blue Ridge Big Band will perform a special “Swinging in the New Year” show at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. The Blue Ridge Big Band is a high-energy Haywood County ensemble performing classic and modern swing tunes. As well, there will be a free dance class at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the performance are $25 per person, with a reserved “VIP Club Table” for four available for $150. As well, there will be a cash bar (wine/beer) and a food truck onsite. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit folkmoot.org or 828.452.2997.
Blue Ridge Big Band will play Waynesville Dec. 31. File photo
The Ruby Drop in downtown Franklin. File photo
Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. File photo
Old gold: war, time machines, and good books
In my younger years, I read Herman Wouk’s “The Caine Mutiny” and “Marjorie Morningstar,” but somehow neglected two other bestsellers, his World War II saga “The Winds of War” and its sequel, “War and Remembrance.”
Inspired after reading David McCullough’s tribute to Wouk in “History Matters,” I recently picked up a paperback copy of “The Winds of War” from the public library and am threequarters of the way through its 836 pages of small print.
Most of the action in “Winds” happens between the September 1939 German invasion of Poland and the December 1941 attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor. Centered on Navy Commander Victor “Pug” Henry, his wife Rhoda, and their three grown children, “Winds” features a large cast of characters, including Hitler, Churchill, FDR and even writer Somerset Maugham.
The occupations and relationships of the fictional characters, a spectrum running from university types to reporters and broadcasters to men and women in military service, allows Wouk an incredible freedom in presenting digressive viewpoints of the war in Europe. While longing for command of a ship, for example, Victor Henry instead works behind the scenes, first as a Naval attaché in Nazi Germany, then traveling on missions to Britain, Italy and the United States. Rhoda gives us an American wife’s take on life in Germany, but also in Washington, D.C., where she begins an affair with Kirby Palmer, an engineer. The storylines of their children take us all over the map: Poland during the invasion, Italy under Mussolini, pilot training in Florida’s panhandle, submarine exercises and behind-thescenes action of a popular NYC radio show. What struck me as most remarkable about “Winds,” however, was the sheer amount of history Wouk crams into his story. Though familiar with the history of World War II, “Winds” has both broadened and deepened my knowledge, like taking a leap from college sophomore to graduate student. Here were insights I’d never considered about FDR’s political machinations, the reasons why Hitler invaded Russia while still fighting Britain, the big-picture strategies of other nations, leadership lessons and more. It’s a fine thing to enjoy a story while sitting in such a classroom.
Want something a little lighter? Try Jack Finney’s “About Time: Twelve Stories.” Author of the 1970 sci-fi classic about travels
into the past, “Time and Again,” in this collection Finney treats readers to more stories of such expeditions.
Finney’s affection for the past, especially for the decades from 1880 to 1930, is evident in this collection. My favorite story is “Where the Cluetts Are.” Sam and Ellie Clutt are a young couple looking to build a house in small-town Connecticut. Harry, the affable architect who tells the Cluett’s story —
Scott for their library, and “have been seen playing croquet on the lawn, Ellie in a long white dress.” Rumors make the rounds about strange occurrences, like a snow that falls only on the Cluett house and nowhere else in town.
Harry says he doesn’t quite believe these stories, yet he concludes the tale with this thought: “Just the same, Ellie and Sam are living far back in the past: that’s where they are. For their new house is haunted by its old self. And its ghost has captured the Cluetts—rather easily; I think they were glad to surrender.”
Finney’s narrators are often goodhearted people you’d invite over for a backyard cookout — is having no luck with his suggestions for the couple when Ellie accidentally comes across a set of Victorian house plans that belonged to Harry’s grandfather. Despite the much higher cost, the Cluetts pick those plans and build the house. As the house goes up, and especially once Sam and Ellie make it their home, a spell from the distant past is cast over the property and over the Cluetts themselves. When Harry visits them, he finds Ellie dressed as if in the previous century. Later, the couple begin receiving little messages from the past, thoughts about people and places in town now long gone. They order sets of Dickens and Walter
Jack Finney struck paydirt as a writer with “The Body Snatchers,” which was made into the movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It’s a good read, but for his best, try “Time and Again” or “About Time.”
Written 50, 60, and 70 years ago are lots of good books like “Winds of War” and Jack Finney’s timetravel tales. They go unread today because they’re forgotten, out of sight, out of mind and unfortunately, sometimes out of print. Some few which haven’t yet been toe-tagged for the book boneyard can be found in your public library, but your best bet is to browse the shelves of your local secondhand bookshop. Another option is to mine the online bestseller lists of a particular year and see if you strike gold there.
