We may be over a year away from the crucial 2026 midterms, but for municipal voters, this November’s elections may have an even bigger, more direct impact on their lives as mayors, aldermen and alderwomen, council representatives and commissioners will be chosen in towns and villages across Western North Carolina. Look inside a full breakdown of who’s running where. (Page 10)
News
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse of minors at Waynesville Bojangles......................4 Shining Rock loses public records lawsuit..................................................................5
Latest Helene recovery act passes — without small business grants ................6 Jackson County votes to leave Fontana Regional Library system......................14 Swain County Sheriff arrested for sexual battery, suspended from office......16 Canton secures land for wastewater plant................................................................19
Opinion
July 4 in a polarized, politicized era..............................................................................20 Celebrate our country, not the president....................................................................21
A&E
Medicine for living: Alexa Rose plays Yonder Community Market......................22 The Scotsman hosts ‘Great American Bash’............................................................26
Outdoors
Sylva man pens Appalachian Trail book 50 years after his hike..........................30 The Joyful Botanist: With flowers like these, who needs an enemy?................35
D IGITAL MARKETING S PECIALIST Tyler Auffhammer. . . . . .
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C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier.
N EWS E DITOR: Kyle Perrotti. . . .
WRITING: Hannah McLeod. . .
Cory Vaillancourt. .
Garret K. Woodward. .
ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER: Jamie Cogdill. .
D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. . . . . . .
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C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Susanna Shetley (writing), Adam Bigelow (writing), Thomas Crowe (writing)
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Buying store brands or private label can often help you sa private label items throughout your local Ingles Market.
Leah McGrath,
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Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse of minors at Waynesville Bojangles
under the age of 15. In May, he was hit with charges on three more counts of indecent liberties with a child, three counts of disseminating obscene material and four counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor.
The Haywood County lawsuit is similar to another filed in federal court against BOJ of WNC in 2021 that alleged that a “manager or supervisor” of an Augusta, Georgia Bojangles named Nickolous McLamore forcibly raped and otherwise abused a minor employee and that others who knew about McLamore’s offenses failed to prevent further abuse.
“If BOJ had terminated McLamore or taken sufficient action against him when BOJ first learned about McLamore’s sexually inappropriate behavior toward other employees, McLamore would not have later raped [the victim],” that suit claims.
That case is still pending.
BOJ of WNC is the largest Bojangles franchisee with well over 100 restaurants. Records indicate that the LLC is based out of Arden and nets about $5.6 million in revenue annually. According to the BOJ of WNC website, it has franchises in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio.
Last year, BOJ of WNC settled with the U.S. Department of Labor after being found to work children longer than legally allowed while also assigning them “dangerous tasks.” In the release, DOL states that the company employed 13 children to work at one restaurant more than three hours a day and during school hours, which violates child labor provisions and the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company was assessed a $27,586 civil penalty.
B N
An Asheville law firm has filed a civil suit on behalf of two minor female clients alleging that the girls were sexually abused while employed at a Bojangles fast food restaurant near Lake Junaluska in Haywood County.
According to a press release, the suit, filed June 17 by attorneys with Lanier Law Group, alleges that the company, BOJ of WNC, had a responsibility to “use reasonable care to supervise, monitor, instruct, and train its employees, agents, and/or representatives in the identification, prevention and reporting of sexual harassment and that they negligently failed to do so.”
The complaint alleges that a man, Dylan Sain, 18, was the manager of the Bojangles restaurant at 1119 Dellwood Road, and through that supervisory position, leveraged his authority to “groom” and “sexually abuse” the plaintiffs, including sending “obscene” photographs of himself to the girls, who are referred to as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 in the suit. While the girls’ identities are protected, the suit notes that one was born in 2008 and the other 2009.
In addition, the suit also claims that the district manager, Michael Godey, ignored complaints from the girls and even defended Sain.
general manager at the time. It alleges that Sain “openly and brazenly” used his position of authority to sexually abuse the girls, using threats and intimidation to “force” them to perform sexual acts on him. This included using “coercive and grooming” behavior, including providing favorable treatment to them, even giving pay raises, according to the suit.
adding that Sain also sent explicit photos of himself to the girls.
The suit further alleges that when multiple employees raised concerns with Godey that he failed to protect the victims and told those employees who complained that they were “jealous” of perceived preferential treatment the girls received. Godey allegedly even instructed Sain to fire one of the girls because of their “relationship.” The suit claims that at least five young female employees may have been sexually abused while working at the Waynesville Bojangles.
The suit notes that the plaintiffs were employed by Bojangles starting about April
and Jane Doe 2 individually into his office at the subject Bojangles where he would sexually abuse them, including forcing them to
“Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, Defendant BOJ and Defendant Bojangles did nothing to stop this abhorrent behavior and did nothing to protect Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 from its/their pedophile employee,” the suit
Lisa Lanier, founder of her namesake law firm, told The Smoky Mountain News that at least one of the victims was earning high school credit through what’s known as a “work release” program through which a student can earn high school credits while working a job to earn a little money. She didn’t have a car and walked to the restaurant. These two elements gave Sain a good deal of leverage over the victim, Lanier said.
Criminal charges bolster the victims’ claims. In April, Sain was indicted by a Haywood County Grand Jury on four counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count statutory sex offense with a person
It was the second time in less than two years the company was cited for such violations. In 2022, it was hit with a $11,744 fine in a similar case.
As a part of the more recent agreement, BOJ of WNC also took steps to ensure future compliance, including requiring all 14- and 15-year-old workers, and their parents or guardians, to sign an understanding of the labor occupational and hours requirements under the law. It also requires area directors to perform quarterly reviews of time records for that same age group. However, it seems the added oversight did little to prevent or even intervene in the alleged abuses.
The plaintiffs are ultimately seeking over $25,000 in damages, meaning the case will be heard in Haywood County Superior Court.
“Lanier Law Group is seeking witnesses or victims with firsthand knowledge of the abusive and negligent acts that occurred at the Bojangles located at 1119 Dellwood Road, Waynesville, NC, and/or witnesses with information about the alleged role of BOJ of WNC, LLC, Bojangles OPCO, LLC, Michael Godey, and/or Dylan Sain. Please contact Lisa Lanier or Bobby Jenkins at 910484-3333 with information,” the release reads.
Lanier, in her conversation with SMN echoed the sentiment and reiterated her firm’s commitment to the case.
“We’re going no holds barred on this case,” she said.
Dylan Sain. File photo
This Bojangles near Lake Junaluska in Haywood County is the subject of the lawsuit. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Shining Rock loses public records lawsuit
BY KYLE P ERROTTI N EWS E DITOR
Ajudge has ordered Shining Rock Classical Academy to turn over public records at the center of a civil bench trial heard in Haywood County Superior Court over a month ago.
On June 30, Superior Court Judge Sherri Elliott, who was visiting from the judicial district made up of Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties, published an order in favor of Rebecca Fitzgibbon, who sought to receive records she’d requested dating back as far as November 2022.
The suit, filed in 2023, alleged that the Shining Rock’s Head of School Josh Morgan and board members had violated state public records law by demanding excessive payments for fulfilment of the requests.
Fitzgibbon’s requests stemmed from an incident during which her son was being disciplined and was placed by Morgan in a Waynesville Police vehicle occupied by the school’s student resource officer, Waynesville Police Officer Bryan Reeves. As she inquired about other alleged similar incidents involving Morgan and Reeves, she believed there was a pattern of wrongdoing and abuse.
In her order, it appeared Elliott believed Fitzgibbon’s inquiries were perfectly reasonable.
“The information that Fitzgibbon developed came from sources in the community that Fitzgibbon found reputable, including herself, her own children, current and former Shining Rock employees and officials (including some of the named Defendants), and the parents or guardians of current and former Shining Rock students,” the order reads, noting also that throughout her inquiry, Fitzgibbon reported her concerns to “numerous local and state officials.”
the actual cost to Shining Rock of making the copy,” the order reads. “‘Actual cost’ is limited to Shining Rock’s direct, chargeable costs related to the reproduction of a public record as determined by generally accepted accounting principles and does not include costs that would have been incurred by Shining Rock if a request to reproduce a public record had not been made.”
“If it was necessary for Shining Rock to separate confidential from nonconfidential information in order to permit the inspection, examination, or copying of the public records in response to public records requests, then Shining Rock had to bear the cost of such separation,” the order later reads.
Ultimately, Elliott concluded that the school had no legal justification for failing to disclose at least some of the public records it withheld from Fitzgibbon. Likewise, there was no justification to charge Fitzgibbon for the cost of separating confidential and nonconfidential information.
“Shining Rock’s approach to charging for public records, and, later its formalized public records procedure, either on its face or as applied to Fitzgibbon and Vaillancourt, was an improper use of governmental authority to stop or inhibit the public from accessing public records and government information,” the order reads.
Before and up to the point Fitzgibbon filed her requests, Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt filed numerous public records requests with the school. According to the order, while prior to 2018, Vaillancourt’s requests were answered promptly and without charge, once Morgan became head of school and took over the responsibility for answering such requests, the school began assessing fees, including one for over $1,500 that SMN refused to pay.
“As a result, Vaillancourt’s and his employer’s reporting on Shining Rock was significantly reduced because they could not obtain public records from Shining Rock to support their reporting,” the order reads.
In 2022, the school adopted a new public records procedure, which formalized the practice of charging for records.
Elliott concluded that public records must be provided upon request for free or at “minimal cost,” meaning the actual cost of reproducing the record, contrary to the practices Shining Rock had implemented.
“Shining Rock may not charge a fee for an uncertified copy of a public record that exceeds
The public records order wasn’t Fitzgibbon’s only win. The defendants had countersued her for defamation, claiming that she had knowingly made false statements that hurt the school, its board and Morgan. However, Elliott ruled that Shining Rock’s legal counsel failed to prove that the information published or shared by Fitzgibbon that served as the basis for the defamation suit was false.
Elliott ordered Shining Rock to produce the public records Fitzgibbon requested on multiple dates. She also filed an injunction enjoining the defendants from using or applying any public records procedures in the future that violate the law as determined in her ruling, including pending requests such as Fitzgibbon’s or Vaillancourt’s.
Following Judge Elliott’s ruling, Shining Rock issued a statement saying it respects the judicial process and will follow the order accordingly.
“The court’s decision clarifies important aspects of public records law that will benefit not only our school but other educational institutions throughout the state,” the statement reads. “We are committed to implementing the court’s directives within the specified timeframe and will work diligently to ensure full compliance with all public records requirements moving forward.”
Check out The Smoky Mountain News next week for a deeper dive into the trial and what this ruling means for future public records requests in North Carolina.
