Smoky Mountain News | January 21, 2026

Inside: SMN dives into commissioner races

CONTENTS

On the Cover:

As the state continues work on the massive project to rebuild I-40 in Haywood County near the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, advocates for safe passage wildlife crossings through the major thoroughfare that bisects large tracts of land rich with different species are seeing an opportunity to build in a way that protects animals. (Page 24) Parks Conservation Association and Wildlands Network photo

News

What to know about Swain commission candidates................................................4

Candidates for Swain County chairman share ideas, platforms............................6 Haywood commissioners face defining Republican Primary..................................8

Opinion

The sad reality of a post-truth country........................................................................14 A powerful display of compassion................................................................................14

A&E

If I could share your company: A conversation with Willis Alan Ramsey........16 The Scotsman hosts Robert Burns dinner................................................................21

Outdoors

The Joyful Botanist: More dirt on soil..........................................................................26 State offers opportunity to support wildlife................................................................27

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What to know about Swain Primary candidates for county commissioner

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF W RITER

On March 3, six candidates — three Democrats and three Republicans — will compete for Swain County commissioner, split three-three between the Democrat and Republican Primaries. The winner of each race will move to the General Election Nov. 3, where they’ll face the opposing party in a bid for the seat held by current commissioner Philip Carson.

Bradley Hall, Chris Reed and Erika Smith will be on the Democratic ticket, while Lisa Barker, incumbent Carson and current chairman Jay Kirkland have filed as Republicans.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES

Hall has worked in finance for the past 12 years, a background that he said would inform and better his work as county commissioner.

“The county is basically a business,” he said. “I think it needs someone who can look at financial records. And whether we’re earning money, if we’re losing money, how we’re using our resources effectively.”

Reed is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. As a board member, he would plan to use his unique perspective to bridge the gap between tribal and Swain County governments.

“I see issues that affect both the tribe and the county,” he said.

“I want to definitely show the residents of Swain County that I care about them and their issues … even though I’m enrolled, I’m here to help the greater county residents,” Reed added.

Smith cited her 12 years of real estate experience as the reason behind her detailed knowledge of county affordable housing and infrastructure, key to the responsibilities of a commissioner.

where Swain County and a bunch of other counties are supposed to have wired internet service … and if we were able to expedite that … we would be able to bring in people who work remote,” he said, adding that these newcomers would pay property taxes and spend money locally, thus boosting the area’s economy.

Hall also pointed to one particular Bryson City road routinely plaguing residents with problems.

“Every week, it seems like, on the various rants and raves pages for Swain County, someone complains about a good chunk of Main Street,” he said, noting the “uneven potholes” commonly referenced.

Reed, too, mentioned a specific corridor, though his affected not motorists but pedestrians.

“There’s a little S-bend where you can see the train trestle run across the river and right there on U.S.-19 … [I] have seen people walking in the middle of the road because there’s no sidewalk there,” he said.

Reed thought that the county generally could use more sidewalks. He also “would like to see more night lighting” and “more transit areas for our transit buses” — anything that might “help increase the quality of life.”

“My work has had me get involved in a lot of issues into the town, and then that opened up what’s going on with the issues with the county,” she said.

Those issues include infrastructure so outdated that it’s prevented small town revitalization investors from financing affordable housing projects in the area.

“They cannot put up apartment complexes because we don’t have the infrastructure there. Our sewer lines are four inches,” Smith said. “We have clay lines,” she added. “I live on Hospital Hill. These lines are all clay.”

Hall pointed out another underground service that’s come up short time and time again.

“There was a grant for wired internet

we are starting,” she said.

Unfortunately, the county cannot impose a higher property tax on Airbnbs specifically — any raise would affect both business owners and residents.

“There’s so many houses here that are good houses, but they’re Airbnbs and such and other vacation rentals,” he said.

As a result, “the homes and the jobs part [are] what I’m really wanting to build here,” Hall told The Smoky Mountain News. It’s not just any type of career, though, that Hall is looking to encourage.

“If we can get more jobs that are not dependent on tourism, then that will bring more people here,” he said.

To Smith that might look like centering an entirely different industry.

“There were manufacturing jobs here, and if we can get something along those lines, either manufacturing or even distributing … let’s focus on something like that,” she said, adding that quality must be considered alongside quantity.

“That’s what I’m really looking for,” Reed said. “Because even here in Cherokee, there’s areas that the tribe doesn’t touch because they consider a county issue, yet it’s on tribal land.”

Collaboration between EBCI and the county, which could look like tribal-county coalitions, would be a key component of his service.

Meanwhile, Smith emphasized collaboration within the county and larger region.

“We don’t need to ignore other agencies. We don’t need to ignore the [Tourism Development Authority]. We don’t need to ignore the town alderman, and we don’t need to ignore other counties. We need to get along with everybody, work with them, learn from them, and grow with them,” she said.

According to Reed, inter-group communication might be especially helpful when mitigating a lack of affordable housing, a shared issue. To that tune, he noted that Swain County is “trying to attract workers, but there’s no housing available.”

“We need to be able to start being proactive, to look at opportunities and ways to attract those people,” he added.

Hall further emphasized the scarce housing opportunities for anyone both working and living in the county.

As for tax cuts, Smith would potentially support a lower — or nonexistent — tax on the elderly.

“I believe in removing [a tax on the elderly] completely. I don’t think it’s sustainable, but it’s a cool idea,” she said.

Reed thought similarly.

“We need to make sure these companies coming in … are going to be treating our workers correctly, they’re going to be paying living wages,” she said.

Reed, in turn, spoke about job creation through the lens of local small businesses.

“I would love to see more independent shops and things open,” he said, noting that this expansion benefits locals by providing more proximate resources while appealing the town to tourists.

Though visitor spending benefits residents, the candidates agreed that the interests of the two parties don’t always align. Hall and his wife rented their Baines Mountain home through Airbnb while she was enrolled in a doctoral program in Raleigh, so he knows all about the loopholes available to this group of Schedule E-filing property owners.

“If you have to hire someone to mow your yard, you can deduct the cost of that. If you have to switch out the propane tank on your gas grill, you can deduct the cost of that … You can deduct the interest. You can deduct insurance — everything but the actual amount that’s for mortgage,” he said.

“People over the age of probably 50 are some of the higher demographics of residents here in Swain County … being able to help reduce tax costs to that particular demographic, I think would be beneficial,” he said.

Smith figured that regardless of the political climate, “taxes are going to have to increase over time.”

“It’s inevitable, but … we have got to pay our teachers better,” she added.

Education isn’t the only department for which she’d advocate increased funding.

“I think we need more funding everywhere,” Smith told SMN. “I think we need more paid police officers. I’m pro-police. I’m pro-sheriff’s office.”

On the other hand, it’s also important to confront root causes.

“We need funding for rehabilitation programs, not just drug rehabilitation, but offender rehabilitation … not the in-and-out, in-andout, in-and-out, same people in and out,” she said.

Hall also addressed the interplay of prevention and enforcement, promoting addiction treatment while emphasizing what he believed the need to arrest drug

“We really need to work to clean up the communities,” he said.

Still, noted Hall, Swain County could use “a check-in program, more case workers, more people who are working on that.” Reed, meanwhile, discussed ways to combat an upcoming policy that’s also likely to affect rehabilitation and treatment — the rollout of the federal budget.

Consequently, Hall would “definitely” support slightly increasing the taxes of Airbnb owners. Smith concurred.

“If we are looking to raise taxes somewhere, [Airbnbs] should be the first place that

“I would look at [increased funding to] our hospital … because when the Trump administration signed the One Big, Beautiful Bill, it put a lot of rural healthcare systems at risk. In our district, NC-11 alone, there were, I believe, six hospitals that are on the chopping block.”

Data from the University of North Carolina has identified five F

WCU construction management students use SPOT to help

local community

At the Southwestern Child Development Commission building, the future is meeting the past.

Western Carolina University construction management students brought SPOT, the College of Engineering and Technology’s robotic dog, to scan a 3-D model of the nearly century-old building in Sylva.

The scans will be used for any future renovations Southwestern CDC decides to complete.

A student team of Tanner Drum of Jacksonville, Jeremy Volpe of

hospitals at imminent risk of closure across the state as the OBBB takes effect, two of which — Franklin’s Angel Medical Center and Spruce Pine’s Blue Ridge Regional — are in the 11th congressional district. Though many other hospitals are harmed by the bill’s sweeping cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, especially those in rural areas.

