Smoky Mountain News | August 20, 2025

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Feeding bears is dangerous, illegal, yet common Page 27

On the Cover:

In the weeks following Curtis Cochran’s retirement from his long-held job as Swain County Sheriff, four candidates, including the new sheriff, have said they will run in 2026. As the filing period closes in, the race is already shaping up to be much more than simply a chance to elect a new law enforcement leader — it’s a chance to reckon with several challenges facing the agency and the community. (Page 6) Micah McClure illustration

News

Democratic hopefuls sidestep gala flap as Clayton outlines plan........................4

Haywood hires consultant for hazard mitigation grant applications....................8

Man who shot video at local dump sues Haywood sheriff, dump owner........10 Sylva candidate forum set for Aug. 21........................................................................11

Haywood provides update on innovative middle school......................................12 WCU’s project receives $450K grant ......................................................................13

Opinion

The time of year for new

A&E

Earl Scruggs Music Festival

HART

Outdoors

New grants boost Helene recovery efforts................................................................24 Smokies reminds visitors that feeding bears is illegal and dangerous ............27

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Democratic hopefuls sidestep gala flap as Clayton outlines long-term plan

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR

The political rift over an upcoming Democratic gala — an internal dust-up that sparked chatter across Western North Carolina political circles — was nowhere in sight on Aug. 12, as three NC-11 congressional hopefuls stepped to the podium in Waynesville alongside state party chair Anderson Clayton.

Instead, the meeting of the Haywood County Democratic Party unfolded as a show of unity, with each candidate making their pitch to voters before Clayton delivered a sweeping speech on reclaiming the state’s judiciary and legislature ahead of the next decennial redistricting.

“I want you all to feel confident when you leave here about the plan for the state, because you all are a part of something much bigger than just here in Haywood County,” Clayton told a crowd of around 50. “You’re a part of something here in Haywood County, but you’re part of something statewide, too. And I need each and every one of you to believe that, and to want to get in this fight with me again.”

It was the first time three declared Democratic candidates for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District had appeared together in Haywood County since a weeks-old controversy over a Democratic Party gala roiled local activists.

The so-called “gala flap” — a dispute over the event’s keynote speaker, candidate Jamie Ager — had drawn criticism from some in the party’s base for presenting the appearance of favoritism. The district chair later resigned, after the district party apparatus acknowledged the mistake and opened up speaking opportunities for all candidates at the event.

of it) I can offer immediate value as a mascot, emcee, and figurehead for online presence, fundraising and media interaction,” Harjes said in a statement on the NC-11 Dems website.

District Secretary Karen Smith, a Macon County resident, has also thrown her hat in the ring.

gate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

“In my short time in this Party, I have been given the honor to see our party from the precinct unit all the way to the DNC. I know our party often is weighed down by drama and disputes that don’t move us forward,” Ross wrote. “However, there is no doubt in my mind the Democrat party in North Carolina, and in our region, are in the best position that they have been in for a long time and can make practical differences in the lives of the people who need to see them.”

Others are rumored to be interested in the position, which will be filled by an election on Sept. 3.

At least one candidate, Asheville nurse practitioner and real estate investor Chris Harjes, was upset enough to pull out of the race — sort of. Harjes has said he would no longer actively campaign but hasn’t exactly withdrawn and has since launched a bid for that now-vacant NC-11 chair position. Democrats in the 11th Congressional District have not been able to secure stable leadership for the role for a decade or more.

“Despite my lack of Party experience (or perhaps because

wrote. “I have actually lost count. I have served on the district officers board longer than any current member. I understand the work involved in implementing the work of this district. I think my service to the district proves that I can be counted on to stick it through.”

On Aug. 18, Haywood County’s Jesse Ross joined the race. Ross, the youngest candidate in the race, has a history of party activism that includes chartering Young Democrats chapters in 13 Western North Carolina counties and working on both local and national levels, serving as a 2024 dele-

AAger, Zelda Briarwood and Moe Davis focused on why they’re running and how they think they can win. Briarwood told the crowd she’d been meeting more people across Western North Carolina than she ever anticipated and finding common themes.

“They are sick of the same old politics as usual,” she said. “They are sick of not having a representative that actually represents them and advocates for them, and that they’re done waiting for accountability to show up to Washington.”

Briarwood cited her work in residential treatment facilities, as a case manager for survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking and in the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office as evidence of her ability to advocate for marginalized residents.

“Western North Carolina deserves an advocate, deserves someone who is in it for them — not for profit, not for power, not for personal gain — and will not back down to the Trump administration and the complete lack of humanity that we are seeing from the Republican Party,” she said.

Former congressional candidate and 2020 nominee Moe Davis reminded the audience that that year’s race had been hampered by the onset of COVID-19.

“You can’t campaign in Western North Carolina — 3,000 homes don’t have broadband. You can’t reach them on Zoom. You gotta go there. And we couldn’t do that back in 2020,” Davis said of his 2020 defeat by Republican Madison Cawthorn, who served only one term after losing the 2022 Primary Election to the current congressman, Rep. Chuck Edwards (RHenderson).

Davis, a retired Air Force colonel, prosecutor and administrative law judge, said Democrats must form coalitions if they want to win in a district where they make up less than a quarter of registered voters.

to retake the North Carolina Supreme Court before the next round of redistricting.

Clayton began by recalling last November’s election results, in which Democrats flipped two statewide races and won six overall — outcomes she said weren’t replicated anywhere else in the country. She credited rural volunteers for helping shift the political trend in the mountains, despite the Trump victory statewide.

“Western North Carolina was one of only three regions across the country that trended more to the left than it did the right last election cycle,” she said. “And you all should feel damn proud that we did that.”

Clayton detailed a three-step plan to reclaim North Carolina’s Supreme court, starting with last year’s successful defense of Justice Allison Riggs’ seat, followed by Justice Anita Earls’ reelection bid in 2026 and culminating in 2028, when three Republican-held seats will be on the ballot.

“Democrats

make up 24.5% of this district. Republicans make up 32%. Unaffiliated voters make up 42%. There just aren’t enough of us to win. We can’t make this about Democrats and Republicans if we want a Democrat to win.”

“Democrats make up 24.5% of this district. Republicans make up 32%. Unaffiliated voters make up 42%,” Davis said. “There just aren’t enough of us to win. We can’t make this about Democrats and Republicans if we want a Democrat to win.”

He said his campaign motto — “kicking ass for the working class” — reflects the need to focus on issues that cut across party lines, like protecting veterans’ health care.

“Cutting the staff at the VA is not good for a Democrat or a Republican,” Davis said. “We want to look out for you and for everybody in Western North Carolina.”

Jamie Ager, a Fairview farmer and businessman, made his first appearance in Haywood County as a candidate, joined by his parents.

“My wife and I came back to the farm sort of young and idealistic about saving the family farm,” he said. “And now we’re in our late 40s … and we’re still idealistic and fired up about saving family farms and making agriculture work in this region.”

Ager described building a wholesale meat company over 25 years, working with farmers of varied political persuasions.

“These are the people that are really getting the thing done on the ground every day, and that’s what I’ve been doing for 25 years,” he said.

The speeches set the stage for Clayton, who delivered a wide-ranging address linking local organizing to a long-term strategy

Donations for the FRIENDS of the Haywood County Animal Shelter appreciated.

— Moe Davis

“We have the ability to take back our Supreme Court, and in 2029 make sure that partisan and racial gerrymandering is illegal again in the state of North Carolina,” she said.

She argued that court races directly affect national politics, noting that a fair congressional map in 2022 had produced a 7-7 partisan split in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

“If we did not have a gerrymandered North Carolina right now, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) would be Speaker of the House today,” Clayton said.

Looking ahead to the next census and reapportionment, Clayton said North Carolina is likely to gain a congressional seat.

“We’re going to be able to dictate whether that seat’s a Democrat or Republican, too,” she said, urging attendees to start now by talking to friends and family about Earls and the stakes of the 2026 race.

While acknowledging the challenges of winning in NC-11, which some Democrats think is ripe for flipping, Clayton said the candidates on stage showed it could be done.

“We can convince folks to vote for a Democrat, but we’re going to have to show up in their communities even harder than we’ve done the last two years,” she said.

A badge of honor

Restoring trust touted by hopefuls in crowded Swain sheriff’s race

Ionly a month and a half on the job, will have company on the ballot come 2026.

filing this early isn’t unheard of (there’s already a challenger for Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks) this race will be different — it’s a chance for Swain County to move in a new direction, one where trust is rebuilt and promises of transparency are kept long-term.

Cochran retired July 1, about a week after he was charged in both Swain County and on the Qualla Boundary for a pair of alleged sexual assaults. According to the allegations, Cochran, driving his countyissued police vehicle, picked up two women on the same day, solicited them for sex and assaulted them once they rejected his advances. On July 21, he was indicted by a Swain County grand jury on a second-degree rape charge tied to a third alleged victim.

role he served in until 2004. He then took a job at the Cherokee Indian Police Department, where he worked patrol and became sergeant detective in 2009, investigating a variety of crimes. He came back to Swain County in 2011 when he took a position as administrative captain, which he held until March of this year, when, following former Chief Deputy Jason Gardner’s retirement, he became Cochran’s second in command.

who most recently served the Macon County Sheriff’s Office as a detective but also has a background in patrol.

In accordance with state law, Kirkland, who had been Cochran’s chief deputy since March, became the interim sheriff. The

He told The Smoky Mountain News that while he’d intended to run for sheriff in Swain County once the opportunity presented itself, it’s happened earlier and more abruptly than he’d imagined. He feels like he was prepared for the job, although perhaps not the introduction to the political world.

“Knowing how to do the job is no differ-

The sheriff is a crucial position in the county whose office is required by statute to provide security at both the county jail and the courthouse while also serving people with civil papers, in addition to regular law enforcement duties. When an incumbent doesn’t run for re-election, the race to hold the most powerful elected job in the county usually brings plenty of contenders. Such is the case in Swain County, with four men announcing their candidacies more than three months before the filing period opens.

The lone vote against Kirkland’s appointment came from Republican Commissioner David Loftis, who mentioned by name a man he thought would make a good sheriff

ple of years as a detention officer, Birchfield became a patrol deputy. In 2003, he took a job as a domestic vio-

lence victims advocate for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which led him to join the Cherokee Indian Police Department investigating domestic violence and sexual assault cases. While he’s been out of law enforcement since 2016, Birchfield said he feels called back to the badge.

“Being a Christian man, I’ve felt this whole time I need to be out there doing more,” Birchfield said.

Southards, 55, currently serves as the assistant chief of police for Andrews in Cherokee County, but he began his law enforcement career in 1997 as a deputy in Swain County. Like the other candidates, Southards has an array of experience, from detention officer to being a school resource officer to investigations.

Some, including Southards, believe there is a lack of a presence from the sheriff’s office throughout the community. He recommended getting deputies more involved and more visible, partially by hosting events like coffee with a cop that have been a success for other law enforcement agencies around the region. Southards thinks that events that bring deputies into contact with the youth, such as shop with a cop, are particularly important.

“I’d see these kids, and sometimes, the only time they see us is in a negative light, when you’re arresting their parents,” Southards said.

Kirkland said he plans on getting rid of a program Cochran ran where Swain County inmates were allowed gifts and time with loved ones around the holidays and instead doing shop with a cop. The event pairs deputies with local children to pick out some gifts they otherwise may not get. He also wants to see other community outreach efforts, such as partnering with local businesses for similar endeavors — for example, SROs may go rafting with specially selected students from county schools.

cover when deputies are on vacation or out for training. Kirkland said last time his office ran the numbers around the beginning of July, patrol deputies were answering about 35 calls per day from a population of about 14,000, which can easily double during certain busy tourist seasons.