A gentle ghost of a house captured the grateful Cluetts. An old book can do the same for us.
(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)
Writer Jeff Minick
Beyond the Paint
TCarolina University women’s basketball team stepped up to the line to tip off the process of raising enough philanthropic support to name the current Catamount squad’s locker room after the founder of the program. That opening shot has resulted in a resounding “swish,” as that locker room now bears the name of the individual who launched the program during an era when women’s intercollegiate athletics was primarily an afterthought.
The facility was officially christened the Betty Westmoreland Suhre Basketball Locker Room during a ceremony Friday, Dec. 12, in the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee.
WCU alumnae Nora Lynn Finch, Judy Stroud and Donna Winbon in 2024 made gifts and pledges of $25,000 apiece for a total of $75,000, also urging other former players to contribute to the effort. Additional donations have pushed the amount raised beyond the $100,000 total required by university guidelines to affix the former coach’s name to the space following approval earlier this year by the WCU Board of Trustees.
A two-time alumna of Western Carolina,
tioning organizations such as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or the National Collegiate Athletic Association,” Brown said. “Betty Westmoreland Suhre helped change that, launching the women’s basketball program in 1964 — and doing so on a shoestring budget.”
Now a Haywood County resident, Westmoreland Suhre would go on to coach a team, then referred to as the Lady Cats, for 14 years while also serving as a physical education faculty member. Under her leadership, the program evolved from independent status to the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, then NCAA Division II and eventually NCAA Division I.
Her teams never experienced a losing season, with an overall record of 190-89. Her 1969 team finished second in the National Women’s Invitational Basketball Tournament and the 1970 squad finished fourth. During her tenure, Western Carolina University was awarded the right to host the 1971 national women’s tournament.
“Coach Westmoreland Suhre served as president of the state chapter of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for
athletics at WCU.
“I firmly believe that those of us lucky enough to be in the coaching profession today stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. That is certainly the case with Coach Betty Westmoreland Suhre, the founder of the women’s basketball team here at WCU,” Tsipis said.
“A lot has changed since those early days. We are now proud to compete as a Division I program in the NCAA. We now have regulations designed to ensure equity and fairness for female athletes competing in the intercollegiate arena,” he said.
“Amidst this success, we also face increased competition from other basketball programs in our efforts to recruit and retain top-notch student-athletes in this new era of Name, Image and Likeness deals, the player portal and the ability to transfer to another school that has a bigger alumni base and deeper pockets. Never has the competition for great players been so fierce,” he said.
Facilities upgrades feature new lockers complete with charging stations and LED lighting, and floor-to-ceiling aesthetic finishes including custom flooring. The renovations
stops along the way at Wake Forest University, Peace College and N.C. State University, including a stint as associate athletics director for the Wolfpack. Finch served as chair of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball committee for eight years and helped negotiate the first women's basketball tournament TV contract with CBS. Earlier this year, she was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Westmoreland Suhre built the WCU program from the ground up with limited support and resources in the cozy confines of Breese Gymnasium, said Finch, who credited the former coach for setting her on her career path.
“When Betty first started coaching, she did a lot more than teach. She was the travel agent, bus driver...well, university station wagon driver...equipment manager, trainer, academic adviser, tutor, psychologist, physical therapist, janitor, facility manager and game day administrator,” Finch said.
“Breese had a swimming pool but no whirlpool. It had a locker room, but the visiting team needed it, so we dressed in the dorm and walked,
Betty Westmoreland Suhre tours the women’s basketball locker room that now bears her name. Donated photo
jogged or ran to the games,” she said.
“When we played in the very first invitational women's national basketball tournament at West Chester State University, we were the only team there without storebought uniforms, but we didn't care about things we did not have. We were happy, thrilled, to have the opportunity to compete,” she said.
Now, 55 years later, the coach and former player have reunited to enshrine “… perhaps the most significant women’s athletics facility to date” at WCU, Finch said.
“We are putting a stake in the ground, restating our ownership of the privilege to represent our alma mater, this noble steward of higher learning and even higher service. This modern locker room is worthy of being enshrined in the name of Betty Westmoreland Suhre,” she said.
Westmoreland Suhre expressed her gratitude for the generosity of Finch, Stroud and Winbon and their leadership role in raising funds for renovations to the team’s locker room and for additional donations made by other former players, coaches, fans and community members.
“In 1965, when I was approached by young women who wanted more competition in basketball than intramurals provided, I never dreamed that fielding that team would lead to the success we had — and especially to today,” she said.