Either way, it is difficult to estimate exactly how much money to direct to each sector without a transparent and comprehensive local budget. And all three candidates agreed that was something Swain County lacked.

“I think that if we basically can keep better track of people who work for the county and what they’re doing … we would be able to … keep better track of how much buildings and such are costing to run,” said Hall.

According to Smith, “Everyone’s asking the same question, ‘Where’s our money going?’”

Reed mentioned a tool readily available to those in office. He’d really like to “have someone ... come in and do an independent audit … and see these areas that are of need or being overfunded,” he said.

State law does require an annual independent audit, publicly available in Swain County as recently as 2024. The 2025 document will probably be published within the next few months. However, the fact that one candidate — and likely many other constituents — aren’t aware of the audit’s existence suggests a potential communication breakdown between residents and the board.

THOUGHTS ON PARTY

To understand that running as a Democrat is unpopular in Swain County, one needs look no further than the current, entirely Republican board of commissioners.

Knowing that it might cost them, candidates discussed their decision to wholeheartedly embrace the Democratic ticket — both what being a Democrat means personally and how they’ll interact with county Republicans.

To Reed, the party label beside his name aligns with his values; it’s as simple as that. But his affiliation doesn’t negate to his willingness to extend a hand across the aisle.

“Yes, I am running on the Democratic ticket, but I do want to ensure folks that even if they don’t agree with me or my politics, I’ll still work for them, and I’ll still want to be there to help them,” he said.

Smith, too, believes in liberal principles but was adamant that her ability to listen, respect and learn from others is not influenced by any measure of political alignment.

“A lot of people did not know [I’m a] Democrat … I think that’s great that they didn’t know, because that means that I’m not pushing politics ahead of community … you don’t have to agree with someone’s personal politics to be able to work with them,” she said.

Hall is running as a Democrat for an entirely practical reason: he’s seen that, in Swain County, there are nearly the same number of registered Democrats as there are Republicans.

“To have some [Democratic] representation on the county commission board would be definitely beneficial for us … but also, I believe, for Swain County as a whole, to have a different way of thinking on the board,” he said.

Mooresville, Mario Volpe of Mooresville and River Bass of Clinton had SPOT complete over 30 individual scans of the building over the course of three and a half hours.

The team then stitched them together, resulting in a 3-D model with detailed measurements of the building. Southwestern is also working with WCU assistant professor of interior design Shelly Gregg for their future renovations.

“From the student aspect, it was great for me because it allowed me to learn exactly how these technologies are being incorporated into the industry and how these different things adapt to real world scenarios,” Drum said.

WCU construction management student Tanner Drum shows the images captured by SPOT. Donated photo

June 2025 State Board of Elections data about Swain voters reported about 78 registered Democrats per 100 registered Republicans, and 82 registered Republicans for every 100 registered as unaffiliated.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Newcomer Barker, incumbent Carson and current chairman Kirkland will be running as Republicans. Of the candidates, only Kirkland responded to SMN’s multiple requests for comment.

Kirkland told SMN he’s running simply as commissioner because he “honestly felt like you probably need a little more experience than what I’ve had.”

Though the expertise he’s gained over the past few months since his appointment — filling the seat of resigned former chairman Kevin Seagle — is the reason he’s throwing his hat back into the ring at all.

“I’m getting a lot of experience fast,” said Kirkland. Plus, he wants to stay involved in county activities, though he knows firsthand that being chairman, especially right now, is a lot of work.

“I can’t ever remember time in our county when our chairman’s resigned, our county manager, our sheriff. Our superintendent’s leaving. Football coach is leaving. Our town manager’s leaving … there’s just no security there,” he said.

There are other issues the chairman has grappled with during his short term — namely, public calls for accountability from current commissioners. Though Kirkland found it difficult to jump to conclusions about any overspending without seeing the budget.

“And that’s what I told [commissioner] David Loftis,” he recounted. “I said, ‘David, until we have concrete evidence, we have no ground to stand on.’”

In the future, he’ll ensure accountability by directing the new county manager “to sit down with each department head” to discuss hours worked and performance.

“And quite frankly, if you’re not doing your job, you get fired,” Kirkland said.

On top of promoting diligent recordkeeping, commissioners “have got to figure out how to get more money in our county without raising property tax,” he said, suggesting a tax raise on second mortgages.

However, in practice, there is no way for the county to single out this class of homeowner. At the end of the day, he can’t understand why the county receives so little funding. “There’s no reason we’ve got the tourists that we have in Swain County, and our schools and our county is struggling to meet budget. There’s no excuse. Somebody’s not doing their job,” he said.

In reality, the situation in Swain County is not any one individual’s fault at all. Tourists generate revenue through occupancy, or room, tax, mandated by state law to be managed by the Tourism Development Authority, a group then required to

allocate nearly all of it to tourism-related services. At the same time, an influx of tourists requires the county to spend money on more public services, straining its resources. The primary way counties generate revenue is through property taxes, and with such a small tax base, Swain is firmly stuck in a cycle it did not create or consent to.

However, given a hypothetical instance of increased funding, Kirkland would prioritize the school system and parks. Regarding the rec park, Kirkland told SMN that he “would love to for kids to be able to have more through the summer and do more.” After all, he said, “It’s all about your kids in your county.”

Hence the chairman’s advocacy for the public school system.

“I know the state sets the teacher salary, but then I know in some counties, the counties can kick in and subsidize a teacher salary, and we’ve got teachers — I just don’t think they make enough. I wish we could move that quarter percent we get for the schools to 1%. I wish we could do more for our teachers, our kids, our school,” said Kirkland.

He recommended increased funding for law enforcement, noting that “Brian’s doing a phenomenal job.” Kirkland also brainstormed a strategy in the case of conflicting interests across departments.

“I want to meet with the school board, the commissioners and the train people and the town at a round table, and everybody address their problems and sat down and looked at each other eye-to-eye,” he said.

And it’s important to have effective resources — for every

“I’m strongly for having good equipment. I think if you have good equipment,

When asked about moments of pride from his term thus far as board chairman, Kirkland thought he’s succeeded in “communicating with everyone and setting up meetings and meeting people when I say I’m going to meet people and doing what

“And I think engaging in conversation is super big for me, whether it’s the county to the public, the county to this town, the town to the county to the school

Part of this push toward conversation involves moving a town hall-style public

“But in saying that, if it gets chaotic and it gets out of hand, then we’ll probably have to do away with it,” he said.

The chairman has also seen misbehavior from the board of commissioners, citing one instance in which he said, “‘David, I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. I don’t agree with how you say it sometime. I do think people will listen to you if you

Finally, SMN asked Kirkland if, in hindsight, there has

Candidates for Swain County Chairman share ideas, platforms

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF W RITER

The head seat of the Swain County Board of Commissioners was a topic of discussion long before this year’s Primaries.

After Republican Chairman Kevin Seagle announced his resignation, effective Aug. 31, 2025, the role went to Commissioner Tanner Lawson during an appointment process that included individual applications, Republican Party nominations and the late October 2025 selection of Jay Kirkland.

Kirkland will have served one year in the position. He’s seeking another term on the board, but not as its chairman. In total, six candidates — two Democrat, four Republican — are in the running to take his spot.

Shuler or Edward Larry Simonds for the Democratic Party or among Robbie Brown, Courtney Dills, current commissioner Bobby Jenkins or Eugene Shuler for the Republicans. The two winners will face each other in the General Election Nov. 3.

multiple requests from The Smoky Mountain News for comment.

DCounty back several generations.

captain and a small business owner of what he describes as “appliance sales and service.” He’s a father and grandfather — three children, three grandchildren.

motivation “to bring back respect and accountability to the taxpayers to the county.”

of elections to run for this position, he said, because he sees “the need for the people to have a voice in the county above what they’ve got now.”

safety, infrastructure and cooperation would be among Shuler’s key issues. His opinion on the first point is straightforward — the county should “spend more money” on public safety in general, including firefighters. Regarding infrastructure, Shuler said the county needs to “work on [its] sewer system and water works with the schools.”

“We’re going to be building a new school,” he said, adding that the project requires “a real good partnership with the town of Bryson City, because they’re going to need the water and sewer for that school.”

Though “funding is short,” he said, commissioners will need to be “aggressive in finding any kind of grants that we can” for the building and similar projects.