Kirkland said that he understands how difficult this makes things on those who are on both patrol deputies and those who need their services.

“When I started here in early 2000s, you had to cover the county by yourself, and you had to wait for another jurisdiction to show up to back you up,” he said.

Minor structural reorganization could free up a few deputies, possibly allowing for three per shift, but that’s tough with such thin numbers across the board.

Southards proposed creating three distinct patrol zones to ensure deputies aren’t too near each other, meaning any call will theoretically have a quicker response. However, with just two deputies per shift, Kirkland thinks that zones won’t do much good, especially since all it takes is one call that requires backup to tie up all patrol resources anyway. Kirkland thinks shifting the focus is what’s needed. For example, where now, deputes spend time working drug interdiction on U.S. 74 without what Kirkland considers the proper resources to even make that a worthwhile endeavor, those personnel could be better used patrolling other areas.

In addition, he wants patrol deputies to spend more time in and around the communities where drug and property crimes are more prevalent. “Proactive policing,” he called it, a means to deter crime and put residents’ minds at ease by having a heavier presence in those communities.

grants.

While there is a hearty focus on some of the negative issues tied to the Swain County Sheriff’s Office heading into the 2026 race, Kirkland did point out that the county commissioners approved a new salary plan that will help recruit and retain personnel. Kirkland said that until recently, many have viewed Swain County as a place to begin a career in law enforcement, get all the necessary training and move on to somewhere else that pays better. Swain County was a stepping stone.

“I’m hoping that now, with the new money that they implemented, that we’re going to be able to retain people, so we can send them to training and use them for Swain County’s benefit, not Jackson, Macon and everybody else.”

Along with increasing visibility and arrests in areas with higher rates of drug and property crimes, Kirkland has a few other things he’s been looking at, which he outlined in soon-to-be released document titled “The mission of the Swain County Sheriff’s Office moving forward” that SMN got a look at. From the beginning, it’s clear that regaining trust in the wake of Cochran’s scandal is the top priority.

“The citizens of Swain County deserve and demand a Sheriff’s Office that conducts business in an impartial, fair and transparent manner,” the statement begins. “As your Sheriff, I will make this my administration’s top priority as we move forward into 2026 and beyond.”

Cherokee Tribal Court.

“I think Wayne Dover would have been a good man for the job … we’ve got some mending to do up there, and I think the same ol’ same ol’ is not going to fix the problem that arose from the recent sheriff’s retirement,” Loftis said told his fellow board members.

Dover told SMN that he would be a sheriff for all but conceded that understanding the Eastern Band on a deeper level could benefit the position.

“I believe I’ll be a good steward and try to mend fences that may have been stretched a little,” Dover said.

Dover has strong connections to the Eastern Band, but so do Kirkland, Southards and Birchfield, as far as their extensive experience working for the Cherokee Indian Police Department in various capacities. All four spoke about the importance of working with the tribe, not only because of a moral imperative, but also because their investigations often overlap and tribal police have more resources and personnel. In fact, when Kirkland was sworn in, one of his first actions as sheriff was to sign a new mutual aid agreement with CIPD.

The other part of being more present in the community is having a more active patrol presence, something Swain residents have expressed concern about in the past. Southards recalled moving back home to Swain County with his wife a few years back with the intention to stay for good. After buying a house near the county’s high school, his family quickly became the victim of two property crimes within just a couple of months and learned that many of his neighbors had endured the same unnerving experience.

“We just lack a police presence,” Southards said.

Of the 31 sworn deputies in Swain County, 10 are on patrol — that’s four sets of two on rotating shifts and two deputies who work the busier times while also filling in to

“Some communities are getting completely destroyed with narcotics and breakins, and those go hand in hand, for the most part,” Kirkland said. “If you just start saturating your efforts where even our investigators are assisting on this mission to try to have a presence in these communities that are getting hit the hardest, that can help.”

Perhaps the biggest issue is that Swain County, which is over 80% federal land, has a meager tax base, and money from the federal government’s Payments in Lieu of Taxes program doesn’t bridge the gap created by the lack of property tax revenue. While the last budget saw an increase from 36 cents per $100 of valuation to 41 cents, there are still more needs across the board.

The candidates interviewed by SMN all felt like seeking out more grants can be a solution, but that also requires a good deal of work. Kirkland said he has been spending more time finding and applying for such

The document speaks to an aim to give more attention to vulnerable individuals — the youth, the elderly, those repeatedly targeted for property crimes by people struggling with addiction and those in the throes of addiction looking for a way out. Kirkland spoke with SMN about the prevalence of individuals from outside the country targeting seniors with a variety of scams, including one where they spoof their phone number, call and impersonate a deputy or other county official pressuring someone to give them money, lest they be subject to arrest or other legal action.

“We’re not going to ask for money ever. That’s not how this works. All monies that come to the sheriff’s office has to go through the clerk of court first,” he said. “We’re never going to ask for money.”

Right after the vote to appoint Kirkland, Loftis told his fellow board members that he thought Dover should be considered for sheriff because Dover was born and raised on the Qualla Boundary. While he’s not an enrolled member, he is a first descendant, has worked in tribal law enforcement and is married to an enrolled member, Sunshine Parker, who serves as an associate judge in

The other thing all candidates agreed on was the need for further transparency, as mentioned by Kirkland in the new mission statement. In that statement, Kirkland advocates for an initiative — begun by Cochran — to give each deputy and detention officer a body camera, something he believes will protect the public and deputies alike. “I really think this is worth the cost,” Kirkland told SMN.

In his mission statement, Kirkland also said the office will work to provide the public with updates on cases and ongoing situations as they come available.

“I will ensure that important information that can be released to our citizens and guests will be made available as soon as practicable if permitted by law so long as it does not compromise ongoing criminal investigations,” the statement reads.

But regaining public trust comes down to much more than just one initiative or even doing the right thing for a few months — it will take a prolonged effort to prove to residents that the sheriff has their best interest at heart. In his interview with SMN, Kirkland further acknowledged that trust is not automatically given and must be earned and re-earned over time.

“We don’t expect trust to just be automatically given,” he said. “And I’m hoping, given the few months I have before we have to get into the true campaigning season, that we get the opportunity to put my vision out here and to show that we can be trusted and respected. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

Haywood County hires consultant to prepare hazard mitigation grant applications

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS E DITOR

When Hurricane Helene unleashed more than a foot of rain across Haywood County in less than 24 hours last September, floodwaters swept through homes, businesses and infrastructure, leaving behind damage that local officials quickly recognized would take years to repair.

That storm, which triggered a federal disaster declaration, also unlocked eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Now, the county has taken the first formal step toward pursuing those funds by hiring a consulting firm to manage and expedite the complex application processes.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program was established as part of the Stafford Act in 1988 and provides funding to states, tribes, territories or local governments after a presidentially declared disaster to implement long-term projects that reduce risk and vulnerability to future events. The amount available to a given applicant is based on a formula tied to the total federal assistance allocated for recovery, generally equating to 15% of that total federal assistance for that disaster.

and historic preservation standards, with the goal of ensuring that every dollar spent reduces future damages and enhances community resilience.

On July 14, the county issued a formal request for proposals for application development and grant support services related to HMGP, also making clear the consultant would be expected to solicit applications from homeowners, businesses, local units of government and nonprofits, then compile and submit FEMA-ready project packages in compliance with both state and federal requirements.

Unlike other Stafford disaster relief programs, which focus on response and recovery, the HMGP program is designed to break the cycle of repetitive losses by financing measures such as home elevations, buyouts, slope stabilization, drainage

improvements and infrastructure hardening.

Administered through state emergency management agencies, HMGP requires applicants to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and compliance with federal environmental

“We engaged with the state several months ago about what can we do to help them move along mitigation applications, so it doesn’t take as long for applicants as it maybe did during [Tropical Storm] Fred. They’ve had record numbers of applications come in, somewhere on the order of 1,000plus across Western North Carolina,” Haywood County Recovery and Resilience officer Cody Grasty told Haywood commissioners Aug. 18. “One of the options that came up during some conversations was that Haywood County could acquire our own contractor to put together the project application — that’s the bundle of homeowner applications together — and have that contractor develop comprehensive completed applications … instead of the state developing those project applications on our behalf.”

The scope of work outlined in the request for proposals is broad. The vendor would F

attend meetings with applicants, develop and submit HMGP applications, assist with required documentation such as site inventories and elevation certificates and provide feasibility and cost-effectiveness analyses.

The RFP also called for handling specialized work including environmental and historic preservation reviews, geotechnical surveys, structural assessments and imminent threat evaluations. The consultant would also prepare letters of interest, respond to requests for information from state and federal officials and maintain all records on county systems.

The contract period requires all work to be completed by the end of the year. The cost of the consultants is reimbursable.

“There’s no dollars out of our own pocket other than the 30-day turnaround to get the dollars back in, once approved,” Grasty said.

The county’s recovery and resiliency team reported receiving three proposals in response to the solicitation — from Cogent Consulting LLC, Insight Consulting Group LLC and Tetra Tech, Inc.

According to an internal justification and recommendation document, the evaluation committee determined that Insight offered the strongest combination of experience, cost and understanding of county needs.

The recommendation noted that Insight has substantial experience developing HMGP applications and a track record of delivering FEMAcompliant results.

posed a centralized system using Microsoft SharePoint and a custom application tracker to coordinate intake, processing and documentation. This system would allow county staff and consultants to collaborate on feasibility reports, surveys, geotechnical data and benefit-cost analyses while serving as the repository for all final files.

The firm will review existing applications already received by the county for accuracy and completeness, then holding intake meetings to address deficiencies and process new applications.

Completed applications would be grouped by project type — such as elevation, acquisition, reconstruction, or infrastructure mitigation — and submitted as letters of interest to NCEM on a rolling basis.

“Some of these folks have been probably flooded four times in 20 years,” said Commissioner Tommy Long.

“I’ve had that conversation with a dozen or so [homeowners],” Grasty said. “And what they say to me is they don’t want to sell their home. What they want is that no one else will go through this.”

Insight’s proposed timeline assumed a start date of Aug. 1, 2025. Initial application assessments would run through mid-August, with intake meetings scheduled later that month.

“I’ve had that conversation with a dozen or so [homeowners]. And what they say to me is they don’t want to sell their home. What they want is that no one else will go through this.”

— Cody Grasty, Haywood County Recovery and Resilience officer

Based in Wilmington and Mount Olive, Insight was founded by C. Ryan Cox, a certified floodplain manager who previously served as the state hazard mitigation officer for North Carolina Emergency Management.

In its July 25 proposal to Haywood County, Insight emphasized that it has managed more than 75 HMGP projects nationwide, in addition to work on FEMA’s public assistance and flood mitigation assistance programs. The firm said it has overseen more than $12 billion in grants.

The proposal highlighted Insight’s previous work in North Carolina counties hit by hurricanes, including property acquisitions and demolitions under HMGP projects in Craven, Duplin, Hyde, Jones, Nash and Pamlico counties, as well as two acquisition/demolition projects from Tropical Storm Fred in Haywood County last year.

The proposal also lists Texas-based KB Advising, a Native American and minorityowned firm specializing in hazard mitigation, and Summit Design and Engineering Services, a North Carolina-based engineering company with offices statewide, as subconsultants.

To manage the project, Insight pro-

Additional applications would be accepted through Sept. 30. Processing of documentation would extend through Oct. 17, with packaging and letters of intent submissions continuing into late fall.

Infrastructure projects would be identified and developed between August and December, with final applications submitted by year’s end.

