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Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2026 Vol. 28 Iss. 13
Jackson implements data center moratorium Page 6 Melissa Etheridge to play Harrah’s Cherokee Page 16
CONTENTS On the Cover:
Disrupting a program that has been in place for a quarter-century, President Donald Trump has taken another step to rescind the Roadless Rule, which aims to protect pristine wilderness areas across the country, including in Western North Carolina. As the process has played out with little public input, regional activists are sounding the alarm for what they view as a move that could be devastating to the region’s environment and cultural heritage. (Page 24) Jeff Gunn photo
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Community planning sessions zero in on Canton’s future ......................................4 Swain County makes rudimentary plans for opioid settlement ..............................5 Jackson implements data center moratorium ..............................................................6 Haywood resident named director of development at WCU ................................7 Corbin defends Senate seat against Downing ..........................................................8 Hughes aims to unseat veteran Sen. Ralph Hise ....................................................10 WNC colleges look ahead to expanded programs, increased appropriations ....11 Community briefs ..............................................................................................................13
Opinion Be patient and let Trump by Trump ..............................................................................14 We must do better for DV victims ................................................................................14
A&E Melissa Etheridge to play Harrah’s Cherokee ..........................................................16 Seven Clans Rodeo comes to Cherokee ..................................................................18
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Community planning sessions zero in on Canton’s future BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR series of events last week allowed the community to weigh in on Canton’s vision, from the future of the property where the paper mill is currently being demolished to how it can become more resilient to flooding. On Aug. 18, members of the general public were invited in to participate in discussions focused on the mill property, flood resilience, recreation and maximizing the value of partnerships between government at all levels and the community. A similar session was held Aug. 19 with stakeholders and organizations involved in Helene recovery like the Army Corps of Engineers.
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Responses to that question largely focused on continuing recovery from Helene and preventing future storm damage. Flood mitigation infrastructure should be resilient without having too visible an impact on the community and environment, some posited. Canton resident and planning board member Carl Cortright said connecting recreation resources could go a long way. “Sometimes it feels like the recreation areas are siloed into their little areas. Getting connectivity between all of them and connectivity between the municipalities, I think, would be beneficial to the region,” Cortright said. Some discussed amenities, while others talked about community buy-in.
Community stakeholders were invited to see how Canton’s long-term plan will be shaped while also having a chance to weigh in. Kyle Perrotti photo
Smoky Mountain News
August 26-September 1, 2026
Canton’s paper mill shut down in 2023, eliminating about 1,000 jobs. File photo
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The goal of the sessions, hosted by Fernleaf, a consulting firm that focuses on resilience planning and support, was to inform local people and organizations about the broad goals that will dictate Canton’s direction as well as present future challenges. Two Banks Development, the company orchestrating the demolition of the paper mill that shut down in June 2023, eliminating about 1,000 jobs, talked about the guiding principles it’s considering. According to members of Two Banks’ leadership team, some of those guiding principles involve strengthening the local economy, working with nature, bringing the community together, investing in lasting quality and making resilience visible. The word “resilience” is a direct reference to the massive damage wrought by three large flooding events over the last 22 years — hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004, Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and Hurricane Helene in 2024. Because the mill property straddles the Pigeon River, it is front and center in that discussion. Participants in the Aug. 19 discussion largely hoped to see the land used in a way that prioritizes walkability and nature. At a station where representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency discussed the town’s future, the goal was to establish what ‘success’ looks like. How can a sustainable and unified vision for Canton that aligns with the greater goals for the county and region be achieved? What does success look like five years from now?
A major theme of that discussion was communicating every step of the process to hone the vision for Canton’s future while strongly considering public feedback. Some residents are skeptical of change. Letting them know what is happening and how leaders think certain decisions will benefit residents can go a long way. Multiple people recommended keeping a public “master list” that includes projects, priorities and organizations involved in long-term planning. This means both highlighting work as it’s being done to show people that real results can be demonstrated, and also being proactive in showing that the wishes of the community are being prioritized. Along with external communication, a priority was maintaining consistent dialogue between governments and stakeholder organizations to prevent overlap and maximize collective strength. “One of the reasons for this event is just to try to bring together all these different projects,” EPA Disaster and Recovery Coordincator Drew Parker said. “Let’s talk about it in the same room because everyone’s working in their own little realm.” During the conversations, discussion leaders jotted notes on large sheets of paper with markers to create running lists of ideas and concerns locals shared. That feedback will be considered as a larger plan is crafted over time, a process that will include more public hearings. Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said that town leaders
intentionally stepped back from this part of the planning process. While he offered opening remarks for the sessions, he didn’t stick around. The goal is to view community feedback and proposed solutions with fresh eyes once the time comes. In the meantime, he said elected leaders and staff will continue to move forward in their push to secure more funding and resources for the ongoing recovery. “We’re like ducks,” he said. “We’re pretty calm on top, but below the surface it feels like we’re paddling like mad to keep afloat.” Smathers said that at this point, the plan is still only in the developmental stage. While some have expressed fear that there are already actions being taken without public knowledge, that simply isn’t the case. “Nothing in any public meeting we’re hosting now is anywhere near the final plan that will be brought to us,” he said. “Right now, we’re still in the gathering stage.”
Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, including in Canton, which had previously seen severe flooding during Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. Cory Vaillancourt photo
BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER wain commissioners at an Aug. 18 meeting voted unanimously in favor of pursuing a $60,000 Purdue-Sackler settlement-funded contract with Tonya Snider from tenBiz, Inc. to facilitate implementation of the county’s drug overuse mitigation program.
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Swain County makes rudimentary plans for opioid settlement until hitting 23% in 2021. In Region A, 2016 and 2022 numbers fell from 25% to 16% respectively; the state, from 21% to 13%. “I just want to move this forward to where that we can get the ball rolling and get Swain County citizens what we need as fast and efficiently as we can,” Dills said, noting that the opioid settlement money has “been there for quite some time.”
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Since 2022, Swain County has already County Manager Tommy Dills received $1.28 million of a total $3.51 milexplained he’d selected tenBiz because the group, in partnership with OMNI Institute lion in settlement funding, with annual payments scheduled through fiscal year and the Southwestern Commission, had 2038-2039. It is one of only 10 local governhelped coordinate a strategic plan for ments still without a North Carolina’s spending plan; the Region A, made up Since 2022, Swain County other 105 North of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, has already received $1.28 Carolina plaintiff municipalities have Jackson, Macon and million of a total $3.51 mil- interventions in Swain counties, and progress. thus possessed lion in settlement funding, Snider’s contract extensive knowledge would begin Sept. 1 of the project. with annual payments and span 12 months. The OMNI North scheduled through fiscal She’d report directly Carolina Region A to Dills throughout. Opioid Settlements year 2038-2039. It is one She said her role Strategic Plan — would ideally plus county-specific of only 10 local governinvolve training a needs assessments ments still without a county employee to — was the product oversee long-term of 137 community spending plan; the other plan execution. surveys, 16 one-on105 North Carolina plain“It’s basically takone interviews and ing responsibility for 11 focus groups. tiff municipalities have the implementation Findings indicate and the success of Region A was interventions in progress. that program, just impacted by the opibeing able and willoid crisis at a rate ing to take down that responsibility when exceeding the state mean — and that Swain no one else has the ability to do it at the County experienced above-average impacts moment.” within the region. But the agreement outlines the possibiliWhen comparing ratios of emergency ty of retaining tenBiz beyond the outlined department visits from 2016-2021 with a duration. “It is the parties’ intent to considdrug overdose diagnosis, the assessment er renewal of this agreement for up to two reported that Swain County consistently additional one-year terms, subject to Board measured higher than both the state and of Commissioners approval, continued region, sometimes doubling both values. need, and the availability of Opioid 2019 marked its peak year for unintentional overdose fatalities with 56 total deaths, a fig- Settlement funds,” it reads. The document also mentions the creure that again dwarfed the state and regional ation of an opioid settlement task force, per capita numbers. In 2016, 37% of resithough that wasn’t discussed during last dents were receiving dispensed opioid pills, week’s session. a number that generally trended downward
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Jackson implements data center moratorium the moratorium. Commissioners said the BY ALEX PERRI yearlong pause will give the county time to STAFF WRITER determine whether additional regulations ackson County commissioners are putare needed and what those regulations ting a one-year pause on new data center should look like. development, joining a growing number During the Aug. 18 meeting, county offiof communities across Western North cials described the moratorium as a chance Carolina that have moved to temporarily to study the issue before the county has to halt the facilities while local governments deal with a data center development under figure out how they want to regulate them. its existing rules. Commissioners approved the moratoriPoston said the county will hold public um Aug. 18, putting a hold on data center hearings, bring in at least one data center development in the county’s planning and developer or industry expert and have the development jurisdiction through Aug. 18, planning board examine how other commu2027. The moratorium prohibits the county nities across North Carolina are handling from issuing permits for data center develthe industry. opment, including zoning, development, building and demolition permits, as well as accepting certain related site plans. It also prohibits rezoning property for use as a data center. “The moratorium is probably really appropriate in this day and age,” said Jackson County Planning Director Michael Poston. “Once you get a data center into your jurisdiction, that’s when we get into this issue we’ve had before about creating nonconformities and, ‘Is it a downzoning’ and, ‘Do we have the ability to make During the Aug. 18 meeting, county officials changes to that?’” described the moratorium as a chance to study the Jackson County’s moratorium issue before the county has to deal with a data cencomes as other communities across the region take similar steps. Swain ter development under its existing rules. From YouTube County commissioners approved a “We’re going to do hearings at the board 12-month moratorium earlier this year, level for general comments,” he said, adding while Clay and Watauga counties have also that the county also plans to bring in someadopted moratoriums. Several municipalione with a background in data centers to ties, including Boone, Canton, Clyde, speak to the boards. Brevard and Woodfin, have taken similar The planning board and county staff will actions. Asheville also approved a one-year study the potential benefits and harms of moratorium in June. data centers through the end of January. The wave of moratoria comes as data Staff will also review restrictions adopted by centers have become an increasingly comother counties and municipalities, with a mon form of development across the state particular focus on emerging data center and country with the prevalence of artificial intelligence and all the necessary computing technologies. By February, planning staff will begin drafting potential changes to the power required to use it. county’s development ordinance based on Jackson County’s ordinance acknowlwhat it learns. The planning board will hold edges the potential economic benefits of the industry, including the possibility of increas- a public hearing on those changes by June 30 and make a recommendation to the coming the county’s tax base. At the same time, missioners. The commissioners will then it recognizes concerns from residents about hold another public hearing and vote on how data centers could affect the quality of whether to adopt the proposed regulations life of people living near them. by Aug. 18, 2027. One Jackson County resident spoke in The moratorium is not intended to persupport of the data center moratorium and manently block data centers from Jackson in opposition to the county’s use of Flock County. Instead, the ordinance says the goal security cameras. is to find a balance between allowing the “I believe a one-year pause is [a] reasoneconomic benefits of data center developable approach to give our elected officials ment and addressing concerns about its time to understand how data centers can potential impacts on residents. affect our community before making deciThe moratorium does not apply to projsions that can have long-term conseects exempt under state law, and commisquences,” she said. sioners can end it early by majority vote. The county’s Unified Development Commissioners voted unanimously to Ordinance also does not currently provide a clear definition of a data center, according to approve the moratorium.
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impressive facilities, that WCU has stewarded its resources wisely and benefited from dedicated philanthropic champions. That kind of philanthropy is extremely important and catalytic. Students want to come to a beautiful campus with thriving and supportive programs, alumni can take pride in being part of the legacy of a successful university, and pride in the campus and programs generates interest among other potential donors — all helping to build sustained support for Western for years to come,” she added. Philanthropy is especially vital to WCU’s College of Health and Human Sciences and its mission of preparing the health care workforce of Western North Carolina and across the state, Jordan-Bell said. “The fact that WCU is public is invaluable and reflects an investment on the part of North Carolinians in their future health workforce leaders, but public dollars only go so far. Philanthropic investments can complement public dollars,” she said. “Such investments can, for example, relieve some of the financial stress for students who are planning to go into lives of Jordan-Bell comes to Western Carolina University service. They can provide more rich clinical opportunities so that hours spent in from Stanford. Donated photo the classroom prepare students in the best ways for the scenarios they will encounter in their future health careers, and they can Among Jordan-Bell’s initial priorities is allow faculty to access innovative approaches acquiring a thorough understanding of the to keep Western’s programs on the cutting immediate development priorities for WCU edge of teaching and scholarship within the and the College of Health and Human health and human sciences,” she added. Sciences. “Philanthropy is a concrete way for people to “I plan to work with Dean Anderson so turn their hopes into reality through supthat I can help to maintain and honor the porting students, faculty and programs that invaluable philanthropic relationships that will change and improve communities in already exist and ensure that we continue to listen to and engage with the college’s existing Western North Carolina.” Now residing at Lake Junaluska and havphilanthropic champions,” she said. ing grown up in North Carolina as the “I hope to meet with interested faculty to understand the incredible breadth of teaching daughter of a United Methodist minister and a public-school teacher, Jordan-Bell said that and scholarship within the college. And I she considers Haywood County home. She would like to map out with Dean Anderson holds a master’s degree in public health from our plan for the next year both in terms of the University of North Carolina at Chapel individual donors as well as potential instituHill and a bachelor’s degree in international tional donors whose missions might align with that of the College of Health and Human comparative studies from Duke University, and is a registered dietitian. Sciences in order to ensure that Western is She moves into a role formerly held by accessing relevant existing resources,” she Aliya Bailey Bloomfield, who recently added. assumed director of development responsiPhilanthropy is important to regional bility for a new university priority seeking comprehensive institutions of higher educaincreased philanthropic support for unretion such as WCU, Jordan-Bell said. stricted scholarship funding. “The reality is that public resources are Jordan-Bell is joining the Division of finite. Western has a lot of dedicated alumni Advancement as the university concludes its and other champions who know firsthand Western’s value in the region, and philanthro- “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a py provides an avenue for these folks to help minimum of $100 million in philanthropic amplify the great things that Western is support for enhancements to the overall stualready doing by providing opportunities via scholarships or by improving Western’s facili- dent experience — including academics, community and global engagement, and athties or by expanding programs that have the letics. potential to be transformative and impactful For more information about the “Fill the Western for Western students and the region,” she Sky” campaign, visit westernsky.wcu.edu, call said. 828.227.7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu. “It is clear, from the beautiful campus and way programs that prepare the next generation of health care professionals, Anderson said. “As I look to the future, I am confident that Elizabeth’s leadership, energy and strategic vision will strengthen our advancement efforts and help us build deeper relationships with alumni, donors and friends of the college,” she said. “I look forward to working alongside her as we pursue an exciting future ahead.”