For the third issue, Shuler emphasized the importance that the county has “a really good relationship with the

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, and at the same time, work with them to work with the citizens of Swain County

He told SMN that he supports increased tourism to the area “because that’s where our jobs are at. That’s where the income for Swain

Along those lines, he said, “we could work on getting a better working relationship with Great Smoky Mountains National Park as to what Swain County could additionally provide to bring more tourism … even for us to help beautify our borders with the park.”

Though not tourism-related, Shuler mentioned a third partnership that could bring a significant amount of

“We have a very good opportunity to work with the Cherokee Nation, and with Jackson and Robbinsville County … but we’re not able to take advantage of that, because we can’t work together in that county board right now to take care of Swain County,” he said. Simonds, the other Democratic contender, also works in the small business realm, co-owning a construction company with his brother. He was born and raised in Swain County, where he’s lived for 41 years.

“I’ve seen this county go from good to bad,” he said, so, he’s “trying to leave a better future” for Swain County children, something he believes he can

“Being chairman,” Simonds said, “allows you to set that agenda for that meeting ... That seat allows you to run

If elected chairman, he would prioritize securing affordable housing, mitigating train-related traffic and

“If the county actually had property … that we could build on, the county could actually benefit from … affordable housing, as a whole,” Simonds said, though he did not mention how officials might go about acquiring more

As for the GSMR, Simonds took a more adversarial view than his opponent, advocating that the train change its schedule because it runs “exactly the same time that

He also thought the company should “pay a higher tax”

and compensate the county when it uses the administration building

While, in theory, further taxing the company might be a solution, the county cannot designate forprofit entities to a specific tax class; property tax remains uniform across every holder in the county.

“The other issue,” Simonds said, “would be the roads,” adding that some need to be repaved — especially the one “going down by the old ice plant.”

OMPARING VIEWPOINTS

The two Democratic challengers had similar things to say about one important topic — transparency from county commissioners.

“The taxpayers need to know where their money is being spent, and I think that that’s a number one priority,” said Shuler.

Simonds, ostensibly calling closed sessions “backroom meetings,” argued that this practice “should not be allowed.” Commissioners are never required to go into closed session; however, they can choose to do so if the situation permits.

“I think everything should be public,” he said, adding that taxpayers “need to know where their money is going.”

However, Shuler and Simonds had differing views of party and taxes. Simonds supports a tax break for “local people” but a slightly higher tax for Airbnbs, which he said are typically both a “business” and a “second or third home.” Again, though taxing business more heavily could be a reasonable idea, it’s illegal under the “uniform” property tax dictated by state law.

Shuler said he “wouldn’t make a statement on [raising or cutting taxes] either way at this time,” at least until he’s “in the seat and can actually see how the tax base is being done and dispersed.”

Even though the Democratic Party is unpopular in Swain County, Shuler said his leadership would necessitate that he — and Republicans — work across the aisle, a skill he finds vital.

“It’s not about what you’re going to do for party line or for self. There should be a continuity,” he said.

Simonds, however, seemed unsure of why he was running on the Democratic ticket at all. Praising Trump’s tariffs — which ultimately shift the additional burden to American consumers — he alleged that “the Democrat used to be for the working man.”

“The Democrats then are the new Republicans now,” he added.

Then again, he argued, party shouldn’t really make a difference, so long as “whoever gets [elected] is [there] for the people and for the right reasons.”

R EPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Brown has lived in Swain County for 51 years. In that time, he’s started a small business; he’s worked for the school system and at the Unity Youth Center in Cherokee. He’s currently employed at the Cherokee Indian Police Department.

He once worked on the campaign of a friend from Deep Creek, Heath Shuler, who became a congressman. That’s as close as Brown has gotten to elected office.

“I never really thought I would get into politics — to be honest, I didn’t really like politics — but after working in the school system and seeing the F

ships with Cherokee, he said, but “Robbinsville too, any of our bordering counties and surrounding counties — the seven-county area is what we always talk about — is being able to do stuff with them.”

Regarding infrastructure, Brown noted the need for “an additional bridge in town for some of our traffic issues.”

“It’s also for safety reasons,” he explained.

Brown’s number one priority is perhaps to address the county’s antiquated sewer.

“We’ve got a middle school coming online … Right now, they can’t hook up to sewer … So that’s the main one, is the sewer and water.”

Dills feels disconnected from big-name electoral politics — she doesn’t consider herself a politician at all.

“I don’t have any ties to anybody in those offices. I don’t have investors’ interests — I have the locals’, and by that I also mean the transplants that live here now,” she said.

Honoring those interests is the reason her name is on the ballot.

“I’m tired of watching a good old boy system. It feels like it’s time for a change,” she said.

A similar line of thinking drives her motivation to be not only commissioner, but also the commissioner in charge.

“I want to be the chair because I would

like to be a bridge between the transplants

focus on cleaning up departments, encour-

“We have a lot of nepotism and creating family member in a county job,” she said.

“So, I went ahead and filed for chairman … And lo and behold, I filed, there … were several filed [the day of the deadline],” he said.

Filing at the deadline is a relatively common practice.

The second factor has more to do with meeting decorum and culture.

“As of late, we’ve had some meetings get out of hand … if I do become chairman, we will have order in our meetings,” said Jenkins.

As chairman, he said he’d address county-wide maintenance and repairs, both of which he believes are urgent and important. Structural integrity is just one piece of the puzzle; another consideration is the plumbing.

abhorrent, the way they circle of mean girls that

Encouraging county land use, to her, means “utilizing property that “acquiring” it. She said the airport, specifically,

quality of life within the county, Dills isn’t exactly looking to obtain greater funding.

“I believe that people need to build up

manner again, then you have a lot of your needs taken care of at a basic community level,” she said, without quite knowing how to get that initiative started.

Dills however isn’t opposed to using money the county won through the opioid settlement to support youth rehabilitation, she told SMN that she’d like to see “early intervention and counseling for youth … trying to get to the root of their problems instead of waiting until they’re full-blown active addicts on the street.”

For Jenkins, a current commissioner, career goes hand-inhand with an elected county position.

“I’ve worked for the county for 14 years … I just like to give back to the community and do what I can to help the county. I know that I’ve saved the county a lot of money over doing projects … and I like making decisions to move the county forward,” he said.

He mentioned two factors weighing into his decision to run for chairman.

The first is that “there wasn’t anybody really filed the day before the filing deadline.”

“We have an issue with the sewer, trying to get sewer to the new school, getting that taken care of and getting some of the buildings updated in the county,” he said.

Jenkins would also look toward the Rec Center — “getting some repair work done and maintenance updated on that.”

But as with everything, these upgrades require funding, especially “some of the bigger projects, like replacing heat systems, cooling systems,” he said. “We would probably have to look at grants to do that.”

C OMPARING VIEWPOINTS

Of the three Republican candidates interviewed by SMN, not one was truly keen on the party label.

“To be straight up, honestly… I’ve never been a Democrat or Republican. I was an independent,” Brown said.

“So, I switched to Republican because [Swain County is] a strong Republican area. I lean towards the conservative mentality as far as politics … but for years, up until a little more than 90 days now that I switched to the party … I was still unaffiliated,” he recounted.

Jenkins had a similar backstory to explain his arrival at ‘Republican.’

“I was unaffiliated for when I was elected, but when you have to get out here and beat the bushes and get 500 signatures, that’s a lot of trouble. And I align with the Republican Party more so than the Democrat Party, so I did change my affiliation,” he explained.

Another topic garnering near-unanimity among the three candidates was the need to review and revisit the recreation department. Brown agreed with Jenkins’ analysis that the park was due for improvements.

“Our rec department needs an overhaul, as far as the softball fields in the baseball field and stuff which would get us into the game,” he said.

Dills named another reason for the chaos within the department.

“Our rec park is in a wreck — pun intended. There was no decent leadership … the salary that is offered … it doesn’t compensate. So those programs are slacking,” she said.

Though party and recreation were the only two issues to generate somewhat of a consensus, at least two out of three candidates basically agreed on several different topics. Dills and Brown highlighted a need for transparency among commissioners. Jenkins, however, feels that throughout his term, the board has been open with the public.

While the commissioner “believes in transparency, he underscored that “there’s not anything that I saw in the last year that was underhanded or criminal.”

Jenkins also claimed that “the only reason [commissioners] have closed session is discuss personnel issues, which you can’t do that in the open meeting.” It’s true that commissioners cannot release privileged or confidential information to the public, but closed sessions are optional under state law.