Insight submitted its cost proposal on a time-and-materials basis, listing hourly labor rates ranging from $75 for administrative staff to $240 for senior structural engineers. The president and principal consultant rate was set at $220 per hour, with other key roles, including grant managers ($140) and environmental advisors, ($140) falling in-between.

The firm noted that pre-award costs, reimbursable expenses and direct project costs such as surveys and design narratives are all allowable under FEMA and NCEM rules, provided they receive pre-approval.

Haywood County’s RFP stressed that the contract and related activities were contingent on the county receiving sufficient state funding to support the work. It also made clear that the county reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. But with a recommendation for award already in place and a clear preference for Insight’s qualifications, the county appears poised to move forward.

Man who shot viral video at local landfill sues Haywood sheriff, dump owner

APrince George’s County, Maryland, man whose viral video of a confrontation with a group at a dump in Haywood County drew outrage and polarized viewers has said he will file a federal civil rights lawsuit against several parties, including Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke.

Mosely Matheson, managing partner at Matheson and Associates, who represents the man who shot the video, Joseph Joines, led off the media event, held in a conference room in the Marriott Raleigh City Center Wednesday afternoon, about 270 miles from the site of the incident. Matheson said that he was appalled by the “intimidation tactics” used against his client, as well as how the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office responded.

Not only is Matheson representing Joines, but also Angelica Hindon, a Florida truck driver who claimed she was subject to abuse when Joines, allegedly trying to escape the group of men, sought refuge in her truck.

“The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office chose to ignore their rights, deny equal protection and subject them to civil abuse,” Matheson said.

A brief video, shot on June 26 by

Joines, whose TikTok handle is “@noturningback_98 BossedUpp Ent,” depicts the other men using threatening and profane language when telling him to leave the dump. The video was eventually taken down, but other

Following the incident, the backlash was so bad that Haywood County government had to issue a statement telling people that the location where the incident occurred is not owned by the county.

named as defendants in the suit, attorneys said. TBD owner Eric Spirtas also runs Spirtas Worldwide, the company that bought the Canton paper mill in January 2025, about a year and a half after it closed. The TBD dump has been used as a site for contractors to bring debris as the Hurricane Helene cleanup continues.

In a July 30 statement, TBD claimed that those critical of the hostile group, which apparently included at least one TBD employee, didn’t understand the story fully. The statement claims that that law enforcement was called and investigated; at this point, no charges have been filed as a result of the conflict.

“This incident — the only case of serious noncompliance involving a third-party truck driver out of more than 30,000 successful truckloads received to date — involved a contracted driver who violated site policies and engaged in aggressive behavior on site,” a July 30 statement issued by TBD read. “The video being circulated omits critical elements of the incident.”

and contractors have received threatening phone calls,” the statement read. “We encourage the public to seek accurate information before responding to a situation.”

After the video went viral, despite few facts around the incident being confirmed, sensational media stories stoked hostilities and people took sides, either with the driver or with the group of men, who were painted by Joines’ attorneys as violent aggressors. Much of the criticism of the group of men confronting Joines, a Black man, alleged their vitriol was racially motivated.

While Matheson said he would not be addressing the alleged racial element of the incident, he noted that the “videos speak for themselves.” In addition, the release announcing the press conference called the incident a “racially charged assault.”

Joines also spoke at the press conference, retelling the events of June 26, as he recalled them. He described that among the group of five men was Andrew Ferguson, armed with a handgun, who was threatening him. Joines claimed that eventually, workers used a bulldozer to dip his trailer, which threw him about the cab of the truck. Joines said that by the end of the incident, he had pain in his neck, back and hip. He was taken to the hospital and released with a neck brace, he said.

“I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m experiencing a lot of distress and anxiety,” he said, adding that he hasn’t been employed since the incident.

The dump is owned by Two Banks Development LLC, also known as TBD. TBD, along with some of its employees, will be

Likewise, a statement released on behalf of the landfill by the lawfirm Moore & Van Allen following the press conference disputed any claim that Joines was a victim of any misconduct or prejudice. “In fact, Joines engaged in aggressive and threatening behavior and broke the facility’s rules, as well as state and federal law,” that statement reads.

“Mr. Joines’s posted videos are selected to tell an untrue story,” it continues. “Prior to the scene depicted in a misleading video clip, there were many attempts by Landfill employees to de-escalate the situation caused by his actions. A timeline of multiple outgoing calls for help, and ultimately to 911, demonstrates the significant efforts made by the landfill employees to resolve the situation quickly and safely.”

At one point in the video, part-time Haywood County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Buckner is among the most vocal of the men recorded and at one point said, “I’m going to put you in jail.” On July 29, the Sheriff’s Office, in an email to The Smoky Mountain News, said there is an active investigation into Buckner’s actions and conduct.

The attorneys also alleged that at one point, Sheriff Wilke himself showed up, adding that Wilke didn’t show the proper leadership by taking control of the situation.

According to the attorneys, the lawsuit will be filed in federal court in the coming weeks, claiming that Joines’ 14th Amendment due process and equal protection rights were violated.

Ultimately, attorney Karl W. Roth, who spoke last, said that he believes his client was “seconds away from being shot,” although he didn’t indicate what may have stopped that threat.

“It was out of control to the point that it’s amazing Mr. Joines is standing here with us today,” he said.

WNC homeowners can apply for singlefamily housing recovery program

Gov. Josh Stein announced the state is accepting applications for a new program to repair or rebuild homes in Western North Carolina that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene. The Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program is a key initiative to address remaining long-term recovery needs of homeowners in western North Carolina and will prioritize low-tomoderate income families. Later this year, two additional Renew NC Housing programs will be offered to address multi-family housing and workforce housing for ownership. Infrastructure and Economic Revitalization programs will also be launched in the coming months.

The Renew NC programs are funded through a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of the total $1.4 billion in CDBG-DR funding that was allocated to the state for western North Carolina recovery needs, $807 million is allocated to the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program.

Stein encouraged all low-to-moderate income homeowners in eligible counties whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene to see if they are eligible and apply for housing repair or reconstruction at renewnc.org.

Homeowners from these eligible counties can apply: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg (only from zip code 28214), Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.

For homeowners seeking more information about the Renew NC Housing program, please visit renewnc.org or call 888.791.0207. Program staff can help determine if you qualify for assistance from the program.

Sylva candidate forum set for Aug. 21

Indivisible Commonground WNC will host a free candidate forum for the upcoming Sylva Board of Commissioners municipal election on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Jackson County Public Library. The event will be held in the Community Room from 6-7:30 p.m.

Voters will have the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates during the event. Organizers say each candidate will have a chance to respond. Nine candidates are running for three seats in two separate races as incumbents Joe Waldrum and Jon Brown look to retain their seats. The forum aims to boost turnout in the 2025 election, after just 469 votes were cast in 2023. Early voting begins Oct. 16.

For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/indivisiblecommonground.

Haywood provides update on innovative middle school

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

It’s been two months since Haywood County Schools announced their “innovative middle school,” and while there aren’t concrete updates, leaders continue to express a sincere commitment to turn their vision into a reality by the 2026-2027 school year.

Haywood County Schools Superintendent Trevor Putnam outlined two key motivations. Some students desire acceleration-based academic courses not currently available. The other reason is strictly practical: a new middle school might increase countywide enrollment, thus bolstering the school system’s lean budget.

APPEALING TO STUDENT INTEREST

Though Putnam said he’d have more to say in December or January, while Early College Principal Lori Fox mused that updates would be ready by mid-September, the innovative middle school has seen movement since its initial June proposal. It will be housed in the Haywood Community College’s Dogwood Building, currently Haywood Early College. During that time, said HCC President Shelley White, staff has been working with an architect on renovations to the Poplar Building, Haywood Early College’s designated campus post-relocation.

With a total of 180 students, “we’re at capacity in the early college [Dogwood] building” Fox said. But because the Poplar Building is larger, “this is kind of a two part-plan. Expand the early college and add the middle school.”

The middle school will enroll significantly fewer students. According to Putnam, “complete enrollment [would be] somewhere between 50 and 100,” which could put a

Haywood County Schools is looking for the new innovative middle school to attract new students and provide new opportunities for existing ones. File photo

strain on county resources. But “what I’m thinking is this middle school will attract students that are not currently enrolled in Haywood County Schools,” Putnam said, adding that Fox had spoken of students at the early college with siblings in private or charter schools.

“One of the things I refuse to cut… I have seven additional teaching positions at Pisgah and seven at Tuscola that we do not receive money from the state for.”

— Trevor Putnam

“So maybe, if we give them a middle school option, their younger siblings will choose the middle school,” Putnam said.

In fact, according to Fox, early college philosophies will significantly influence life and learning at the middle school. The early college is an Apple Distinguished School, Fox said.

“This middle school will also use Apple technology,” she said. “So a lot of vertical alignment as far as technology… how we teach and learn, as well as culture.”

Putnam said the goal is also to get middle schoolers on college campuses “so that they can see what we’re trying to prepare them for,” though any higher education focus will

be more general than the advising they’ll receive in high school.

The superintendent added that the “innovative middle school” will not have athletics or clubs, targeting students who “just want to get in there and be focused on their academics.” He spoke of the seven years he’d spent at Waynesville Middle School, where he’d encountered many students like this, kids who were “very academically-minded and college or career-driven.”

Putnam recalled that the “innovative middle school” even came up during one meeting with a student on Fox’s advisory council. “I leaned over to him, and I said, ‘would you have been interested in this?’...His face lit up: ‘Oh, yeah, I would’ve totally loved this.’”

THE COST OF ENROLLMENT

A March 2025 Smoky Mountain News article reported that Haywood County Schools lost 117 students in the past year due to a mix of factors, including increased virtual and brick-and-mortar charter school enrollment, flood-driven displacement and the closure of the Canton paper mill. And student departure is affecting how much county schools can spend; in March, Putnam said the budget is as slim as it’ll get. In the SMN story, Financial Officer Leanna Moody cited a “net loss of $259,000 to the school system” with “just the loss of those students.”

Speaking with SMN for this issue, Putnam stressed his desire to retain high-level courses despite funding limitations.

“One of the things I refuse to cut… I have seven additional teaching positions at Pisgah and seven at Tuscola that we do not receive money from the state for,” he said, explaining that these courses allow students to achieve the AP Capstone Diploma. In total, the superintendent estimated the two schools’ scholarship money amounts to around $5.5 million “because I spent the money on those seven AP classes at each of the traditional high schools….It’s an upfront investment.”

The innovative middle school appears to be an upfront investment in its own right; Putnam said the board approved a maximum of $900,000 in funding to renovate the Poplar Building for the early college so that the new school can move into the Dogwood Building. If any student currently in a private or charter school — including any younger siblings of those attending the Early College — switches to the new middle school, HCS could begin rebounding from the 117-student loss it experienced. And new enrollment numbers “will be additional funding, which will provide for more teaching, more teachers,” Putnam noted. He said he also expects more grants to become available in the future from non-state entities.

“We are in a competitive market,” he said. “And we’re just trying to provide other options within the public school system.”

WCU Cherokee language project receives $450K grant

Unearthing history is nothing new to Cherokee Language Program director and associate professor Sara Snyder Hopkins. Thanks to a federal grant, she and a group of colleagues will continue to do so.

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Hopkins and Western Carolina University a three-year, $450,000 grant, helping fund the Eastern Cherokee Histories in Translation project.

dent Barnes Powell, historian Stuart Marshall of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and others to translate two collections of late 19th to early 20th century Cherokee documents: the Inoli Letters and Will West Long’s daily journals.

The implementation grant will enable Hopkins and her team to continue to translate the materials and publish the documents in a few different ways.