Western Sky’’ comprehensive campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.
The historic effort, only the third comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history, is the first to have a significant focus on garnering philanthropic support for improvements to facilities used by Catamount student-athletes.
While the university has already exceeded the campaign goal ahead of its original timeline, the effort to seek funding for WCU is far from over, said Ben Pendry, vice chancellor for advancement.
“We are keeping the pedal to the metal and continuing to seek additional support for our athletics facilities as well as for our other campaign priorities — academic excellence programs and student engagement initiatives. In addition to the three women who have led the charge for the women’s locker room project, we thank all of our donors who have contributed to the largest and most successful fundraising effort in the 136-year history of this institution,” Pendry said.
Kyle Pifer, director of Catamount athletics, closed the program by thanking Suhre for her founding role in women’s athletics at WCU and expressing appreciation for donors who are making enhancements to athletics facilities possible.
Ski Cataloochee with Jackson County Rec
Winter weather has arrived in Western North Carolina, and the snow guns are blasting at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley.
As folks prepare to hit the slopes, Jackson County Recreation is offering night trips over to the ski area, including special rates for passes and equipment rentals.
Dates for trips will be Thursdays (Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Feb. 5 and Feb. 12) and Fridays (Dec. 19, Jan. 23, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 6).
In addition, there is a five-week course for those who want to learn to ski. Classes will be five consecutive Sundays and is $150 for lessons only or $385 for lessons and a slope pass.
Trips run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and are open to anyone ages 5 and up.
To register, visit jcprd.recdesk.com/community/program.
Help ID Cades Cove deer poacher
The National Park Service is requesting tips from the public to aid in an investigation of a deer poached from fields near Sparks Lane in Cades Cove.
On the morning of Dec. 22, park rangers responded to a report of a deer that had been shot with an arrow in a field off Sparks Lane within the Cades Cove Loop Road. The poaching is believed to have occurred during daylight hours on Dec. 22 while visitors were in the area.
Although no additional details are available at this time, information from park visitors is often very helpful to National Park Service investigators. If you were in the area of Sparks Lane on the morning of Dec. 22 before 9 a.m., have dash camera video coming into or leaving Cades Cove, or if you have information that could help, please contact the National Park Service. Tips can be anonymous.
ward,” Westmoreland Suhre said. “These early highly skilled pioneering women sacrificed much so the sport could be where it is today. I could tell you all the sacrifices they made, but they played for love of the game and each other. This recognition is due to their dedication and commitment to representing WCU in a very successful women’s basketball program.”
Contributions made to fund the improvements and name the facility after Suhre are part of the ongoing “Fill the
Western Sky’ fundraising campaign and the increased investment in scholarships for our student-athletes through the Catamount Club are making a huge impact on our ability to provide a first-class experience to those young adults who represent the purple and gold on the fields and courts of competition.”
For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign, visit westernsky.wcu.edu, call 828.227.7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
Betty Westmoreland Suhre (in red) celebrates the naming of the women’s basketball locker room with donors (from left) Judy Stroud, Nora Lynn Finch and Donna Winbon. Donated photo
Ingles Nutrition N cGrath otes
written by Ingles Dietitian Leah M
program by Christy Bredenkamp, NCSU Extension Director, who will deliver a talk titled Agriculture in Macon County Through the Lens of Extension.
This slide presentation will offer an overview of Macon County’s current agricultural landscape — from beef cattle production and baling hay, to growing tomatoes and corn, as well as harvesting cut flowers, honey and Christmas trees.
Drawing from Extension work in Macon and in neighboring Swain and Jackson counties, the presentation will
County’s economy.
• Programs available to farmers, gardeners, and youth.
• Community partnerships that advance agriculture education and opportunities.
• Historical insights gathered from local farmers and rare collections from NC State’s Digital Library.
The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center, 51 Cowee School Drive in Franklin. Admission is free and open to the public.
NCDEQ moves UST permitting online
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has launched an online application form for Underground Storage Tank permits for newly constructed facilities. UST operators can access the feature through the AccessDEQ Portal, the department’s digital hub for permit applications.
The Division of Waste Management’s (DWM) UST Program assists in issuing permits to operate and inspect UST systems and facilities to ensure compliance with statutes, rules and policies protecting the health of North Carolinians. Applicants can easily track the status of their submissions, make payments and receive real-time notifications. Many documents are seamlessly integrated with DEQ documentation and are publicly accessible through the department’s online records database, Laserfiche.
DEQ expects online permit filings for existing facilities to be available in 2026.