When it comes to taxes, Brown suggested helping locals by increasing the percentages for Airbnb owners and GSMR patronage. Neither of those recommendations, however, are feasible, as explained earlier. Dills and Jenkins, however, wouldn’t designate raises to a group of people — though that’s because Dills understands that “you can’t really discriminate with taxes.” Jenkins, on the other hand, doesn’t support an increase because it would single people out.

And Dills took her stated nonalignment with the two-party system even further.

“Well, since, to quote some people of the county, I bullied Kevin Seagle into stepping down, I went ahead and threw my name in the hat. And in order to do that, I had to be a registered Republican … I’m not for the party system at all. I don’t believe in the inflammatory diatribe that spews from either one of them,” she said.

“I believe in fairness,” he said, adding that a raise would harm the elderly, who are already hurting.

Dills and Brown also differed in their opinions of the GSMR.

“While [the train] is beneficial, there’s already circulating rumors that they’re going to bring in H-2B workers. So that’s not going to be beneficial to my community, to my economy, to my locals,” said Dills.

“I believe that the train needs to be reined in to a degree. I’m not sure why they block every street in town and it’s just acceptable,” she added.

As for Brown, he’s “absolutely 100% for the train.”

“I think we need reasonable accommodations,” he said. “I don’t think you come in and just turn your county and your town over to them.”

On the other hand, he said “I think we need to strengthen the partnership with them and grow with them, rather than be an adversary in any way.”

Haywood commissioners face defining Republican Primary

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT P OLITICS E DITOR

Over the past three years, myriad crises both behind and ahead have forced Haywood County commissioners to govern in a constant state of triage.

That wretched stretch has been defined by overlapping, compounding tests of governance and stamina, from the long tail of a historic storm and waylaid federal reimbursements to the postponement of property reappraisal, budgets tightened by inflation, escalating debates over housing and addiction, mounting requests from schools and human services, uneven tourism revenues and periodic public clashes within the board, all while leaders worked to chart a path forward and keep spotless the county’s stellar financial track record.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Despite the turbulence of recent years, Haywood County has entered the current election cycle on firm financial footing — with one hurricane-sized caveat — by maintaining strong reserves, high tax collection rates and a reputation for conservative fiscal management even as pressures mounted.

The county’s most recent countywide property revaluation took effect Jan. 1, 2021. While North Carolina law requires counties to revalue real property at least once every eight years, Haywood County had adopted a four-year cycle in an effort to keep assessments closer to actual market conditions. That schedule was later disrupted as another comprehensive reappraisal originally slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025 was postponed

general fund ad valorem tax rate increased from 53.5 cents per $100 in assessed value to 55 cents, then remained flat for three years, a move that coincided with post-pandemic inflation and rising service costs.

That tax increase — to fund enough school resource officers to ensure coverage at every Haywood County public school — was passed without opposition. The increase costs the average taxpayer about $3 a month and proves once again taxpayers don’t mind paying a little more, so long as it’s for public safety.

At the same time, each successive budget was built on higher estimated taxable valuations, climbing from roughly $9.11 billion in fiscal year 2021–22 to about $10.28 billion by FY 2025–26. Estimated collection rates consistently hovered around 98%, allowing

Her work blends ancient techniques, deep compressions, and assisted stretching with deep tissue and trigger point therapy to create sessions that are both grounding and deeply restorative.

Three seats are up for election on the allRepublican board. Democrats could only field two candidates, librarian Carly Pugh and former longtime commissioner Michael Sorrells. Pugh and Sorrells will advance directly to the November General Election, where they’ll face the three winners who survive the six-candidate Republican Primary Election — already a contentious contest, shaped as much by expectations as exhaustion.

until Jan. 1, 2027, a decision county leaders attributed to widespread property damage from Hurricane Helene and concerns that storm-related impacts could undermine the accuracy and fairness of valuations as well as some people’s ability to pay.

Across budgets adopted from fiscal year 2021–22 through 2025–26, commissioners made relatively modest changes to tax policy while leaning heavily on modest growth in the county’s tax base. Over that span, the

revenues to grow without repeated rate increases.

Fiscal pressure instead migrated toward special tax districts, with incremental adjustments made to fire, road service and sanitary district rates, reflecting a broader strategy of preserving countywide stability while allowing service-specific areas, like fire districts, to respond to rising costs.

Given the tumult, it’s remarkable the current board has any F

accomplishments at all. The list, however, is long and spans not only fiscal stewardship but also public safety and public health, housing and hurricane recovery efforts.

Haywood County’s financial standing drew positive attention when Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed the county’s strong credit rating, reflecting sustained balanced operations and prudent financial management even as the county navigated tight budgets and major capital projects amid lingering impacts from Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 and economic headwinds from the Pactiv Evergreen mill shutdown in 2023.

Earlier this month, the county reported remarkable progress on building out its broadband infrastructure, leveraging state and federal programs to bring the number of unserved and underserved locations across the county from 8,200 to approximately 121.

Affordable housing remained a priority for commissioners as they approved funding recommendations and programming aimed at increasing housing stock and accessibility, again with federal and state partners channeling disaster recovery and community development block grant resources toward multifamily and single-family housing projects.

Facing what local officials described as a mounting addiction and public health crisis, the commission engaged in shaping a broad countywide strategy to confront substance use disorders. The initiative emphasized prevention, treatment and long-term recovery connections to address alarming trends in overdoses and mental health crises.

After years of debate and planning, commissioners finally approved the contract for the long-discussed jail expansion project. The decision came after extensive public discussion amid controversy, misinformation and political tension, centering on capacity limitations, safety concerns and operational challenges at the aging facility.

meaningful aid. A few days ago, Gov. Josh Stein reported that the state had received about 12% of the $60 billion it’s owed from the feds. That translates directly to the $16.8 million hole in Haywood County’s fund balance.

Longtime commissioner and Board Chair Kevin Ensley, along with an experienced board, deserve much of the credit for keeping things relatively normal — even making some progress, despite the major catastrophes of the past four years and despite one commissioner actively working against them.

Best has decided not to seek reelection, leaving a seat open. Long is looking for a third term. Terry Ramey is seeking a second. They’ll compete with Tiffany Collins, Howard Knepper and Jeff Stines. Voters may choose any three.

TERRY RAMEY

Recent, mysterious campaign signs labeling Ramey “the village idiot” didn’t just come out of nowhere; Ramey’s three years on the board have been marked by all manner of misadventure, all of it brought upon Ramey by none other than himself.

Even before his election in 2022, Ramey quickly became known for lying — backing Monroe Miller’s claims of criminal self-dealing by commissioners. Ramey has yet to present any evidence backing up his claims.

TO ELECT...

HOWARD KNEPPER

Miller died in 2024. The lies didn’t stop there. After his election, Ramey lied about his delinquent property taxes. Shortly after Ramey was seated, commissioners issued a joint statement calling on Ramey to pay his delinquent taxes and to stop threatening the media for reporting on the issue.

Commissioners have also continued recovery and mitigation work related to Hurricane Helene, addressing widespread infrastructure damage, delayed federal reimbursements, property impacts, economic disruption and even misinformation. Emergency communications and flood monitoring capabilities have been augmented following Fred and Helene, aligning recovery grants and mitigation planning to bolster resilience against future storms.

Cleanup efforts and resiliency projects persisted through 2025 as local leaders continued to work with state and federal agencies to secure support and funding for longterm recovery and resilience — despite the failures of recovery czar Michael Whatley and Congressman Chuck Edwards to deliver

In 2023, an investigation by The Smoky Mountain News revealed that public records provided by Ramey showed he’d only made or received 26 phone calls related to county business during his first month in office, all with other elected officials or county administrators. The records — if they’re even accurate — show no calls to or from constituents during that period.

A similar request for emails — assumed accurate because they were pulled by county IT administrators — shows Ramey received 99 emails during that same period. Most elected officials in Haywood County report receiving far more.

During a chaotic, marathon commission meeting in December 2024, Ramey was taken to task for his appearance in a YouTube video that spread lies about the county’s powers to circumvent state law, earning Ramey’s fellow commissioners

death threats and a public call from Haywood’s House Rep. Mark Pless for Ramey to step down.

Ramey was subsequently stripped of his advisory position on the Smoky Mountain Events Center board for bringing similar threats to the volunteers who keep the facility running.