Latest Helene recovery act passes — without small business grant support
On the nine-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, Gov. Josh Stein signed the North Carolina General Assembly’s fifth major installment of recovery funding — a sweeping $575 million package aimed at rebuilding roads, bridges, schools and government infrastructure across the state’s western region while omitting the $60 million in small business grant support that House lawmakers had supported.
Formally titled the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II,” the act makes broad appropriations, fund transfers and regulatory adjustments affecting dozens of state agencies still grappling with an estimated $60 billion in damages from the Sept. 27, 2024, storm.
“I thank the General Assembly for passing a $575 million Helene Response and Recovery Act Part II. This funding will help us fight wildfires, prevent landslides, fix homes, repair dams and support our schools and local governments,” Stein said in a statement. “It also extends our State of Emergency until Oct. 1, 2025, so that we can continue to expedite recovery efforts, especially our efforts to repair private roads and bridges. I am pleased that it passed both chambers unanimously, and I am proud to be signing it into law. We must keep standing up for western North Carolina to help them recover.”
The act begins by reserving a total of $700 million from existing funds, including $105 million from the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund, $45 million from the Federal Infrastructure Match Reserve, $477 million from the Medicaid Contingency Reserve and $8 million from the Information Technology Reserve.
An additional $65 million is transferred from previously appropriated or allocated but unused funds. The Department of Environmental Quality contributes $45 million from two bridge loan programs established in 2024. Of that, $25 million had been set aside for the Water Infrastructure Emergency Bridge Loan Program and $20 million for emergency loans related to commercial underground storage tanks.
The Department of Public Instruction transfers $12.5 million previously allocated for lost compensation due to school closures.
State Board of Elections contributes $2.25 million from its 2024 General Election budget for the affected areas.
Unused or underutilized funds from the North Carolina Community College System Office are also reallocated. Nearly $2.5 million in unexpended tuition grant funds will instead be distributed to community colleges in affected areas that experienced enrollment declines between the 2023–24 and 2024–25 academic years. Haywood Community College was not among those who lost students.
“We saw the biggest increase in our enrollment from spring-over-spring that I’ve seen since I’ve been there, since 2020,” HCC President Shelley White told Haywood commissioners in April.
An additional $1.16 million will be used to assist students with tuition, fees and emergency expenses that could otherwise prevent them from continuing their education.
The act then makes a formal appropriation of $500 million from the Helene Fund.
Of this amount, $63 million is directed to the
Program to be used only for verifiable losses of farm infrastructure within the affected areas.
Haywood County farmers aren’t alone in sounding the alarm over the plight of the American farmer and disappearing agricultural land. High-level U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, including then-secretary Tom Vilsack, visited Haywood and Buncombe Counties, respectively, a month after the storm to raise awareness around how Helene has accelerated the loss. Kaleb Rathbone, assistant commissioner of agriculture for Western North Carolina and a Haywood County native, told The Smoky Mountain News last November that farmers had seen “tremendous damage” that could impact production this year.
Macon County Rep. Karl Gillespie, chair of the House Agriculture and Environment Committee, said the $25 million is in addition to nearly $311 million in previous aid.
“The state legislature’s ongoing commitment to our farmers is absolutely critical as they recover and rebuild from the historic losses they’ve endured,” Gillespie told The Smoky Mountain News.
Another $15 million is directed to the
Absent meaningful federal recovery funding, North Carolina’s General Assembly has now passed its fifth Hurricane Helene recovery bill. Cory Vaillancourt photo
HCC President Shelley White. File photo
File photo File photo
Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program for eligible stream work, while an additional $15 million is allocated to the North Carolina Forest Service to strengthen wildfire assets and response capabilities.
The final $8 million goes to the North Carolina Agricultural Manufacturing and Processing Initiative, specifically for atmosphere-controlled projects located in the affected area.
The Department of Commerce receives $10 million. Of that total, $5 million goes to Visit NC, the state’s tourism promotion agency, to market Western North Carolina.
Stein signed the act during the reopening ceremony for Chimney Rock State Park, a symbolic move meant to underscore the “open for business” mantra state and local leaders have been chanting since before Stein’s appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert a few weeks ago, where the governor amplified the appeal.
The remaining $5 million will be used by the Division of Community Revitalization for operational costs and staffing.
The Department of Environmental Quality is appropriated $13 million, with $10 million to fund the Dam Safety Grant Fund for repair, modification or removal of dams damaged by Helene. The remaining $3 million will support landslide hazard mapping in the affected area.
The Department of Information Technology receives $3 million to develop a disaster recovery constituent portal. This portal will consolidate program information from state and federal agencies into a single platform.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is allocated $12 million through the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Two thirds of the funds will be used for state parks and recreational forests, and the other third will be available as matching grants for local governments and public authorities. The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority is also prohibited from enforcing existing maximum grant sizes previously set at $500,000 — allowing for larger projects.
The Department of Public Instruction receives $8 million to administer a competitive grant program for public schools in the affected area to repair facilities damaged by Hurricane Helene. Eligible schools must have been denied
relief fund they’d been promised by various state and federal agencies, Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt told The Smoky Mountain News his county had an estimated $196 million in damages. Matt Wechtel, chair of the Madison County Board of Commissioners, added that the county had lost a courthouse, a library, two town halls and two sewage treatment plants.
Pless said the money was to be used to construct a new courthouse on land the county owns near the sheriff’s office. The project was already moving along slowly but had picked up speed after Helene damaged the historic courthouse in downtown Marshall.
2023 with which to construct a state-of-the-art, flood-proof facility that is of the right size and design to handle both Canton and Clyde’s municipal waste long into the future, even accounting for projected growth. Once the site is formally acquired, construction of the new plant is expected to take at least five years.
The remainder of OSBM’s allocation includes $1.5 million each for Lees-McRae College and Montreat College, $500,000 each for Mars Hill University, Brevard College, Gardner-Webb University and Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Three technical assistance organizations, the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Government, will each receive $2 million.
The Office of the Governor receives $10 million over two years to fund the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western
North Carolina, GROWNC.
insurance or federal aid. The maximum award is $500,000 per school.
North Carolina Emergency Management is allocated a total of $208 million, of which $75 million is reserved for the Private Road and Bridge Repair Program, including $25 million for reimbursement to homeowners and HOAs.
The act earmarks $70 million for FEMA disaster recovery cost-sharing. Another $25 million is allocated for the Aerial
Chair of the House Emergency Management and Disaster water treatment plant site.
Hours after the bill passed the Senate but before Stein signed it, Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers announced the town would use the $14 million to purchase roughly 35 acres on the west bank of the Pigeon River, including warehouses that represent turnkey economic development opportunities for the town, from the mill site’s new owner Eric Spirtas.
Canton already has a $38 million appropriation from
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is appropriated $18 million to issue grants of $50,000 each to fire departments and rescue squads in 24 specified western counties. These grants must be used for equipment, facility repairs or wildfire preparedness and cannot be used to fund staff positions.
The North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton receives $1 million for repairs and construction related to Hurricane Helene damage. The UNC System receives $6 million, split evenly among Western Carolina University, Appalachian State University, and UNC Asheville, along with the North Carolina Arboretum. These funds are for disaster damage repairs and future mitigation projects.
The Department of State Treasurer receives $51.5 million for cash flow loans to local governments in affected areas. These loans must follow guidelines outlined in legislation passed in 2024.
The bill also reassigns $28 million in unspent recovery funds from Hurricane Dorian in 2019 for Hurricane Helene use.
The North Carolina Railroad Company is required to issue a dividend equal to 25% of its prior-year trackage income in each year of the 2025–27 biennium. For fiscal year 2025–26, the resulting funds are directed to Blue Ridge Southern Railroad and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, each receiving $2 million.
In March, a spokesperson for Watco, the company that owns Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, told The Smoky Mountain News that recovery costs in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina top $18 million. Service disruptions on the GSMR in the aftermath of Helene impacted revenue — not only for the railroad, but also for the scores of visitors who also patronize Bryson City businesses before and after their journeys.
From the Stabilization and Inflation Reserve, $15 million is to be transferred to the North Carolina Selectsite Fund for
NC Rep. Mark Pless. File photo
NC Governor Josh Stein. File photo
File photo File photo
photo
economic development purposes. The Selectsite program seeks to identify development opportunities on sites of between 50 and 1,000 acres, however Western North Carolina doesn’t have many sites that would meet those qualifications.
Another $20 million is transferred from the Department of Environmental Quality to Robeson County for the Lumber River Basin Coalition waterway restoration project.
The Local Government Capital Grant Program is established with OSBM as administrator. Grants must be based on FEMA per capita damage estimates and may only be used for projects denied FEMA public assistance reimbursement. Priority is given to local governments and tribes in counties with populations under 300,000. No county may receive more than 20% of
tion of at-risk infrastructure and hardening of critical facilities. There is no required local match. Awards are capped at 10% per recipient and 20% per county. Administrative costs are capped at 1.5%.
The Aerial Asset Accessibility Grant Program is also created within NC Emergency Management. Eligible recipients are local governments that own non-commercial airports meeting certain criteria, including 24/7 fuel availability, on-site mechanics, and the ability to remain open during emergencies. Priority is given to airports with sufficient capacity to support emergency operations. Grants are capped at $5 million per recipient, with a limit of two grants per county.
The region’s small airports, especially in Jackson County, played a critical role in the delivery of supplies after Helene damaged other transportation networks — roads, rails and interstates.
“Because they did play such an important role as a drop point for supplies because of road issues, we, the western delegation in the House Select Committee on Helene Recovery felt it would be very beneficial for any other event like this that might happen,” said Rep. Mike Clampitt (RSwain). Clampitt also represents Jackson and Transylvania counties.
The Dam Safety Grant Fund is formally established in the General Statutes. It will be used to provide state matching funds for high-hazard dams eligible under FEMA’s rehabilitation program, and for other dams damaged by natural disasters. The program must follow FEMA’s Risk-Based Prioritization Method and report annually to the legislature.
The Governor’s Helene emergency declaration, previously extended in 2024 and early 2025, is extended again through Oct. 1. This preserves regulatory flexibility granted under previous disaster acts. The state of emergency was previously set to expire on June 30. F
Blue Ridge Southern locomotives found themsleves amid rising water
Level on Sept. 27, 2024. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Jackson County’s airport played a critical role in collecting relief supplies. File photo
A total of $685.6 million in federal funds is accepted for clean water and drinking water projects under the American Relief Act of 2025. Of that, $253.6 million is directed to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $409.4 million to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Another $22.5 million is earmarked for decentralized wastewater treatment system resilience.
The maturity date for emergency water infrastructure loans is extended to June 30, 2035. The governor may use contingency funds only if the Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund is insufficient and a declared emergency exists. The Governor may not use any funds from this act for budget reallocations.