August 26-September 1, 2026
BY BILL STUDENC SPECIAL TO SMN lizabeth “Betsy” Jordan-Bell, an advancement professional with more than 15 years of experience in strategic fundraising, donor engagement and partnership development, is joining the Western Carolina University Division of Advancement as director of development for the College of Health and Human Sciences. The appointment was announced by Kathleen de la Torre, assistant vice chancellor for development at WCU. “Over the course of her career, Betsy has helped secure and steward more than $165 million in funding from federal and philanthropic sources, working closely with faculty, senior leadership and external stakeholders to advance institutional priorities,” said de la Torre. Jordan-Bell comes to WCU after serving as an independent fundraising consultant supporting a global health initiative affiliated with Stanford University. She previously held leadership roles at Research Triangle Institute International, where she guided major funding strategies, cultivated long-term donor relationships, and led the development of largescale proposals and initiatives, and at the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Global Health Bureau, where she helped guide strategic partnerships and funding initiatives to improve nutrition outcomes globally. “Betsy is known for her relationship-driven approach, her ability to translate complex ideas into compelling cases for support and her collaborative style in working across academic and external partners,” de la Torre said. In her new role, Jordan-Bell will partner closely with the leadership of the College of Health and Human Sciences — including its dean, Lori Anderson — and with colleagues across the Division of Advancement to build relationships with alumni and donors, grow philanthropic support and advance the college’s strategic priorities. Anderson, dean of a college that includes the School of Nursing and the School of Health Sciences, said that Jordan-Bell is bringing “exceptional expertise and vision” to her new position. “I am excited that Elizabeth is joining WCU with her deep commitment to mission-centered fundraising. She is dedicated and has successfully partnered with faculty, researchers, senior institutional leaders, foundations, government agencies and philanthropic organizations to translate ambitious ideas into compelling opportunities,” she said. Jordan-Bell will work with college leadership, donors and the College Advisory Committee to advance the college’s philanthropic priorities, which include endowed programs, scholarships and professorships, and to grow the financial support for student service-learning opportunities, interprofessional education initiatives and path-
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Lake Junaluska resident named director of development for WCU College of Health, Human Sciences
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BY ALEX PERRI STAFF WRITER ncumbent Sen. Kevin Corbin will face newcomer Tom Downing in the race for the state Senate District 50 this November.
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“I would ask the question of the voters: are they happy with what the Republican party has done to the 50th district?” Downing said. Both candidates have decades of experience as public servants. Corbin began his
Both men said education was one of the most important issues in the 50th district, and both have experience in the field, but where they stood on the issues differed. Downing is a strong opponent of the school voucher system, which provides state funding to help families pay private school tuition and fees. In 2024, Corbin voted to overturn then-Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto to a mini budget bill that included $463 million for school vouchers. “We just have to stop siphoning off our tax dollars and giving it to private schools,”
Tom Downing, left, is challenging incumbent Senator Kevin Corbin to represent the far-western part of North Carolina. Donated photos
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The two spoke with The Smoky Mountain News to discuss what they consider to be the biggest issues facing constituents this election. The Senate district covers all of Cherokee, Clay, Macon, Craham, Swain, Jackson and Transylvania counties and most of Haywood County. It has a population of 222,250, according to U.S. Census data. Downing (D-Jackson), who lives in Cullowhee, will face an uphill battle as he takes on the Macon County born-andraised Corbin (R-Macon), who has held the seat since 2021, and is heavily favored in the district that favored him with nearly 67% of the vote in the 2024 election. “I’m a known quantity,” Corbin said. “People know how I work. They’ve seen what I’ve brought back to this district, and I’m running to keep doing that.” Both candidates were unopposed leading into the primaries, and Downing said he is not satisfied with the status quo of Republican leadership in Western North Carolina.
political career at age 22 when he was first elected to the Macon County School Board, where he served for 20 years. He later served as a Macon County Commissioner, and in 2017 he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. Downing began his career in the public sector in 2000 as a special education teacher in Wisconsin. In 2005, he moved to North Carolina and worked in Jackson County Public Schools as a special education teacher, reading teacher and substitute bus driver. He left teaching to pursue a master’s degree in public administration from Western Carolina University, after which he found employment in the local government administration with the City of Asheville, where he has worked for the last 15 years. Corbin said his two highest priorities are Hurricane Helene recovery and education. Downing said his highest priorities are education, affordable housing, childcare, disaster preparedness and resiliency, access to healthcare and broadband connectivity, among other issues.
Downing said. “You could be a multimillionaire and get about $3,500 to take your kid to private school. That doesn’t make any sense to me.” Corbin touts his decades of experience as a member and chair of the Macon County School Board and championing education funding in the latest state budget, such as an 8% raise for teachers (the largest raise in 20 years) and an extra $1.85 million toward the North Carolina Community College system. In 2026, he was assigned chair of the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee and Education/Higher Education Committee, and he holds appointments in the following six committees: Appropriations on Health and Human Services, Appropriations/Base Budget, Commerce and Insurance, Health Care, State and Local Government and Pensions and Retirement and Aging. He’s also focused on increasing reading and math proficiency among the state’s K-12 students. Corbin pushed for adding funding for identifying,
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funds for privately owned infrastructure. evaluating and measuring math performHe stressed that there is more work to be ance in the latest budget. He said he is less done to fully bounce back and that he is focused on testing and more on seeing stuactively working on that recovery. dents’ proficiency in the subjects increase, “All we can do is be as prepared as we which he sees as tied to global competitivepossibly can and build back to be more ness. resilient,” he said, pointing to additional “Getting students on grade level in readfunding for water and sewer projects and ing and math is the heart of it,” he said. “If efforts to protect communities ahead of our kids can’t read and do math well, we’re future storms. not preparing them for the workforce, the Resiliency is also top of mind for military or college.” Downing, who said Western North Corbin also emphasized the legislature’s Carolina is “ill-prepared” for the next major needs-based capital grants, which he said disaster and argued that the state and have gone to six of the eight counties in the region lack a clear, widely understood plan 50th district to help address school confor how people should get information and struction and infrastructure with state suprespond. port supplementing the traditional county Scientists agree that climate change is responsibility for buildings. For some increasing the rate and severity of hurrischools in the district, however, the grants canes and other tropical weather events, have not been enough to fund the extent of making catastrophic flooding like what was backlogged capital projects, as many rural seen during Helene more likely. western counties struggle to meet the requirement for local Beyond education matching funds. and disaster preBeyond education and Downing is interparedness, Downing disaster preparedness, ested in making is focusing his camchanges to the North paign on housing, Downing is focusing his Carolina Education childcare, healthcare Lottery to better supaccess and infrastruccampaign on housing, port schools. ture in Western childcare, healthcare He believes callNorth Carolina. He ing it the “education describes affordable access and infrastructure lottery” is a mishousing and childin Western North Carolina. care as the “twin sisnomer, saying the legislature simply ters” of the district’s He describes affordable swaps lottery dollars economy, arguing in for existing fundthat many residents housing and childcare as ing rather than either can’t find the “twin sisters” of the adding money for childcare or can’t school construction to work when district’s economy, arguing afford and repairs — leavthe cost of care ing local districts that many residents either exceeds their wages. with deteriorating Downing also can’t find childcare or facilities and counpointed to healthcare ties that can’t afford shortages, particularcan’t afford to work when major capital projly the lack of the cost of care exceeds ects. OB/GYN providers To him, fixing in counties like their wages. education means Macon, and warned both stopping the that cuts to Medicaid diversion of public and Medicare could funds and restructuring the tax code so the further strain rural hospitals. He connected state actually has the revenue to support its those concerns to broader cost-of-living and schools, including rethinking flat income infrastructure issues, including Duke Energy taxes and corporate tax cuts that he sees as rate increases and areas without reliable unfair and fiscally short-sighted. broadband or cell service, while also calling for the state to prepare for an aging population by building a workforce capable of carURRICANE ELENE ing for more residents over 65. Despite his criticism of the RepublicanCorbin’s other top priority focuses on Hurricane Helene recovery. He cited his role led legislature, Downing said he wants to run his campaign on unity rather than divias chair of the governor’s recovery commitsion, pointing to Corbin’s support for tee and recent trips to Washington to keep Medicaid expansion and the Jackson FEMA money flowing. County Board of Commissioners’ creation Framing expectations, he said, “We’ve of a special fire taxing district as examples made tremendous progress, but this recovof officials working across differences to ery is not a sprint; it’s a marathon, and we address issues facing their communities. can’t just jump in, do things very quickly Corbin’s case to voters is that he can and be done.” Corbin pointed to roads like deliver on his promises. Highway 64 and Interstate 40 as examples “I’m the incumbent, and I think I’ve of routes that are open but not entirely proven my commitment to Western North fixed. He noted that lawmakers secured Carolina,” he said. “I’ve been very successanother $700 million in the budget, includful at bringing money back to my district ing $100 million for private roads and and getting things done for my district.” bridges, an unprecedented use of state
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Hughes aims to unseat veteran Sen. Ralph Hise BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR alph Hise will square off against challenger Frank Hughes III for the second campaign in a row as he vies to become the longest-serving member of the state Senate. Hise (R-Mitchell) is angling to become Senate president pro tem when Phil Berger, who leaves his seat after losing a close Republican Primary to current Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Hise told The Smoky Mountain News it’s time to have someone from the mountains holding the most powerful position in the Senate. “It can make a huge difference having that influence,” he said. But Hughes, a high school teacher from Avery County, hopes to unseat Hise and bolster the Democratic ranks in the body, saying he wants to end policies he believes hurt the average Western North Carolina resident. In 2024, Hise topped Hughes in the General Election with 76.8% of the vote. Hughes, who had no political experience prior to his 2024 campaign, said he learned lessons then that he thinks are strengthening his efforts in 2026. “It was trying to build an airplane as I was flying it,” he said. “This time, I started knocking on doors and making phone calls earlier. I’ve been getting more out into the community and talking to folks.”
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Frank Hughes III, left, aims to unseat Sen. Ralph Hise, who is seeking his ninth term. From electhughes.com and ncleg.gov Hughes discussed a number of positions, from limiting senators to two terms to eliminating the proliferation of data centers and “mass surveillance,” a reference to Flock
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cameras that have recently become the subject of intense scrutiny nationwide. However, his most ardently held position is that teachers — especially veterans of the profession — need to receive better pay. The recently passed state budget gave a bump to starting pay for teachers, setting the amount at $48,000. While that raise was well-received, lawmakers were criticized by some for not doing more for experienced educators. Hise, who has been in the Senate for 16 years and chairs the Appropriations Committee, said the body’s “highest priority” is starting teacher pay, adding that bumping up the floor while not substantially raising the ceiling was necessary to bring in more teachers. However, he believes “long-term teacher pay” also needs to increase, specifically noting that educators need to rise through the pay scale far faster than the system currently allows. Hughes said Republicans began working to cut teacher pay over two decades ago, and now they’re having to play catch-up. He also discussed the lack of a pay increase for experienced teachers in the budget. “A lot of veteran teachers I work with felt insulted,” he said. “You get the feeling they don’t want to keep teachers.” More broadly, Hughes feels that Republican legislation has been geared more toward helping corporations more than working people. He argued that nowhere is that clearer than in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which he said also shows how Raleigh tends to ignore the needs in rural mountain communities. “It is absolutely illustrative of how Western North Carolina and its people have been put on the back burner for the last 100
years,” he said. The price tag for hurricane recovery in the region is expected to be around $60 billion. Hise said it remains his top priority. At this point, the state has provided about $3 billion in direct appropriations. “I feel like it meets the needs as to where we are and where we’re progressing,” he said. “No doubt there will be additional appropriations to meet Helene recovery needs, but that basically got us to a place that we’re paying for what we can recover in the next year.” Meanwhile, Hise has been disappointed with the federal response. Until now, Congress has provided about $9 billion. He has joined other Western North Carolina leaders in calling for more aid from Washington, D.C., especially for housing and small businesses. “We’re connecting with members of Congress on a regular basis,” he said. Hise said that campaigning after eight terms in the Senate is far different than when he first started. “You start talking more and more about accomplishments in legislature and things you do for Western North Carolina,” he said. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment Hise points to has been lowering tax rates. The corporate tax rate sits at 2%. The personal income tax is 3.99%, and the plan is to is to lower it to 2.99% by 2028. The goal, Hise said, is to eliminate those taxes altogether. “The Senate is 100% committed to reducing that number,” he said. “It will finally make us competitive with our neighbor, Tennessee. You step right across the border in one of my counties, and you have no personal income tax.”
BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER hortly after Hurricane Helene, Haywood Community College, Southwestern Community College and nine of their Western North Carolina counterparts got together to consider the unique needs of the region, eventually settling on the necessity to route students toward solid, sustainable employment.
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new funding model known as Propel N.C., which prioritizes certain high-demand sectors, such as those outlined by the WNC program. Implemented by the General Assembly this biennial budget cycle, the model augments appropriations to state community colleges by varying percentages. HCC, for example, saw a 5.31% increase in instructional funding, while SCC was funded an additional 8.20%.