“Providing storage tank operators the
ability to digitally file application permits will speed up the process and improve DEQ’s ability to protect the environment and North Carolinians’ health and safety,” DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson said. “This latest feature is just part of the department’s focused efforts to make it easier for businesses to file the proper paperwork and pay fees while providing the public with better transparency.”
Underground storage tanks store fuel such as gasoline or diesel at facilities such as gas stations. Underground tanks provide better protection against spills and fires. DEQ requires UST owners to renew their permits annually, verifying the tanks are safe.
To obtain a permit, owners must complete paperwork, pay fees and prove their tanks comply with safety rules. If they do not have an up-to-date permit, they are not allowed to load fuel in a tank. Permitting ensures USTs do not pose a risk to groundwater, soil or nearby communities.
Large animal grants program accepting applications
Large animal veterinarians in North Carolina are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funds to help support their large animal practice.
The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and that spend 30% or more of their patient care involved in large animal veterinary care.
These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient’s veterinary degree, to purchase equipment or technology for use in their practice or any additional uses the advisory committee deter-
large animal veterinarians to practice in the designated counties.
The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2026.
The funding opportunity is available to veterinarians who practice in one of the 70 North Carolina counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and that spend 30% or more of their patient care involved in large animal veterinary care. Donated photo
fs4.formsite.com/QopHZM/eri6jiyqie/inde
x. More information on the grant program can be found in frequently asked questions or by
Air quality has vastly improved report shows
North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like ozone and fine particles continue a long-running downward trend.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is publishing its latest update to the “Air Quality Trends in North Carolina” report. DEQ attributes the decline of air pollution emissions to efforts by state leaders, regulatory agencies, electric utilities, industry and the public to significantly address air quality concerns over the last 50 years. Statewide emissions of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, in particular, reached all-time lows in 2022, the latest year for which data are available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the report, statewide emissions of the air pollutants regulated under the federal Clean Air Act have declined sharply from 1990 through 2022. Specifically, emissions fell:
• 95% for sulfur dioxide (SO2)
• 74% for carbon monoxide (CO)
• 71% for nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• 48% for fine particles (PM5)
• 67% for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Not surprisingly, North Carolina’s outdoor air quality has improved as emissions have fallen. Measured concentrations of those air pollutants have been below every federal health-based standard for more than a decade. Average concentrations of SO2, for example, are 95% below the federal standard; annual nitrogen dioxide concentrations are 89% below the standard.
North Carolina’s transition away from coal for power generation has been a major driver of these changes. More of the state’s power now comes from clean sources such as solar, wind and nuclear energy. Energy efficiency improvements in homes and buildings also reduce emissions from power plants.
Cars, trucks and other vehicles on North Carolina roads also emit far less pollution than older vehicles, thanks to improved engine and fuel standards and more advanced emissions controls. From 1990 through 2022, CO, NOx, and VOC emissions have declined by 81%, 72% and 85%, respectively, from these on-road sources of air pollution. The state expects to see further reductions from the transportation sector in the coming years due to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles.
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County of Haywood v. Gary Dewayne Messer, Derek Michael Messer, Robert Samuel Messer, Tanner Logan Messer
To: Gary Dewayne Messer, Derek Michael Messer, Robert Samuel Messer, Tanner Logan Messer
You and each of you are hereby GIVEN NOTICE that a civil action has been commenced against you as referenced above. The nature of the relief being sought is: mandatory injunction prohibiting continued occupancy of the site without proper permits and requiring immediate cleanup of your site at Little East Fork Road, Canton NC 28716; order of abatement upon failure of defendants to comply with cleanup of the site and charging the costs of abatement to the defendants.
You and each of you are required to make defense to such pleading not later than January 27, 2026, which is at least 40 days after the initial publication of this notice on December 17, 2025. Upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This the 17 th day of December, 2025.
Frank G. Queen, PLLC By: Frank G. Queen
Attorney for the Plaintiff 154 N. Main Street, Ste 2 Waynesville NC 28786 (828) 452-3336 frank@queenmountainlaw.com
NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
25CV001732-430
Haywood County v. Linda Darlene Bradshaw Stokely, Robert Stokely, and William Stokely
To: Linda Darlene Bradshaw Stokely, Robert Stokely, and William Stokely
You and each of you shall TAKE NOTICE that a civil action has been commenced against you as referenced above. The nature of the relief being sought is: mandatory injunction requiring immediate abatement of the unsanitary conditions at your property at 268 Log Cabin Road, Waynesville NC; preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the deposit of solid waste on the site; upon failure of the defendants to abate the conditions authorizing the plaintiff to abate the conditions and charging the defendants and the property with the costs thereof; attorney fees and costs.