For the 2025–26 fiscal year, several competitive grant programs must prioritize applicants from counties designated as most impacted and distressed by HUD, and with populations under 300,000. Applicants must certify that requested funds are for unmet needs not already covered by insurance or federal assistance.
Despite the wide-ranging nature of the latest Helene relief bill, small business owners have seen nary a nickel in direct grant support they need to make up for the massive losses incurred during what’s been called the seventh-costliest hurricane in recorded American history.
The fact that it occurred during Western North Carolina’s busy fall tourism season only made things worse.
A sharp decline in sales tax and room occupancy tax collections for September and October 2024 suggest around $400 million in decreased spending by locals and tourists, although an uneven recovery showed some counties rebound quickly, while others didn’t.
In 2024, the North Carolina General Assembly passed three Hurricane Helene relief bills, together allocating approximately $1 billion to aid recovery efforts statewide.
asters and had hoped for grants — not additional loans.
A third bill, passed on Nov. 19, 2024, allocated another $227 million to the Helene fund. The bill drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who condemned it as “a sham” for providing no immediate assistance and for including provisions that limited the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general.
That December, Congress also failed to deliver adequate assistance. Then-Gov. Roy Cooper and a delegation of local elected officials traveled to the White House with a $25 billion request, but the $9-$15 billion appropriation falls far short of the $60 billion tab. Western North Carolina’s congressman, Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson), sits on the House Appropriations Committee but never responded to a Smoky Mountain News inquiry as to why the funding didn’t even approach the amount needed.
The fourth bill — the first in 2025 — transferred an additional $275 million from the rainy day fund to the Helene fund and made specific appropriations of $500 million. When the bill first left the House, there was finally some consideration given to small businesses.
“We had a victory in the House two weeks ago when we got $15 million included in the House version of the bill that would have been given to small businesses as grants through Golden Leaf. It wasn’t enough, but it was something,” Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe) told The Smoky Mountain News at the time. “Then, of course, the Senate stripped that out.”
This latest $575 million bill brings total Helene allocations by the state to nearly $2 billion. Federal appropriations of $15 billion at most leave the nation’s ninth-largest state with roughly $43 billion in unfunded damages, but the same legislative sausagemaking process saw the same turn of events — a $60 million small business grant proposal presented in the House version of the bill didn’t survive the Senate.
The first measure, enacted on Oct. 10, 2024, established the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund and allocated to it $273 million from the state’s “rainy day” fund. Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) called it a “first step” toward comprehensive recovery planning.
Two weeks later, lawmakers approved a second, more expansive relief package. This time, $604 million was allocated to the Helene fund from the rainy-day fund. Although that bill targeted a wider range of needs, it did not include direct grant assistance for businesses, despite requests from local leaders. Many small business owners in Western North Carolina were still carrying debt from COVID-19 and previous dis-
“On the most recent Helene Relief bill, we again failed to include any funding for small business grants. This is a failure of the Republican majority to truly understand the nature of the challenges that we are facing in Western North Carolina,” Ager told The Smoky Mountain News June 30. “The story of this disaster here in WNC was that everyone came together to help each other survive. It didn’t matter which party you supported. I was hopeful that this non-partisan approach would translate to the relief effort in Raleigh, but I’ve been disappointed that the majority has been unwilling to truly include those of us in the minority in the discussions related to the bill and they have failed to come through for small businesses in our region.”
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NC Rep. Eric Ager. File photo
File photo
WNC municipal elections
staying in and who’s getting out
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT
P OLITICS E DITOR
Across Western North Carolina this fall, local governments will hold their first municipal elections since Hurricane Helene ravaged the region and saddled many small, rural towns across the mountain west with damages that in most cases approach or exceed millions.
As these communities recover, the candidate filing period approaches — providing opportunities for residents to participate in decisions about recovery and about day-to-day operations of the growing towns and villages in which they live.
A survey conducted by The Smoky Mountain News across its four-county core coverage area from June 25 to July 1 shows some municipalities will see substantial turnover due to incumbents choosing not to seek reelection, while others will likely see a continuation of existing leadership if challengers don’t emerge and win.
As of June 27, Election Day is only 125 days away.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
In the riverside Town of Clyde, which is facing a significant loss of property tax base attributable to Helene, two seats on the Board of Alderman are up for reelection.
Aldermen Frank Lay confirmed he’ll run again while also focusing on two major projects — shoring up the town’s
Thirty-five seats on 11 local governing boards are up for election across Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. Of those, at least 17 incumbents say they’ll run again. Only four incumbents are a solid ‘no.’ File photo
In 2020, the town disbanded its police force — not related to the “defund the police” movement sweeping across the country at the time, but rather because it was simply too difficult to manage staffing for the tiny town. Lay estimates the agreement will have saved the town $500,000 and most people seem to agree it’s provided better, more efficient service. The town has also benefitted from increasing involvement by HCSO’s detectives and crime suppression unit.
Alderman Diane Fore’s seat is also up in Clyde, but Fore hasn’t yet responded to messages asking if she’ll run again.
In Maggie Valley, Aldermen Jim Owens and John Hinton will each seek reelection to their seat.
“With enthusiasm,” Owens told The Smoky Mountain News.
Owens also serves as the chair of the Haywood Tourism Development Authority board, although pending legislation sponsored by Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) that would allow an increase of the county’s room occupancy tax rate from 4%
Want to run for office?
The candidate filing period for the 2025 municipal elections begins at the opening of business on Monday, July 7, 2025, and ends at noon on Friday, July 18, 2025. Candidates must file for election at their local county board of elections office. Learn more about running for office, qualifications and other requirements by visiting ncsbe.gov.
sion’s rep on the TDA board — and TDA executive director Corrina Ruffieux all support Pless’ bill.
Hinton cited the town’s completion of a long-awaited universal development ordinance as a major accomplishment during his term.
“We’ve had a pretty good four years, I think, gotten things headed in the right direction, and it’s too early to quit now,” Hinton said.
Echoes of Waynesville’s tumultuous 2023 municipal elections are still heard there. An insurgent group of candidates calling themselves “Team Waynesville” — Tre Franklin, Stephanie Sutton and Peggy Hannah — ran a noisy, confrontational campaign while refusing to talk to the media and appeared to violate campaign laws along their way to a crushing defeat in which they failed to capture a single seat.
But that election also had the important effect of finally setting up staggered terms for Waynesville’s Town Council. Previously, the town elected all four council members and the mayor, all at once. In the 2023 election, Council Members Chuck Dickson and Jon Feichter led the pack, earning four-year terms. Council Members Julia Freeman and Anthony Sutton earned two-year terms, which are up this year. However, their seats will henceforth come with four-year terms, establishing the stagger.
Sutton intends to run for what will be his third term, a total of 10 years if he’s successful.
TDA board. Maggie Valley leaders, county commission Chair
“I feel like I need to be there,” he said. “We’re putting a lot of money out in anticipation of getting it back from FEMA. We have huge budget issues, and I still believe in constraining spending if you don’t have it.”
Issues Sutton wants to focus on include getting the town into better financial standing and continuing to increase employee benefits and pay, including among part-time employees only making $15 an hour.
The town also has some major capital projects on the horizon; Sutton’s been beating the drum for years now about prioritizing capital improvements and planning for a regular cycle of equipment replacement, but given the damage dealt by Helene, the town doesn’t exactly have the resources. That could change when another capital project, the long-awaited new wastewater treatment plant, comes online later this year and opens the town up for potential development.
Freeman told The Smoky Mountain News she plans to run again as well.
Perhaps nowhere has municipal board leadership been more important than in Canton. The town is still dealing with the fallout from Tropical Strom Fred in 2021, the closure of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in 2023 and, of course, Helene in 2024.
Canton’s governing board members have spent untold hours both in closed session and in high-level meetings attempting to plot a way forward. A recent General Assembly appropriation will allow the town to acquire land for a new wastewater treat-
ment plant, and that will make things somewhat easier — but there’s still plenty of issues to resolve.
Mayor Zeb Smathers will seek his third term at the helm of Papertown with accomplishments in the rear-view mirror but challenges down the road. So will Alderman Tim Shepard.
“I felt like I wanted to try to get some more done before I decide not to do it anymore,” Shepard said.
Alderwoman Kristina Proctor’s been there for all of it, too, and likewise plans to seek another term.
“This is a tough role,” Proctor said. “There’s still a lot of work to do.”
JACKSON COUNTY
The recent decision by Jackson County commissioners to leave the Fontana Regional Library system — likely to cost more and provide fewer services at the county’s two libraries — wasn’t made by Sylva commissioners, but if there are any electoral consequences to come of it either way, Sylva’s likely to experience them first.
On June 12, Commissioner Jon Brown pulled a resolution of support for FRL from the town’s agenda, over the opposition of commissioners Brad Waldrop and Joe Waldrum. Brown was joined in the vote by commissioners Blitz Estridge and Mary Gelbaugh.
Estridge and Waldrop aren’t up for election this year, but everyone else is. Gelbaugh said she was stepping back after 12 years of
service. Waldrum is undecided. Brown, however, said he does have plans to run, and he doesn’t think the Jackson County commission’s FRL decision will have much of an impact on any of the Sylva races this year. Brown said he regrets the commissioners’ decision to withdraw.
Mayor Johnnie Phillips, who didn’t get to vote on Brown’s motion, said he’s planning to run again.
“I’ve enjoyed being mayor, and if people want me to serve, I plan on it,” Phillips told The Smoky Mountain News. “And the people I’m talking to, it sounds like they want me to serve.”
He added that as a conservative Democrat, he feels he’s done everything he can to serve all the residents of Sylva, “not just one side or the other.”
Phillips also said that his main concern is helping the town “survive” the N.C. 107 project over the next several years. Road work already has or will ultimately eliminate 42 buildings across Jackson County by the time the project is complete.
In the Village of Forest Hills, where a resolution of support for FRL was passed unanimously, three seats are up for election.
Mayor Marcia Almond will seek another term, as will Council Member Daniel Shields, who serves as mayor pro temp.
“The village of Forest Hills will be looking to protect against predatory development and improve existing infrastructure and roads and look to explore sewage [treatment options],” Shields said.
Robert Kehrberg, who stepped in to fill a
vacancy on Council, will not seek to hold the seat this fall.
In Webster, which also passed a resolution of support for FRL unanimously, Mayor Tracy Rodes is done after 10 years of service. Commissioner Danell Moses said she’s running to retain her seat. No response has been received from Commissioner Leigh Anne Young. Contact info for Commissioner Dale Collins was not available.
Dillsboro is unique in that it still doesn’t have staggered terms — meaning the mayor and all five aldermen are up for reelection this year. Mayor Tim Parris and aldermen Keith Clark, David Gates and John Miele will all try to hold their seats. Fellow incumbents Jim Cochran and Gladys Pilarski have not responded.