According to SCC President Don Tomas, with these extra funds, the college can ensure curriculum flexibility and alignment with market trends, expand high-demand trades like automotive technology and welding, bolster healthcare industry careers such as EMS and Health Information Technology and finance equipment and infrastructure upgrades for hands-on training. Also included in the General Assembly budget was $4.4 million in net funding for the state’s U.S. Department of Labordenominated program, ApprenticeshipNC, with an additional $3.17 million in recurring appropriations. According to White, this year’s funding was a necessary step in the right direction — especially for smaller community colleges. HCC during the 2024-2025 academic year enrolled 613 full-time and 1,561 parttime students. Its May 2026 recommended operating budget was a slim $3.8 million. “In the past, we have not had a level of funding that will help support programs that are higher cost. So, we would typically see how in balancing a budget, for example, many of your lower cost programs that maybe have many more students help to offset the cost of operating a higher cost
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Aptly titled the Good Jobs Western North Carolina Program, the initiative funds one of three focus sectors at partner institutions: healthcare, skilled trades or advanced manufacturing. According to President Shelley White, HCC chose skilled trades, investing in relevant equipment, facility improvements and expansion. SCC, with campuses in Swain, Jackson and Macon counties, opted for two employment areas: a healthcarealigned evening Licensed Professional Nursing program and a skilled trades-aligned HVAC daytime program. “Supported by a Good Jobs WNC grant, SCC will enroll an initial cohort of 10 [LPN] students in Year 1 and expand to full capacity with 20 students per cohort by Year 2,” wrote Dean of Workforce Continuing Education Scott Sutton in an email to The Smoky Mountain News. “For the HVAC program expansion, a shortened certificate program teaches essential foundational competencies, providing a rapid pipeline for matriculating skilled workers into the local economy,” he continued. New and expanded curricula at both colleges reflect a statewide push toward practical, craft-based learning for the sake of future employment. Three years ago, the North Carolina Community College System thought up a
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COLLEGES, CONTINUED FROM 11 program,” she said. “But then at the end of the day, you’re really operating on a shoestring.” The Propel NC funding plan, said White, will strengthen support for high-demand careers like nursing that HCC hasn’t addressed through the Good Jobs model. But the state hasn’t been so generous to other academic initiatives, especially when related to diversity, equity and inclusion, which is often targeted by legislators. Student Success Initiative, previously called the Minority Male Success Initiative, was one such effort. SCC didn’t offer the program, but HCC most recently received about $40,000 in appropriations. White said when the college received word MMSI would likely be defunded, “we made efforts internally to shift staffing and the approach.” “For us, it was a matter of incorporating those student support-focused efforts into our programming and across our services for all students,” she noted, emphasizing HCC’s unique adaptations. However, when it comes to federal funding, all community colleges might face a loss. This is especially true for both Career and Technical Education (Perkins V) and Adult Education and Family Literacy Act programs, which help participants cultivate skills necessary for employment. Each is set to be cut from the president’s 2027 budget, though CTE will continue at K-12 institutions.
Regardless of proposed changes, White said Perkins V funding has been trending down because of a decreasing formula. HCC in 2025-2026 received $95,394 for CTE plus $8,620 in carryover funding; SCC, $165,946 plus $14,995 in carryover funding. For the 2026-2027 cycle, Haywood’s allotment is $102,987; Southwestern’s is $140,553. Though according to White, HCC won’t be devastated by the loss of federal CTE dollars if state funding continues at historic levels. In the past, Perkins V has invested in programmatic support, professional development for instructors and technology equipment at HCC. “We don’t want to see it go away, but I don’t anticipate that we’re losing programs or positions because of it. It’s just we may lose some of the additional supports that we get, the equipment funding,” White said. The primary AEFLA deliverer in any given county is the community college system, via adult GED programs, basic literacy skills and English as Second Language curriculum. Still, White noted, if AEFLA federal funding ceased, notwithstanding statelevel changes, “we would anticipate continuing offering those services as we’re able to.” Her response hinted at an underlying uncertainty: The General Assembly currently must match existing federal appropriations — will it continue to do so without this requirement? The president’s budget has also eliminated funding for TRIO and GEAR UP, two comprehensive programs that, according to
Sutton, “help students prepare for and succeed in higher education, particularly students who are first-generation or come from families with limited financial resources.” SCC’s Executive Vice President of Instruction and Student Services Barbara Putnam said as a result, the administration is closely observing the unfolding federal budget process. “The White House budget is a proposal, and Congress will ultimately determine funding levels through the appropriations process, so there is still a great deal we do not know,” she added. “If significant reductions were ultimately made to programs such as AEFLA, Perkins/CTE, GEAR UP, or TRIO, there would certainly be an impact. These federal funds help SCC provide services and opportunities that are especially important in rural communities like ours,” Putnam noted, adding that it’s crucial to resist speculation. In June, the House Appropriations Committee advanced a bipartisan bill increasing TRIO appropriations by $6 million and strengthening protections for the program. While Propel N.C. devoted a recordbreaking $57.7 million in appropriations to community colleges, it failed to meet NCCCS’ $68.5 million funding request by somewhat substantial margins. White, calling the model an “early win”, said she’d like to continue to advocate for the full allotment. “Our Presidents’ Association, we’re collaborating around, ‘What is that what’s the
next ask?’ or ‘What’s the message for us in the coming legislative cycle?’… our biggest challenge ahead of us is to continue telling that story and to just keep pushing for support around, for example, our teacher salaries at community colleges. it’s still not where it needs to be,” she said. That makes it tough for the college to keep certain positions filled, especially those requiring specialized skills. Private industry or even government might offer a far more competitive salary. But in all, things are looking bright in HCC’s future. The college will soon open its new workforce outdoor training facility, which will house the truck driver program. “It took a lot of planning” to even reach the groundbreaking, White recounted. And the ribbon cutting will be on Sept. 1, a little over one year later. SCC is expanding its offerings as well. This fall, the college will begin its first nineweek Commercial Driver’s License Class ATruck Driver School in partnership with Caldwell Community College. Certificate programs have been added in Artificial Intelligence and welding. A new dental hygiene program will be introduced in fall 2027. As for enrollment, HCC has seen a 3% increase in its student population for the fall, with numbers unparalleled by any academic year since 2020-2021. “I’m excited because we’ve been through a lot as a community and as an institution, and it’s just great to see that momentum,” White said.
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Community Almanac Regional hospitals establish expanded market financial leadership team Harris Regional Hospital, Haywood Regional Medical Center and Swain Community Hospital announced an expanded market financial leadership team designed to strengthen collaboration, operational support and financial stewardship across the region. Within the expanded structure, Amanda Motley will serve as market chief financial officer and Jason Godfrey will serve as market senior financial officer. Together, they will work with leaders across the three hospitals to support financial strategy and advance shared priorities across the market.
Waynesville Rec Center announces new Sunday hours Waynesville Parks & Recreation will welcome the community back to the Waynesville Recreation Center on Sundays beginning Aug. 30. The Recreation Center will now be open from 1-5 p.m. every Sunday. Both indoor pools are planned to be open during Sunday hours, including the Recreation Center’s large indoor lap pool and children’s waterpark. While both pools are planned to be open each Sunday, pool availability may occasionally be adjusted based on staffing and safety requirements. If staffing levels require an adjustment, the lap pool may temporarily close while the waterpark remains open for the public. “We are excited to bring Sundays back to the recreation center,” said Luke Kinsland, director of Waynesville Parks & Recreation. “We know our community has been looking forward to having this option again, and we are excited to welcome families, swimmers and members back on Sunday afternoons. We want Sundays at the rec center to be a great opportunity for our community to get active, have fun and spend time together.”
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Pulitzer-winning author to speak on housing crisis Anyone living in Western North Carolina knows that affordable housing is increasingly out of reach. Rising costs, limited housing supply and the devastating loss of homes caused by Hurricane Helene have only deepened the crisis. Today, simply having a fulltime job is no longer a guarantee that someone can afford to secure, and keep, a safe, stable roof over their head. On Thursday, Oct. 22, Pisgah Legal Services will welcome Brian Goldstone as this year’s Justice Forum keynote speaker. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist’s work shines a light on the “working homeless” and explores the human impact of housing insecurity, poverty and economic inequality. He will share insights illustrated in his award-winning book, “There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.” The 15th Annual Justice Forum will take place at 7 p.m. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, in downtown Asheville. The event is free, but registration is required. This event is made possible by generous sponsors. In addition to the live event in Asheville, livestream will also be available, and free regional watch parties are also planned in Brevard, Burnsville, Cullowhee and Hendersonville. All regional events begin at 6:30 p.m. At the Asheville event, a ticketed pre-event reception will take place in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall, and the Justice Forum will follow in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets to
Other activities include a concert by the Continental Divide Band, “We are Breathtaking” Pageant, bluegrass music by Branded Heart Band with clogging, a classic car show by Southeast Cougar Club, a rodeo in the arena, a truck pull (pre-register online or on Sunday in the Arena) as well as livestock shows and exhibits. Enjoy a wide variety of fun fair food from a host of vendors. Take in the sunset from the ferris wheel and enjoy new rides coming this “The Civil War in Western North Carolina and Beyond,” is the year. Bring the kiddos to enjoy a special activities area just for the topic of the Sept. 3 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and little ones. Come fish at First Bite Fishing, enjoy a magic show or Historical Society. Prior to the 1860s, the mountains of North Carolina watch juggling and fire breathing. were an economically prosperous and well-connected region of the Professor Whiz Pop will be on hand to entertain with great balstate. The war brought about major societal changes and economic loon art. For a full schedule of events, visit haywoodcountyfair.com. hardship. The Fair Book has been updated with all the information needed So, what was going on in the region during the war? Where were to enter exhibits for display and judging. For information on how to the soldiers tasked with defending the region stationed, and what enter, as well as qualifications for each category, visit haywoodcoundid they do? How did civilians survive the increasingly fraught situa- tyfair.com and click on “Enter the Fair.” tion as the war went on? The speaker, Peter Koch, will offer a presenSkip the line and pre-purchase tickets online at haywoodcountytation featuring stories and artifacts from civilians and soldiers. fair.com. You can choose between day or weekend passes. Thursday Koch, the interim director of Mountain Heritage Center at WCU, is night only, the fair will host its first ever “car-load” night. Pack the originally from Chapel Hill. He holds an M.A. in public history from seats in your vehicle and enter the fair for one low cost per car, and North Carolina State University and is on the boards of the WNC Civil enjoy discounted armband rates for carnival rides. War Roundtable and Civil War Trails. Mark your calendar for a weekend filled with fun at the 2026 The presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 at the Swain Haywood County Fair, held at Smoky Mountain Event Center, 758 County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson Crabtree Road in Waynesville. City. Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation. This event is free and open to the public.
Learn about the Civil War in WNC
Swain Community Hospital Haywood County Fair approaches welcomes WCU alumna to With over 120 years of tradition, the 2026 Haywood County Fair is medical staff returning to the mountains. Running from Sept. 24-27, The fair has events for everyone to enjoy. Opening ceremonies will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Apple Orchard Building to kick off the festivities. Immediately following on the stage will be a Fair-oke contest for kids and adults of all ages, with prizes for winners of each class.
Smoky Mountain News
Swain Community Hospital has brought in primary care physician Dr. Emily Lowery to its medical staff. Lowery has begun seeing patients at Swain Family Care, a department of Swain Community Hospital, providing personalized primary care for patients of all ages. For Lowery, joining Swain Community Hospital represents a return
Brian Goldstone won the Pulitzer Prize for his book ‘There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.’ Donated photo the reception are $125/person and include food and drink. Registration is required at pisgahlegal.org/justiceforum. For more information about the Asheville event, contact Lori Nierzwick at 828.818.5474 or visit pisgahlegal.org/justiceforum. to a region that played an important role in both her education and her decision to pursue medicine. A Western Carolina University alumna, Lowery earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health from WCU in 2015. She and her husband chose to return to Western North Carolina to establish roots in a place they came to love during their undergraduate years. “I became interested in medicine after seeing the importance of access to care in Western North Carolina,” Lowery said. “I wanted to find a way to serve others while pursuing my love of learning and science. During medical school, I found myself drawn to many different areas of medicine, which made family medicine a natural fit.” Lowery earned her Doctor of Medicine from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in 2023 and completed her family medicine residency at Baton Rouge General Hospital this year. She also holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Duquesne University and is board-eligible in family medicine. “Dr. Lowery’s decision to return to Western North Carolina to practice medicine is especially meaningful because she already has such a strong connection to this region,” said Ashley Hindman, chief executive officer of Swain Community Hospital. “She understands the importance of access to high-quality primary care in rural communities, and she brings a genuine desire to build relationships with her patients and families. We are very pleased to welcome her back to the area and to our medical staff.” Her return also builds on Swain Community Hospital’s strong connection with her alma mater. Swain Community Hospital and Harris Regional Hospital recently renewed their partnership with Western Carolina University Athletics, continuing as the exclusive healthcare providers for Catamount Athletics. Lowery said one of the most rewarding parts of family medicine is the opportunity to make a difference in patients’ lives, whether helping address an immediate health concern or managing conditions such as high blood pressure to reduce the risk of future complications. She also values the relationships that come with primary care and the opportunity to get to know her patients, their families and their lives.