You and each of you are required to make defense to such pleading not later than January 27, 2026, which is at least 40 days after the initial publication of this notice on December 17, 2025. Upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against
you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This the 17 th day of December, 2025.
Frank G. Queen, PLLC
By: Frank G. Queen
Attorney for the Plaintiff 154 N. Main Street, Ste 2 Waynesville NC 28786 (828) 452-3336 frank@queenmountainlaw.com
NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
25CV001722-430
Haywood County Superior Court
Haywood County vs. Deborah Donaldson, Billy Davis, Alisha Messer, Michelle Worley, Rita Jean Surrett, Shane Donaldson, Peter Wyatt, Tom Wyatt
To: Deborah Donaldson, Billy Davis, Alisha Messer, Michelle Worley, Rita Jean Surrett, Shane Donaldson, Peter Wyatt, Tom Wyatt
You and each of you are hereby GIVEN NOTICE that a civil action has been commenced against
you as referenced above. The nature of the relief being sought is: mandatory injunctions ordering you to immediately abate all solid waste violations, electrical and water-supply and disposal hazards on your property at 1446 Thompson Cove Road, Clyde NC; preliminary injunction for the immediate remediation of the public health hazards on the property; prohibitory injunctions against future occupancy of the property without compliance with law; attorney fees and costs.
You and each of you are required to make defense to such pleading not later than January 27, 2026, which is at least 40 days after the initial publication of this notice on December 17, 2025. Upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This the 17 th day of December, 2025.
Frank
G. Queen, PLLC
By: Frank G. Queen
Attorney for the Plaintiff 154 N. Main Street, Ste 2 Waynesville NC 28786
(828) 452-3336 frank@queenmountain-
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000681-430
Cynthia A. Jackson,
Executor of the Estate of Jimmie Lewis Jackson, Jr. of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Mar 24 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor
c/o: Jen Woy, Esq. 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000685-430
Ann Elizabeth Ensley,
Executor of the Estate of Rufus Neal Ensley of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Mar 17 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor
721 N Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000707-430
Nathan Arnold Bryson,
Executor of the Estate of Joyce Hazel Riggs of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Mar 31 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Executor
C/O Candler Law Group PO Box 145 Candler, NC 28715
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Case No.25E000615-430
J. Alexander S. Barrett and Robert M. Barrett,
Co-Executor of the Estate of Mason Moore Barrett of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Mar 17 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.
Co-Executor
C/O Robert D. Douglas, III
300 North Greene Street, Suite 200 Greensboro, NC 27401
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Administrator of the Estate of Myrtice Longwith, deceased, late of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 721 North Main St., Waynesville, NC 28786 on or before the 17th day of March 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment.
This the 11th day of December.
Deborah Simpson Administrator of the Estate of Myrtice Longwith
C/O Brian P. Schaefer, Esq.
GRIFFIN & SCHAEFER, P.A.
721 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786
Please publish on the following dates:
Wed. Dec. 17 th , 2025
Wed. Dec. 24 th , 2025
Wed. Dec. 31 st , 2025
Wed. January 7 th , 2026
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- 4 yrs old, 70-lb male w/spirit of adventure and curiosity. Friendly; laidback and
Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org
Real Estate Announcements
WE BUY HOUSES for Cash AS-IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Call today for your fair cash offer: 1-877-939-1331
WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 888-960-1781
Entertainment
CONNECT to the best wireless home internet with EarthLink. Enjoy speeds from 5G and 4G LTE networks, no contracts, easy installation, and data plans up to 300 GB. Call 855-873-2215
Home Improvement
NO MORE cleaning out gutters. Guaranteed! Le-
afFilter is backed by a no-clog guarantee and lifetime transferrable warranty. Call today 1-877649-1190 to schedule a FREE inspection and no obligation estimate. Plus get 75% off installation and a bonus $250 discount! Limited time only. Restrictions apply, see representative for warranty and offer details.
WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! Call 24/7: 1-833-928-1861. Have zip code of service location ready when you call!
REPLACE YOUR ROOF with the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer – up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-585-1815
NEED NEW WINDOWS? Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction?
windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today: 1-833-890-1293
NEED NEW WINDOWS?
Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction?
windows may be the answer! Call for a consultation & FREE quote today: 1-833-890-1293
Wanted to Buy
WE BUY VINTAGE GUITAR’S! Looking for 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. These brands only! Call for a quote: 1-833-641-6577