Clark said that over the years, Dillsboro has changed from an arts and crafts hub to more of a restaurant and entertainment district; he’s looking forward to the reopening of the historic Jarret House — an 1880s hotel and restaurant that serves as one of the centerpieces of Dillsboro’s distinctive character — as well as the opening of Beech Mountain Diner in the old Kostas Express space.
There are only a handful of voters on the Jackson County side of Highlands with most residing in Macon County. Together, they’ll decide who will fill three seats in the remote mountain enclave. Mayor Patrick Taylor told SMN he’s undecided, while commissioners Amy Patterson and Eric Pierson have not responded regarding their intentions. F
MACON COUNTY
Franklin Mayor Jack Horton will not seek another term, opening up an opportunity for Council Member Stacy Guffey — or someone else — to succeed Horton.
“One of the great things about this board is we don’t agree on everything, but everybody who sits at that table has a positive vision for Franklin,” Guffey said.
“They’re all there for the right reasons. I think we’ve been really productive over the past four years and part of that is having a mayor like Jack Horton, who has been even-handed in his dealings with the board.”
Guffey said he was proud of the nonpartisan board and its civility pledge and that he’s running for mayor at least partly to carry on that tradition, but there’s a lot going on in Franklin right now.
Upcoming projects include developing the Whitmire property into a park, breaking ground on an all-inclusive playground and conducting a feasibility study for the 16-acre Angel Medical Center property demolished in 2024. Guffey said the town may negotiate a potential purchase and could encourage a whole new neighborhood, featuring mixed-use or retail components, that would potentially double the size of downtown.
The town is also anticipating significant downtown road work in 2027. Guffey hopes to hire an administrator for the NC Main Street program as well as an economic development professional.
Guffey’s move opens up his Town Council seat, and along with the departure of David Culpepper, who will not seek reelection, the board will see some changes come November whether Guffey wins or not. Council Member Rita Salain remains undecided.
DEADLINES
The candidate filing period begins when county boards of election open on Monday, July 7. Candidates can file to run for office during normal business hours until noon on Friday, July 18. All municipal elections in
SWAIN COUNTY
Bryson City Alderman Tim Hines has said he’s running again, while Alderman Ben King remains undecided. The race could get spicy; last summer, the town passed a substantial increase to its water rates, but still finds itself having trouble paying for system upgrades and large capital projects due to its relatively small customer base.
Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties are conducted on a non-partisan basis, meaning candidates who have registered with a major party can — and do — run, but party affiliation doesn’t appear on ballots.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Early voting dates, times and locations will be announced in the near future.
For more information on running for office, registering to vote or voting, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections at ncsbe.gov.
Jackson County votes to leave Fontana Regional Library system
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR
In a historic decision that will reshape the future of public library services in Jackson County, commissioners voted Tuesday night to withdraw from the Fontana Regional Library system after months of controversy over content and control.
The vote, which came at the close of a brief meeting with no public comment period, followed weeks of increasingly contentious debate.
Commissioners had been under mounting pressure from a vocal faction of outside agitators and Jackson County residents who claim Fontana libraries promote “inappropriate” sex education materials to minors, including LGBTQ+ materials.
Supporters of the FRL warned that the move would disrupt services, cost more and expose the county to legal liability over First Amendment issues.
Opponents countered that local control was more important than regional cooperation, accusing Fontana — without basis — of ideological drift and insufficient responsiveness.
Fontana Regional Library officials dispute that claim and spent nearly three hours June
19 answering questions from commissioners about library operations. No clear evidence of FRL’s noncompliance with the 2024 interlocal agreement signed by Jackson County was ever presented by anyone.
Supporters also point to a robust suite of services that would be difficult — if not impossible — for the county to replicate on its own. Those services include access to the statewide NC Cardinal catalog system, coordinated IT support, bulk purchasing, shared staffing and interlibrary loans. Without Fontana, those services would need to be replaced or abandoned.
In the days leading up to the vote, commissioners delayed adopting their annual budget in what many viewed as a sign that pushing the county into the library business at an estimated cost of $500,000 annually might not be the best idea.
Earlier in the meeting, the budget passed with a substantial property tax increase.
Chairman Mark Letson led off discussion on the motion to withdraw and urged caution, citing financial, operational and procedural concerns.
“Especially after last meeting, we see that Fontana has policies in place for child safety, for content, for all of the things that we’ve
brought up as concerns,” Letson said, adding that recent board turnover has already led to policy changes.
Letson argued that leaving Fontana now would likely cost more and could disrupt local library operations.
“Just from what we’ve gathered initially, it’s going to cost us more in the long run than it will if we remain within Fontana,” the commissioner said. “We’ve got some immediate things that are going to have to happen, and it may leave us short-handed at the libraries.”
Citing a lack of formal book appeals, Letson said the community outcry hasn’t matched the urgency of the proposed withdrawal.
“If these books were so bad,” he said, “I would think in the last two months we would have seen a lot of appeals.”
Despite those concerns, the motion to withdraw passed with support from all but Letson.
Commissioner Jenny Hooper said only that the county needs to govern its own library.
Commissioner Todd Bryson said the joint meeting had shown him that the FRL board was unwilling to budge in ways that would violate the First Amendment and that they should “work on some of those things.”
Commissioner Michael Jennings, who said his mind was already made up back on June 3, voted to withdraw.
Commissioner John Smith, however, seemed to offer a compromise solution — perhaps giving FRL time during the yearlong disentanglement process to address concerns brought by commissioners, but that idea went nowhere.
Smith ultimately voted to withdraw, and the motion passed 4-1.
A collection of unified Jackson County FRL supporters responded swiftly, according to a statement provided to The Smoky Mountain News. The nonpartisan group is made up of residents Lauren Baxley, Teri Cole-Smith, Antoinette MacWatt, Kimberley Mason, Sarah Steiner, Steve Steinbrueck and Casey Walawender — who expressed support for the regional system, the Jackson County Public Library and its leadership.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Jackson County commissioners’ decision to withdraw from the FRL system,” the statement reads. “This move comes despite early warnings from County Manager Kevin King that operating an independent system would increase the county budget by at least half a million dollars annually, and despite a variety of adjustments made by JCPL in support of parental rights.”
The statement goes on to say that the move by commissioners threatens the library’s independence, disregards FRL’s highperforming fiscal management and ignores strong public support seen throughout the process.
“We will continue to work to protect the First Amendment rights of minors and to challenge multiple FRL and JCPL board appointments made or recommended in writ-
ing by Jackson County Commissioners,” the statement continues. “These appointments, which were explicitly noted as open to ‘Christian Conservative’ candidates, raise serious concerns about religious discrimination, violate the principle of separation of church and state, and will soon enable the removal of FRL Director Tracy Fitzmaurice. These appointments also open the door to policy changes that may infringe on the constitutional rights of minors and undermine the inclusive mission of our public libraries.”
A Jan. 16 email purportedly written by Commissioner John Smith to FRL board member Bill McGaha says Smith is pushing for more “Conservative Christian” representatives on that board. Religion has played a key role in the library dispute, with a number of pastors — through the lens of their own ideologies — denouncing the library for supposedly pushing LGBTQ+ ideology.
The statement ends by noting that residents are “actively seeking” legal counsel to challenge all actions pertaining to the FRL taken by commissioners, as has happened in Yancey County.
For librarians and staff, the decision leaves more questions than answers. Fontana employees assigned to the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva and the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers are technically FRL employees, not county workers. It’s unclear whether their jobs will be retained, reassigned or eliminated once the transition is complete.
Community members worry the disruption will be felt most acutely by children, seniors and lower-income residents who rely on public libraries not just for books, but for internet access, educational programming, job search assistance and social connection.
Cynthia Mason Womble, acting chair of the FRL board, issued a statement about 90 minutes after the vote. She said she was speaking only for herself, and not for her board.
“We had hoped that the joint meeting offered the Jackson County commissioners a path to a lawful resolution of their concerns. I am disappointed the Jackson County Commissioners voted to pull out of Fontana Regional Library. I believe this decision will negatively impact all three counties and wind up costing more,” Womble told The Smoky Mountain News. “Over the coming year, the Board of Trustees would like to continue a dialogue with Jackson County to execute the responsibilities of the regional agreement with respect to their departure or to their remaining in the region.”
What happens next will likely unfold over months. Jackson County must now send formal notice to Fontana, as required by the interlocal agreement, and begin the lengthy process of building something new from the ground up.
But one thing is clear — Jackson County’s vote to leave Fontana has closed the book on an 81-year partnership. What replaces it, and how much it costs the community in time, money and trust, is a story still being written.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Land of Liberty!
Wishing all of our friends and neighbors here in the community a safe and happy July 4th! We hope your weekend is a blast, but please remember to celebrate responsibly and stay sober behind the wheel.
Swain County Sheriff arrested for sexual battery, suspended from office
BY KYLE P ERROTTI
N EWS E DITOR
Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has been charged with several crimes after allegedly soliciting two women for sexual acts and is now suspended from office.
Cochran, who was first elected to office in 2006, was charged on June 27 with one count of sexual battery, soliciting a prostitute and assault on a female, all misdemeanors, as well as felonious restraint. In addition, Cochran has been charged with violations of the Cherokee Code; specifically, two counts of oppression in office and one count of abusive sexual contact. According to District Attorney Ashley Welch, the allegations may be grounds for a federal corruption charge, as well.
According to court records, Cochran solicited two women for prostitution, grabbing one’s breast and rubbing her thigh “by force and against the will of the other person.”
Shortly after Cochran’s arrest, Welch filed a petition for his removal from office. That petition explains the details of the alleged offenses in more detail.
The petition claims that on the evening of Sunday, June 22, the Cherokee Indian Police Department received a report from a
woman, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, that Cochran had sexually assaulted her while on the Qualla Boundary.
flagged down the vehicle, a Dodge Durango, hoping the officer could help her.”
The driver of the vehicle, who the woman’s boyfriend referred to at the time as
boyfriend both left home after a verbal altercation the afternoon of June 22, 2025, and were both walking along US 19 between Adams Creek and Jenkins Grocery when the woman saw what she believed to be a law enforcement vehicle traveling US 19. She
the situation. The petition claims that as soon as Cochran began driving, he started to touch the woman, continuing despite her objections.
“Curtis immediately took my left pinky and began rubbing it against his polo shirt as we were going by the sand bluff,” a corresponding affidavit signed by the woman reads. “By the time we got to Jenkins Grocery, Curtis began rubbing and squeezing my left breast with his right hand. When Curtis rubbed my left breast, he commented that my breast did not feel real and said, ‘show me.’ I did not show him my breast. I was wearing a camisole and Curtis tried to put his hand under my shirt through the neckline of my top. I would estimate his fingers went several inches into the top of my shirt. I pushed his hand away and told him that I didn’t like that.”