He’s has also been tied to the operations of Haven on the Hill, an ersatz campground for Helene survivors known mostly for allegations of mistreatment and misappropriation of donations. Most recently, the operator of the campground, James Lunsford — who currently faces trial on federal gun charges — has been accused of selling donated campers on Facebook marketplace.

In 2024, Ramey was investigated for the mistreatment of his horses after an anonymous tip. A Buncombe County veterinarian said the horses had “poor body condition scores.” The equine issue draws another parallel with Lunsford, who pleaded no contest to one count of animal cruelty himself in 2019.

Over the past 35 years, Ramey has been sued dozens of times, mostly for nonpayment of bills owed to vendors or contractors.

When asked for a list of county property taxes Ramey still owes, Haywood’s outgoing tax collector Sebastian Cothran provided to SMN a total of more than $2,000 —  growing. Some of the bills date back as far as 2008. Despite earning a small salary for his “service,” Ramey has made no attempt to pay his overdue taxes.

All three Republican candidates for tax collector have confirmed that Ramey indeed owes the taxes, despite outgoing tax collector and fellow Republican Sebastian Cothran doing nothing to solicit voluntary payments from Ramey.

Ramey did not respond to an interview request from The Smoky Mountain News.

HOWARD KNEPPER

A mortgage industry professional who says he has handled thousands of closings over the course of his career, Knepper brings decades of experience in real estate finance, lending and regulatory compliance to his run.

Knepper describes deep personal ties to the community through family history dating back to the late 1960s and long-standing professional involvement, including stories he shared about his father’s work connected to Wellco. He framed the last three years as an exercise in damage control, arguing that the board’s accomplishments came in spite of Ramey.

“If you’re going to serve as a commissioner — even if you’re not — you need to pay all your taxes. You have to settle your Haywood County tax debt. There’s been ample time, [Ramey is] obviously not going to do it, and it’s a snub in the face of all of us.”

He now owns a restaurant on the outskirts of Canton, but he’s owned a home in Auburn Park for more than 20 years, where he said he spent about a third of his time until recently deciding to live in it full-time. He briefly attended junior high in Waynesville before his parents divorced.

— Howard Knepper

“A distraction like Terry Ramey only makes [being a commissioner] more complicated,” Knepper said.

Knepper said Ramey’s conduct went far beyond political disagreement, pointing specifically to the YouTube video that falsely claimed commissioners could override state law to provide emergency housing — a fabrication that led to death threats, harassment and hundreds of phone calls directed at commissioners and their families.

“What Mr. Ramey did was to actually put these commissioners in a terrible, dangerous position,” Knepper said. On Ramey’s longstanding tax delinquencies, Knepper was equally direct, tying the issue to basic qualifications for office.

“If you’re going to serve as a commissioner — even if you’re not — you need to pay all your taxes,” Knepper said. “You have to settle your Haywood County tax debt. There’s been ample time, he’s obviously not going to do it, and it’s a snub in the face of all of us.”

Asked for his broader assessment of the current board’s performance, Knepper again emphasized the scale of recent crises — COVID, Tropical Storm Fred, the Pactiv Evergreen mill shutdown and Hurricane Helene — while returning to what he described as the extraordinary burden of internal disruption.

Looking ahead, Knepper said his top goal as a commis-

sioner would be restoring focus, stability and deliberate decision-making, particularly on fiscal matters that require sustained attention rather than reaction — like the upcoming countywide revaluation.

“I don’t want to have a tremendous amount of money in reserve that’s unnecessary and screw the taxpayers,” Knepper said. “I also do not want to give back all the money and leave Haywood County in a weak position. I want to have a proper balance.”

On economic development, Knepper’s comments were limited but philosophical, focusing on fiscal stewardship rather than specific recruitment strategies.

Knepper did not identify a specific county department he believes is underfunded. Instead, he stressed that those decisions require careful analysis conducted by a unified board.

“It takes a board to work together to really look at everything, ask the questions, analyze it, bring in the experts and make the right decision,” Knepper said.

One issue that’s dogged Knepper, however, is a 2015 video in which he voices opposition to a “canned” bear hunt in Florida.

“Let me make this very clear. I am absolutely not against bear hunting, because bear hunting is embedded in our history,” Knepper said. “It’s just that I’m against what Florida did on that organized license hunt, killing cubs and pregnant bears for unnecessary purposes when they didn’t follow scientific data.”

Throughout his interview, Knepper repeatedly returned to a single theme: that Haywood County’s challenges demand competence, discipline and attention — qualities he argued are incompatible with ongoing internal turmoil.

“Don’t just send [Ramey] back, because they’re going to be a distraction,” Knepper said. “That’s not what you want on a board of commissioners.”

TIFFANY COLLINS

Collins, who has only lived in Haywood County for five years, has hitched her wagon firmly to Ramey’s.

“We do have a team,” Collins said. “I mean, we’re running our own campaign, me and Terry, we’re not running together. We’re separate, but we do have a team of people that we do work with.”

Collins said she moved to Haywood County in 2021 after growing up with her grandmother in Plant City, Florida, a childhood she described as “difficult” but rewarding nonetheless.

After attending Haywood Community College, where she studied business, Collins credited the school with helping her pursue education and entrepreneurship. She described herself as a social media marketer and concierge, and emphasized that she has not been advised by current or former county officials but has instead relied on her own research and outreach — including a series of informal, unscientific surveys she says give her unique insight into the people of Haywood County that F

incumbent commissioners don’t have.

“I feel like I do know the residents here more than they do,” Collins said. “Because they don’t have that information. I do.”

Her alignment with Ramey raised questions about whether she is prepared to deal with the type of vitriol — death threats and harassment — visited upon commissioners after Ramey’s disastrous YouTube appear-

Commerce, which has left the county a bridesmaid, but not yet a bride.

“If we don’t have a particular person here that’s doing [economic development], which is why we send the money to Buncombe County every year, I would love to take on that responsibility as well,” she said.

“I’m not worried about any threats. So if somebody wants to threaten me, they can. I’d want to hear their concerns, and I’d want the facts to be presented. I operate on facts.”

“I’m not worried about any threats,” Collins said, adding that she would respond to harassment by remaining calm and professional. “So if somebody wants to threaten me, they can. I’d want to hear their concerns, and I’d want the facts to be presented. I operate on facts.”

Asked for her assessment of the current board’s performance, Collins offered a sharply critical view, arguing that commissioners have failed to meaningfully engage residents.

“I don’t think our current commission even knows this own community,” Collins said. “I’m not a part of the ‘good old boy’ network here, and I’m not tied to anybody locally here.”

Collins added that she has reviewed county budgets and spoken with the county manager, but did not identify specific development strategies she would pursue if elect-

“I have the budget pretty analyzed, pretty good,” Collins said. “There’ll be things that I’m going to bring up.”

Asked to identify the single biggest financial risk facing Haywood County over the next four years beyond Helene recovery, Collins mentioned the operation of the new

“It would be really crappy if new people got into office, and then the first thing we’d have to do is increase taxes, because there’s affordability issues going on,” Collins said.

Despite her understanding of the budget, Collins did not identify a specific county service she believes is currently underfund-

On the upcoming countywide revaluation, Collins did not outline a specific policy approach, but said the process would be “the board’s decision.”

JEFF STINES

A Haywood County native who has spent his entire life in the county and nearly his entire career in public service, Stines graduated from Pisgah High School before earning a machinist degree from Haywood Community College and completing multi-

On economic development, Collins said she is not opposed to growth but criticized what she characterized as the county’s reliance on residential development to expand the tax base, which turned the strawberry fields of her youth into high-density housing.

Collins also offered harsh criticism on the county’s longstanding economic development deal with the Asheville Chamber of

He began his career more than 30 years ago with the Town of Waynesville, starting at the wastewater treatment plant before moving through streets and sanitation, water and sewer maintenance and eventually into leadership roles. Stines ultimately served as water and sewer superintendent and then as public works director, a position

S EE HAYWOOD C OMMISSION, PAGE 12

he held for five years before retiring. He describes Haywood County not just as home, but as the place he never wanted to leave.

“I’m not knocking anybody that’s not raised here, born here, but there’s a lot of heritage in North Carolina or in Haywood County, and I just think that that it’s a big asset to run for one of these seats and be a true native of Haywood County,” Stines said.

Asked how prepared he is to serve on a board that has endured death threats and harassment stemming from misinformation spread by Ramey, Stines acknowledged the abnormal nature of the past three years.

department as underfunded, he pointed to the need for careful evaluation of programs that demonstrate measurable outcomes.