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Opinion
Smoky Mountain News
Be patient and let Trump be Trump A
We must do better for DV victims To the Editor: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is supposed to be a time when communities recommit themselves to believing victims, protecting survivors, holding offenders accountable and recognizing that domestic violence can be deadly. In Haywood County, I believe that conversation also needs to include a serious examination of how victims are treated once they turn to the legal system for help. Over the past week, I have watched a close relative attempt to navigate that system after a violent domestic assault involving strangulation. The person accused has a prior criminal history that includes domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. Our family also reported serious concerns about his access to a firearm, including a previous incident in which he allegedly appeared at my relative’s door with a gun and threatened suicide. Given those circumstances, I expected urgency. Instead, what I witnessed was a system that too often seemed indifferent to the person asking it for protection. Law enforcement was slow to act. Concerns about the firearm did not appear to receive the seriousness our family believed was warranted. The officer handling the charges made comments that we found rude, cruel and profoundly unprofessional. My rel-
most fervent supporters respond to perceived martyrdom with near-religious intensity. They do not see legal accountability; they see political persecution. They do not see constitutional process; they see an attack on their identity. Impeachment would give Trump exactly what he craves: a stage, a spotlight and a storyline in which he is once again the embattled hero fighting shadowy forces aligned against him. Allowing Trump to remain in office, by contrast, forces him to confront something he has never handled well: responsibility. Without the oxygen of persecution, Trump is left with the consequences of his own governance. His missteps, contradicGuest Columnist tion and failures become harder to deflect. His political liabilities — once masked by the drama of conflict — become visible even to those who once supported him. In this environment, Trump’s greatest adversary is not Congress. It is Trump himself. History offers examples of leaders who collapsed not because their opponents struck decisively, but because they were allowed to continue unrestrained until their own excesses consumed them. Trump’s political style is inherently self-destructive. It alienates moderates, exhausts inde-
David Crane
s Donald Trump’s political standing shows signs of erosion — whether due to legal troubles, policy failures or simple fatigue among voters — the United States is approaching a moment of profound political temptation. If current trends continue and Democrats regain not only the House but also the Senate, the pressure to impeach and remove Trump from office will be immense. Many will argue that accountability demands it, that the rule of law requires it, and that the nation cannot endure further instability. Yet there is a compelling case for restraint, one rooted not in sympathy for Trump but in a sober assessment of political consequences. Sometimes the most effective strategy is to step back and let Trump be Trump. Trump has always thrived on conflict. His political identity is forged in grievance, persecution narratives and the perpetual claim that he alone stands between his supporters and a corrupt establishment. Every legal action taken against him — no matter how justified — has historically produced the same effect: his base rallies, his fundraising spikes and his grip on the Republican Party tightens. Impeachment, especially if initiated by a newly empowered Democratic Congress, risks repeating this cycle on a grand scale. The danger is not merely that impeachment might fail. The deeper risk is that it could revive Trump’s political potency at the very moment it is naturally waning. Trump’s
LETTERS ative spent hours waiting for assistance while already dealing with the fear, confusion and trauma that follow a violent assault. Then came court. During a scheduled hearing, my relative was never personally addressed by anyone from the district attorney’s office and was not given an opportunity to speak with someone about what was happening with the case. A person who had already endured violence was left trying to navigate an intimidating legal process without meaningful communication from the very system entrusted with pursuing justice. This should concern every resident of Haywood County, regardless of whether domestic violence has touched your own family. Domestic violence is not a minor family dispute. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in three American women have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes. Nearly one in five women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner. The CDC also reports that more than half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. These are not statistics a community can afford to treat casually. And strangulation should never be treated as “just another” domestic violence allegation. When a victim reports being strangled,
pendents, and fractures the Republican coalition. The more he speaks, the more he lashes out, the more he demands loyalty tests and indulges personal vendettas, the more he undermines his party’s prospects in 2028 and beyond. McCarthyism in the 1950s died the same way … arrogance, overreach, dying a natural death on its own lack of merit. Democrats, therefore, face a strategic choice. They can pursue impeachment — satisfying the immediate desire for accountability but risking the revival of Trumpism — or they can allow the political process to run its course. The latter path is not passive. It requires vigilance, oversight and a commitment to democratic norms. But it avoids giving Trump the one thing he needs most: an external enemy to blame. A Democratic Congress can rein him in and control his absurd notions of governance without trying to remove him. The Republic can win this one without impeachment and removal from office. Letting Trump be Trump is not an endorsement of his conduct. It is a recognition that political overreach can backfire, and that sometimes the most powerful rebuke is to allow a leader to reveal, through his own actions, why he is unfit for office. If Democrats truly want to weaken Trumpism and diminish the Republican Party’s chances in 2028, the most effective strategy may be the simplest one. Stand back. Hold firm. And let Trump destroy himself. (David Crane lives in Maggie Valley. scsl0205@gmail.com)
when there are concerns about a firearm and when an alleged offender has a history of violence, every person within the system should understand the potential seriousness of that situation. Victims who summon the courage to ask for help should encounter professionals trained to understand trauma, domestic violence, victim safety and victims’ rights. They should receive clear explanations about what happens next. They should know whom to contact. Their safety concerns should be documented and taken seriously. They should not spend hours wondering whether anyone is listening to them. And they certainly should not leave an encounter with law enforcement or the courthouse feeling more powerless than when they arrived. What I witnessed raises larger questions that Haywood County officials should be willing to answer. What domestic violence-specific training do law enforcement officers receive? What protocols exist when strangulation is alleged? How are reports involving firearms handled when the accused has a felony record? How are victims informed of their rights and the status of criminal proceedings? What role does the district attorney’s office play in communicating with victims before and during hearings? Are victims routinely connected with advocates? And what mechanism exists for victims to report inappropriate treatment without fearing that doing so will affect their case? These questions are not an attack on every law enforcement officer, prosecutor or
court employee in Haywood County. There are undoubtedly dedicated people working within these institutions. But good individuals cannot compensate for a system that is failing victims at critical moments. What I have witnessed over the past week suggests a troubling lack of consistency, communication, trauma-informed training and accountability. At times, it has felt less like compassion for domestic violence victims and more like disdain for them. That needs to change. I am calling on Haywood County law enforcement leadership, the district attorney’s office, court officials and county leaders to conduct a serious review of how domestic violence cases are handled from the initial report through prosecution. That review should include victim interviews, domestic violence advocates and an examination of training, response times, firearm-related protocols, victim notification procedures and standards for professional conduct. Domestic Violence Awareness Month cannot simply mean purple ribbons, social media posts and public proclamations every October. Awareness means recognizing failures when they occur and having the courage to correct them. A domestic violence victim should never have to fight two battles: one against an abuser and another against the system she turned to for protection. Haywood County can — and must — do better. Heather Hyatt-Packer Haywood County
August 26-September 1, 2026
Smoky Mountain News
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BY BILL STUDENC SPECIAL TO SMN ward-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge will bring her trademark scorching vocals and intimate lyrics to our backyard for a special concert that’ll be held at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The performance promises to be a healthy blend of Etheridge classics you’ve known and loved since she first shook up the music scene with her 1988 debut, along with songs from her latest album, “Rise.” Released this past March, “Rise” marks the 17th studio album for the artist, and the first after enduring the loss of her son to an opioid addiction in 2021. It is winning critical acclaim for its deeply personal lyrics, many of which are drawn from trying to deal with her pain. That’s not to say “Rise” is a doom-andgloom pity party. Rather, it’s a story of rising above hard times and moving on. As Etheridge sings in the title track, “You’re gonna fall to earth sometimes. You’re gonna taste the dirt sometimes. Then you’re gonna rise.” “Rising” is exactly what Etheridge has done throughout a stellar career. She has risen above her own addiction problems. She has risen above a battle with breast can-
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The other side of blue Melissa Etheridge to play Harrah’s Cherokee
Melissa Etheridge. File photo cer. And she has risen above backlash from certain segments of society after coming out as a lesbian in 1993 and becoming a staunch advocate for gay rights. Etheridge certainly has risen on this writer’s personal playlist since her self-titled debut in 1988, with the rocker “Bring Me Some Water” and the contemplative “Similar Features” on heavy rotation. The album’s passionate, raw “Like The Way I Do” stands the test of time as a late 1980s stomper. Its sexually and jealousy charged lyrics “…tell me, does she want you, infatuate and haunt you? Does she know just how to shock you, electrify and rock you? Does she inject you, seduce you and affect you, like the way I do?” still induce goosebumps. Her subsequent albums, “Brave and Crazy” in 1989 and “Never Enough” in 1992, the latter of which included the Grammy Award-winning “Ain’t It Heavy,” solidified her reputation as a smart, gritty musician and a rock ‘n’ roll force to be reckoned with. The dam broke loose in 1993 with her fourth album, “Yes I Am,” her biggest commercial success to that point on the strengths of monster hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” which netted Etheridge her second Grammy. Two years later brought her highest
charting album to date, “Your Little Secret,” spawning the single “I Want to Come Over” and the title track and helping her earn songwriter of the year honors from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1996. Although her mainstream popularity began to wane after the 1999 release “Breakdown,” she has remained a staple of the classic rock format while continuing to make new music, including her 2007 Oscarwinning best original song “I Need to Wake Up” from the Al Gore documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” She also has jumped into new endeavors, penning the memoir “Talking to My Angels,” staging her one-woman Broadway show “Melissa Etheridge: My Window” and founding the Etheridge Foundation to promote plant-based treatments for illness and addiction. All of this brings us to 2026, her new album “Rise” and her first nomination for entry in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Although she didn’t get the votes this time to score an induction, it’s only a matter of time. And it’s only a matter of days before she’ll electrify and rock you in Cherokee. For tickets and information, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows.
Here is an archived excerpt from a previous SMN feature on Etheridge conducted by Arts & Entertainment Editor Garret K. Woodward. Smoky Mountain News: What does the landscape of Melissa Etheridge look like these days? Where are you in your career? Melissa Etheridge: I’m in a great place, a place where I don’t worry anymore. I’m not looking at charts or radio. I’m just concentrating on my music and that really makes me happy. I have people that will come see me [perform] that know — when they come to see me, they’re going to have an experience. They’re going to feel better. They’re going to hear the hit songs that they love. They’re going to hear new stuff and they’re going to be entertained and that’s just gold. I keep working on that and it feels really good. SMN: Well, I would then surmise that there’s really a conscious and subconscious effort to promote positivity and be aware of “the now.” ME: Absolutely. You hit it right on the nose. That’s what I like to bring. You know, these are trying times, these are times that divide a lot of people and this is an opportunity to really step up and say, “Hey, that’s our strength, that we’re all different.” It’s a blessing that we’re all different and some people are going to be rubbed the wrong way and that’s OK. You know, we can all still be in the same room and love music and enjoy things. SMN: Then you must obviously see the importance of the platform that you stand on, in terms of the social responsibility of an artist? ME: And I would never take advantage of that. People know my lifestyle. They know what I stand for. They know my politics and all that sort of stuff. But, I never bring that into my performance. I let my own personal spirit come through my performance. I speak of love. I speak of unity and strengthening one’s own inner self, because I think the best way to change the world is to start with yourself. SMN: In terms of where we are in the 21st century, what is the role of the songwriter in our digital world? ME: We can’t let go of the things that move our soul. And as writers create and speak and reach past the mind and working consciousness of problem solving stuff, we need to always have the balance of the creative, of the inspiring, of the spiritual. And that’s the job. It’s never going to go away — we’re always going to need that.
HOT PICKS BY GARRET K. WOODWARD everyone else on campus was either embarking ‘The questions of a on a ski trip to the Rocky Mountains or jetsetto somewhere in the Caribbean. “Well, thousand dreams, what ting why don’t the three of you drive down to We have some extra space in the rental you do and what you see’ Tybee? house. Sit on the beach for a few days and get
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The Haywood County Arts Council’s latest exhibition, “Don't Be Square: Art Beyond Right Angles,” will be on display through Aug. 31 at Haywood Handmade Gallery on Main Street in Waynesville.
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“Appalachian Heritage Week” will run through Aug. 29 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.
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The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Old Acquani Expo Center in Cherokee. Nantahala Outdoor Center (Nantahala Gorge) will host The Get Right Band (indie-soul/rock) at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.
EVENTS Thursday, August t 27 Bridget Gossett Blues - Rock 8pm - 10pm
Saturday, August 29 Summer Serenade w/ Natti Love Joys Roots & Reggae band. Red Stripe and Drink Specials! 8pm - 11pm
Sunday, August 30 Celtic Sunday w/ Jug Tuck keer 3pm - 6pm
Military Monday ys 10% OFF Food (Every Monday)
for Veterans and Active Duty Military Perrsonnel fo
TRIVIA TUESDA DAY AYS
FREE TO PLA AY Y • Every Tuesday 7:30pm-9 9:30pm
Smoky Mountain News
More lost cause conversation with cute girls. No matter, we were alive and curious in the world, we were “doing the thing,” you know? And I still have pictures of that spring break trip. I hadn’t seen my friends in over a decade, at least not until last night when I scrolled through my Facebook and found the images to show Rebecca. The moments are a little hazy in hindsight, but there we were, 22 years old with nothing but time and fate in our hands. Brett is married with three young daughters and living in Australia. Dan is also happily married with a five-year-old and has called New York home for a spell. We keep in touch, although that has become more sporadic as the years go on. Waiting for our dinner table at Vic’s On The River, Rebecca and I grabbed a drink at the bar. She wanted to hear more details of that road trip and who exactly I was at that juncture of my existence. And so, I divulged to her my whereabouts, both geographically and emotionally, some 20 years ago. It also sparked an urge to text Dan and see how he was doing. It had been two years since I last reached out. “You alive? How goes it?” the message said. A few minutes later, he replied, “Can confirm I’m alive.” After a few back and forth messages about our respective lives, I told him, “We should reconnect soon. Miss you, my dude. I mean that.” He concurred. I look forward to that. Walking back to the Thunderbird, Rebecca and I ducked into a random spot for a nightcap. The sign outside said “Abe’s On Lincoln.” Turns out it’s a tiny basement bar with a focus on President Lincoln, with thousands of drawings of good ole Abe from customers posted over every square inch of the place. We both marveled at the scene before us, and at our whirlwind lives unfolding in real time, together. Cheers, my dear. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
August 26-September 1, 2026
ello from Room 108 at the Thunderbird some sun,” she suggested. Inn, located in downtown Savannah, Sold. I turned to Brett and Dan and floated Georgia. This is the first morning in the the idea. They jumped on it. Two days later, we last two weeks where I’ve walked outside and it packed up Dan’s two-door Oldsmobile Alero hasn’t felt like an oppressive oven of heat and and hopped onto I-95 South. A somewhat humidity. With recent daily cramped driving situation, heat indexes hovering but this was better than Thunderbird Inn, Savannah. around 110 degrees down Garret K. Woodward photo nothing, better than sitting here, it’s quite refreshing to around the shabby house step out the door for coffee and waiting for our final and not be hit with a frying exams to appear on the pan of air. horizon right before our As we speak, I’m on my entry into young adultway back to Haywood hood. County from my girlfriend’s With school in the humble abode in rearview mirror, it was a Jacksonville Beach, Florida. mad dash through New It was decided yesterday to York City, New Jersey, caravan up here for the Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, onward evening before parting ways. Grab a meal on to Virginia and the greater Southeast. First time the riverfront of “The Hostess City of the I’d laid eyes on Philadelphia since I’d dated my South.” Walk the cobblestone streets undercollege sweetheart (who was from there) a couneath the Spanish moss draped over the cenple years prior. First time I’d ever laid eyes on turies-old live oak trees. Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in general, Cruising up Interstate 95 North to I-16 East the latter city provoking us to pull over in the from Jax Beach. The endless flow of tractormiddle of the night and wander around the trailers and vehicles up and down the Eastern National Mall, checking out the Washington Seaboard. Sizzling pavement and vast marshMonument and Lincoln Memorial. land. Rest areas and truck stops. Searching for a The rest of the following week was a blur of place of lodging for the night, I came across the white sand beaches, fried seafood and lateThunderbird Inn. A slew of memories immedinight shenanigans underneath the glowing ately flooded my field of vision. It had been 19 buzz of the neon lights of the dive bars within years since I last stayed at the Thunderbird, the Tybee city limits. We were young and everywhen I was a senior in college (2007) in thing seemed possible on that road trip. Maybe Connecticut on my way to Tybee Island, we’d have an epiphany as to a clear image of Georgia, for spring break. our future once we were handed that diploma Pulling up to the Thunderbird and getting in the coming weeks. Maybe it would finally all out of our vehicles, I pointed to a lone room on come into focus. Maybe, just maybe, we’d even the second floor corner of the building, the find love. doorway and balcony hovering over a bustling Of course, none of those things happened. West Oglethorpe Avenue. “That’s the room Mostly we kept striking out with the local girls. where me and my two best friends from college They wanted nothing to do with “damn yanstayed two decades ago on spring break,” I said kees.” No bountiful visions of the future, either. to Rebecca. “Oh, yeah? What was that trip Lots of cheap beer was consumed, though. Lots like?” she replied. of laughter and eternal inside jokes now crystalMarch 2007. Two months before college lized in memory. The love and the vision would graduation. One day, I was sitting on the couch come years later, as is often the case for those in the living room of the crappy house myself seeking truth and connection along the haphazand four other students at Quinnipiac ard road of life. University rented (that was way overpriced for On the way back to Connecticut, the three the shabbiness of the aged structure). At that of us swung through Savannah to check out the moment, my mom called me. She and my dad nightlife. With little to no funds left in our colwere soon heading to Tybee Island for their lective coffers, we tracked down the annual trip below the Mason-Dixon Line to Thunderbird and booked an inexpensive room escape the depths of another North Country with two queen beds. Room 201 above winter. Oglethorpe. Drop our bags and a quick change Amid our conversation, she asked what I of clothes. Spray of cologne for good measure. was doing for spring break. I said I had no Meader down to River Street. A pint of plans, that my buddies (Brett and Dan) and I Guinness at the Irish pub. Cold domestic at were stuck in Connecticut while seemingly some sticky floor dive down some alleyway.