Three hundred thousand dollars of the grant are awarded outright, with $150,000 in matching funds. The grant is the largest of four given to North Carolina universities by the NEH.

“It’s a big honor to have a successful federal grant,” Hopkins said. “NEH funding is super competitive, and I think it is also a testament to how important the project is and how timely it is.”

The NEH is an independent federal agency that’s the largest public funder of humanities programs in the United States. The grant is a part of a $34.79 million funding cycle that benefits 97 humanities projects across the country.

This is the second grant the ECHT project has received from the NEH, with the first being a $64,905 planning grant in 2023.

The ECHT project is a collaborative effort between Hopkins, a team of Cherokee first-language speakers, WCU graduate stu-

Hopkins’ team will be publishing books that will have historical context for each letter. They will also be working with the Digital Archive for Indigenous Language Persistence and Hunter Library to set up a website to publish the materials.

“It’s like a repository for our materials, but it’s interactive, so people will be able to have accounts and make comments at different levels and stuff like that,” Hopkins said.

The team has finished their translations for the first volume of the project, which will be focused on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians during the Civil War.

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The ECHT project has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom.

WCU professor to speak at civics meeting

Indivisible CommonGround WNC will host its August meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The event will take place in the Community Room from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Chris Cooper, professor of political science at Western Carolina University, will deliver a presentation on the structure and function of the North Carolina General Assembly. The event is free and open to the public. Pizza, salads and drinks will be provided. For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/indivisiblecommonground.

The time of year for new beginnings

Can you feel it? Can you see it?

The slightest bit of crispness has crept into the air. A tiny hint of color teases the trees. On the ground, small pumpkins appear in the patch. Autumn is quietly arriving, gently moving into our days and nights, simmering down the fever pitch of summer.

Earlier this week, I went on a morning run. As I finished my final mile, yellow buses appeared on the empty streets preparing to pick up kids and teens for their first day of school. Turning the corner, I saw two sisters standing with their mom in a front yard, clean shoes and backpacks, eyes wide with anticipation. I smiled to myself and wondered what questions swirled through their young minds.

“Is my teacher going to be strict?”

“Will I have friends in my classes?”

“When is the bus going to get here?”

As my own kids headed off to school, I thought about all the students who would bravely make it through their first day, some thrilled with their teachers and classes, and others, not so much. I remember certain grades where it wasn’t what I expected or I didn’t have many familiar faces in my classes, but those were the years I grew the most.

Even though it’s not technically autumn, it feels like summer is coming to a close and for me, it’s been a wonderful summer — a perfect blend of excitement and relaxation.

President’s priorities are not mine

To the Editor:

Priorities: $200 million for a ballroom in the White House; $1 billion to retrofit a jet given by Qatar. Contrasted by cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs. This reflects the priorities of this administration. This is our money. Does this reflect your priorities? Not mine! I care about my neighbors who need the health care and food that Medicaid provides.

Joanne Strop Waynesville

America’s cultural revolution is underway

To the Editor:

“A decade was marked by ideological zeal, systemic upheaval, cultural cleansing, and concentrated power, all underpinned by the leader’s personal cult and political dominance.”

This description of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) sounds eerily familiar today under the Trump administration. The following are three key policies and campaigns taken by Chairman Mao and his enablers during that period. My observations are in parenthesis.

Mao practiced political purges and mass mobilization. He mobilized millions of Red Guard youths to attack “counter-revolutionary” elements — intellectuals, party officials, and traditional elites—and enforce ideological

Some summer breaks feel too short while others feel long, but this one felt balanced in all the right ways and for that, I am grateful.

Along with school starting back, fall sports are gearing up, and I’m sure many of you are excited about evenings under the Friday night lights. I’ll be at a handful of football games, but with a number of runners in our house, we’ll be busy attending cross country meets. There is something uniquely special about this sport. Whether your child is out front leading the pack or trying their absolute best and still in the rear, parents feel a collective sense of pride in all of them. Sipping coffee from a travel mug on a cool morning while watching hundreds of young people run a 5K while chatting with friendly people is one of my favorite things to do.

Cross country is unlike other sports in that by its very nature, it eliminates drama and angry moms or dads. There is no complaining about playing time or wondering why their kid rides the pine while other athletes are on the court or field. In cross county, the clocked times speak for themselves, and even though it seems like an individual sport, there is a

LETTERS

conformity. (Proud Boys ordered to “Stand down and stand by,” attacking universities, taking revenge on anyone opposing his actions).

Mao was known for struggle sessions and public humiliations. Victims were forced to confess in public, beaten, or tortured — often leading to imprisonment or death. (Trump’s belittling people opposed to his policies, including our allies. Ignoring due process and sending people to foreign prisons.)

Mao systematically purged “class enemies,” resulting in arrests, executions, and mass persecution. (“Class enemies” are now the media, the judiciary, trans people, anyone not a citizen, and law firms that oppose him)

Mao used ideological Indoctrination and a cult of personality. Propaganda saturated society — posters, songs, model operas, even flight attendants teaching Maoist slogans — reinforcing his almost divine status. (Comparisons of Trump to Jesus Christ. Overlooking, ignoring, or rationalizing Trump’s moral behavior, criminal convictions, and impeachments. MAGA culture spread via Trump bibles, trading cards, action figures, and cryptocurrencies.

Mao reordered education. Universities and schools were shut; urban youths were sent to rural areas to “learn from the peasants,” as a form of ideological re-education. (Trump’s attacks on universities, science, and scholarship. Bringing in less qualified people to run the government, firing the “experts”)

The outcomes and aftermath of China’s Cultural Revolution was widespread chaos. Millions were persecuted, hundreds of thou-

team aspect as well. All points combine to reveal a team champion as well as an individual champion.

As we roll into new beginnings, I reflect upon the past couple of months. Something I noticed myself doing more and more was turning inward, away from the noise, away from the chaos of social media and the 24-7 news cycle. I’m on a quest to resurrect or find hobbies, tasks and activities that offer a slow dopamine release, as opposed to the quick-fix dopamine hits that modern society shoves in our faces. Even something as simple as writing my grocery list on a scrap piece of paper instead of typing it in my phone’s notes app, makes me feel good. Following a recipe in a cookbook instead of online makes me feel good. Anything that takes me away from the internet or a device soothes my nervous system and that speaks volumes to me.

For those of you who have school-aged children, I hope they have a wonderful start to the year. While we adjust to all the newness, let’s take time for stillness, for stretches of minutes and hours where we move away from technology to connect with other human beings or with nature. In a world where everything is at our fingertips, let’s push it away, let’s resist. None of us will ever regret truly embracing the beauty of a moment or time well spent with our people.

(Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist. susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com.)

sands killed or tortured, deep social trauma and lasting cultural destruction resulted.

Even as Trump “floods the zone” to keep us off balance and unsure of how to respond, the similarities between Mao’s Cultural Revolution and present-day America are too clear to ignore. Reasonable people who supported Trump are beginning to think, “This isn’t the conservative vision of America I voted for.”

We don’t have to live with a government based on fear and chaos. The upcoming midterm elections provide us with the opportunity to elect new legislators with the guts and spine to check any president’s thirst for absolute power and revenge.

Michael Caudill, Former Waynesville resident

Be informed about Local elections

To the Editor:

Local elections don’t receive much attention but are vital for the well-being of our communities, especially in places like Waynesville, Canton, Maggie Valley and Clyde. The choices made by local officials directly impact our lives, from public safety to essential services. “The Informed Citizen” understands why electing conservative candidates is vital for our city councils.

Local government is the foundation of our communities. Elected officials at the city level make decisions impacting various aspects of our lives, including property taxes, public safety and community resources. As crucial as municipal elections are to our everyday lives,

in the 2023 municipal elections, only about 25% of voters participated. This low turnout means many voices are left unheard, resulting in decisions that may not reflect community values. “The Informed Citizen” understands that failing to cast their vote undermines the future of our communities.

The statement “elections matter” couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to local elections. The upcoming municipal elections offer a crucial chance for residents to make their voices heard. Turnout is essential to bring the accountability and transparency our local government needs. “The Informed Citizen” understands that apathy is the road to local government fraud, abuse and mismanagement of our tax dollars. Therefore, there is no place for apathy when it comes to our municipal elections.

How elected officials manage our tax dollars significantly impacts our daily lives. In Haywood County towns, local government decisions directly affect property tax rates and utility services. For example, in 2022, a survey showed that 65% of residents felt uninformed about how their tax money was being used.

As residents of Waynesville, Canton, Maggie Valley and Clyde, it is our civic duty to participate in the electoral process by being “The Informed Citizen” and making meaningful decisions at the ballot box. The future of our communities relies on active involvement. Let’s unite in support of candidates who will prioritize public safety, effectively address drug use, find solutions for homelessness and promote transparency in local governance.

Your vote is your voice — make sure it is heard!

L.E. Cossette Waynesville

Thank you to everyone who has trusted and supported us — we’re so grateful for you!

All glory and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ!

Don’t get above your raisin’

Earl Scruggs Music Festival returns

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

ARTS & E NTERTAINMENT E DITOR

Rob McCoury can sum up banjo legend Earl Scruggs in one simple, yet seismic sentence.

“Banjo at its finest,” said McCoury, a lauded Grammy-winning banjoist for the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin’ McCourys.

Last year, an array of bluegrass icons overtook the Malcolm Brown Auditorium in Shelby for a celebration of not only the 100th birthday of the late Scruggs, but also the 10year anniversary of the Earl Scruggs Center located in the heart of the community.

“[Earl] took that style of banjo that he heard growing up around this part of the country and perfected it,” McCoury said. “I’ve heard his music thousands of times, but I always hear something different that I missed before — when you hear him, you know immediately it’s Earl Scruggs.”

Backstage at the auditorium, McCoury was surrounded by a “who’s who” of the bluegrass world, past and present, all paying tribute to the legend and lore that is Earl Scruggs — Jerry Douglas, Kristin Scott Benson, Tony Trischka, Ronnie McCoury, Jason Carter and many more.

“[Earl is] perfection — he created this vernacular for us that still serves us so well,” Benson said. “We could never repay what he gave to us.”

Born and raised in Cleveland County, Scruggs revolutionized the banjo. Whereas previous fingerpicking styles like clawhammer focused on down-picking on the five-

string instrument, “Scruggs Style” was a three-finger approach utilizing the thumb, middle and index with picks, resulting in a rapid picking tempo known as “rolls.”

“People were playing three-finger style banjo before him, but no one did what he did — he invented a whole new style of playing,” Trischka said.

When the “Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe was searching for a new sound in the 1920s and 1930s — this blend of Dixieland jazz, blues and roots music — he was slowly creating what would eventually be known as bluegrass in the 1940s with Monroe old adage “if you can play my music, you can play anything” still ringing true today.

“Bluegrass is an improvisation music much like jazz is,” Douglas said. “And it’s really hard to come from any other genre to bluegrass music because it’s so physical and so geographical. [With] bluegrass, you learn syncopation, improvisation, scales, different ways of looking inside these songs with your own personality.”

But it wasn’t until Scruggs was introduced as the newest member of Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys — live on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in December 1945 — when the gas was tossed onto the musical fire sparked by Monroe years earlier.

“That first night [Earl] played the Opry, they were held over for five encores — people just couldn’t believe what they were hearing,” Trischka said. “You could make an arguable point that by having Earl in the band, that’s what made it bluegrass.”

Throughout the “100 Years of Earl

Scruggs” celebration, dozens of local and regional musicians got behind the microphone alongside the marquee acts. Zooming up and down the fretboard, an endless cacophony of musical notes echoed throughout the auditorium and into the cold, quiet hills of Appalachia.