“You want to help [people],” Stines said. “But you also want to be cognizant of taxpayer dollars.”

On economic development, Stines did not offer a sweeping vision or critique, instead emphasizing steadiness and realism shaped by decades of managing infrastructure and public works budgets. He said counties should work with municipalities to bolster infrastructure.

“You have to be mindful of what you say and when you say it. You have to be transparent. But you can also say things that will cause possible harm, like that, and you cannot do that. It’s totally inappropriate, totally unprofessional.

Jeff Stines

“You have to be mindful of what you say and when you say it,” Stines said. “You have to be transparent. But you can also say things that will cause possible harm, like that, and you cannot do that. It’s totally inappropriate, totally unprofessional. To answer your question, yes, I am very ready to handle that if it were to come up.”

Despite the turbulence, Stines offered a largely positive assessment of the current board’s performance, citing the unprecedented overlap of crises commissioners have faced in a short span of time.

Stines said his top goal if elected would be to focus on people who are struggling but want help, particularly those experiencing homelessness, while balancing compassion with fiscal responsibility.

“I’m a Christian,” Stines said. “The ones that honestly want and need help, I would love to see those folks helped and transition back into a normal lifestyle.”

That approach, he said, applies broadly to county services, where he believes targeted investments can make a difference without overburdening taxpayers.

While Stines did not single out a specific

Looking beyond Hurricane Helene recovery, Stines identified long-term financial pressures as a significant risk, particularly the cumulative cost of maintaining aging infrastructure and retaining skilled employees in a competitive regional labor market — something he knows about firsthand.

He also addressed the upcoming countywide revaluation with a tone markedly different from several challengers.

“I’m all about cutting taxes if you can but understand sometimes you can’t,” he said. “I think that’s something that’s definitely going to have to be looked at.”

He also cautioned that the process needs to be performed fairly, especially for property owners who now own functionally worthless parcels due to Helene.

DAVID BURNETTE

Burnette comes to the Haywood County commissioners race with years of hands-on experience in public education governance and a demeanor shaped by steady service rather than spectacle.

He’s served on the Haywood County Schools board for nearly eight years, where he has been directly involved in overseeing a school system that has remained in the top tier statewide even as the county weathered overlapping crises. His background is rooted in education policy, budgeting and personnel

oversight.

“My school board experience will bring valuable experience and valuable insight,” Burnette said. “It takes a lot of money to fund the school system, and the county commissioners are very important in that funding.”

Asked about the unprecedented turmoil of the past three years, including death threats directed at commissioners after Ramey spread false information about the board’s authority, Burnette did not minimize the severity of what occurred. He described the episode as danger-

“To ask anybody to violate the law or the Constitution is just absolutely crazy,” Burnette said. “I would hope that I could bring some stability and some trust with my extended amount of experience in levelheadedness and leadership.”

Despite the chaos, Burnette offered a measured assessment of the current board’s overall performance, noting that commissioners have had to navigate a convergence of disasters few local governments ever face.

“Overall, I think they’ve done a pretty good job,” Burnette said. “When you’ve got so much going on it’s almost like driving down the road, and you may not be perfectly straight in your lane, but you’re staying out of the ditches.”

That perspective reflects Burnette’s broader governing philosophy, which prioritizes continuity and incremental improvement over dra-

matic course corrections. When asked about his top goal if elected, Burnette pointed to maintaining core services and protecting institutions that are already working, particularly schools.

“I think we always need more,” Burnette said of education funding. “But I think the commissioners have been fair with us, and I think they’ve given us enough to take care of our staff.”

Burnette acknowledged ongoing competition with neighboring counties for teachers, principals and support staff, noting that supplement levels can determine whether experienced educators stay or leave.

On economic development, Burnette did not present a sweeping agenda, instead stressing the importance of an educated workforce.

“To ask anybody to violate the law or the Constitution is just absolutely crazy. I would hope that I could bring some stability and some trust with my extended amount of experience in level headedness and leadership.”

David Burnette

Looking beyond Hurricane Helene, Burnette identified jobs and long-term financial exposure as a risk voters may not be fully appreciating. Drawing on his school board experience, he warned that postponing necessary investments often leads to higher costs down the road.

Burnette approached the upcoming countywide revaluation with similar caution, saying he wants to work toward a revenue-neutral approach, if that’s possible.

In a field crowded with sharper rhetoric, Burnette presented himself as a stabilizing presence — someone more interested in keeping Haywood County functioning effectively than in relitigating the past or inflaming tensions that have already taken a toll on local government.

TOMMY LONG

Long enters the 2026 race as the most battle-tested candidate on the field, an incumbent commissioner whose two-term tenure has spanned some of the most destabilizing years in modern Haywood County history.

A lifelong Haywood County resident, Long’s background is rooted in blue-collar

Long said his top goal if reelected is deceptively simple: keep county government working smoothly and predictably, without distractions that undermine public trust or staff morale.

On economic development, Long emphasized continuity over experimentation, noting that Haywood County has made measurable progress even as it absorbed major shocks. He pointed to broadband expansion,

Artman appointed Chief Nursing Officer for Harris and Swain

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Duke LifePoint hospitals, are pleased to announce that Rebekah Artman has been named chief nursing officer for both facilities. In this elevated leadership role, Artman will guide overall nursing strategy and clinical operations, leading initiatives that support exceptional quality, safety, and patient experience across the region.

Artman has served both hospitals as senior nursing officer since early 2025, collaborating closely with hospital and system leadership to strengthen nursing practice and engagement. Transitioning into the CNO role expands her scope and influence as the top nursing executive for both hospitals.

Artman began her healthcare career at Harris Regional Hospital in 2007 as a certified nursing assistant. After becoming a registered nurse in 2009, she worked as an ICU nurse and advanced into leadership roles at Haywood Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint hospital, where she championed initiatives around patient safety, nurse retention and evidence-based practice. Her career then led to Lifepoint Health’s Assistant Chief Nursing Officer development program and ACNO roles at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina, and Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko, Nevada.

A native of Robbinsville, N.C., Artman remains focused on strengthening clinical excellence, elevating nursing voices and advancing healthcare access for rural communities.

“I’m a native here. My family’s paid taxes here since 1808. My kids went to public school here. I’m a product of the public school system. I feel like I’ve governed well in some of the hardest times the county’s ever seen. I believe in Haywood County.”

Tommy Long

The sad reality of a post-truth country

The first thing is to tame the rage so that you do not live in it all the time. Or worse, repressing it so often and so much that it calcifies into all-consuming despair. That won’t do.

The next thing is to cultivate joy stubbornly and aggressively. You know, that “pursuit of happiness” business. It is not easy to do it in our madhouse of a country. You know it and I know it.

They know it, too, the citizens of MAGA nation, whether they will admit it or not. How exhausting it must be to watch the daily chaos in America, the unpredictable array of insane acts large and small. How difficult to shore up the elaborate forms of denial which make it all “OK.”

This involves turning to the usual right-wing propaganda sources that reassure MAGA nation that what they thought they saw is not really what they saw. Because that would be terrible. There has to be some other explanation, and there always is.

Those weren’t violent insurrectionist thugs storming the Capitol on January 6. They were peaceful tourists. Or Antifa. Or Democrats impersonating Republicans. They weren’t criminals who would eventually be convicted. They were political prisoners who would need to be pardoned.

Renee Good wasn’t murdered in the street. She was a trained assassin with a deadly weapon attempting to kill an ICE agent, who had no choice but to shoot her three times, to shoot her in the face, to call her a “fucking bitch” after doing so and then somehow bravely walking away despite having been run over.

Never mind what the footage shows. Never mind what the facts are. In our post-truth, post-reality world, everything is negotiable. Wait an hour or two and there will be a narrative to give you comfort, one you can take to social media if you are so inclined. There will be a thousand memes. There will be a justification for anything, for everything.

Even if you are the quiet type, a good person who truly strives to do the right thing, you will be supplied with a rationale for what has happened so that your nights are not haunted by images of a young mother turning the wheel away from the agent, trying to avoid hitting him, or of her children’s stuffed animals in the car just a few feet away from the blood-soaked airbag.

A powerful display of compassion

To the Editor:

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to rural Georgia with a friend to see the Venerable Monks on their Walk for Peace. It was the same day that we awoke to the news of the United States invasion of Venezuela to arrest Nicolas Maduro. It was an abrupt end to the peacefulness of the Christmas season, making my head spin and bringing me back to chaos that is the hallmark of this administration. Sadly.