The annual Mountaintop Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 29 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 30 at KelseyHutchinson Founders Park in downtown Highlands.
arts & entertainment
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arts & entertainment
On the street
Folk School ‘Appalachian Heritage Week’
Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Old Acquani Expo Center in Cherokee. Learn about Cherokee traditions and lifestyle from educators, roast marshmallows with the kids and enjoy social dances by the river. The bonfire is free and open to the public. For more information, call 800.438.1601 or go to visitcherokeenc.com.
Cherokee Bonfire. File photo • “Labor Day Weekend Fireworks” will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, on Main Street in Franklin. Live music will be provided by Mission Accomplished at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo. There will also be food trucks. franklin-chamber.com.
To close out its ongoing 100th anniversary celebration, there will be an array of onsite activities during the “Appalachian Heritage Week” through Aug. 29 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. While the school is known for attracting craft teachers nationwide, its AHW features Western North Carolina artists. Potters Brant and Karen Barnes, of Riverwood Pottery will be teaching “Wheel Throwing.” Cullowhee blacksmith William Rogers, whose public sculptures grace several WNC sites, will be teaching “Copper Repousse.” The folk school’s own Helen Gibson will be teaching “Carving the Brasstown Nativity” and Nanette Davidson will teach “Pie-Making.” John C. Campbell Folk School. File photo Anna Fariello, whose book “Craft & Community” documents the early history of the folk school, will be giving three illustrated talks during the week on the school’s history and the historic Craft Revival. As well, the folk school offers discounts to residents of WNC. For more information, visit folkschool.org.
Seven Clans Rodeo
Seven Clans Rodeo. File photo
The Seven Clans Rodeo will be held Sept. 5-6 at 181 Tsali Blvd in Cherokee. Between the broncos that will be busted, the bulls that will be bucking and the rodeo clowns looking to avoid getting stomped in the head, there will be all sorts of skills competitions and top-name riders in this SRA-sanctioned event. Gates open at 5 p.m. Rodeo starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 per person. Children ages five and under are free. Organized by the Cherokee Welcome Center. For more information, call 828.359.6490 or visit facebook.com/sevenclansrodeo or visitcherokeenc.com.
Smoky Mountain News
August 26-September 1, 2026
On the wall
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‘Don’t Be Square’ at HCAC
Mountaintop Art & Craft Show The annual Mountaintop Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 29 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 30 at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park in downtown Highlands. The annual event is a two-day, two-weekend gathering that brings Artisans return to Highlands Aug. 29-30. File photo over 120 artisans from the region to Highlands for demonstrations, fine art, crafts, live music, kids zone and more. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit highlandsartshow.com.
• “Farmers & Artisans Market” will be every Friday morning (May-October) at 117 Island Street in Bryson City. Stop by the old barn along the river for local, homegrown produce, as well as baked goods, jellies/preserves, authentic crafts and more. Picnic tables onsite. There will also be live music. Leashed pets are welcome. This is an outdoor event. Free and open to the public. 828.488.7857. • WNC Paint Events will host painting sessions throughout the region on select dates. For more information and/or to sign up, visit wncpaint.events. • Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied, and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with
each other. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org. • CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com. • Three Rivers Gallery (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases on select dates. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 828.488.3638 / threeriversgallery.com. • Bosu’s Wine Shop (Waynesville) will host a “Paint & Sip” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.
A work by Bonnie Calhoun. Courtesy of HCAC The Haywood County Arts Council’s latest exhibition, “Don’t Be Square: Art Beyond Right Angles,” will be on display through Aug. 31 at Haywood Handmade Gallery on Main Street in Waynesville. “Don’t Be Square” challenges artists to move beyond traditional square and rectangular formats by creating artwork on surfaces without right angles. While artists may still work on canvas and other familiar materials, the exhibit encourages exploration of unconventional shapes and dimensions. The result is a collection of paintings, fiber art, mixed media and other original works that invite viewers to experience art from a new perspective. The showcase is free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org.
‘Cherokee People and the American Revolution’ A first-of-its-kind exhibition centering Native voices, perspectives and creativity in response to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the exhibition “Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution” is currently being showcased at the Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP) in Cherokee. With research beginning in 2022, the exhibition’s curators — MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), MotCP Director of Collections and Exhibitions Evan Mathis and guest curator Brandon Dillard (Cherokee Nation), director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Monticello — sought Cherokee accounts of the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the Cherokee American War (1776-1794), highlighting the complexities of memory and commemoration. As the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the curators of the exhibition aspire to spark conversation about American identity and sovereignty among visitors of all walks of life, sharing new research in the first exhibit about Cherokees in the American Revolution by Cherokee scholars. General admission tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. MotCP offers free admission to members of federally recognized tribes and museum members. Student, educator, senior and military rates available. Admission to all changing exhibitions is included in the general admission ticket price. For more information, visit motcp.org.
arts & entertainment August 26-September 1, 2026
Smoky Mountain News
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arts & entertainment
On the beat • American Legion Post 47 (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Mondays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.456.8691.
shows begin at 5 p.m. and admission is $30 per person unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.
• 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.
• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) Sept. 4 ($10 cover) and Jay Brown (piano/vocals) Sept. 18. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Reservations highly recommended. The kitchen and wine bar will open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.
• Appalachian Women’s Museum (Dillsboro) will host “Music On The Porch” 2-8 p.m. Sept. 5. Performers include Susan Pepper, Cherokee Language Repertory Choir, Lee Knight, Savannah Page and Julie Odell. There will also be kids and nature activities, demonstrations,
• Concerts On The Creek (Sylva) will host Rockabilly Roy & The Kopy Kats (rock/blues) Aug. 28 and The Get Right Band (rock/indiesoul) Sept. 4. All shows are at Bridge Park and
Reggae, soul at Scotsman
Smoky Mountain News
August 26-September 1, 2026
A popular regional Jatti was previously reggae/soul act, the Natti Love Joys. File photo the bassist for the reggae Natti Love Joys will pergroup The Congos, while form at 8 p.m. Saturday, Marla originates from the Aug. 29, at The cult all female reggae Scotsman Public House group Love Joys, where she in Waynesville. recorded two albums A roots-rock-reggae under the legendary band that has been playWackies label run by Lloyd ing live since 2003, the Barnes (Bullwackie). Free and open to the group consists of huspublic. For more information, call 828.454.5664 band-and-wife duo Anthony “Jatti” Allen and or click on froglevelbrewing.com. Sonia “Marla” Allen (formerly Sonia Abel).
a vintage booth and a barbecue competition. Admission is free. Donations appreciated. appwomen.org. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host “Music Bingo Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, The Blue Mountaineers (bluegrass) Thursdays and semi-regular live music on Fridays and Saturdays. All music starts at 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / facebook.com/brbeerhub. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com. • Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every other Thursday of the month, David Cheatham & Shua Aug. 28 and Osprey Orchestra Sept. 11. All shows begin at 10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com. • Bryson City Outdoors (Bryson City) will host Liz Petty & Friends (Americana/folk) 6 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6444 / brysoncityoutdoors.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Hill Country Band (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 26 and A. Lee Edwards (indie/folk) Sept. 9. All 20
begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. These events are free, but donations are encouraged. 828.586.2155 / mountainlovers.com/concerts-on-the-creek. • Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic” at 6 p.m. every second Friday of the month and Ritchie & Rosie (Americana/folk) Sept. 20 ($15 adults, $7.50 kids). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/concert-series. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host live music at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Dustin Martin (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Aug. 28 and Phil Thomas (rock/jam) 6 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com. • Current Tavern (Canton) will host the “Music at the Tavern” summer series with semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.492.0249. • Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.631.4795 / thecutcocktaillounge.com. • Dancing On The Square (Robbinsville) will host Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 28 (with live square dancing). All events begin at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 704.840.8525.
828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.
• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Orchard Sessions” with Martin & Kelly (Americana/country) Sept. 9. 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.
• Highlands Performing Arts Center (Highlands) will host Memories Of Motown (R&B/soul) 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. 828.526.9047 / highlandsperformingarts.com.
• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults, free) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages, free), “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month (free) and semiregular live music monthly. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Board Game Night” 5 p.m. Mondays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Gavin Byrd (Americana/country) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Franklin Town Square (Franklin) will host a “Community Drum Circle” from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 19. People of all ages are invited to participate. You may bring your own hand drums and rhythm instruments or use one of our percussion instruments. Bring a lawn chair. In case of rain, the event will be held under the gazebo stage tent. Free and open to the public. 828.524.ARTS / artscouncilofmacon.org.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Gavin Byrd (Americana/country) Aug. 28 and Tim Akins (singer-songwriter) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Friday Night Live Concert Series (Highlands) will host Spare Parts Bluegrass Band (Americana/bluegrass) Aug. 28 and Silly Ridge (Americana/bluegrass) Sept. 4. 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, Hotdog Sunrise (rock/jam) Aug. 28, Highway Companions Aug. 29 and Rick Yates (singersongwriter) 3 p.m. Aug. 30. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com. • Groovin’ on the Green (Cashiers) will host McIntosh & The Lionhearts Sept. 4. Shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged. villagegreencashiersnc.com/concerts. • Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host Corey Stevenson Aug. 28, Topper Aug. 29, Doug Ramsay Sept. 4 and Rosin & Rose Sept. 5. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com. • Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Melissa Etheridge (Americana/rock) 9 p.m. Sept. 4. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee. • High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host live music during “Friday Night Vibes” at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com. • Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Zorki (singer-songwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, the “Salon Series” with Bobby Bare Jr. (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24 ($41.84 per person, tax included). Reservations encouraged for all performances.
• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “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. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Tuesday, Anna Victoria (singer-songwriter) Aug. 28, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Aug. 29 and Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. Aug. 30. 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 “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Aug. 20 (at Big Wesser), “Music Bingo” 6 p.m. Aug. 27 (at Big Wesser), Dick Dickerson (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. Aug. 29, The Get Right Band (indiesoul/rock) 5 p.m. Aug. 29 and Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs (Americana) 2 p.m. Aug. 30. Free and open to the public. 828.785.5082 / noc.com/events/2026-summer-music-series. • Old Edwards Inn (Highlands) will host live music in the Hummingbird Lounge at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com. • Orchard Coffee (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 6 p.m. on the first Friday of every month and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9264 / orchardcoffeeroasters.com. • Otto Community Center (Otto) will host James Thompson “Music Nights” 4 p.m. first and third Friday of each month. Bring a beverage
Rock rolls into NOC
and snack of your choice. Free and open to the public. go2ottonc.com. • Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host Feeling 22 (Taylor Swift tribute) Aug. 29 and Firecracker Jazz Band Sept. 5. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org. • Pickin’ In The Park (Canton) will host Rick Morris Band & Green Valley Cloggers (Americana/bluegrass) 6 p.m. Sept. 11. Free and open to the public.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. on certain Fridays and Ron D’Albora (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Aug. 29. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub. • Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke With Russell” on Mondays and Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.
more information, call 828.785.5082 or visit noc.com/events/2026-summer-music-series.
• Sauced (Waynesville) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. every other Wednesday (Aug. 26 and Sept. 9) and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9585 / saucedwnc.com. • Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” every second Monday of the month with Bridget Gossett (sign-up at 6:30 p.m.), Bridget Gossett (rock/blues) Aug. 27, Natti Love Joys (reggae/roots) Aug. 29, Jug Tucker (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. Aug. 30, Shane Meade Duo (indie/soul) Sept. 3, Smashing Mouths (rock/pop) Sept. 5 and Mooncoin 3 p.m. Sept. 6. 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 Rail Town (Americana) 6 p.m. Aug. 28 and Generations (Americana) 4 p.m. Aug. 30. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com. • Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host “Yacht Rock Radio Live” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28. Tickets start at $20 per person, with seating upgrades offered. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com. • Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host the “An Appalachian Evening” summer music series with Shelton & Williams (Americana) Aug. 29. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com. • Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music
SEE ON THE BEAT, PAGE 22
Espalin returns to Mountain Layers Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin will hit the stage at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City. Born and raised in Hiawassee, Georgia, Espalin has been entertaining audiences since he was eight years old. A blend of Americana, bluegrass and indieroots music, he’s a beloved fixture
Wyatt Espalihn. File photo
on the Southern Appalachian live music circuit. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.538.0115 or visit mtnlayersbeer.com. To learn more about Espalin, go to wyattespalinmusic.com.
Smoky Mountain News
• Saturdays On Pine Concert Series (Highlands) will host Diverse Groove Sept. 5. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. highlandschamber.org.