At this point, Cochran allegedly asked her how much she charges for oral sex. When she informed Cochran she doesn’t do that, he continued to urge her to perform that act and even pulled over into a gravel area on the side of the road, got out of the vehicle, went over to her side “so as to block her ability to exit” and said that if she performed oral sex, “all she will have to do is say his name if she got into trouble and he will help her.”
“After expressing his disappointment that [the woman] would not perform oral sex on him, the Sheriff takes [her] back towards her residence. Prior to turning left onto Adams Creek Road, the Sheriff begins rubbing his crotch. After turning on Adams Creek and traveling up the road, [the woman] observes Sheriff Cochran take his penis out of his pants and sees in her peripheral vision that he F
couples
infrared sauna, and foot soaks
relaxing chair massage
Curtis Cochran. File photo
is moving his hand up and down while grunting,” the petition reads.
Cochran allegedly urged the woman to keep secret what had transpired when he dropped her off at home.
“Video cameras obtained outside [the woman’s] home show the Sheriff’s vehicle pull up near [her] home and show her exiting his car quickly, appearing to be upset and not looking back as she got out,” the petition reads.
The woman informed CIPD officers, and an investigation, which included assistance from both the FBI and NCSBI, commenced.
“Information received from the investigation corroborated [the woman’s] allegations,” the petition reads.
But that wasn’t the end of things.
“While law enforcement kept investigating the first report of sexual assault, (CIPD) Assistant Chief Josh Taylor observed a silver unmarked Dodge Durango SUV matching the Sheriff’s law enforcement vehicle on the Boundary driving suspiciously at approximately 16:10 (4:10 p.m.) near the Cherokee Indian Police Department,” the petition reads.
Taylor followed the sheriff’s car, and Cochran allegedly attempted to elude him, but Taylor caught up and stopped him in the driveway of the new Tsali Care Center.
“Once the Sheriff was stopped, a female was found to be in the car with him who had just been released from the Cherokee Indian Police Department jail,” the petition reads, adding that the woman appeared upset but said she was OK.
Taylor decided to let Cochran go, but law enforcement followed the vehicle until it stopped at the Catamount Travel Center. When that woman went inside, law enforcement followed her and made contact.
“Law enforcement approached [the woman] inside the Catamount Travel Center store and observed that she was visibly upset in that she was trembling and appeared to be about to cry. [The woman] informed law enforcement she was scared of that ‘sick, perverted old man,’ Curtis Cochran, who had touched her all over while they were riding down the road and had wanted her to do things that she did not want to do,” the petition reads.
While that woman refused to go to CIPD on June 23, she did submit to an interview the next day at her residence. Her story was similar to that of the woman he’d allegedly solicited earlier, saying Cochran picked her up as she was walking along the road after having been released from jail in Cherokee. Like with the other woman, he began touching her breasts and leg without consent. However, once he realized law enforcement was following him, he dropped her off at the travel center.
EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks issued a statement on the alleged crimes committed on tribal land by Cochran on the two women, one of whom is an enrolled EBCI member. In that statement, he thanked CIPD officers for their vigilance and swift action.
“Our officers and prosecutors are utilizing every available tool to protect our community and pursue justice,” he said. “We
will continue working closely with our state and federal partners as this matter progresses. This remains an active investigation as information continues to be gathered. At this time, the details we can share are limited to protect the integrity of the case.”
“The reinvestment of our inherent sovereign jurisdiction via [The Violence Against Women Act] 2022, was exercised in charging every crime alleged,” Hicks added. “We will continue to use all sovereign authority and power to protect the due process rights of the EBCI and the people within its lands.”
“Defendant Curtis Cochran has shown on multiple occasions that he is willing to misuse the power and authority inherent to the office of Sheriff for improper and criminal personal gain.”
— Petition by District Attorney Ashley Welch
Welch’s petition concludes that Cochran abused his power.
“Defendant Curtis Cochran has shown on multiple occasions that he is willing to misuse the power and authority inherent to the office of Sheriff for improper and criminal personal gain,” the petition reads. “Defendant is an independent constitutionally elected officer which (comes with) considerable power. He has used his office and power as the Sheriff to get at least two women to trust him, get in the car with him looking for help, only to be sexually assaulted.”
Cochran was issued a $2,500 bond for the misdemeanor charges and $15,000 for the felony.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Tessa Sellers suspended Cochran and set a hearing in Graham County for July 7 to review the suspension. She set a final determination in Swain County for July 21 on the petition to remove Cochran. Meanwhile, he had his first appearance on the criminal charges July 1 in Swain County Superior Court.
To replace Cochran, the Swain County Republican Party’s Executive Committee would submit a recommendation to county commissioners for approval. Neither the county’s commission chair Kevin Seagle nor GOP chair David Sawyer responded to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Chief Deputy Brian Kirkland is assuming Cochran’s duties.
“Please feel secure that there will be no disruption in the services provided by the Swain County Sheriff’s Office as a result of this situation,” Kirkland said in a statement on Facebook. “The men and women of the Swain County Sheriff’s Office remain committed to serving and protecting the citizens and residents of Swain County.”
Canton secures land for wastewater plant
Launches bold bid for economic revival
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR
In a move more than a half-century in the making, the Town of Canton has announced the pending purchase of a key parcel of land where it plans to construct a new, state-of-the-art flood-proof wastewater treatment plant — ending a long chapter of dependence on a private system operated by the now-shuttered Pactiv Evergreen paper mill and setting the stage for a bold economic redevelopment of the historic site.
“No more will this town have to beg, plead and be under the thumb of somebody else,” said Mayor Zeb Smathers during a June 26 meeting of the Canton Board of Aldermen/women.
Since the early 1960s, the Town of Canton has benefitted from the mill’s treatment of the town’s wastewater at nearly no cost. The surprise closure of the mill in late May 2023 left the town not only grieving the loss of one of Western North Carolina’s largest employers but also grappling with how to provide a critical public utility.
Pactiv’s aging facility had flooded multiple times over the years, including during Hurricane Helene, and its location in the Pigeon River floodway made future operations increasingly untenable.
Now, thanks to a combination of state appropriations and a painstaking site selection process, Canton’s leaders have found a solution that will anchor both public infrastructure and private investment for generations to come.
“It’s no secret that we have wrestled with the future of wastewater,” Smathers said. “You can talk about the future — homes, businesses, whatever — but you cannot do that if you cannot provide the basic needs of your citizens: fire, police, streets, water, infrastructure.”
The town’s plan involves acquiring approximately 35 to 38 acres on the west side of the former mill site for around $14 million using funds appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly in the latest Hurricane Helene relief bill. The funds were secured through the cooperation of the entire western delegation of the General Assembly and included in a bill passed just hours before Thursday’s meeting. The bill heads to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk next, so the funding is contingent on his signature, which appears imminent.
Eric Spirtas, the developer who bought the 185-acre mill site for $3.36 million late last year, has worked closely to provide wastewater treatment to the town since he formally acquired the parcels earlier this year. Currently, Spirtas allows the town temporary use of the existing treatment plant at a cost of around $140,000 per month.
The relief bill also provides to the town an additional $2 million in emergency operating support for the existing plant.
A previous $38 million General Assembly allocation for the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant will be used as the project progresses. Construction is expected to take several years. The existing facility will continue to operate while the new one is being built.
“You’ve got this old plant we’re going to shrink and then build behind it, so what we think and our engineers back up [is] we can make improvements to the current that can be used,” Smathers said. “So we are saving taxpayer money. Let me say that again for people in the back of the room — we are saving taxpayer money, but we’re also saving time.”
The impending purchase ends the long search for an appropriate parcel; Canton’s governing board listened very closely to the concerns of citizens who didn’t want a wastewater treatment plant in their backyard. Putting the new plant near to the old one solves that problem.
The town’s announcement marks more than just a solu-
tion to a looming infrastructure crisis — it’s also a major step toward revitalizing the shuttered mill site and bringing new jobs to Canton.
“With this money that was provided for us in part of the purchase, Canton will be purchasing the warehouses down there,” Smathers said, referring to structures also on the west side of the Pigeon River. “It’s 153,000 square feet of great economic potential that did not flood.”
Those warehouses, according to Smathers, will serve as a launchpad for what he repeatedly described as a “new chapter” for the town, a future rooted in economic diversification and independence.
Economic development has long been a priority for the Board of Aldermen, and Canton leaders say this moment provides the foundation for manufacturing jobs to return to
said, “Democrats and Republicans [came] together for Haywood County and Canton, because they know what we’ve been through — not just what we’ve been through, but they know we’re going to do it the best way.”
Canton’s governing board is majority Democrat.
Mayor Pro Tem Gail Mull was uncharacteristically brief in her remarks.
“All I can say is thank you,” Mull said. “Like you said, [it was] non-partisan. They came through for us when we needed it the most.”
Just as deserving of credit is David Francis, president and CEO of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. When the mill closed, Francis was Haywood County’s economic development director and remains an important economic develop-
the region in a way that honors the town’s legacy.
“We want good manufacturing jobs in there that are jobproducing, that are clean, that are open and can pay good wages,” said Smathers. “Let us start our future exactly where we left our past when Pactiv closed. We want manufacturing jobs.”
Smathers said the acquisition sends a clear signal across the state that Canton is “open for business” and that everything is on the table — the town may rent, lease or sell the warehouse parcels at its discretion. Smathers told The Smoky Mountain News that all options are on the table.
“I would put our workforce and our community colleges and our schools [up against anybody’s] — you ain’t gonna find a better workforce,” he said. “Come here. You’re gonna find the workers.”
Town board members also took turns thanking staff and legislative partners for what they described as a difficult but unified process.
Smathers read off a long list of legislative allies who helped secure the funds, including Sen. Kevin Corbin (RMacon), Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), Rep. Mark Pless (RHaywood), Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain), Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) and Rep. Dudley Greene (R-Burke), along with House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).
“In these polluted times of partisan politics,” Smathers
discussions with The Smoky Mountain News, Francis said he immediately realized that once the mill closed, the clock was ticking on wastewater treatment. Others involved in the process said Francis has worked incessantly for more than two years to help provide a solution. Haywood County Commissioner Brandon Rogers also played a role as the county’s liaison to the project.
Alderman Ralph Hamlett described the purchase not as the end of the process of recovering from the loss of the 115year-old mill, but as the beginning.
“This is not the culmination of the dream but the genesis of it,” Hamlett said. “Because the future is ours.”
Board member Kristina Proctor also thanked town staff for their dedication.
“Securing your own future is an incessant and often messy task,” Proctor said. “Ultimately, we get there because we have a vision, and we have a community that unites and really pushes us and continues the work forward.”