Hailing from Buddhist monasteries across the globe, nineteen monks began their 2,300mile walk in Fort Worth Texas at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center. Their inten-

Or her final words, “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you.”

And his: “Fucking bitch.”

It did not take long after her death for the usual strategy of demonizing the victim to emerge. She was an unfit mother. A child abuser. An unhinged lesbian. Or my favorite, a “domestic terrorist.”

Do you remember what we were all told during the campaign, that ICE would be primarily involved in finding and deporting illegals who were criminals and thugs to make the country safer? How long was it before that changed into all illegals, including restaurant workers, college students, or mothers in car lines? And how much longer after that until it changed to anyone who didn’t have their papers on them, even if they are American citizens?

This is where we are in America now. ‘Show me your papers, or else.’

Yes, rage is the appropriate response. It’s the appropriate response for the president’s threats to take possession of Greenland by any means necessary. It is the appropriate response for his complete about-face on the release of the Epstein files, which was a linchpin of his campaign but now magically transformed into a “Democrat hoax.”

We have less than 1% of the files, much of that heavily redacted, but we have been inundated with so much chaos that it is hard to stay focused and consider why the Department of Justice is refusing to release everything. Golly, do you think that might be more than a coincidence?

Politics have become so tribal that it is hard for MAGA nation to believe that any Democrat would be in favor of criminal prosecution of a Democrat if there were damning evidence in the Epstein files of criminal conduct, but this is just more evidence that we live in a post-truth world. If it were found that Bill Clinton was having sex with 13-year-old girls, there is no Democrat I know who would not want him prosecuted.

The foundation for all of this is the systematic demonizing of the Democratic Party by the right for the past four decades. In this view, Democrats are not just the opposing party with a different view of the role of government and a different set of

LETTERS

tion has been to raise awareness of peace, kindness and compassion across the United States. It is something that many of them have done before in other countries.

The Walk for Peace began on October 26 of last year with the hope of reaching Washington, D.C., by mid-February. Along the way they stop at small towns for midday breaks and overnight camping. In each of those places, they share their wisdom teachings and engage in dialogue with interested visitors.

My experience was one of welcoming them into the small town of Bishop, Georgia, with offerings of flowers and thanks. It was brief but powerful, despite the rain. As their midday gathering was indoors due to the

values. Democrats are the enemy. Democrats are socialists. Democrats are “very bad people.” Democrats are antiAmerican.

It is no coincidence that ICE agents are swarming Minnesota rather than Texas and Florida. Democrats are the enemy, and Minnesota is a blue state.

So, as a registered voter in the enemy party, let me tell you what most of us stand for. A living wage. Affordable healthcare. Investment in education. Respect and fair treatment of every person, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Sensible gun control, which certainly does NOT mean disarming American citizens. A fair tax system that does not favor or reward the wealthy. Democracy: voting should be easier instead of harder. A belief that government can and should be a force for good, as it often has been in the past. Remembering that the Constitution includes more than just the Second Amendment and that all of our rights must be preserved. A belief in the separation of powers. A free press, with accountability to the truth.

To a large degree, we Democrats have been let down by our own party on some of these issues. We know that. To a large degree, you have been let down by yours, although it is less a party now than it is the rule and whim of one man. The Republican Party is no longer the party of conservative values and small government. Far from it. It is MAGA nation, nothing more and nothing less. It is far less clear to the rest of us that you know that.

We seem to have reached a place in America where we are separated, but not (yet) quite divorced. We aren’t really on speaking terms anymore, and when we are it usually devolves into shouting or depends upon pleasantries that distract us from the unsettling truth of the vastly different realities that we inhabit.

For the Republic to survive, we’re going to have to move past that. We’re going to have to learn to trust each other again. We’re going to have to learn to believe what we see with our own eyes.

(Chris Cox is a recently retired college English teacher and Haywood County resident whose columns have appeared in The Smoky Mountain News for nearly two decades. Reach him at (jchriscox@live.com and find more of his writing at chriscox157.substack.com.)

weather, my friend and I did not have the opportunity to hear them speak. I continue to follow them on Facebook as they have moved across Georgia, into South Carolina and soon into our state of North Carolina. My friend has made the journey to see them again.

I don’t know a lot about Buddhism, but I am drawn to the emphasis on peaceful coexistence. Over the years I have read some of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk and activist. While I have been an activist much of my life I have always tried to engage in my work in a non-confrontational manner. I have not always been successful. Aging, however, has smoothed the edges of my warrior nature, increased my patience and broadened my perspective. It’s what I hope the Walk for Peace will bring to our country. I also hope it will make us more

curious.

Buddhism is a philosophy and a practice more than it is a religion. You can be a Christian and practice Buddhism. The monks who are walking through our country are not here to proselytize or convert us. While we can meet them at rest stops, they are not encouraging followers along their path. If anything, it seems to me they are here to leave peace behind in a country that is struggling with a Department of War mentality.

I hope you are following the progress of the Walk for Peace on social media or in the news. If you have the chance to be in the presence of the venerable monks, I hope you take the opportunity. I think you will be better for it. I know I am.

If I could share your company

A conversation with Willis Alan Ramsey

Ipillar of the soundtrack of your life, or you’ve never heard of him.

plex and mysterious as ever, even as he approaches his 75th birthday in March. For me, as a longtime journalist and lifelong music freak, Ramsey, in my honest opinion, is one of America’s great songwriters, with the utterly beautiful thing being that he’s just as captivating and inspiring in conversation as his melodies remain.

At just 20 years old, Ramsey signed with Leon Russell’s Shelter Records. He flew out to Los Angeles and recorded his self-titled 1972 album, which went on to become one of the most highly-acclaimed releases of its time, and is now regarded as a “Holy Grail” of the Americana, country, and folk realms. To that, Ramsey never put out another album, even if, some 54 years later, he still tours the country and still plays all those songs we hold so close.

Talking to The Smoky Mountain News over the phone from his home in Colorado, Ramsey spoke at length about the legend and lore surrounding his music, what it was like to spend time with Russell and J.J. Cale, and why that follow-up album isn’t as far off from completion as one might think.

Smoky Mountain News: What’s touring like for you these days?

Willis Alan Ramsey: It’s just one of the best aspects of being able to do what I do. I got really lucky when I was a kid at 20 years old and signed a recording contract with Leon Russell and Denny Cordell for a little indie label [Shelter Records]. They were just starting up. I was the third act

you were working with Leon?

WAR: I lived in Leon’s house, so I was based in [Los Angeles]. He had the studio up [in the Hollywood Hills] overlooking the valley. People were always dropping by. I opened the door one day and George Harrison and Phil Spector were at the door. I’d been warned by the office that there might be some guests dropping in, but they didn’t tell me who. [Laughs].

SMN: How did you get involved with Leon?

Want to go?

WAR: Well, I went to this concert [in Austin, Texas, in 1970]. The Allman Brothers were the second band to play, Leon was the third. I had just started playing on what they had called the “National Coffee House Circuit.” Back then, all these singer-songwriters were going around [playing] colleges and universities. So, I was on it with people like Townes Van Zandt, Keith Sykes and Don Sanders. I’d just gotten back from playing some dates out west, and I was in Austin, anyway. And there was a show going on [in Austin].

So, I went there and the Allmans just blew my mind. They were so good. And I never heard of Leon, either. It’s funny, the two bands that I hadn’t heard of were the two best bands that day. So, I knocked on [the Allmans backstage] door first and auditioned for Gregg [Allman], and he gave me [his] card, and I went out there to visit with him in Macon, [Georgia], and we made a demo tape.

[At the Austin show], I saw [Leon] the next day; [he was] at the Allman Brothers motel the night before. I caught up with Leon. He was just walking out the door and about to catch a plane. He said. “Come on back in the room,” pointing to my guitar and said, “Break it out.” I played an audition for him live.

I waited a few more months before I got in touch with Leon, and went out [to Los Angeles] in the spring of 1971. And since I didn’t know who [he and Denny] were — even though Denny had produced a “A Whiter Shade of Pale” for Procol Harum and some hit tracks for Joe Cocker — I wasn’t intimidated. I played a great audition, and Leon said, “Let’s go up to my studio.”

I was probably too young to record at that point, but everything sort of aligned and fell in place. I knew these opportunities don’t come along every day.