The Get Right Band. File photo
August 26-September 1, 2026
• Pickin’ On The Square (Franklin) will host Mission Accomplished (southern rock) Sept. 12. All shows begin at 6 p.m. at the Gazebo in downtown. Free and open to the public. franklinnc.com/pickin-on-the-square.html.
arts & entertainment
Indie-soul/rock act The Get Right Band will perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Nantahala Gorge. A popular Asheville-based power trio, The Get Right Band fuses a slew of genres into a melting pot of its own sonic template, weaving seamlessly between indie-rock, Americana, R&B and soul. The event is free and open to the public. For
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August 26-September 1, 2026
arts & entertainment
On the stage
On the table
HART presents ‘The Savannah Sipping Society’ Pull up a chair, pour a drink and spend an with a heartfelt look at friendship, resilience evening on the porch with a special stage proand starting over. Beneath the laughs is a duction of “The Savannah reminder that family is not Sipping Society” on select always something we are dates and times through Aug. born into. Sometimes it is 30 at the Haywood Arts Regsomething we find and ional Theatre in Waynesville. choose for ourselves. What Directed by Annie Dragoo, begins as a series of weekly this warm and witty comedy happy hours soon becomes by Jones Hope Wooten celesomething much more. brates unexpected friendship, Between laughter, porch confresh starts and discovering versations, questionable that it is never too late to ‘The Savannah Sipping Society.’ decisions and a drink or two, find where you belong. HART photo the four women begin taking Set on a picturesque chances, rediscovering veranda in Savannah, Georgia, “The Savannah themselves, and building a friendship none of Sipping Society” follows four Southern women them realized they needed. who meet at moments when each could use a HART is offering a pay-what-you-can perchange. Randa Covington is struggling to formance on the first Saturday of the producadjust after an unexpected career shift. Dot tion run to help keep theatre accessible to all. Haigler is navigating life after the loss of her Pay-what-you-can tickets will go on sale one husband. Marlafaye Mosley is recovering from week before show day. Standard tickets for all heartbreak, while the free-spirited Jinx Jenkins other performances are available now. arrives determined to give the other women the For more information and/or to purchase push they need to shake things up. tickets, visit harttheatre.org or call The story blends sharp Southern humor 828.456.6322.
ON THE BEAT, CONTINUED FROM 21 Monday” each week with local singer-songwriters including L.C. Branch Sept. 7. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com. • Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Music” with Nitrograss 6 p.m. Wednesdays, “Karaoke” 9:30 p.m. Fridays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Sundays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Trivia With Tom” Wednesdays, “Music Bingo” Saturdays and Flash Bang Mafia (rock) 6 p.m. Aug. 28. 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.
Smoky Mountain News
• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host the “Tuesday Music Social” 4 p.m.
weekly, Michael Dunham Band (country/bluegrass) 5 p.m. Aug. 28 and Raphael Graves Trio (Americana) 2 p.m. Aug. 30. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.
Ready for dinner ‘Under the Stars’?
Skyline Lodge. File photo
The popular “Under the Stars, On the Rocks” culinary series is currently underway at the Oak Steakhouse at the Skyline Lodge in Highlands. The events feature renowned chefs from around the Southeast on select dates through the fall: Sept. 8 and Oct. 13. Each four-course meal in the series is unique and personal to the guest chef, offering a one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experience. Dinners are $175 per person (including beverage pairings). Reservations required. For more information and/or to make reservations, call 828.526.4008 or visit skyline-lodge.com.
• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular culinary events and workshops throughout the week. For a full schedule of upcoming activities, tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event. • Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Wind Down Wine Flights” 6 p.m. Thursdays and a special semi-regular wine tasting. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com. • Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have the wine bar and kitchen open from 4-8 p.m. Fridays/Saturdays. There will also be special wine dinners and cheese tastings on select dates. 828.452.6000 / classicwineseller.com.
• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Tim Austin (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Aug. 28, Jordan Denton (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Aug. 30, Zorki (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Sept. 4, Kody Paul (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Sept. 5, Monica Spears (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Sept. 6 and Blue Jazz (Americana) 2 p.m. Sept. 7. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com. • Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Karaoke Night” 8 p.m. Thursdays, with semi-regular DJs and live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular craft brewery tastings. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com. • “Flights & Bites” will be held at 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville and “Mystery Wine Dinner” 6 p.m. Sept. 15. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com. • “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held 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 “Carolina Moonshine” train on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Shane (indie/soul) Aug. 28, Shortoff Mountain Boys Aug. 29, Hammock Theory Sept. 4, Spare Parts Sept. 5 and Kid Billy Sept. 6. 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 “First Friday Classic Country: Jim Austin & Friends” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. each month (Sept. 4, Oct. 2) and the “On the Lawn at Yonder” live music series with Kyle Eldridge (Americana) Sept. 6. Admission by donation. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.
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“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” — Cherokee Proverb
Thomas Crowe
A
Cathy Rigg will share her novel, “That Which Binds Us,” in conversation with Kara Addy at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. In the 1860s, on Virginia’s Appalachian frontier, the fates of five people are forever linked as they navigate love, loss and the cost of buried secrets amid the strife and turmoil of an unimaginable Civil War. Punctuated by class and the realities of a devastating conflict, “That Which Binds Us” is a broad work of historical fiction that celebrates our best
and explores our worst, that serves to remind us that across continents and cultures and generations, love holds the greatest power of all. “That Which Binds Us” (Keylight Books) was named a 2025 Forward INDIES Book of the Year finalist. Rigg’s fiction and poetry have appeared in Still: The Journal, Women Speak: An Anthology of the Women of Appalachia Project, litmosphere, journal of Charlotte Lit, These Mosaics poetry anthology, Clinch Mountain Review and more. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit citylightsnc.com or call 828.586.9499.
AUGUST 29th • 3pm 3
Cat athy R Riigg g
WILL BE SHA HARING HER R NOVEL,
That Wh Which Binds Us
IN CONVERSA AT TION WITH KARA RA ADDY ADDY 2025 FORE REWORD RD INDIES BOOK K OF THE YYEEAR A AW WARD RDS FINA ALLIST (HISTOR RICA ICAL FICTION)
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SAATT. AUGUST 29•1--3PM
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‘That Which Binds Us’ at City Lights
of the Eastern Band, followed by the story of the corruption among members of the Tribal Council and the repercussions that would lead to the legal battle relating to Lambert’s eventual impeachment. While there are many pages and much detail devoted to Lambert’s story of this uncomfortable moment in Cherokee history, he manages these chapters with amazing grace and clarity and is not afraid to share the positive aspects of his tenure with gaming, building the foundations of economic self-determination, and establishing the first per capita distributions — decisions that permanently reshaped Cherokee life. How one man could have accomplished all that he did in such a short period of time is nothing short of amazing. One could say that Lambert almost single-handedly transformed the nature of the Tribe to becoming what it is today — both financially and politically. In that sense he has to be considered as something of a hero, if not a modern-day icon and model for Native American communities and nations as well as the U.S. in general. In this phase of the book, he quotes none other than Buddha, who says “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth,” and then Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If nothing else, Lambert, in “The River” and in life, is a truthteller and a role model for others to follow as we move in the book through his future, leading to legal vindication of the earlier impeachment conviction. After the chapters on Lambert’s impeachment and vindication, the remainder of the book is a lovely storyline about his personal journey back to focus on his family life on the Qualla Boundary and that of community outside the walls of politics and officialdom. Especially in the book’s Epilogue, we see Lambert as he is “coming home” from all of the turbulence to his roots and his tribal beginnings as a satisfied, happy and loving man. (Thomas Rain Crowe is the author of more than 30 books, including the award-winning nature memoir “Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods,” and is a longtime resident of Jackson County.)
August 26-September 1, 2026
ll of us living in Western North Carolina know of much of the history of the Cherokee Indian tribe. Its origins, its general history, its cultural significance. But I’m betting that not everyone knows the historic timeline of its chiefs and particularly the story of former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert. In a book loaned to me by my physician, Patrick Lambert’s memoir “The River,” (On the Boundary Writer Press, 2026, 275 pages) delivers one of the most captivating biographies I’ve ever read. His style, his convincing humility, his forthrightness and his provocative intelligence are the avenues that take us through the landscape of his life, which features not only family history but some of the more important and controversial episodes in recent Cherokee business and politics. “The River,” then, is a personal memoir and an historical record of a pivotal moment in Cherokee history that flows like the “Long Man,” or the river, ever onward. I could probably write this review by simply writing out the short epigram quotes at the beginning of each of the 32 chapters in this book. That might be interesting to some, but might be a bit too abstract for others. So, I will simply use a few of these quotes off and on throughout this review as highlights. Lambert begins the first chapter, “Born on the Boundary,” and the quote “The struggles of the Boundary are what forged the man.” Here he describes the landscape of the Cherokee Boundary and what he calls “life before pavement,” where he got drinking water from a mountain spring, when his father, known as “Chief Henry,” was, as he describes him, “the world’s most photographed Indian,” who worked the tourist trade on the reservation dressed in full Indian regalia and posing for and with vacationing visitors. Lambert was the only boy among five sisters whom he describes as “a force of nature ... in a household that was loud, chaotic and full of
love.” Referring to his youth as his “foundation,” Lambert tells us of his early connection with the land, with nature, where “the forest was always communicating if you knew how to listen.” From his youth we move on into the chapters that describe his late youth and early adult life working in mines, joining the Army, graduating from law school and meeting his eventual wife, Cyndi. His professional life began with a job working in Sylva for the lawyer Ben Bridgers. I remember Patrick from my time working with Ben Bridgers (who was the tribal attorney for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation at the time) on a legal case of my own which was related to environmental issues. I remember Patrick Lambert as being friendly, smart and very conscientious. These beginnings led to his work organizing the Tribe’s laws, compiling ordinances and building a modern legal code and working with the Tribal Council. All this led to his contributions when gaming first came to Cherokee. In 1995, Bridgers retired as tribal attorney and the next several chapters focus on Lambert’s work in helping create a functional and expanding casino operation and that has evolved into what it is today. In chapter 12, he discusses the election of 1995 when the Tribe elected the first woman chief in Joyce Dugan and the implications and the story of her tenure. In what is practically a daily history of her reign as chief, he sets the stage for a huge change in the politics and the finances of the Tribe and the opening of the Cherokee casino in 1997. From here, Lambert moves quickly into a long and detailed discussion of the political and financial corruption on the reservation. Dealing with the legal and personal aspects of this situation were consequential to say the least, but Lambert stuck by his guns, using quotes in his book from such world leaders as Nelson Mandela, saying “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” If Lambert possessed nothing else, he truly had a strong sense of persistence and courage as he describes in second half of the book the rise of the Harrah’s Casino, his own rise to political power as chief
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Outdoors
Smoky Mountain News
‘Double whammy’ Roadless Rule recission moves forward amid development-centered actions BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER t was in the South Mills River that Will Harlan’s son first saw an eastern hellbender. The largest salamander in the Americas, the hellbender — known colloquially as “mud puppy,” “water dog” or “snot otter” — can reach up to two feet in length. Although this species has been around for about 150 million years, its population is in significant decline due to habitat loss, climate change and water pollution, bringing the threat of extinction within a far shorter timeline. However, for now, the pristine South Mills River remains “one of the best hellbender hotspots in the world,” said Harlan, who works as southeast director and senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. That’s because it is part of a network of public lands protected by the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibits roadbuilding and timber harvest. But after the Trump administration released an Aug. 19 Draft Environmental Impact Statement in pursuit of the rule’s recission, 44.7 million acres of roadless area like the South Mills River — vulnerable species’ habitat, tourist destinations, sacred Indigenous sites, drinking water reservoirs, wildfire mitigators — are now one step away from losing that protection, which has been in place for a quarter-century.
I
CONTEXT AND PRECEDENT According to Southern Environmental Law Center Associate Attorney Abigail Hunt, the recission does not exist in isolation. Crucially, Trump’s U.S. Department of Agriculture in April 2026 released a final rule revising the National Environmental Policy Act, a 1970 statute mandating the federal government to comprehensively assess environmental impacts of proposed actions. Hunt said while NEPA is still “alive and well,” amendments to U.S. Forest Service regulations under the act have essentially stripped public feedback from the decision-making process. “[The Forest Service is] removing all the formal ways that the agency would let communities know what kind of projects are happening on the landscape. So, it is important to think about this recission in the context of all of these other major changes,” she told The Smoky Mountain News.