“When Earl joined Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys, and then later joined up with [guitarist] Lester Flatt to form Flatt & Scruggs, that sort of set up the pinnacle for bluegrass,” said Mary Beth Martin. “And what speaks to Earl’s legacy is that people are still trying to reach that pinnacle, still trying

to be like Earl and emulate him.”

As executive director of the Earl Scruggs Center, Martin oversees a state-of-the-art two-story museum dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the story and music of Scruggs, all of which housed in the historic former Cleveland County Courthouse.

“Since the center opened in 2014, it’s really helped to revitalize this community around Earl’s legacy,” Martin said. “It’s much more than just celebrating Earl, it’s also celebrating this community and this county where he was raised — everything that people poured into him to become the musician that he was.”

To note, the center is also one of the main partners behind the annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival, which is held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring.

The 2025 installment of the gathering will take place Aug. 29-31, with marquee acts Alison Krauss & Union Station, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Watchhouse, The Wood Brothers, Sierra Hull and The War & Treaty atop the bill.

For Trischka, who has devoted his life to the banjo — it’s history, legacy and evolution — he continually finds inspiration, personally and professionally, in a famous quote from Earl Scruggs: “You can’t encore the past. If I see a bright light shining out there, I want to go towards it.”

“In [Earl’s] later years, he played with his sons in the [groundbreaking] Earl Scruggs Revue, added drums in his group and really stretched the boundaries,” Trischka said. “He was constantly being inspired by other musicians and genres, even playing with Elton John and Sting — he was a sponge who wanted to always learn and play with

“[Earl] set such a high bar, not just with how he played, but also the type of musician he was,” Martin added. “He’s an example of what bluegrass is today, which is not being static — constantly growing and evolving.”

Want to go?

The annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival will take place Aug. 29-31 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring. Headliners include Alison Krauss & Union Station, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Watchhouse, The Wood Brothers, Sierra Hull and The War & Treaty.

For more information, a full lineup of artists and/or to purchase tickets, visit earlscruggsmusicfest.com.

To learn about the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, visit earlscruggscenter.org.

This must be the place

‘And I got lost where the river bends, maybe that’s where I got found’

HOT PICKS

1

“An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by rising Americana/bluegrass sensation Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

2

“Concerts on the Creek” music series will host Tuxedo Junction (rock/oldies) at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

3

A special stage production of “The Cake” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22-23, 28-30 and 2 p.m. Aug. 24, 31 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

4

Mountaintop Art & Craft Show will be held Aug. 23-24 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park in downtown Highlands.

5

Hello from 30,054 feet somewhere above rural Missouri. The Delta flight is currently holding steady at 517 miles per hour. And here I sit once again. In motion, in real time. Onward to the next adventure.

This go-round it’s the Park City Song Summit in Utah. This is my third year attending and covering the festive gathering of world-class musicians and fine industry folks, all surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains. Some trail running is definitely in order once I roll up.

Heck, I just returned to Western North Carolina a couple of weeks ago from an extensive road trip out west. Some 5,500 miles (in total) from my quaint apartment in Waynesville to Whitefish, Montana, and back. Quite the odyssey, especially the whole thing being a solo expedition across America — all in the name of live music, hiking, swimming, wandering, pondering and jovial, genuine human interaction.

And yet, here I remain, eager to touch down in Salt Lake City and make my way to Park City. Eager to immerse myself in the steadfast ethos of the PCSS, which is an underlying theme of health and wellness advocacy and so forth within the music industry and beyond. Something I’m not only a big supporter of, but also practicing myself.

Which brings me to the activities of yesterday evening. I found myself invited to read some personal works at Outdoor 76 on Main Street in downtown Waynesville. The host is a good buddy. The others who read ranged from college professors to musicians to local residents who enjoy writing. All welcome to attend, to listen and/or to share their words.

For someone like myself who hunkers down to write literally every single day — whether it be articles, this weekly column or whatever else I may type away at in a fury — I started to wonder just what I’d read in front of a live audience. Knowing there’d be poets and essayists, I wanted to do something completely different. And in that moment, I thought of

a recent voice memo that I’d left a friend. I relistened to the 10-minute memo and felt it definitely stated where I currently stand.

To preface, if you’ve read this column somewhat frequently, you probably already know how much a rollercoaster the last year or so of my existence has been. Complete work burnout and mounting stress. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene and losing most of my physical possessions in the flood. The blindsided breakup by my ex-girlfriend on Christmas Eve. Turning 40. Oh, and my laundry being stolen (again).

So, yeah, it’s been quite the journey since this time last year. Late August 2024 was when everything in my life, both personally and professionally, began to truly unravel. Which is why signing up for online therapy on Christmas Day (alone and shattered from the breakup) has proven a foundation that I now stand firmly on, all while in pursuit of this next, unwritten chapter of my newlyminted 40s.

Skip head to last month and my trek to Montana to be part of the Under the Big Sky music festival. While there, I crossed paths with this incredible person. We met the first day of the event. Both work in the music industry, with lots of mutual friends. Immediately clicked, so much so we ended up hanging out the whole weekend we were there. Long late-night conversations. Swimming. Walks. Live music. Etc. There was definitely some chemistry there. If anything, it felt incredible to connect with someone in ways I thought were either lost or I was seemingly incapable of holding within me anymore. The butterflies feeling, you know? That sentiment of being completely and happily surprised out of the blue, when you least expected it, by someone who was a stranger a moment ago, now a fast friend over a beverage.

But, alas, she’s in Los Angeles. Myself in Southern Appalachia. Regardless, we’re now part of each other’s lives. And we’ll leave each other long messages from time-to-time about

“Rivers & Brews” small town craft brewers festival will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Nantahala Gorge.

what’s new and so on. Although she had mentioned she was kind of seeing someone in LA when we were in Montana, it was no biggie. I just liked her company, her spirit and her energy. The budding friendship is well-worth it to me.

A recent message of hers indicated the LA guy had finally decided to pursue something more serious with her. But, she wanted to be transparent and kind enough to tell me so, and that she was looking forward to reading about all my upcoming adventures, maybe even crossing paths once again at another event later this year.

I decided to let the message simmer a little bit before I replied. No anger or resentment on my end. I’m happy for her and I only want the best for her (and any kind soul in this endless universe). To which, the recent afternoon that I did respond came right after I received some concerning news about my ex, which brought back a sea of memories and emotions, all of which were combated and resolved peacefully with my new therapy skillset. And so, I left my friend in LA that voice memo. This was how it ended: “I don’t know, I guess I’m just an old soul, always thinking about stuff. I’m just looking at these ancient mountains, thinking about what happened today, thinking about what it’s been like to be home for the last week, thinking about the trip out west, and thinking about you. And I hope you’re doing really well. I hope that you’re happy, you deserve everything good that happens to you because you’re a good person. You make the world a good place. You are a positive pebble that ripples out into the universal waters. Don’t forget that. It’ll be good to hear from you. I look forward to it. I hope you have a good weekend. Bye.” Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

On the beat

• 4118 Kitchen & Bar (Highlands) will host live music 6-8 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public. 828.526.5002 or 4118kitchenbar.toast.site.

• American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 3 p.m. Tuesdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.

• Angry Elk Brewing (Whittier) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and open to the public. 828.497.1015 / facebook.com/angryelkbrewingco.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host “Open Mic” 8-10 p.m. Thursdays. Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 / balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host an “Open Jam” 6 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Jon Shain (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Aug. 30 (admission $20 per person). 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

• Bevel Bar (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.0996 / bevelbar.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host Rick Yates (singer-songwriter) Aug. 23 and Doug & Lisa Aug. 30. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Blue Stage (Andrews) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.361.2534 / thebluestage.com.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays, Council Ring Aug. 23 and Trusty Hucksters Aug. 30. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.

• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every first Thursday of the month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.

• Brookings Anglers (Cashiers) will host the “Brookings Bash” with Balsam Range, Jupiter Coyote and Canon Tyler from 2-7:30 p.m. Aug. 30. Tickets start at $65 per person. Proceeds benefit Transylvania Habitat for Humanity and Western North Carolina Relief. For tickets, visit transylvaniahabitat.org/brookings-bash.

• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host Flash Bang Mafia Aug. 22 and Mile High (classic rock/country gold) Aug. 23. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Helena Rose & Joey Brown (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 20 and Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean (Americana) Aug. 27 and 4 p.m.

Tuxedo Junction will play Sylva Aug. 22. File photo

County Chamber of Commerce will continue its 16th season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series.

Tuxedo Junction (rock/oldies) will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

“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.

Aug. 31. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-events/livemusic.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) 7:15 p.m. Aug. 29 ($10 cover). The kitchen and wine bar open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Team Trivia” Mondays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Martin & Kelly Sept. 10. 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/orchard-sessions.

• 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 Spare Parts Bluegrass Band (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 22 and Foxfire Boys (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, George

Trouble & The Zealots Aug. 22, Watkins (Americana/folk) Aug. 23, Marley’s Chain 3 p.m. Aug. 24, Christopher M. Caruso (singersongwriter) Aug. 27, Bemi Aug. 29, Hot Dog Sunrise (rock/jam) Aug. 30 and Bo Bullman (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Aug. 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.

• Gathering Room (Waynesville) will host an “Open Acoustic Jam” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. the last Friday of every month. All welcome to play or listen. 828.558.1333 / thegatheringroom828.com.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Corey Stevenson (singer-songwriter) and Kody Paul (singer-songwriter) Aug. 20, Dillon & Company Aug. 21, Charles Walker Band Aug. 22, Young Mountain Magic Aug. 23, The Alamo Band Aug. 24, Corey Stevenson (singer-songwriter) Aug. 27, Doug Ramsey (singer-songwriter) Aug. 28, Rock Holler Aug. 29 and Corey Stevenson Band Aug. 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Jamey Johnson Sept. 5-6. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows start at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.

• High Dive (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2200 / highlandsdive.com.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with The Lone Below (Americana/indie) 8:30 p.m. Aug. 28 (tickets are $53.24 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Highlands Smokehouse (Highlands) will host live music from 1-3 p.m. Sundays. 828.526.3554 / highlandsmokehouse.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays, Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) Aug. 23 and Phil Thomas (singer-songwriter) Aug. 30. 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 semiregular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.

• John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown) will host a “Community Jam” 7 p.m. Thursdays (at the nearby Crown Restaurant) and semi-regular live music on the weekends. folkschool.org.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Cody Marlowe Trio (rock/country) Aug. 23, Jamie Saylor (Americana) Aug. 29 and Tim Akins (R&B/pop) Aug. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Cody Marlowe Trio (rock/country) Aug. 22 and Tim Akins (R&B/pop) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host an “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.

• Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host The Vagabonds (Americana) at 2 p.m. the first and third Monday and a “Song Circle” open jam from 3-6 p.m. the first Tuesday each month. Free and open to the public. 828.524.3600 or fontanalib.org/franklin.

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host a “Bluegrass Jam” 5-7 p.m. Sundays, Amos Jackson (soul/funk) Aug. 21, Len Graham (Americana) Aug. 23 and Blend Hemp (acoustic) Aug. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

On the beat

‘An Appalachian Evening’

The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by rising Americana/bluegrass sensation Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, in Lynn L. Shields Auditorium at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

Characterized by No Depression as “the future of bluegrass,” Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road twine innovation, tradition and excellence into a unique musical experience. Though only 22 years old, North Carolina’s Liam Purcell has already established a name for himself in the world of American stringband music. Growing up less than a mile away from the legendary guitarist Doc Watson, Purcell was steeped in Appalachian old-time and bluegrass traditions from an early age.