Proctor closed with a nod to the generational impact of the board’s decision.
“I have a kid in school in Haywood County,” she said. “I want them to stay in Haywood County. I want them to know that there’s opportunity to be here and live here for as long as our families possibly can.”
Alderman Tim Shepard was on vacation and not present at the meeting.
The Town of Canton will purchase some significant acreage and assets on the west bank of the Pigeon River. Google Earth photo
July 4 in a polarized, politicized era
Can my patriotism be politically neutral, separated from my country’s actions if I disagree with those actions? Can it be separated from those who call themselves patriots but who don’t embrace the ideals I think this country stands for? Yes, it can, and I can call myself patriotic while still yelling the loudest when I think this country has gone off track.
For my entire life, July 4 has had special meaning. Musing about our country and its direction and its leadership happens almost every day for me.
My father served 24 years in the Navy, and for the first 10 years of my life I was an itinerant military brat, moving from place to place as duty called my master chief petty officer father to new bases. I distinctly remember — perhaps because we have home movies — of July 4 beach get-togethers when we were stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from 1965 to 1968. The images of my parents and their friends whooping it up — younger in those flickering 16 mm images than I am today — playing volleyball, grilling burgers, everyone smoking cigarettes and drinking beer from coolers of melting ice while the relentless Caribbean sun baked our bodies and the landscape. Other years it was fireworks from the terrace of the chief’s club overlooking the bay in Cuba, a stunning view even without the July 4 pyrotechnics.
Ironically — or maybe not — the Fourth of July has always been my daughter Megan’s favorite holiday. Megan — expect-
Senators should stand tall for USA
To the Editor:
Neither the President’s omnibus budget bill nor the House’s abysmal substitute warrant the approval of sens. Thom Tillis or Ted Budd. The senators should stand up for our country and North Carolina in a time of great need.
Both bills are seriously flawed. (1) They significantly increase our deficit. (2) They unfairly enrich the astronomically wealthy at the expense of our dwindling middle class and our many impoverished citizens. (3) They dramatically decrease health care coverage through massive cuts in Medicaid and wellhidden cuts to Medicare. (4) They would defund or reduce funding of numerous agencies that Congress, in bi-partisan votes, has previously created and funded to protect all our citizens. (5) They would strip funding for critically important climate projects necessary to save humanity.
Our country is drowning in debt. Either spending bill increases U.S. debt by trillions of dollars. A responsible government should be reducing its debt obligations. Our country is overextended and has not had a balanced budget in decades. If Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich can get that done, then a Congress and the executive controlled by the same party should get it done. Reduce our debt.
We need more equitable taxation. The wealth gap between the superrich and average workers who keep this country running day to day has increased phenomenally. That is due
ing her second child July 3, believe it or not — loves the fireworks, the color, the flags, cooking out and the idea of a huge, nationwide summer birthday party.
For probably a decade straight, we would load up the minivan and head to Bryson City for the July 4 Firecracker 5K road race and festival. Lori and I loved to run, but it was more about exposing our children to an active lifestyle, a little patriotism, hang around and check out the handmade wares from the street vendors.
Lori says it was at one of those races that a 9- or 10-year-old Megan — our oldest and a year-round swimmer like her younger sister Hannah — was running ahead of her and slowed down, looked back, and shouted “come on mom, hurry up.” From that day on the child, ascending in her physical abilities, would always beat mom and dad in any foot race. I can distinctly remember the day I think my patriotism, my love for this country, showed itself in its most unbridled self: 9/11. Once we had all our kids safely at home, our little family sat on the front porch and tried to talk about the day and not frighten our children when Lori and I did not have any idea what might unfold over the next few hours or days. There were tears and fears and waving of little flags for the
LETTERS
to a tax code that disproportionately taxes the poor and the middle class. I know, billionaires, oligarchs and their business organizations control campaign purse strings, but you represent all your citizens, not the richest 1% who can create and fund superPACs while the contributions for average citizens are capped. Make the rich pay their fair share and reduce our national debt.
The working poor should not fund deficit reduction. Medicaid is already inadequate to provide health care to the working poor. It should not be cut in funding. Similarly, the funding bills before you also contain well-hidden cuts (recission) to Medicare, which is relied upon by our aging citizens who have paid into Medicare over their working life, at a much higher rate than the rate charged to the wealthy. Allowing the wealthy to stop paying taxes for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid once their income reaches a certain level has caused these essential programs to become underfunded, and the tax break solely for the rich is horribly regressive and unfair.
Federal agencies created by bipartisan congresses to protect consumers should not be defunded. The EPA, the NLRB, the FTC, the FDA, HHS, the FCPB and a host of other agencies protect citizens from abuse and environmental degradation. They serve the public interest. Their funds are essential. The Administration has even acknowledged it has gone too far in firing necessary federal employees.
We need to keep the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) funding of alternative energy
innocent victims who lost their lives that day.
And today? How do we celebrate July 4 in a polarized political moment? When I think back to those old family home movies of my father and his cohorts as young servicemen, I now realize the officers leading those sailors were likely the same who had defeated Hitler and fascism in World War II. Hell, if those sailors were in their late 40s in 1965, some of them probably fought in WWII themselves.
Here’s what I remember about my father and my stepfather — an Army ranger who served several tours in Vietnam — and their relationship to this country: no flag lapel pins, no calling everyone who served a hero, no puffing up when someone congratulated them on their service. Most of the men from that era had a more dignified, personal patriotism that wasn’t worn on their sleeves but was etched in their soul, unlike so many politicians today who have never served. I always admired that kind of strength, one that you knew was there but you didn’t want to let it out of its cage.
So, no politics for me this July 4. I’ll celebrate the ideals of freedom, of free speech and freedom of religion, of the melting pot that makes this country great, the diversity that sets it apart from any other nation on earth, my appreciation for those who have served, my hope that we continue to strive to be the best country we can be. Happy Fourth.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
sources and honor our commitment to address climate change. Climate change is real and a growing threat to all humanity. The IRA funded important, although incomplete, measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bills before you would reverse those essential measures. Moreover, the IRA provides a huge net benefit to North Carolina businesses and workers whose interests you were elected to protect.
Our two senators should oppose both of these bills. Find a better path to fund our government and reduce our national debt. Stand tall for North Carolina and the United States as Sen. Tillis has for Ukraine.
Charles A. Guyton Waynesville
We should fear Trump’s rogue agents
To the Editor:
On June 12, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the following statement during a news conference regarding about 4,700 U.S. military troops in Los Angeles: “We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city.”
This should make every American sit up and listen. Let me get this straight, Kristi Noem just said “we” (the federal government) are “here” (Los Angeles with federal active military) to liberate the city from socialists and the duly elected governor and mayor.
Really? The federal government is going to “liberate” a state and city from the duly elected government. What message is that? I tried to look up what that means and came up with words like totalitarianism, dictatorship, autocracy, authoritarianism, fascism and tyranny. Who are socialists? Are they just Democrats, which represents half the Americans who register a party affiliation, or does this include everyone who supports Social Security and Medicare (quite literally socialist policies)?
This is not an exaggeration nor taken out of context. Here is the actual video: youtu.be/xuUiKx2wUnI
Additionally, in many places in the country, individuals in black body armor with their faces covered and without badges or name tags are snatching people off the streets and taking them away These are apparently Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. One would think any kind of law enforcement personnel should be required to show credentials and present a legal reason of some sort to handcuff and force someone into waiting white vans. Similarities of these activities to the most atrocious dictatorships in the past (and present) cannot be ignored. What is to keep vigilantes from mimicking these anonymous ICE personnel? On what legal or Constitutional principle is this happening? How long until body armored, masked men looking like thugs refusing to show ID or credentials show up in Haywood County accosting people and removing them? Allan Zacher, Lake Junaluska
Editor Scott McLeod
Celebrate our country, not the president
Growing up, my family spent every July Fourth at Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had a little blue and white camper on a permanent lot. It wasn’t much, but it was ours, and years of special memories were made on that little piece of property. When I was 12, we bought a nicer mobile home unit and while it was admittedly helpful to have more space and a small air condition unit, the shinier version never could replace the original in our hearts.
Both my parents were teachers with second jobs at night, so luxury vacations weren’t a part of my childhood. And since we had our own place at the beach, we didn’t have to worry about the upcharge that happens on campground lots and motel rooms during a holiday period. We were able to pull into our little abode and enjoy one another all week, eating a lot of watermelon, riding bikes for hours, and splashing in the waves, awaiting the big night when we would lay an old quilt on the sand and watch the sky alight with fireworks.
My sister and I grew up taking dance and baton lessons and somehow we became part of the annual Fourth of July entertainment for the campground. There was a community center in the middle of Ocean Lakes where they held events such as bingo, craft fairs and BBQ nights. On the Fourth, they set up rows of chairs and it became an entertainment hall where campground guests were invited to perform.
Each year, my sister and I would dance or twirl in red, white and blue costumes to songs such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “In the Navy.” I’ve never been one who
A vote for the OBBB will harm Americans
To the Editor:
This is a letter I sent to Sen. Thom Tillis: Because you had the courage to create and make that presentation to the Senate on what war criminals and enemies of freedom Putin and the Russian regime overall are, I hold out hope that you will vote against — or abstain from voting — for the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or the Senate version of the House budget reconciliation bill with its sneak attack on our republic.
As you must know, to vote for it is to destroy U.S. courts’ authority and give nearly all power to the president. A vote for it would finish off our already-wounded balance of power. You would be effectively destroying the Constitution and what shred of the rule of law is left. You would be castrating yourself as a federal lawmaker.
I believe that you love the USA and understand the Constitution; therefore, you will vote against or abstain from voting for this evil bill.
You surely know that the pretexts for slashing Medicaid and Medicare are lies. You must know that over the next several years, this bill would cause the deaths of millions of babies and others living in poverty
enjoys being the center of attention, and I recall being grateful when the show was over so I could simply enjoy being a normal kid and enjoy the rest of the festivities without the impending nerves of performing in front of spectators.
Over a three- or four-day span, Ocean Lakes offered a calendar of patriotic events from the show at the community center to a pig pickin’ to a golf cart parade and we enjoyed every moment. It reminds me of how Lake Junaluska offers a series of activities leading up to the fireworks display over the water.
My boys will grow up and have their own special memories of the Fourth of July, most of which have happened in Haywood County. I have years’ worth of pictures showcasing my boys and their friends lined up on a stone wall at Lake Junaluska waving little flags and awaiting the midmorning parade before spending the day at the pool, grilling out, then ending the night watching fireworks. One of my last memories of my mom was all of us sitting on the balcony at the Terrace Hotel watching the fireworks. Over the years, we’ve also enjoyed fireworks in Canton and Maggie Valley.