The public has only 30 days to comment on the DEIS and proposal of rulemaking, an unprecedented timeline for an action taken six months behind schedule. The government was required to release a DEIS alongside at least 45 days of public comment under the original statute. Now, the public comment period “may be undertaken at any time that is determined reasonable by the responsible official.” Prior to the Roadless Rule’s passage, federal officials held more than 400 public hearings and received 1.6 million public comments, 90% of which supported the policy. To Harlan, these facts alone — along with the NEPA revisions that preceded them — are reason to believe the federal government seeks to circumvent transparency and minimize feedback. “We’ve been in the dark, and I think that’s been intentional to keep the public unaware of the timeline to release this in the middle of summer, when folks are distracted and traveling and not engaging as much,” he said. Harlan described the reasoning behind the strategy: the administration knows “how popular public lands are across the political spectrum.” Hunt credited this popularity to the unique spiritual and recreational values of roadless areas. What’s more, protected forests provide drinking water for 354 municipal watersheds — and 60 million people — across the nation. Locally, that number is still statistically significant: The Town of Weaverville gets its water from the roadless Big Ivy section of Pisgah National Forest. “If [Big Ivy] is open to industrial extraction, that’s going to cost the town of Weaverville and their residents millions in upgrades to handle the increased sediment,” Harlan said, adding that there are also profound health consequences to eliminating these protections. Consequently, hundreds of thousands have shown up to defend protected public lands — writing letters, signing petitions and posting comments to the federal registry. The 2025 Notice of Intent to repeal the policy generated 99% opposition among a total of more than 600,000 online and written messages, despite a short 21-day public comment window. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in a fall 2025 agency note declined to take a strong stance on roadless protections, though it stated that “the lack of management
The potential Roadless Rule recission would impact public lands across the country, including in Western North Carolina. Acroterion photo within [inventoried roadless areas] can have undesirable consequences,” particularly in the eastern United States. “We are monitoring the proposed rule, and, regardless of whether the US Forest Service approves the recission, we will continue to work with U.S. Forest Service leadership in N.C. on wildlife and wildlife habitat issues,” NCWRC Public Relations Manager Anna Gurney told SMN. Meanwhile, last year, 41 federally recognized tribes wrote or signed letters countering the recission. Forty-one N.C. General Assembly legislators — 31 representatives and 10 senators, including Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe) and Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe) — listed their names on a joint opposition statement. Even federal departments like the San Francisco branch of the Environmental Protection Agency urged the USFS to proceed with caution and solicit tribal consultation in culturally sensitive areas. “I think maybe the most salient point here is that what a common-sense agency and administration would do in response to just the feedback that was communicated at the notice of intent level,” Hunt said. Throughout history, federal departments have reversed course amid nearly unanimous negative feedback. For example, in 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency, citing public opinion, chose not to withdraw Clean Water Act restrictions of mining-related dredged or fill material in Alaska. Yet Hunt said the USFS and USDA, admitting that the NOI generated vast opposition, is “keeping the foot on the gas.” In its Aug 20 tribal summary impact statement, the Forest Service — noting tribes had criticized a “lack of meaningful consultation”, engagement that did not reflect “sovereignty and consent” and “limited alternatives” to the recission — framed the rule-making process as “an opportunity to strengthen co-stewardship efforts and create formal agreements that ensure Tribal input remains central to local forest management decisions.” “There’s perhaps a dark metaphor there about ‘foot on the gas’ and roads — and just being so reckless,” said Hunt. Indeed, officials charged ahead with a DEIS, the second stage of NEPA’s rule-making process. That document appears to reveal the true scope of
an action. While the USDA had claimed a rescission would mitigate wildfire ignition and proliferation, a DEIS is mandated only if the proposed notice “has a reasonably foreseeable significant effect on the quality of the human environment.” All other instances warrant a less comprehensive Environmental Assessment. Harlan, calling the wildfire reasoning a “smokescreen,” said roads increase ignitions. In fact, the DEIS makes this concession. “Currently, the number, frequency and density of wildfire ignitions are lower in designated wilderness and potentially affected IRAs compared to other NFS lands ... there could be increase the number and frequency of wildfires as human-ignitions are more likely near roads,” it reads. But wildfires wouldn’t be the only natural disasters to possibly become worse amid a roadless rule rollback. There’s also the risk of landslides, which many in Western North Carolina have personally experienced. “What we found post-Helene is that a majority of the landslides that occurred, the 2,000-plus landslides that occurred during Helene, occurred near or exactly on areas with roads on steep slopes,” said Harlan. In addition to what Hunt called the “smoke and mirrors” aspect of the 300-page document, she said it is peppered with “false assurances” about anticipated impacts, which are exacerbated by other harmful USFS developments, like staffing reorganization — and an Aug. 21 announcement of its plans to amend the Travel Management Rule. The USFS is not only relocating employees but also shuttering two-thirds of its research labs, many of which study fire response and mitigation. “It’s really destabilizing folks and creating a lot of turmoil within the agency, losing expertise in important areas like biology and botany and ecology,” she said. As for the Travel Management Rule, conservationists maintain it has long served a vital purpose. Defenders of Wildlife National Forests and Public Lands Program Director Vera Smith explained the policy “states simply that motorized vehicles must stay on routes and areas designated locally for that use.” The planned revisions appear to increase off-road access for motorized vehicles and E-bikes, a move that could worsen wildfire, endanger wildlife and undermine conservation. “The Forest Service has a $9 billion maintenance backlog across its road system already, and travel management and the Roadless Rule have really been two of the primary ways the agency has kept some places safe from that and made responsible decisions,” explained Hunt. This deferred maintenance is relevant also because a Roadless Rule recission would mainly facilitate roadbuilding as a means of timber harvest and collection. “These roads are not for recreation. In fact, only 25% of the Forest Service’s whole road network is available to the public, and in the DEIS itself, the Forest Service discusses keeping a lot of these new roads and roadless areas closed to the public,” said Hunt, adding that the recission’s primary purpose is to serve industry interests. It’s not only roadbuilding but also logging that contributes to heightened
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August 26-September 1, 2026 Smoky Mountain News
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ignition, what Harlan called a “double whamdent, said Harlan, the agency has begun a timmy” of impacts. ber harvest in the Nolichucky River watershed, “The way logging is conducted, especially in a “world-class whitewater destination” that has the Southern Appalachians, it makes wildfires been nominated for wild and scenic river staworse by Increasing the concentration of kintus. dling and tinder, taking out the fire-resistant “They were logging on steep slopes adjacent trees,” he said. to this beautiful river and claiming it was salHarlan noted that logging can be a practical vage logging and that they were exempt under decision along the wild land-urban interface, emergency orders. But that wasn’t actually the within a couple hundred feet of structures, but case,” he said. he said it only causes harm in remote places CBD eventually went to court, and the like roadless areas. USFS project was halted. But that order only Even at the Ruffed Grouse Society, which staved off future harm, he said. It couldn’t takes a more favorable approach to logging and reverse the clock. uses clear-cutting as one of several forest man“What we’re seeing now under this adminagement methods, Regional Engagement istration is the Forest Service thinks they can Coordinator Grand Erhard hasn’t come across log whenever they want, wherever they want, anyone in support of rolling back protections. without telling anyone,” Harlan said, noting Like many RGS staff, Erhard is a public lands that in this instance, local communities discovuser, a hunter and a conservationist — identiered what was happening and sounded the ties he said inform his opposition. alarm. “There’s a lot of things that have been hap“But we won’t always have those eyes on the pening just absolutely contradict ground, and it was almost too the American model of conservalate,” he added. tion,” he explained. According to Harlan, the To Eastern Band of Cherokee USFS and CBD enjoyed a Indians Tribal Council member stronger relationship when the Shannon Swimmer, that’s federal agency was more because no land-based policy accountable to impacted stakeimplemented by the Trump holders. While policy disagreeadministration has been conserments sometimes occurred, the vation-minded, let alone considForest Service maintained clear erate of impacted locations. communication, he said. For example, the Advisory “We were able to find comCouncil on Historic Preservation mon ground and have producon July 24 voted to advance tive conversations for many sweeping proposed changes to years.” But things have changed Section 106 of the 1996 National under the second Trump adminPresident Donald Trump’s istration, he claimed. Local Historic Preservation Act that would weaken cultural and hisadministration is pushing employees are directed to not cortoric site preservation mandates the Roadless Rule respond with external groups — and processes in favor of streamrecission. File photo especially conservation-focused lined development. nonprofits. Alternatively, SELC, ACHP seeks revisions such as said Hunt, still works closely with removing the requirement that federal agencies “certain Forest Service units.” consult with tribal communities when cultural “It’s one of the most valuable relationships resources will be impacted, excluding certain that we have as an organization,” she said, activities from Section 106 obligations, narrowexplaining that she’s always excited about coling the definition of historic property and elimlaborating with the agency on responsible and inating all references to unique Indigenous practical land management projects. expertise, tribal sovereignty and governmentHunt’s perspective differed from some of to-government relationships. the trickle-down effects described by Harlan. “There’s no respect for the environment. “I think there’s a big difference between the There’s no respect for the history. There’s no folks in the Forest Service that are out on the respect for places that are considered sacred,” ground every day who understand the value of said Swimmer. roadless areas and the folks up in D.C. who are What’s more, while the USFS pledge to dispushing this recission down,” she told SMN. mantle the Roadless Rule seems un-American She described legal action as a last-resort to many, she noted that it is tied to the strategy, clarifying that it’s usually unnecessary Indigenous land theft fundamental to the histobecause of safeguards like travel management ry of this nation. and roadless areas. “This is just a continuation of stealing land, But both are on the chopping block. but this time it’s not just stealing land from According to Harlan, were the Roadless Rule Native people. It’s stealing public land from rescinded, a lawsuit would be on the table — everybody,” she said. especially since over 400 species nationwide are affected, and the full extent of that impact hasn’t yet been fully evaluated. ONTEMPORARY POLITICS One thing’s for sure: without a roadless designation, the South Mills River will be a paraThere’s still nearly a month to submit comdise for neither eastern hellbenders nor fatherments, but the Trump Administration’s amendson adventures. Hunt described roadbuilding ments to NEPA allow the USDA to combine its and logging as a “a scar on the landscape that Final Environmental Impact Statement and can’t be mended.” Release of Decision, meaning the public may “It’s something that will transform the not have another chance to be heard after this sense of place for the species that live there and window closes on Sept. 21. the humans who like to visit there for a really, USFS logging has increased regardless. really long time,” she said. Without a word to any organization or resi-
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Up Moses Creek BY BURT KORNEGAY
Smoky Mountain News
August 26-September 1, 2026
“The Intention of the Eye”
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“Stop, Burt!” I braked. We were driving home one summer afternoon in 2023 when Becky spotted a box turtle crossing our driveway and called out. I thought the turtle was probably a male because, as I got out of the truck and walked up, it drew into its shell with a hiss then stared back at me with red eyes. Female box turtles don’t tend to react so warily, and their eyes are brown. Then I recognized a distinctive notch in the turtle’s shell and held him up for Becky to see, decalring “It’s Dryback!” Unlike the rest of the box turtles that we were on a first-name basis with that summer, this one male left the top of his domed shell exposed when he cooled off in a mud hole we called Turtle Wallow. The other turtles there would sink deep into the ooze until only their nostrils were exposed. Becky had been on the alert for box turtles in the driveway ever since a female we’d named Roverina met an untimely end under her car tire. Roverina got her name because we saw her criss-crossing the yard a lot, and if I picked her up, she’d stretch out her neck as far as it would go and keep right on walking in the air. She had places to go, things to do, turtles to meet, and I was a big bother. Her death in the driveway was untimely because box turtles can live as long as or longer than humans do, but to judge by Roverina’s small size, bright yellow shell colors and lively pace, she was just a sweet 16. After the fatal encounter, Becky, who’d been distracted just before it happened by the sight of two fawns in the woods, put up a warning sign about turtles at the crossing spot. I well remember our discovery of Turtle Wallow that summer. It was nothing more than a squishy place beside the trail where spring water pooled to make a black, oozy mix. But walking past it one day, Becky happened to notice a yellowish “something”
barely showing in the muck and she pointed it out to me. Fishing around in the mud, I pulled up a male box turtle. He came out with a sucking sound. Then Becky drew my attention to another mound a couple of feet away from the first. It proved to be a male too. Then I pulled up a female sunk between the males. Then out came a fourth turtle, then a fifth. Here was a mud-bound congregation of box turtles not 100 feet from our back door and beside a trail we’d walked for years! It made me think of a passage I’d read in Thoreau’s essay “Autumnal Tints” where he says that it’s “the intention of the eye” that determines what humans see — “the idea we have in mind, the concern we carry with us.” Then he gives a humorous example: “A man sees only what concerns him. A botanist absorbed in the study of grasses does not distinguish the grandest pasture oaks. He, as it were, tramples down oaks unwittingly in his walk.” Like Thoreau’s grassy-eyed botanist, we’d been so intent on spotting birds in the trees that we’d been unwittingly “trampling down” the turtles at our feet. Turtle Wallow became the centerpiece of our summer. The first thing Becky would ask when I came back from my morning walk was, “How many turtles?” And once we watched a turtle push the mud left and right with his front feet and pivot his shell from side to side to wedge himself ever deeper into the muck — as if he were some kind of hard-shelled hog. You could almost hear him oink. We became so preoccupied with the wallow and its turtles that there’s no telling how many beautiful hooded warblers or yellow-throated vireos or blue-gray gnatcatchers we missed above us in the trees! “We cannot see anything until we are possessed with the idea of it, take it into our heads,” Thoreau says in that same essay, “ — and then we can hardly see anything else.” Here are my notes from one day in our Turtle Wallow summer:
Puzzles can be found on page 30 These are only the answers.
• 7 a.m.: Coming back from my walk, I see three turtles in the wallow: the male we call Yellow Legs and two grown females, one of them new to me, the other we’ve christened “Faded Female” because years of aging have dimmed her colors. 10 a.m.: I hear Becky call, “Come see!” Faded Female has left the hole she’s usually in and moved up to the top of the wallow into the alpha hole usually occupied by “Big Male” — who is nowhere to be seen — and now her old hole has been taken over by Roverina. The new, unnamed female I saw at sunrise is gone. We walk down the path on the lookout for her, only to meet old Dryback stumping up towards the wallow. He hisses and pulls into his shell.
Legs are still in their holes, but Roverina has stepped out. Going down the path, I come on Dryback again. He finally emerged from his shell and is heading towards the wallow. • 5 p.m.: Becky tells me Dryback is in a hole next to Yellow Legs. As usual, the top of his shell is exposed. • 8:30 p.m.: By flashlight, we see Faded Female and Yellow Legs in the mud. Neither of them has moved all day. Dryback is gone. Roverina is gone. Soon after Roverina’s unfortunate death in the driveway, I saw another young female box turtle crossing the yard. Her shell was orange and she easily fit in the palm of my hand. She reminded me of Roverina in the way she kept on walking when I held her in
The turtles of Moses Creek now have a safe spot to cross. Burt Kornegay photo
• 2 p.m.: In the past hour we’ve beaten a path to Turtle Wallow, and our knees are muddy from getting down to look. I put a slice of cucumber in front of Faded Female. She opened her jaws wide and chomped it down. Then she took a second piece, but I couldn’t entice her out of the alpha hole with a third. • 3 p.m.: After several hot, dry days, the spring has slackened to a trickle; so to keep everyone happy — the turtles and us — we lugged watering cans to the wallow. • 3:30 p.m.: Faded Female and Yellow
the air. If anything, her legs speeded up. Trying to get free, she pushed hard at my fingers with her back feet. I named her Roverita. I wish that I could say we’ve enjoyed Turtle Wallow every summer since 2023. But below average rainfall up Moses Creek has dried up the spring, the wallow has lost its cooling ooziness, the turtles have gone their separate ways, and Becky has stored her turtle sign in the shed. (Burt and Becky Kornegay live in Jackson County.)
Darnell inducted into WNC Ag Hall of Fame
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has received a $2 million lead gift from Amy Buckner Chowdhry toward construction of a new learning center on its second campus property in Townsend, Tennessee, the largest gift to date for the project. Buckner Chowdhry has committed an additional $500,000 to help Blount County students participate in Tremont programs. The gift marks a significant turning point for a project that has been years in the making. Plans for the second campus were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and later reshaped following changes in federal funding opportunities.
Tremont has since completed design development and is nearing completion of fully funded construction documents for the first phase. The first phase will focus on a learning center for students, educators and community programs, while establishing infrastructure that will allow Tremont to add residential and dining facilities in future phases. The learning center is being designed to pursue Living Building Challenge certification, one of the world’s most rigorous standards for sustainable design and performance, with the goal of becoming Tennessee’s first fully certified Living Building Challenge project. Tremont is continuing to raise funds for construction of the learning center and welcomes individuals, foundations, and community partners to join the effort. Learn more about the second campus and opportunities to support the project at tremontfuture.org.