Entering the professional bluegrass circuit during his teenage years, Purcell formed the stringband-supergroup Cane Mill Road. He would go on to lead the virtuosic ensemble through regional appearances, building a fanbase across the Southeast and bringing his homespun rapport to some of the most revered festivals

unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Liz Petty (singer-songwriter) Aug. 22, Bird In Hand (Americana/indie) Aug. 23, Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Aug. 24, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Aug. 29, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) Aug. 30, Terry Haughton (singer-songwriter) Aug. 31 and Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) Sept. 1. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host River Pickin’ 5 p.m. Aug. 22, Nick & Brew 2 p.m. Aug. 23, Dirty French Broads 5 p.m. Aug. 23, Blue (Americana) 2 p.m. Aug. 24, Ryan B. Jazz Trio 5 p.m. Aug. 29, Bemi (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Aug. 30, The Brown Mountain

in the scene.

By the time Purcell was 17, the project had seen multiple entries on the Billboard Top 10 Bluegrass charts, performed in 25 states and had been recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2019 as the recipient of the “Momentum Band of the Year” award.

This concert is underwritten by the Jazz Foundation of America and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.

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 $25 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.

Lightning Bugs (Americana) 5 p.m. Aug. 30 and Blue (Americana) 2 p.m. Aug. 31. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com.

• Old Edwards Inn (Highlands) will host live music in the Hummingbird Lounge at 5:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Free and open to the public. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.

• Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 / orchardcoffeeroasters.com.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host Firecracker Jazz Band (jazz/swing) Sept. 6. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host The Remnants (rock) Aug. 23. 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.

• Pinnacle Relief CBD Wellness Lounge (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.508.3018 / facebook.com/pinnaclerelief.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays, R.A. Nightingale (singersongwriter) Aug. 29 and David (singer-songwriter) Aug. 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” every Monday and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.

• Santé Wine Bar (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on Sundays. All shows begin at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.631.3075 / facebook.com/thewinebarandcellar.

• Sauced (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 / saucedwnc.com.

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host Meschiya Lake (Americana) Aug. 21, Jon Cox & Ginny McAffee (Americana/country) Aug. 23, Scott & Jennie (Celtic) 2 p.m. Aug. 24, Upstream Rebellion (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 30 and Bratfolk (Americana) 2 p.m. Aug. 31. 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 Alton Land Band 6 p.m. Aug. 22, Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Aug. 23, Generations 4 p.m. Aug. 24, Tim Austin (singersongwriter) 4 p.m. Aug. 31 and Blue Jazz (blues/jazz) 6 p.m. Sept. 5. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host “The Man in Black” (Johnny Cash tribute/country) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.

• Smoky Mountain Dog Bar (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0726 / smokymountaindogbakery.com.

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (free), Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 (adults $25, students/kids $10) and Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30 (adults $30, students/kids $10). 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” with Melissa McKinney (Americana/soul) Aug. 21 and Remedy 58 (blues/soul) Aug. 28. All shows begin at 6 p.m.

Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.

• Twisted Spoke Food & Tap (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1730 / facebook.com/twistedspokerestaurant.

• Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 / theuglydogpub.com.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Co. (Waynesville) will host Amos Jackson (R&B/soul) 6 p.m. Aug. 22, Watkins (Americana/folk) 2 p.m. Aug. 24 and Second Chance (rock/country) 2 p.m. Aug. 31. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Contagious 6 p.m. Aug. 29. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.

• Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 5202 (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.9356 / vfw5202.org.

• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Rail Town 3 p.m. Aug. 22, Rail Town 2 p.m. Aug. 24, Madison Owenby 3 p.m. Aug. 29 and Rail Town Sept. 1. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 8 p.m. Mondays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

• Wells Events & Reception Center (Waynesville) will host “80s Dance Music” 7 p.m. Aug. 29. 828.476.5070 / wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.

• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays, “Music Bingo” 6-8 p.m. Saturdays and Katie & Ezra (Americana) 4:30 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) Aug. 22, Jason Lyles (singer-songwriter) Aug. 23, Hollow Body Tour Aug. 29, Back Dirt Road Aug. 30 and Spare Parts Bluegrass Band (Americana/bluegrass) noon Aug. 31. 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 Holler Choir (Americana/indie) 4 p.m. Aug. 24. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.

• Find more at smokymountainnews.com/arts

Mountaintop Art & Craft Show

The Mountaintop Art & Craft Show will be held Aug. 23-24 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park in downtown Highlands.

The annual event is a two-day, two-weekend gathering that brings over 120 artisans from the region to Highlands for demonstrations, fine art, crafts and live entertainment. Organized by Mountaintop Rotary Club of Highlands.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit highlandsartshow.com.

On the stage

HART presents ‘The Cake’

A special stage production of “The Cake” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22-23, 28-30 and 2 p.m. Aug. 24, 31 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The show is a tender, thought-provoking comedy about a small-town baker whose beliefs are tested when she’s asked to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Tickets start at $19 with seating upgrades and discounts for seniors/students available. For more information, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit harttheatre.org.

‘The Cake’ will be at HART on select dates. File photo

ALSO:

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center (Highlands) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. mountaintheatre.com / 828.526.9047.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host “An Evening of Appalachian Tales: Scrubs on Stage” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. thepeacocknc.org / 828.389.ARTS.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. smokymountainarts.com / 866.273.4615.

On the table ALSO:

• “Rivers & Brews” small town craft brewers festival will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Nantahala Gorge. Live music, food and craft beer. For more information, a full schedule of events and ticket pricing, visit noc.com/events/river-and-brews.

• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have its wine bar open 4-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturdays at the Bryson City Wine Market. Select from a gourmet selection of charcuterie to enjoy with your wines. Educational classes and other events are also available. 828.538.0420.

• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. There will also be a special “Beer Train” on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.

‘Margin of Error’ is a work by Ralph Verano. Donated photo

Abstract art, surrealism showcase

With the exhibit dubbed “Faces of the Unseen,” artwork by Ralph Verano will be on display through the month of September at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Verano was born in a small town in southern central New York state. He became fascinated with art at a very early age when his grandfather would draw comic characters for him.

He graduated from Buffalo State College with a degree in graphic design. After living and working in Florida for 30 years, Verano’s love of the mountains eventually brought him to settle in Franklin.

Open call for art grants

The Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) grants.

Applications are open through Sept. 5, 2025. Local nonprofit arts organizations and arts programs are encouraged to apply. This grant opportunity is not open to individuals.

Established in 1977 by the North Carolina Arts Council, the GAP program supports both programming and general operations for arts groups across the state. In Haywood County, this funding opportunity is made possible through a

partnership between the Haywood County Arts Council and the NC Arts Council. Grant awards typically range from $500 to $5,000.

Eligible expenses include costs related to artistic programming such as artist fees, publicity, musical performances and equipment rental. Operating support can also be covered, including rent, utilities, staff salaries, office supplies and small-scale capital improvements. In 2024, eight local arts nonprofits received a combined $26,023 in GAP funding through HCAC.

Verano’s character-driven art represents his love of abstract art and surrealism with a desire to create something unique and original. His work has evolved over time because of his willingness to experiment with different techniques, ideas and styles.

Verano has always felt that discovery is the most important element in his work and the need to challenge himself is what maintains his interest in the thing that has been his passion since he was a child.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit rverano.blogspot.com.

Please note, all grant recipients must provide a 1-to-1 cash match for the amount awarded. A list of these matching funds is required and must be included in the final grant report.

• “Chiaroscuro,” the latest exhibition at the Haywood County Arts County, will run through Sept. 1 at HCAC’s Handmade Gallery in downtown Waynesville. The showcase highlights the bold use of light and shadow to create depth, mood and movement in art. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org.

• “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, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy. For more information, visit motcp.org.

• 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. 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.

Applications will be evaluated by a panel using eight review criteria: completeness, feasibility, organizational health, community accessibility, alignment with arts and culture, multicultural relevance, regional impact and artistic merit. No matching funds are required for this grant.

The submission deadline is Sept. 5, with funding decisions announced in late September or early October. Funds will be distributed in October and supported projects should be completed by June 30, 2026.

To apply and learn more about eligibility, visit haywoodarts.org/grants-funding.

• 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, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 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.

The story of the man who saved England

Benjamin Merkle’s “The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great” (Thomas Nelson, 2009, 272 pages) tells the story of the Wessex monarch who resisted the Vikings and after decades of fighting and prayer drove them out of his kingdom. He also began unifying AngloSaxon England into one realm, a merger only completed during the reign of Athelstan, Alfred’s grandson.

The ninth-century back-and-forth victories and defeats, the many Viking raids, often conducted by long ships up estuaries and rivers, and the place names of obscure battles could confuse modern readers, but Merkle does excellent work explaining this history and its participants. We learn how these battles were generally fought, the tactics behind the shield walls that both sides used, and the horrific slaughter that occurred when those walls were breached.

more uniformity, and compiled a legal code, the Domboc, or Doom Book, with dooms meaning judgments or laws.

To have accomplished all these things while at the same time fending off a merciless enemy explains Alfred’s unique title.

And of course, there is the romance in

as exemplars to avoid.

We should also open these books, visit museums, and watch films of past events to ward off the presentism that today has so infected the world, particularly Western culture. Presentism occurs when we judge history solely through the lens of our own philosophies and prejudices. Some condemn the American past, for instance, for all sorts of sins, spotlighting its warts and blemishes while ignoring its marks of goodness and beauty. Nuance is lost, and along with it, truth.

Merkle adeptly mingles historic realities with imaginative descriptions, which brings alive these long-ago events. In describing the Battle of Edington, which occurred in 878 A.D. and marked a turning point in the wars against the Vikings, he describes the breaking of the Viking shield wall: “Now the combat turned to the mad havoc of sword and axe fighting. Each man stood or fell by the quickness and power of his blows and the agility of his feet … On they fought, until the fields of Edington were drenched with Danish blood, and not one Viking remained standing on the place of slaughter.”

Despite these victories — Alfred also wisely devised a more intentional defense of towns and created a small standing force of warriors — these plaudits alone are not enough to earn Alfred the title of “The Great,” the only English monarch ever so honored. He became an adept diplomat in dealing both with the Viking invaders and the rulers of the other kingdoms. He saw that the Golden Age of the English Church, some 200 years in the past, was in need of polishing, and so instituted a series of reforms stressing devotion and education among the clergy. Realizing the importance of education, literacy in particular, he founded schools, insisted, much to their dismay, that some of his council learn to read, and had parts of the Bible translated into the vernacular. He revamped the civil laws, seeking

Alfred’s story as well. With his army broken and scattered by the Vikings, he became a guerilla warrior of sorts, a sort of Saxon Swamp Fox like the great hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion. His refusal to surrender, the hit and run tactics he practiced against the invaders, and his success at retaining the loyalty of a small band of stouthearted followers roused the spirits of other Saxons, and even today remains an example of resilience and courage in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.

A primary reason for reading history and biographies like “The White Horse King” is to connect with figures like Alfred, those men and women from the past who overcame great odds and won their battles, whether on a bloody field or within the confines of their heart. We turn to them for inspiration and hope, while at the same time spurning those whose weakness, cowardice, or outright evil deeds marked them forever

Poetry, novel reading at City Lights

Presentism also cripples our views of the present itself. We hear much these days of the stress of modern living, of how difficult it is to raise children, of the horrible state of our country. Reading “The White Horse King” reminds us that real stress is standing face to face with a man trying to kill you with an ax before you can kill him with a sword. The hungry, dirty children of Alfred’s time who were often cut down or sold into slavery by Viking raiders lends perspective to our complaints about childrearing. The near conquest of Britain by murderous invaders does the same for the quarrels of our own time.