Whether you’re someone who visits a certain place on the Fourth or takes advantage of the events in your hometown, most everyone can recall beautiful moments and heartfelt memories related to this holiday. With it
as well as the deaths of veterans receiving cancer treatment and counseling for PTSD. (And no, privatizing health care would cost even more than it already does. We see daily here in Western North Carolina the damage
falling in the middle of summer break for kids, it always feels like the climax of summertime, the midpoint before moving into the weeks leading up to the start of school.
For some, it’s challenging to feel patriotic right now, but I was recently reminded of a Theodore Roosevelt quote that said, “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president … It is patriotic to support him in so far as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country.”
There are people who are refusing to celebrate Independence Day this year as an act of advocacy or resistance, but for me, supporting our country and agreeing with the president are vastly different. Presidents come and go, but our country remains our country, meaning we can’t abandon it during tough times, just like we wouldn’t abandon a person we love during a rough patch. As the Roosevelt quote reminds us, we must do the opposite. It would be unpatriotic not to voice our opinions or support what’s right when the president appears hellbent on the contrary
As we go through this week and into the Fourth of July holiday, take some time to embrace all for which you are grateful. Spend quality time with your loved ones, lean into the small moments and focus on making memories. Years from now as we sit around and talk about “back when,” let’s ensure the stories we’ll be telling are good ones.
(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media professional. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)
Christian corporations to rape nature for their own profits.
done to health care by giant corporations that have bought some of our hospitals. Profit, not patients’ health, is their goal). You would be closing the few hospitals we have left in our rural areas, including here in the counties west of Asheville and state-wide. You would be saying yes to the destruction of Creation by slashing the too-small budgets and staff of our national parks and national forests and allowing greedy anti-
I imagine you and your family are facing death threats if you do not vote with Trump. I implore you to remind yourself of the alternative: if there is a hell, and surely you believe there is, a vote for this bill is so completely anti-Christian that it alone would condemn you to eternal torment. In my tiny rural farming community of western Kentucky and in Selma in the early 1960s, our conservative mainstream churches taught us to care for the Earth, to be good stewards of Creation. The current perverted cult of greed seems to believe only in Mammon. Slow death from no healthcare, and slow death from gutted medical research and environmental research, when we could easily afford them by taxing the already obscenely rich, is still murder. Think long and hard about this vote because the U.S. as a nation built on Christian principles will live or die because of your decision.
Mary Jane Curry Waynesville
Susanna Shetley
What’s new at Yonder?
Although those who frequent Yonder Community Market are well-aware that it has become a beloved culinary hub in Franklin, the property itself remains one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to live music and fellowship in Western North Carolina.
“We want to create a place of good vibes, and to be good hosts to whoever plays here, to whoever finds themselves here to listen to the music,” said Hannah Edwards, co-owner of Yonder. “We’re always looking at different ways to expand our vision and to find new ways to bring the community together.”
Located at the corner of Georgia Road and Hillcrest Avenue on the outskirts of downtown Franklin, YCM, operated by Edwards and her husband, Alan, is your one-stop shop for organic provisions and community interaction.
Alexa
plays Yonder Community Market Medicine for living
Rose
On Sunday afternoon, as a good portion of Western North Carolina was experiencing rainstorms, the early summer sunshine broke through the clouds at Yonder Community Market in Franklin. Soon, the rays of light cascaded through the large oak trees while acclaimed singer-songwriter Alexa Rose performed.
“Our job [as songwriters] is to be vulnerable and brave enough to dive into the human experience,” Rose said. “And come up for air every so often with a small treasure of reflection.”
As part of the YCM’s “Summer Songwriter Series,” the once-a-month concerts at the organic grocery store have become a popular word-of-mouth experience for locals and visitors alike. And as a few dozen folks unfolded their camping chairs, all while stocking up on snacks from the YCM, Rose echoed across the side lawn, a bustling Georgia Road in the background. It was a scene of serenity and of sacred performance.
a guitar at 13 years old,” Rose said. “I taught myself a few chords on that guitar and started writing songs. And I think this only happened because no one was telling me how to do it. No one was pressuring me to be good or right. It was almost like a secret between me and these songs.”
Rose looks at that creative freedom as key to honing her craft.
“It was really essential that I had all that freedom to explore when I was growing up and finding music,” Rose said. “To be creative, you have to be in a state of play, and you can’t get there if there are too many rules and judgments.”
Rose conjures a genuine sense of calm and solidarity with any stage she may find herself on. It’s this seamlessness of self, and of purpose, that underlines the mere fact she’s meant to be a performer.
“Every single person sitting in a venue has their own experience of the world around them and of the show they’re seeing,” Rose said. “You’re not going to please everyone, so go out there and be yourself and do it with love. My goal is to make people feel at ease, to feel seen inside and outside of the songs.”
Sitting in her home along a mountain ridge in the depths of Western North Carolina, Rose remains as inspired as ever by the ancient beauty of what lies just outside the front door.
With its tagline of “Eat Real Food,” the grocery store offers a plethora of high-quality products and onsite events throughout the year. Local produce and meats. Live music and outdoor yoga. It’s all here and more.
And YCM has been fine-tuning the business and the property itself. Beyond recently constructing a permanent stage for live shows, YCM has expanded, both physically and also within its vast product line. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
“Songs exist to remind us that we are human, and being human have never not been a mess,” Rose said. “We need songs to call out how the world is burning and call us to action. And we also need love songs. We need songs about simple things that transport us to a place that feels safe — it’s all tied together.”
Rolling through a slew of older material and new cuts from her upcoming fall release, “Atmosphere,” Rose and guitarist Josh Oliver captivated the audience. The melodies swirled around the property, the heat and humidity of late June slowly fading in the shade of the oaks, a slight breeze from the surrounding mountains flowing through.
“To live here and represent the region musically is such a privilege and gift that is continually deepening and reaffirming itself,” Rose said.
Nowadays, Rose calls Haywood County home. Originally from the Alleghany Highlands of Virginia, Rose was raised in the small railroad town of Clifton Forge, which is just north of Roanoke.
“Being Appalachian is at the core of who I am as an artist and person,” Rose said. “There is a quiet resilience to the people and the land, and so much wonder and wisdom to tap into.”
As a teenager, Rose took piano and voice lessons, but it was the guitar that felt most comfortable within her grasp, literally and figuratively.
“The moment it really clicked for me was when I was handed
“There is a calm and a kindness in the landscapes I try to tap into, both in my writing and how I approach the world, though it will probably take a lifetime to get it right,” Rose said. “Our mountains are so old and weathered and gentle. Anytime I look out to see the hills turn blue in the evening, I feel cradled and at home.”
Want to go?
The “Summer Songwriter Series” is currently underway at Yonder Community Market in Franklin.
From May through October, the YCM hosts one show each month on its White Oak Stage. All concerts are free with a suggested donation of $20 (the offering plate gets passed around during the performance). Kid-friendly. Dog-friendly. Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed.
Upcoming artists to appear onstage include Tyler Ramsey (July 27), Holler Choir (Aug. 24), Nicholas Edward Williams (Sept. 28) and Angela Autumn (Oct. 12). All shows begin at 4 p.m. During the show, the YCM is open to sell drinks, snacks and provisions for you to enjoy while listening to the music. As well, there is a special “Country Thursdays” showcase at 6 p.m. weekly. That event is also free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.200.2169 or visit eatrealfoodinc.com.
Alexa Rose performed in Franklin on June 29.
Garret K. Woodward photo
Alexa Rose File photo
Alan and Hannah Edwards Garret K. Woodward photo
Tyler Ramsey. File photo
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
‘Let’s welcome the change, no song unsung’
It’s been a few days since the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado ended. And I’m still riding the high on that experience, all while I sit here and do my laundry in West Waynesville, the air-conditioning of the establishment a reprieve from the intense heat and humidity this week.
In truth, I can’t help thinking that Telluride was, in all honesty, probably the most transformative and mesmerizing festival experience of my life, personally and professionally. And for someone like myself who has attended hundreds of festivals from coast to coast over the last 25 years, I don’t make that statement lightly. Not at all.
The lineup, the venue, and the setting surrounding everyone in attendance that was Telluride and the San Juan Mountains is second-tonone on this earth. You see, the allure of festivals is this sense of unknown adventure, all with a live soundtrack of all your favorite music, either known and beloved or simply discovered during the event.
Running into old friends, sparking new ones by mere happenstance. The unrelenting zig-zag of your wandering and pondering throughout the weekend. Midday expeditions via trail runs along the mountain ridges cradling Telluride. Midnight shenanigans at century-old saloons and dive bars tucked around the corner in the depths of the night.
band, that song. The power of music. I’ll continue to chase it, continue to let myself go and become vulnerable to those melodic moments unfolding in real time, always and forever.
But, regardless, here I sit in the laundromat, typing away wildly, inspiration rocketing through my fingertips and they tick away across the keyboard on my laptop. Inspiration from not only the music sought-after in Telluride, but also the memories gathered along the journey.
At my hotel above Telluride in Mountain Village. I got in late Wednesday night after a full day of travel from Asheville to Denver to
Montrose via flight, then an hour-and-a-half shuttle ride from Montrose to the Peaks Resort. Thus, with a blanket of darkness covering the landscape, I couldn’t see the vast, ancient mountains.
HOT PICKS
1
”Great American Bash” will feature Americana/rock sensation The Brothers Gillespie and The Borrowed Band (country/ western) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.
2
”An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Missy Raines & Allegheny at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
3
”Art After Dark” will continue its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 4, in downtown Waynesville.
4
”Concerts on the Creek” music series will host Gotcha Groove at 7 p.m. Friday, July 4, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
5
A special stage production of “Ripcord” will be held at 7:30 p.m. July 4-5, 10-12 and 2 p.m. July 6 and 13 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
People often ask me, “Why do you put yourself through all that?” when it comes to the endless travel and organized chaos of life that it takes to get to these destinations. All I can answer with is that there are moments at each festival that wash over my heart and soul with such splendor, grandeur, and grace. These sonic snippets that eternally attach themselves to my absolute being.
Sure, there were numerous snippets throughout Telluride. But, in the hearts and hearts, the core snippet was the I’m With Her set at the Sheridan Opera House ‘round midnight on Friday. Built in 1913, the incredibly intimate venue (capacity: 264) provided the perfect setting for IWH. And in the midst of the show, it was “Year After Year” that just made my soul soar.
In truth, that show might have been one of the finest musical moments of my entire life. Goosebumps up and down my body. Tears welling up in my eyes. I felt so much running through me. Thinking of those I miss dearly, either six feet under or thousands of miles away. I thought of life, in general, and how wild and wondrous it is to be present and in the moment.