Birding in Franklin The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane. Walks are about two and a half hours. The public is welcome. All walks are weather dependent. Additional information, including directions to each location and a bird club checklist can be found at littletennessee.org/franklin-bird-club. Schedule for upcoming walks: • Sept. 2, meet at the Salali Lane parking lot. • Sept. 9, meet at the Macon County Library parking lot. • Sept. 16, meet at Big Bear parking lot near the dog park area. • Sept. 23, meet at the Salali Lane parking lot. • Sept. 30, meet at the Macon County Library parking lot. A full schedule and directions to each starting location can be found at facebook.com/groups/franklinbirdclub or littletennessee.org/franklin-bird-club.
Volunteers needed to sample Raccoon Creek Haywood Waterways coordinates: Racoon Creek is looking for volunteers Upstream (35.49757, to take over monthly 82.96383) and Racoon Creek sampling of our Racoon Downstream (35.51475, Creek VWIN sites. 82.969). Volunteers will The sampling crate (for Samples must be drawn once receive training and be sample bottle pickup and per month. Donated photo responsible for sampling dropoff) is located in the dairy these sites on the second cooler at the Hazelwood Ingles Saturday of every month. in Waynesville. If interested, send an email to The sites are located at the following GPS katy@haywoodwaterways.org.
Smokies begins construction on Abrams Falls Trail Smoky Mountain News
$2.5 million donation advances plan for second Tremont campus
Haywood Community College and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer opportunities for hunter safety courses in Fall 2026. Classes will be offered from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 15-16, Oct. 20-21, and Nov. 17-18 on the HCC campus in Clyde in the Walnut building, room 3322. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification. More than a firearms safety course, instruction includes ethics and responsibility, conservation and wildlife management,
wildlife identification, survival and first aid, specialty hunting, and tree stand safety. These courses are offered for the public as a community service and are free of charge. There are no minimum age requirements; however, a written exam must be completed without assistance. Courses are taught by wildlife officers, hunter education specialists and certified volunteer instructors. Certification is accepted in every state and province in North America. Pre-registration is required. Anyone interested in taking a hunter safety course must register online to attend any session. Course registration may be completed at ncwildlife.org.
August 26-September 1, 2026
WNC Communities held the 32nd annual casts and multiple distribution sites throughout Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Western North Carolina. These approaches Fame induction ceremony at the WNC helped strengthen the region’s agricultural Agricultural Center — Davis Event Center in economy and provided a model for other small Fletcher. Longtime farmer, innovator and farmfarms adapting to changing markets. land preservation advocate Jeff Darnell was inducted at this year’s luncheon. Each year, the WNC Ag Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose leadership, innovation and dedication have advanced agriculture and agribusiness throughout the region while preserving its rich agricultural heritage for future generations. Beginning with just one acre in his mother’s backyard in Franklin, Jeff built what would become one of Western North Carolina’s most recognized and influential Jeff Darnell, sixth from left in the back row, with three generations farming operations. of family after his induction into the WNC Agricultural Hall of Although he did not come Fame on Aug. 7, 2026, in Fletcher. Dean Kanipe photo from a farming family, he pursued agriculture through education, mentorship, determination Since 2016, he has served as the western and hands-on experience, funding his college field representative for the North Carolina education through scholarships while farming Agricultural Development and Farmland weekends and summers. After graduating with Preservation Trust Fund, working with farmers honors from Hiwassee College in 1979, he across the region to protect agricultural lands established Darnell Farms in Bryson City and through conservation easements. In that role, he grew the operation to more than 300 acres by has assisted with 54 farmland preservation the mid-1990s. projects, helping conserve more than 4,500 Recognizing the challenges facing small acres of North Carolina farmland for future genfamily farms, Darnell revolutionized how locally erations. grown produce reached consumers. During the Today, Darnell Farms continues as a thriving 1980s, he pioneered field-packing systems that multigenerational operation led by Jeff’s chilimproved product quality while reducing costs dren, Nate and Afton Darnell, carrying forward and developed innovative direct-to-consumer the family’s commitment to innovation, stewardmarketing strategies using local radio broadship, education and community service.
HCC hosts hunter safety courses
Beginning Aug. 24, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close Abrams Falls Trail from Monday through Thursday each week to replace aging footlog bridges and improve visitor safety. The work is expected to be completed by Oct. 1. The trail will open to hikers Fridays through Sundays and on Labor Day during construction. The project includes replacing four aging footlog bridges and handrails. The trail crew will also build new stairs at a steep, slick rock section to improve footing near The project includes replacing Abrams Falls. four aging footlog bridges and handrails. Replacement of the footlogs will require the use of rigGreat Smoky Mountains National Park photo ging equipment throughout the trail, supply delivery by the park’s animal packer team and removal and replacement of the footlogs. To ensure the safety of visitors and employees during these operations, the trail will be closed while work is underway. The hike to Abrams Falls is a five-mile roundtrip hike through rhododendron, hemlock and pine-oak forest to a 25-foot (7.6-m) waterfall that flows over a ledge of sandstone into a deep, picturesque pool. 27
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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IS SEEKING BIDS FOR UPCOMING FRRCSI GRANT PROJECTS. Materials to be delivered in January. Materials: new #136 Rail. 23,154 linear feet (525) net tons 80 foot lengths. OTM 14,300 Tie Plates; 42,000 new spikes, 14,300 rail anchors; 1,234 track bolts; Comp Bars; 280 joint bars; 500 HEX drive screws; 66 7” crossing timbers. All items are required to be manufactured from USA steel and certs will be requested when invoicing is sent. All materials must include delivery to GSMR rail yard at 973 Haywood Rd. Dillsboro NC 28725. Partial bids for materials are accepted and may be awarded. This is a formal sealed bidding process. Bids must comply with domestic steel and Buy $PHULFD FHUWL¿HG :%( MBE participation is highly encouraged. Projects will be awarded at GSMR’s sole discretion to the supplier or suppliers whose proposal offers the best value. GSMR reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Your proposal is due no later than 2PM deadline on Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026. Formal Public Bid Opening date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 2PM. All proposals must be submitted to the following: GSMR attn Kim Albritton. 225 Everett St. Bryson City NC 28713. Bids submitted by email will not be accepted. RFP contact: Kim Albritton,
Vice President & GM kimalbritton@gsmr.com 828-488-7008.
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF HAYWOOD IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26SP000124-430
In the Matter of the Foreclosure of a Commercial Deed of Trust, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing from Ashkenazic Investments LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company executed August 4, 2023, and recorded August 7, 2023, in Book 1091, Page 2251, +$<:22' &2817< REGISTRY AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Pursuant to an order entered July 21, 2026, 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 27, 2026 AT 12:30 PM Haywood COUNTY COURTHOUSE 285 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 828-454-6501 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
August 26-September 1, 2026
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”): BEGINNING on a stake in the center of Chambers Mountain Road, said stake being over a culvert; and runs thence with branch served by culvert and with Milburn Brown’s line two calls as follows: N. 8° E. 84 feet to D VWDNH 1 : IHHW to a stake; thence leaving said branch continuing ZLWK %URZQ¶V OLQH ¿YH calls as follows: N. 43° 10’ E. 166 feet to a stake; 1 : IHHW WR D VWDNH 1 : IHHW to a locust; N. 6° 45’ E. 87 feet to a stake; N. 40° 30’ E. 47 feet to an iron post in old road; thence N. 28° E. 109 feet to a stake; N. 49° E. 51.5 feet to a poplar; thence N. 64° 30’ E. 118 feet to a stake in the center of Chambers Mountain Road; thence with the center of said road seven calls as follows: S. 8° 30’ E. 100 IHHW WR D VWDNH 6 : 175 feet to a stake; S. 11° : IHHW WR D VWDNH 6 ¶ : IHHW WR D VWDNH 6 ¶ : WR D VWDNHG 6 ¶ : 100 feet to a stake; S. 53° : IHHW WR WKH %(GINNING, as per survey DQG SODW RI :DWW -XVWLFH R.L.S. made April 1953. BACK REFERENCE: Book RB 1041, Page 637; Book RB 1038, Page 1705; Book RB 1021, Page 2258; and Book 232, Page 380, all of Haywood County Registry. The record owner(s) of the Property not more
than ten (10) days prior to the date hereof are Ashkenazic Investments LLC. Parcel ID: 8637761435 Address: 102 Ransom Road, Clyde, NC 28721 Unless delayed by other sales held at the same place, the sale will be KHOG DW WKH ¿[HG WLPH or as soon thereafter as practicable, but not later than 3 hours after the WLPH ¿[HG DV SURYLGHG LQ Section 45-21.23 of the North Carolina General Statutes. $ ¿YH SHUFHQW FDVK 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 FHUWL¿HG IXQGV DW D FORVLQJ 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 WKH ¿QDO XSVHW ELG SHULRG 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
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TOOTIN' MAD ACROSS 1 Lie down in rest 7 Pedometer unit 11 Trial fig. 14 Pig in a kids' series 19 A bit coarse, as humor 20 -- sapiens 21 Informal talks 23 Personae non -- (unwelcome sorts) 24 At the summit 25 Nielsens, e.g. 26 Start of a riddle 29 Granola bit 30 Goose of Hawaii 31 Many a craft brew, in brief 32 -- center (play area) 33 Thu. follower 36 "That's -- blow!" 38 Riddle, part 2 43 Suffix with billion 45 High-IQ crew 46 Harp relatives 47 Uncouth sorts 50 Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" 52 City near Seattle 56 Riddle, part 3 62 Hat for Indiana Jones 63 Esther of "Good Times" 64 China's Chou En- -65 Uncertainties 68 Very last part 70 Opus 72 Freaks out 75 Gore, Roker and Pacino 76 Relative of .edu or .org 78 Base for head hair 80 Like many Coast Guard
rescues 81 Riddle, part 4 86 Feature of the word "jot" 87 Execs' mag 88 Idea sources 89 Skylit lobbies 92 Project deets 96 James of "Alien Nation" 98 End of the riddle 103 Pirate's drink 107 Bunch 108 "Deck the Halls" contraction 109 Mined stuff 110 Egyptian canal 112 Year, in Brazil 113 Riddle's answer 119 Like the work of insurance risk calculators 121 "Bye-bye!" 122 Walk really quietly 123 Lambastes 124 Pre-'91 empire 125 "7 Rings" singer Grande 126 Applesauce brand 127 "Fancy that!" 128 Chinese dog, in brief 129 Became taut DOWN 1 Singer Belle or Spektor 2 Lengthy reprimand 3 Beseech reverently 4 Preminger of film 5 Former teen idol Cassidy 6 Glasses and contacts 7 Unselfish sort 8 Carry around 9 Like theatrical behavior 10 Appear like a jack-in-
the-box 11 Last part of some plays 12 Saloon 13 Castle tower 14 Org. against leather 15 Estrada of "CHiPs" 16 Miss terribly 17 Tent stake 18 Hoofed beast 22 Nickname for Louis Armstrong 27 Make beloved 28 Sculling tools 34 Comic Issa 35 SSNs, e.g. 37 Artist Andy 39 Iconic "Dragnet" line 40 Granola bits 41 Often-tickled Muppet 42 With 48-Down, "Barry Lyndon" star 44 French river or department 47 U.K.'s counterpart to an Oscar 48 See 42-Down 49 A bit strange 51 Neither's partner 53 Ocean east of Ga. 54 Mined stuff 55 Columbus citizen 57 Mexican general Villa 58 Donovan of "Clueless" 59 Decide (to) 60 Decompose 61 "-- Cousins" (Elvis Presley film) 66 Grazing area
67 Doesn't leave 69 Mail slot spot 71 Plaza Hotel girl 73 Rho follower 74 Botching it up 77 "Rocky III" co-star 79 Wordplay bit 82 "That so?" 83 Persian ruler 84 Like a snoop 85 Build up, as interest 89 Piercing tool 90 Even if, in brief 91 Snare drum sound 93 Inadequate 94 Annual basketball contest on the Continent 95 Silk nightdress 97 Proficient in 99 Pong maker 100 Clamping down on 101 Lordly home 102 Beachward 104 Believers in Jah, informally 105 Common soccer score 106 Conk out, as a machine 111 Old name of the Congo 114 "Hooper" star Reynolds 115 Junior miss 116 Big ice mass 117 Bit of work 118 Revolve 119 It's pressed for cash 120 Co. big shot
ANSWERS ON PAGE 26
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 RWKHU WKDQ WKH %HQH¿FLDU\ 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 propHUW\ ZLWK OHVV WKDQ ¿IWHHQ (15) rental units, you are KHUHE\ QRWL¿HG RI WKH 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 24 th day of July, 2026. V -RKQ : )OHWFKHU ,,, -RKQ : )OHWFKHU ,,, Substitute Trustee (NCSB No. 15503) )OHWFKHU 7\GLQJV :LOliams-Tracy & Gott, PLLC 100 Queens Road, Suite 250, Charlotte, North Carolina 28204 MÀHWFKHU# ÀHWFKHUW\GLQJV FRP NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.26E000454-430 Cathy L Hodge, having TXDOL¿HG DV WKH ([HFXWRU of the Estate of Delano Dee Buchanan 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 12 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to
said Estate, please make immediate payment. Executor 931 Ridgeview Dr Mt. Lookout, WV 26678 NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.25E000686-430 Sandra Brown Cheek, KDYLQJ TXDOL¿HG DV the Administrator of the Estate of David Jonathan Cheek 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 05 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Administrator PO Box 886 Clyde NC 28721 NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.26E000358-430 Casey Merrell, having TXDOL¿HG DV WKH Administrator of the Estate of Susan Marie Merrell of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the
SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, Answers on 26 the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
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Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Nov 05 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Administrator 210 Patton Mountain Rd. Apt B Asheville, NC 28804 NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.26E000385-430 Penny Rains, having TXDOL¿HG DV WKH Administrator of the Estate of BILLIE JAUDON 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 19 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Penny Rains, Administrator F R $WWRUQH\ %ULWWDQ\ Porter, NextGen Estate Solutions 101 Glen Lennox Drive, Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27517 NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.26E000448-430 Edmond J. Kunmann, KDYLQJ TXDOL¿HG DV WKH Ancillary Executor of the Estate of Esther B. Dance 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 19 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. Seay Law Firm, PLLC 519 Market St. Wilmington, NC 28401
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