Finally, we should read and learn some history because, whether we realize it or not, we belong to the past. In the beginning of “Look Homeward, Angel,” Asheville native Thomas Wolfe’s first book, we find this thought on history and time, “… our lives are haunted by a Georgia slattern, because a London cutpurse went unhung. Each moment is the fruit of forty thousand years.”

Some version of a London cutpurse, whether king or commoner, lives in us today, and every moment truly is the fruit of past millennia. Or as William Faulkner in “Requiem for a Nun” wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Read history with your imagination on tap, and you’ll make yourself more fully human.

(Jeff Minick reviews books and has written four of his own: two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” minick0301@gmail.com.)

Michael Hettich and Sebastian Matthews will read from their latest works at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Hettich will present his new poetry collection, “A Sharper Silence,” and Matthews will share from his book, “The Patient Body: A Personal Narrative in Pieces.” Hettich, winner of the 2024 Brockman-Campbell Book Award, has published more than a dozen poetry collections over four decades. Matthews, an Asheville-based writer and coach, is the author of three poetry books and two works of personal narrative. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.586.9499 or visit citylightsnc.com.

The American Flood Coalition’s Recovery and Resilience Partnership is barely six months old, but it’s already helping to deliver results in the form of a $20 million mitigation grant program aimed at helping communities in Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene and prepare for the next storm.

On a humid August afternoon in Canton, Tony McEwen, Carolinas director of the American Flood Coalition, stood before a small group of local leaders with a message he said couldn’t wait.

“This 110% would not have happened were it not for Rep. Mark Pless,” McEwen told them, crediting the Haywood County Republican with shepherding the new $20 million Hurricane Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program through the legislature. “We want to do everything we can as the American Flood Coalition to make sure that your constituents understood what you’ve done to help make this happen, and make sure that the communities here in your district understand the opportunity on the front end, so that you all can make use of these dollars.”

The stop in Canton, after a stop in Madison County and before a stop in Waynesville, wasn’t an accident. The town and the region have endured two deadly flooding events in just four years — Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, then Helene in 2024 — and McEwen wanted to make sure local officials understood both the opportunity, and the urgency.

The grant program, created through an appropriation in the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 — Part II, will be administered by North Carolina Emergency Management and will fund project identification, design and implementation.

Eligible applicants include local and regional governments, as well as nonprofit organizations.

Awards can be as much as $2 million for a single recipient or $4 million for a county. There’s no cost-share requirement, and eligible projects range from culvert and bridge retrofits or replacements to relocating at-risk infrastructure, improving stormwater and drainage systems or hardening critical facilities and utilities.

For McEwen, the timing matters as much as the money.

“North Carolina Emergency Management is moving these dollars really quick, which is why we’re here in person,” he said.

Applications will open within weeks, with decisions expected by mid-October.

“I would encourage y’all to very quickly think through what projects there are that Haywood County and Canton could apply for,” said McEwen.

Pless, who led the debate in the House and worked his caucus to support the measure, sees the grants as a way to go beyond simply replacing what was lost. Federal disaster aid, he noted, often just restores infrastructure to pre-storm condition — infrastructure that in many cases was old or wasn’t adequate to begin with. The state program, McEwen said, can add “that layer of resilience on top of a recovery project.”

Flood-prone farmland in the Bethel community is one example, according to Pless.

“Maybe this $2 million could go into a plan, and I know the TDA created this beautiful idea up there on Max Thompson Road for that tomato field; you’re going to have to repair and replace all these things as time goes by,” he said.

“Why could we not take the $2 million, harden up that area that you own to where when the water rises, the water gets to a level and it starts spilling into that for a containment? If we had three or four pockets … we can protect the town.”

Pless urged county leaders to share ideas and needs so he and his colleagues can adjust funding or program language as needed.

“Tell us what you need us to do. Tell us the language [in statutes] you need us to change. Tell us how we can get you the money,” he said. “If you’re told no you don’t qualify, tell me why you don’t qualify so I can change the way we’re approaching it.”

That flexibility, McEwen said, is by design. The Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program is the first state resiliencefocused funding established after the storm, and it’s targeted directly at the 20 western counties hardest hit. It’s also the latest in a string of flood-resilience appropriations Pless has secured — $50 million over the last two budgets — and advocates hope to make such funding recurring.

For McEwen and the AFC, promoting responsible fiscal stewardship among entities that will ultimately receive the grants is critical.

“We want to have a conversation with folks from the western part of the state, the delegation here, but also eastern North Carolina, about the value in having a reliable recurring fund that communities can tap into,” he said. Flooding, he added, “is like no other issue … One community in and of itself can’t foot the bill. It takes resources from outside of local government coming in to help local governments do this.”

That watershed-level approach underpins another major initiative in motion, the North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint. Stewart Brown, a state official working on the project, joined the Canton meeting to explain how the blueprint will guide long-term investment in flood mitigation.

Funded with $20 million in 2021 after Hurricane Florence, the blueprint compiles data, builds new flood models and develops decision support tools to help especially small or under-resourced communities identify and pursue resilience projects.

While the initial focus was on eastern North Carolina, the French Broad River Basin — encompassing much of the Helenedamaged region — was added early this year. Work there will incorporate data collected after Helene, calibrated to actual highwater marks.

previous storms. That figure tracks with an April story in The Smoky Mountain News near the six-month anniversary of Helene that showed most local governments still hadn’t been paid and only 4% of needs had been met.

McEwen and other coalition leaders plan to take Western North Carolina leaders to Washington, D.C. next month to press for FEMA reforms.

Pless said the state has money for “unmet needs” that could be tapped if FEMA denies reimbursement, but local governments need to speak up.

“It is the intent for us to pay for this storm. We have the money. We don’t want anybody saddled with it,” he said. “It’s not fair for something that’s outside your control.”

For Canton and other hard-hit towns, the Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program

Flooding is like no other issue … One community in and of itself can’t foot the bill. It takes resources from outside of local government coming in to help local governments do this.”

Tony McEwen,

Carolinas director of the American Flood Coalition

“The high-minded goal is, we want to make this state more resilient to flooding,” Brown said.

That means thinking beyond recovery to proactive investments in infrastructure and land use planning that reduce exposure, costs and disruption. It also means looking to examples from other states and countries — including the Netherlands, which Pless visited last year — for strategies to slow and redirect water.

In Western North Carolina, that could mean elevating or fortifying essential facilities, moving vulnerable infrastructure out of floodplains or creating upstream retention areas to ease downstream flows like Pless mentioned. While such retention areas would help protect Canton, if they’re successful they’ll also protect Clyde — and everything else downstream.

It could also mean hardening critical bridges and culverts, projects squarely in line with the Helene grant program’s eligible uses.

Pless and McEwen both stressed that speed is essential, especially with the 2025 hurricane season approaching peak. Helene’s impact remains fresh, but with the North Carolina General Assembly’s crowded agenda, attention can shift quickly to other issues.

“We need to capitalize right now before something takes the distraction of the legislature and the Senate and the governor’s office to the coast,” Pless said.

Part of that push includes addressing bottlenecks in federal disaster relief, which local officials across the mountains have criticized as slow and overly complex.

McEwen said a recent survey of Heleneimpacted local governments found that only about 6% of eligible expenses had been reimbursed so far — a slower pace than in

$400 million allocated to prepare NC drinking water for natural disasters

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allocated $409.4 million to North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for public water systems to improve local drinking water utility infrastructure so their systems can better withstand natural disasters.

“In February, I visited communities in Asheville to witness firsthand the crucial role drinking water utilities have in responding to natural disasters,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “This funding to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality will help secure the infrastructure of these systems to ensure EPA can fulfill its core mission to protect human health and the environment.”

Helene and Milton and the Hawaii Wildfires, administered by the State Revolving Fund. The funds may be used to improve drinking water treatment, distribute water, improve the source of water supply, replace or construct finished water storage tanks and complete other infrastructure projects needed to protect public health through improved drinking water infrastructure.

represents a rare chance to act on ideas that might otherwise remain on the drawing board for lack of funding. With no local match required and grants of up to $2 million for a single project, officials can think bigger — and longer term.

The eligible project list is broad. Relocating at-risk infrastructure, something Canton has been in the process of doing after Fred, can take entire facilities out of harm’s way. Stormwater and drainage improvements can handle heavier downpours. Hardening utilities and critical facilities can keep essential services running during and after a flood.

The AFC’s message in Canton was clear — the money is there, but only for a short window, and the communities that move fastest will benefit most.

“This stuff is moving pretty quick,” McEwen said. “I hope everyone makes use of this. But in particular, what y’all dealt with the last few years, I hope … you and your constituents can make good use of this.”

For Pless, the stakes are personal. He grew up fishing and as a paramedic has even rescued people from the Pigeon River, and has seen floodwaters surround homes in Canton as far back as the late 1970s.

“This isn’t the first time,” he said. “We’re learning from it. We’re getting better. We got to figure out a way to make it to where we protect the town.”

That, he said, will take coordination between local visionaries, state resources and outside experts — the kind the Recovery and Resilience Partnership aims to provide.

“The conception of how we protect Canton and how we protect Haywood County is going to have to begin with you,” Pless told local leaders. “And then when you share that with us, we’ll run with it.”

“Hurricane Helene severely damaged drinking water systems throughout Western North Carolina, and thousands of people were without safe drinking water for weeks,” said NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “These investments will make drinking water systems more resilient to future storms, helping to ensure that communities have uninterrupted access to healthy water.”

These funds are part of the 2025 Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes

Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes states to utilize funds to further the act’s health protection objectives. Funds will capitalize North Carolina’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which may then make low-interest loans with principal forgiveness toward the cost of planning, design and construction of eligible drinking water improvement projects.

The Sorrowful Botanist

BY ADAM B IGELOW

Dr. J Dan Pittillo 1938-2025

On Monday, Aug. 11, J. Dan Pittillo died. The world has lost an amazing person, a gifted and kind educator, a dedicated father and husband, and one of the top botanists in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Southeastern United States.

Dan retired many years ago as a professor of biology and botany at Western Carolina University, in Cullowhee. During his tenure at WCU, he taught and helped guide so many people while sharing his love and understanding of plants and the science of botany.

While I was not one in one of his WCU classes, I have learned so much from Dan; he and his work have positively influenced my life and broadened my plant knowledge in many ways. There is hardly anywhere that I go in the region that, botanically speaking, does not have Dan Pittillo’s hand in its work.

planted and tended for over 40 years and is now protected through the HighlandsCashiers Land Trust as the Pittillo Family Nature Preserve, featuring one of the most impressive collections of Native Plants in the region, with over 115 species of plants documented, all native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

There is a short walking loop through Jean Pittillo’s Nodding Trillium Garden at his home that I visit a couple of times a week during the springtime. The beautiful flowers bloom in a progression that starts with skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in February and shines through the peak of spring wildflower season all the way into early summer and the blooming of Dan’s beloved yellowwood tree (Cladrastis kentuckea).

Over 40 years ago, Dan helped found the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, which is one of my main inspirations and teachers. He helped in the development and promotion of the Corneille Bryan Native Plant Garden, a hidden gem at Lake Junaluska. He was a founding member of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy and remained active on its board up until his death.

Dan was a key part of highlighting and protecting Panthertown Valley, a special and biologically diverse area of Jackson County, that is among my favorite places to hike and botanize in all the mountains. He is one of the heroes of conservation in this region. There is not a natural area or botanical garden in WNC that Dan hasn’t helped or been involved in.