I’m getting chills right now and slight tear in my eye reflecting on that moment, that
The next morning, I awoke, pulled back the drapes, walked onto the balcony, and just stood in absolute awe of the rugged peaks of the San Juan range. Poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed a seat on the balcony, and felt this great sense of self — a much-needed feeling of rejuvenation after almost a year of sadness and trudging through life trying to make sense of everything.
From there, it was getting a lay of the land, whether it be the downtown corridor of Telluride itself, but more so the mountains and trails surrounding my hotel. With half of my one bag of luggage literally being running clothes and my trail shoes, I was licking my lips as to what kind of single-track paths I could find and disappear down in the coming days between, interviews, festival sets and other obligations.
Heck, even on my first day onsite at the festival (Thursday), the genuine camaraderie and surreal nature of Telluride came into focus. During the stunning I’m With Her set on the main stage, I found myself sitting alone in the front row of the massive crowd.
Soon, the legend himself, the “King of Telluride,” Sam Bush, walks up and goes, “Hey Garret, anyone sitting next to you?” Nope. Empty seat. All yours, Sam. To note, Sam, who’s now 73, been coming to Telluride and
performing every year since 1975, when he was just 23 and part of pioneering jam-grass ensemble New Grass Revival.
So, Sam and myself watched the IWH show in awe. And between songs, he’d tell me all about the old days of the festival, how tiny the original stage was in the 1970s, and how he remembers watching the members of IWH (Aoife O’Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins) when they were young kids first coming to Telluride years ago.
It meant a lot to have that conversation. It always does, no matter who it is I either make a time and place to interview or merely someone I crossed paths with serendipitously. Casein-point, on my flight back to Asheville on Monday afternoon, I ended up at a Mexican restaurant in transit while at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
While awaiting my taco plate and sipping on a cold Michelob Ultra draft, I overheard the woman next to me say she was heading back home to Asheville after a weekend in Telluride for the festival. So, naturally, we started talking, soon comparing notes about our favorite things we heard and saw at the festival.
She ended up having an open seat in her row on our flight and asked if I wanted to join her, not only for more legroom in this “economy plus” section of the plane, but also for a continued conversation about nothing and everything. Turns out we both had gone through a lot in the past year, whether it be via the flood last fall or just the stresses of daily life.
By the time we landed in Asheville a couple hours later, I’d made a new friend in this crazy and surreal world of ours. It felt good to sit and talk at-length, to interact with this stranger now fast friend, where you don’t feel so alone in this universe when you genuinely connect with another through a mutual love of music, adventure, and conversation.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
Telluride, Colorado. Garret K. Woodward photo
Stecoah welcomes bluegrass legend
Raines will play
On the beat ALSO:
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Missy Raines & Allegheny at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
Raines has garnered some of the biggest accolades in the music industry, including 14 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors, with 10 being awarded for “Bass Player of the Year.” Raines’ release “Royal Traveller” was also nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Bluegrass Album” in 2020.
The annual summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass,
folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists — quality entertainment for the entire family.
Rich in cultural heritage, the series continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. The concert will be held in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students grade K-12. Dinner will also be available for purchase in the Schoolhouse Cafe starting at 6 p.m.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.479.3364 or visit stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays, In Flight July 12 and Smooth Goose (rock/ jam) July 19. 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.
• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host Second Chance July 5 and Mile High (classic rock/country gold) July 12. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host A. Lee Edwards (Americana/indiefolk) July 2, Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/ bluegrass) 11 a.m. July 4, Marc & Anita Pruett (Americana/bluegrass) July 9 and Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana/country) July 16. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranchevents/live-music.
• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Gotcha Groove Band July 4 and Stella Rising July 11. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 / mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-thecreek.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Tennessee Bluegrass Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 16. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $50 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.
writer) 6 p.m. July 3 and 18. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.
• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with Iris & Ross Copperman (Americana) 8 p.m. July 17 (tickets are $39.19 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center will host Rodney Marsalis & The Philadelphia Big Brass (jazz) 7:30 p.m. July 18. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays and The Fuzzy Peppers July 19. 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 Shane Meade & Rob Masten (Americana/ indie) 4 p.m. July 13. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.
• 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 gets the blues
Americana/folk singer-songwriter Woolybooger will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.
Dubbed “music to grow your hair out to,” the Murphy musician, whose real name is Gavin Graves, is well-regarded in this region for his mix of blues and roots music into a unique Southern Appalachian tone. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.926.1717 or visit meadowlarkmotel.com. Woolybooger. File photo
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages) and “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Free and open to the public. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Friday Night Live Concert Series (Highlands) will host Nitrograss (Americana/bluegrass) July 11 and Johnny Webb Band July 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host The Black Crowes (rock/jam) 9 p.m. July 25. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.
• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Zorki (singer-song-
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host a “Community Jam” from 6-7:30 p.m. each first and third Thursday of the month and Sarah “Songbird” Burkey (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. July 10. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host a “Bluegrass Jam” 5-7 p.m. Sundays, Woolybooger (blues/folk) July 3, Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) July 5, Amos Jackson (soul/funk) July 10 and Ramblin’ Ricky Tate (country/folk) July 12. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host Ryan B. Jazz Trio 2 p.m. July 4, The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs 5 p.m. July 4, Holler & Crow 2 p.m. July 5, Dirty French Broads 5 p.m. July 5, Blue (Americana/blues) 2 p.m. July 6, River Pickin’ (Americana) 5 p.m. July 11, Old Sap (Americana/folk) 2 p.m. July 12, The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs 5 p.m. July 12 and Christina Chandler
Missy
Stecoah July 5. File photo
‘Concerts on the Creek’
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 16th season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series.
Gotcha Groove will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, July 4, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. To note, since it’s the Fourth of July, there will be a fireworks display at dusk.
“Concerts on the Creek” are held every Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, with donations encouraged. Dogs must be on a leash. No smoking, vaping, coolers or tents are allowed. Bring a chair or blanket. There will be food trucks on select nights.
For more information, call the chamber at 828.586.2155, visit mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek or go to the “Concerts on the Creek” Facebook page.
(singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. July 13. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com.
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Mission Accomplished (classic rock) July 12. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.
• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host Shane Meade & The Sound (Americana/soul) July 12 and The Breakfast Club July 19. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Hannah & Madge (pop/duo) July 3, “Great American Bash” with The Brothers Gillespie (Americana/indie) and The Borrowed Band (country/western) 4:30-9:30 p.m. July 5 (tickets are $15 general admission, $35 VIP), Phil Thomas (rock/folk) July 10 and Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana/country) July 12. 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 Adam & Joe 6 p.m. July 3, Generations 4 p.m. July 4, Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) 5 p.m. July 5 and Diana Nouveau (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. July 6. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.
• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (free), Missy Raines & Allegheny (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. July 5 (adults $20, kids $10) and Amanda Cook Band (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. July 12 (adults $20, kids $10).
828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with David Cheatham (Americana/bluegrass) July 10 and Melissa McKinney (Americana/soul) July 17. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Contagious 4 p.m. July 6. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.
• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Monica Spears July 6 and Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) July 13. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Modern Mammals (Americana/indie) July 4, The Shortoff Mountain Boys (Americana/bluegrass) July 5, Seth & Sara (Americana) July 11 and Magic Birds July 12. 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 Tyler Ramsey (Americana/indie) 4 p.m. July 27. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts
Gotcha Groove. File photo
On the beat
Ready for the ‘Great American Bash’?
The second annual “Great American Bash” will feature Americana/rock sensation The Brothers Gillespie and The Borrowed Band (country/western) on Saturday, July 5, in the parking lot of The Scotsman, located at 37 Church St. in downtown Waynesville.
Doors open at 4 p.m. Music kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with The Borrowed Band, with The Brothers Gillespie hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m. A special after-party will follow inside The Scotsman at 9:30 p.m. (the afterparty is free).
Tickets for the GAB are $15. VIP tickets are also available for $35, which includes one drink and one meal. The VIP meal will be a specific offering from The Scotsman for the event itself. The VIP entry includes an exclusive bar and bathroom.
This is an all ages outside event. Rain or shine. Ticket sales are final. Parking is free and located on the streets surrounding The Scotsman.
Full bar service available (N/A and alcoholic drinks for purchase). Food by The Scotsman available (food for purchase). Must be over 21 and have a valid ID to purchase alcohol. If you are caught with outside alcohol or drugs of any kind, you will be asked to leave with no refund.
To note, children ages 12 and under are admitted free. Strollers and camping chairs are allowed. However, camping chairs must be placed in the rear section of the viewing area. No outside food or drink. Bags and purses are subject to search. No weapons. No animals (except for service animals).
Tickets will be available for purchase at the door throughout the event. Reentry is also permitted, but patrons must be wearing their admission bracelet at all times during the event to do so.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets online, visit gab2withthebrothersgillespie.eventbrite.com.
Chamber music returns
The popular Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas (CMSC) will host its annual summer residency at 4 p.m. July 13, 20, 27 and Aug. 3 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
Featuring the Jasper String Quartet and other talented special guests, performances are creative, joyful, up-close and intimate.
tion’ between instruments.”
“It’s music that transcends sitting in your seat,” said J Freivogel, founding and current first violinist of the Jasper String Quartet. “Experience the thrilling nature of live performance during the CMSC concerts. Come hear top-notch musicians and see their craft up close. Watch the way they create — and hear the musical ‘conversa-
Single tickets are $35 per person, with season tickets $120. Students and youth will be admitted free. Donations to the CMSC can be made online and are appreciated to support these performances. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit cms-carolinas.com. Tickets are also available at the door by cash/check.
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 67:30 p.m. Thursday, July 3, on the front patio of the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer or anything unplugged is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of the Sawmill Creek Porch Band.
The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — spring, summer, fall.
This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.
For more information, call 828.488.3030.
The Brothers Gillespie will play Waynesville July 5. File photo
Suzanne Barrett Justis is a featured artisan at ‘Art After Dark.’
Waynesville art walk, live music
A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, July 4, in downtown Waynesville.
Each first Friday of the month (May-December), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit downtownwaynesville.com.
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host an “Antique & Craft Market” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.
• “Didanisisgi 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. For more information, visit motcp.org.
• “Form” is the latest exhibit on display at the Haywood Handmade Gallery, located at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville. This engaging show features work from local artist members and explores the concept of form. For more information about the showcase and/or other events at the HCAC, visit haywoodarts.org.
• “Art After Dark” will be held from 6-9 p.m. each first Friday of the month (MayDecember) in downtown Waynesville. Main Street transforms into an evening of art, live music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors alike. The event is free and open to the public. downtownwaynesville.com.
• 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. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com.
• Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. every third Monday each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The club welcomes photographers of all skill levels to share ideas and images at the monthly meetings. waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.
• Haywood County Arts Council (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, 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/scc-locations/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.