Speaking of gardens, the land around his modest home near Cullowhee has been

Ever the educator, one of the last times that I got to see Dan, after quizzing me about every plant we saw and after carefully walking that beautiful garden loop one last time together, he taught me that the genus name Cladrastis meant brittle wood. He then showed me how twigs of yellowwood would snap easily when bent. Brittle, indeed. Dan was certainly not brittle, however. He was notorious for being difficult to keep up with while walking in the woods looking at plants. Even late in his life, he could traverse up a slope quicker than most of his students and peers, but you would want to keep up with him, both to learn from his giant wealth of botanical knowledge and because he was a quiet and diminutive speaker. I thank Dan for his kindness and generosity. I am grateful for his advocacy and activism to highlight and protect these beautiful and diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains. I thank him for planting and tending his beautiful and special wildflower garden, and for having the foresight to see that his land and efforts are protected forever.

I thank Dan for his friendship, mentorship and for being the special educator that he was. He will remain an inspiration and hero for me and for many others in the world of botany, ecology and conservation. And I promise to get “up to speed” on my grass and sedge identification skills as he tasked me with this past spring.

(The Joyful Botanist leads weekly wildflower walks most Fridays and offers consultations and private group tours through Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions. bigelownc@gmail.com.)

Smokies staff reminds visitors that feeding bears is illegal, dangerous

The National Park Service urges visitors to not feed or approach black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park has seen an increase in incidents involving visitors feeding bears. Feeding wildlife is illegal and endangers you, other visitors and bears.

Feeding wildlife in the park is a federal offense and can result in fines of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.

Feeding bears is not only illegal; it can be extremely dangerous for bears and visitors. Bears learn quickly. Feeding a bear even once can result in that bear becoming conditioned to human food, losing its natural fear of humans. A food-conditioned bear is more likely to be hit by a car as it seeks out human food and may exhibit more aggressive behavior toward visitors. In some cases, feeding a bear can result in the euthanasia of the animal.

national park in the United States, with around 12 million visitors each year. This unique combination of high visitation and a thriving bear population increases the likelihood of human-bear encounters, especially when bears venture into developed areas in search of food.

Currently, bear activity is especially high due to a scarcity of natural food sources combined with the stressors of peak breeding season. During this time, mother bears are also separating from their 18-month-old yearlings, leaving these young bears to navigate survival on their own for the first time. These inexperienced juveniles are more likely to wander into populated areas, increasing the risk of encounters with humans. For this reason, it is important that visitors follow these bear safety guidelines.

Highlands protects 32 acres

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust announced the conservation of 31.69 acres of ecologically valuable land within the town limits of Highlands. Located off Bowery Road, the property overlooks Horse Cove Valley.

Thanks to the generosity and foresight of the property owners, Kent and Alice Nelson, this important landscape will be protected. Among its most impactful conservation values, it protects water and important habitat for wildlife and plants.

At least two headwater tributary streams originate here. Conservation of this land helps protect water quality as well as clean water for trout, salamander, and other aquatic species.

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, a nationally accredited 501(c)3 nonprofit has been working to save our unique and irreplaceable landscape on the Plateau since 1909. By working with landowners to voluntarily conserve their family lands, the organization has permanently conserved over 4,400 acres in and around Highlands and Cashiers.

Conservation of this land helps protect water quality, as well as clean water for trout, salamander and other aquatic species. Donated photo

Boyd sworn in as wildlife commissioner

GSMNP is home to approximately 1,900 American black bears and is the most visited

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ided in-house and are curated for seeking an experience that is step above our typical spa trea these short-form retreats in activities intended to deepen and more; all combined with sp spa treatments and meal op tailored to your desired expe . zed those just a tments. clude your ecializ tions erience

Learn more about black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/blackbears.htm.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission welcomed Justin Boyd to its governing board. Boyd was appointed as an at-large member by North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and will serve a four-year term until June 30, 2029. Boyd was sworn in on July 22 at the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Raleigh.

“It’s an honor to be joining the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Board. I’d like to thank Commissioner Troxler for the opportunity,

and I look forward to serving,” stated Boyd. A graduate of NC State University with a degree in Agricultural Business Management, Boyd is a farmer and partner at 3-B-Farms, Inc. A native of Beaufort County, Boyd resides in Bath with his wife, Regan, and their two boys.

As part of its statutory authority, the NCWRC governing board establishes policies and regulations governing hunting, fishing and boating activities in North Carolina. Commissioners serve until reappointed or replaced. Information on NCWRC Commissioners can be viewed at ncwildlife.gov/about/commissioners.

Market

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 copies across 500 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, including the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. Visit www.wncmarketplace.com to place your ad!

Rates:

• $15 — Classified ads that are 25 words, 25¢ per word after.

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

• $1 — Yard Sale Rain Insurance Yard sale rained out? Call us by 10a.m. Monday for your ad to run again FREE

• $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. (Limit 25 words or less)

• Boost Online — Have your ad featured at top of category online $4

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• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

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Note: Highlighted ads automatically generate a border so if you’re placing an ad online and select a highlight color, the “add border” feature will not be available on the screen.

Note: Yard sale ads require an address. This location will be displayed on a map on www.wncmarketplace.com

p: 828.452.4251 · f:828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com www.wncmarketplace.com

PLACE WNC

Legals

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA JACKSON COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF JOYCE WEBER VS. OSCAR MUNOZ HUIZACHE TO: OSCAR MUNOZ HUIZACHE

FILE NO. 25CV000199-

490

TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you

above-referenced actions. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Breach of Contract, Negligence, Unjust Enrichment, Damages, and Attorney’s Fees.

Filed: March 14, 2025, in Jackson County, North Carolina

You are required to make a defense to such pleading no later than September 19, 2025 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you, will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This, the 31st day of July, 2025.

Danya N. Ledford, Attorney for Plaintiff

854 N. Main St. Waynesville, NC 28785 828-452-5522

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE RESALE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HAYWOOD IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

BEFORE THE CLERK 24SP000005-430 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST from MAX GERRY ROBINSON, JR. and wife, TERRALENE ROBINSON to GENERAL AMERICAN CORP., Trustee, dated JANUARY 16, 2003, recorded in BOOK 546, PAGE 212; REFORMED MARCH 6, 2023, and recorded APRIL 20, 2023, in BOOK 1084, PAGE 2166, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY

Pursuant to an order entered March 26, 2024, in the Superior Court for Haywood County, and the power of sale contained in the captioned Deed of Trust (the “Deed of Trust”), the Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at auction (the “Sale”), to the highest bidder for cash on:

AUGUST 25, 2025, AT 10:00 A.M. HAYWOOD COUNTY COURTHOUSE 285 NORTH MAIN STREET, WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

the real estate and the improvements thereon secured by the Deed of Trust, less and except any of such property released from the lien of the Deed of Trust prior to the date of said sale, lying and being in Haywood County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows (the “Property”): TRACT ONE: BEGINNING AT AN IRON PIPE SET AT AN OLD FENCE INTERSECTION POST AT SOUTHWEST CORNER OF RHINEHART TRACT (DEED

BOOK 261, PAGE 688, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY) AND SOUTHEAST CORNER OF GREEN TRACT (DEED BOOK 172, PAGE 17, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY) AND RUNS FROM THE BEGINNING POINT THUS ESTABLISHED: S 88-11-20 W, PASSING AN IRON PIPE SET AT 170.85 FEET, A WHOLE DISTANCE OF 178.85 FEET TO THE CENTER OF THICKETY ROAD (S.R. 1513); THENCE WITH THE CENTER OF THICKETY ROAD THREE CALLS AS FOLLOWS: S 23-3726 E 109.74 FEET TO A POINT; S 33-22-40 E 86.90 FEET TO A POINT; AND S 52-32-13 E 99.41 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE LEAVING SAID ROAD AND RUNNING N 02-09-53 E, PASSING AN IRON PIPE FOUND AT 26.33 FEET, A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 235.42 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE SET; THENCE N 11-38-

30 W 4.06 FEET TO THE BEGINNING. CONTAINING 0.605 ACRES, AS PER PLAT AND SURVEY BY L. KEVIN ENSLEY, RLS, DATED 11-8-88, DRAWING NO. A-091-88, AND BEING A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 208, PAGE 534, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. ALSO SEE PLAT BOOK A, PAGE 89, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. TOGETHER WITH AND SUBJECT TO RIGHT OF WAY FOR STATE ROAD 1513 TO ITS FULL LEGAL WIDTH. BEING THE SAME PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN DEED DATED SEPTEMBER 29, 1999, FROM MAX GERRY ROBINSON, SR. (A.K.A. MAX GARY ROBINSON) AND WIFE, JEAN ROBINSON, TO MAX GERRY ROBINSON, JR. AND RECORDED IN DEED BOOK 475, PAGE 1012, HAYWOOD COUNTY

REGISTRY.

TRACT TWO: BEGINNING AT AN IRON PIPE SET, SAID IRON PIPE SET BEING S 11-38-30 E 4.06 FEET FROM THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF RHINEHART TRACT (DEED BOOK 261, PAGE 688, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY) AND SOUTHEAST CORNER OF GREEN TRACT (DEED BOOK 172, PAGE 017, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY) AND RUNS THENCE FROM THE BEGINNING POINT THUS ESTABLISHED: S 27-57-09 E 142.65 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE SET; THENCE S 42-0211 W 111.66 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE SET; THENCE N 02-09-53 E 209.09 FEET TO THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING 0.172 ACRES, AS PER PLAT AND SURVEY BY L. KEVIN ENSLEY, RLS, DATED 11-8-88, DRAWING NO. A-091-88, AND BEING A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY

DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 396, PAGE 557, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. ALSO SEE PLAT BOOK A, PAGE 89, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. BEING THE SAME PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN A DEED DATED SEPTEMBER 29, 1999, FROM DEAN ROBINSON AND WIFE, MARY JANE ROBINSON, TO MAX GERRY ROBINSON, JR. AND RECORDED IN DEED BOOK 475, PAGE 1015, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY.

The record owner of the Property not more than ten (10) days prior to the date hereof is Terralene Robinson. Parcel ID: 8657-19-7736

Unless delayed by other sales held at the same place, the sale will be or as soon thereafter as practicable, but not later than 3 hours after the

Section 45-21.23 of the North Carolina General Statutes. deposit, or a cash deposit of $750.00, whichever is greater, will be required of the last and highest bidder. The balance of the bid purchase price shall

be due in full in cash or to take place within thirty (30) days of the date of sale. The Substitute Trustee shall convey title to the property by non warranty deed.

This sale will be made subject to all prior liens of record, if any, and to all unpaid (ad valorem) taxes and special assessments, if any, which became a lien subsequent to the recordation of the Deed of Trust. This sale will be further subject to the right, if any, of the United States of America to redeem the above-described property for a period of 120 days following the date when has run.

The purchaser of the property described above shall pay the Clerk’s Commissions in the amount of $.45 per $100.00 of the purchase price (up to a maximum amount of $500.00), required by Section 7A-308(a)(1) of the North Carolina General Statutes. If the purchaser of the above-described property is someone under the Deed of Trust, the purchaser shall also pay, to the extent applicable, the land transfer tax in the amount of one percent (1%) of the purchase price.

To the extent this sale involves residential prop(15) rental units, you are following:

(a) An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to Section 45-21.29 of the North Carolina General Statutes in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold; and

(b) Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days’ written notice to the landlord. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under

the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The 7th day of July 2025.

Janeen Miller-Hogue, Substitute Trustee (NCSB No. 23344)

The Miller-Hogue Law Firm, P.C. 1130 Harding Place, Charlotte, North Carolina 28204

704-307-4330 / jmhogue@m-hogue.com

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.25E000414-430

Pamela Smathers, havingecutor and Lou Ann

the Co-Executor, of the Estate of Charles Ray Blaylock of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Nov 20 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Co-Executor 375 Robinson Farm Rd Canton, NC 28716

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