SMN: How often are you still writing? I would surmise that the creative itch doesn’t ever leave you.

WAR: Well, there have been periods when I’ve been writing more than others. I’m always writing, working on one thing or another. Writing is rewriting, and I’ve always done that.

SMN: Are you sitting on a lot of material?

WAR: Oh, yeah. But, a lot of it is incomplete. It’s sitting in drawers, in various places. And every once in a while, I’ll pull out something and dust it off. One of my songs, “Mockingbird Blues,” took 35 years to write or something like that to finish. I remember starting it in 1970.

And when I do a show, I like to mix in the stuff that people hadn’t heard on that record with the older stuff that they have. And generally, the feedback I get is that they feel like it’s similar [to the first album]. [But], they’re different — every song is kind of different.

I’ve never liked vanity records, people that just put out a record so they can have a record out. And so, I’m not going to put out something that I don’t feel is [great]. Basically, I want to knock it out of the park if I can put out more records.

SMN: What’s your mindset coming into 75 — looking back, but also, more so, looking forward?

WAR: I feel like I’ve got my wits about me pretty much. [Laughs]. You don’t appreciate knowledge when you’re younger as much as you do when you get older. So, I think I’m coming at the things that I do with a lot of perspective and things that I’ve learned over the years, and you never learn anything unless you make a bunch of mistakes, which I’ve certainly done. But, it’s all good right now.

Legendary singer-songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at The Grey Eagle in Asheville. This is a seated performance. The show is all ages. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $30.25 per person (tax included), with premium seats available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit thegreyeagle.com.

SMN: What does it mean to be a Texas songwriter?

WAR: Well, Texas is a treasure. In terms of music, they’re right at the crossroads of all kinds of stylistic things in music. A lot of people came from Texas that you [wouldn’t really think] of, like Barry White. [Then, you have] George Jones, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Bob Wills and Ray Charles spent a lot of time in Texas. It’s a real treasure trove for music. And they love music. It’s a part of their tradition. Not only that, Texans are sort of cussedly independent — they’re not going let anybody tell ‘em what to think or to write.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Ode to Bob Weir, ode to music that shaped our lives

Ionly met Bob Weir once. It was backstage at the long gone Gathering of the Vibes music festival located on the shoreline of the Long Island Sound in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was the summer of 2009 and I was 24 years old, myself an aspiring journalist for a now-defunct music magazine.

So, there I was, covering all these musical moments as they unfolded in real time onstage. And, like a Jedi Knight in the film “Star Wars,” I somehow was able to finagle my way backstage during Weir’s set with his band, Ratdog. And Weir offered an incredible, melodic kaleidoscope of sights and sounds, each melody a whirlwind, cosmic tribute to his former band, the Grateful Dead.

And I remember standing alone side stage when the show ended, Weir coming off. I introduced myself, shook his hand, and told the man himself, to his face, just how much his music, his ethos and his attitude changed my life. He smiled and thanked me for the kind words. I meant what I said, and I always will.

In truth and in method, the music of the Grateful Dead shifted the trajectory of my existence, and did so from a very, very young age. I remember Aug. 9, 1995, the day that Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia passed away, like it was yesterday. I was 10 years old, but already a huge Dead-Head. The single biggest influence on my life was, and will always be, the Grateful Dead.

elementary school and tacked up Jerry Garcia posters on my bedroom wall. Incense burning on the windowsill. There was even a small shrine to Jerry on my bookshelf for several years after he died.

I was all in, even back then. The music and message of the Dead resonated within my often-bullied and ignored self. In essence, I’d found my tribe, this wild-n-wondrous ensemble of oddballs, weirdos and allaround jovial folk.

The Dead has always been about personal freedom — to not only be yourself, but to also seek out the unknown beauty of people, places and things in this big ole world. Have adventures. Pursue wisdom. Radiate love. Be kind. Dammit, be kind. Each one of these things were placed in my emotional and spiritual toolbox while I began to wander the planet on my own following high school, college and impending adulthood.

It was 1994 and I was nine years old. Already a music freak. Whatever was on the local Top 40 and oldies radio stations were blasting out of the meager stereo in the corner of my childhood bedroom in a tiny town on the Canadian Border of Upstate New York. Nine years old and I noticed a hat my aunt’s boyfriend was sporting. It had this dancing bear on it. I inquired about the bear and the skull and lightning bolt on the back of it.

“It’s the Grateful Dead,” my aunt’s boyfriend replied through a bushy beard and Cheshire Cat grin.

“Have you ever listened to the Dead, man?” I said no.

We walked over to his early 1990s Volkswagen Jetta. He hopped in, rolled the windows down and cranked the stereo. It was the Dead’s “Skeletons from the Closet” album. The first song, “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion),” hit me like a freight train. And nothing really was ever the same after that moment.

Everything shifted in my adolescent life. I started wearing Dead t-shirts to my Catholic

HOT PICKS

1

Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.

2

“Rotunda Show Reception” will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the Rotunda Gallery at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

3

The Scotsman (Waynesville) will host The Tall Boys (rock/reggae) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24.

4

Margaret Bender & Tom Belt will share their new book, “The New Voice of God: Language, Worldview, and the Cherokee Bible,” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

5

5. Wall Street Books will be hosting a fundraiser benefiting the Haywood County Schools Foundation from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the shop in Waynesville.

there. Champlain Valley Fairgrounds (Vermont, 2001). Saratoga Performing Arts Center (New York, 2003). Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel (Rhode Island, 2005). Bonnaroo (Tennessee, 2005). Great Woods Amphitheatre (Massachusetts, 2006). Idaho Botanical Gardens (2008). Rothbury Music Festival (Michigan, 2009). Gathering of the Vibes (Connecticut, 2009). Cornell University (New York, 2010). Nateva Music & Camping Festival (Maine, 2010). Christmas Jam (Asheville, 2016). Hollywood Bowl (California, 2019). Park City Song Summit (Utah, 2023). The list goes on and on. And I’ll never get enough of it, never, ever.

As it stands, I want to say that the Grateful Dead are the single most important influence in my life, musically and spiritually. Nothing was ever, ever (ever) the same when I first heard the Dead during that summer of 1994. Staggering. Magnetic. Lifechanging. Gorgeous. Enveloping. And so forth. There is nothing like the Dead, and nor will there ever be (before or since).

There’s a reason I have the Dead’s “stealie” (skull) symbol tattooed on my body, on the back of my right leg. It is a symbol that represents so many pillars of my existence: freedom, individuality, adventure, truth, love, compassion, honesty, community, exploration, camaraderie, realization of self, etc.

To that, I’m incredibly sad at hearing of Bob’s recent passing, and that of Dead bassist Phil Lesh and backup singer Donna Jean Godchaux (both last year). But, I’m so damn grateful to have been exposed to the splendor and grace of their music, and to continue to carry his melodies along with me on this cosmic, whirlwind journey that is life itself.

And all of those shows with those Weir bands: Ratdog, The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company, Wolf Brothers, etc. And I was

The last time I saw Weir was in 2022, when he played the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville with Wolf Brothers. Before the show, I grabbed a drink at a bar around the corner from the venue. Sitting at the counter and looking out of the big plate glass windows onto Haywood Street, the sidewalks were filled with DeadHeads freely roaming about, as per usual. And it put the biggest smile on face. This tribe of misfits and pranksters, of lovers and those who embrace the true essence of the universe — my people, always.

In a 1996 VH1 documentary about the Grateful Dead, it was stated by narrator Kris Kristofferson, “In the Dead, they (the fans) heard freedom and risk and teamwork, as well as good time music with deep roots.” True that, my friends. True that, from that nine-year-old (me) growing up full of wonder and passion on the Canadian Border, to this 40-year-old (me) still in the same vein.

Bob Weir represented what we as a country are seeking in the here and now that is the chaos and confusion of the modern era: love, empathy, compassion, adventure, creativity, curiosity towards others and, most importantly, freedom to be you and me.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

Ready to celebrate Robert Burns?

The annual “Burns Night Supper” will be held from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at The Scotsman Public House in Waynesville. Scots all over the world celebrate the birth of Robert Burns, national poet of Scotland, largely noted for saving the old melodies by adding new words to wellknown tunes. Burns was beloved by many common folk for writing his poetry in Old Scots language that everyday people used.

The evening will consist of a five-course dinner, whiskey, craft ales, poetry and bagpipes. Tickets are $75 per person.

For more information and/or to reserve your spot, call 828.246.6292 or click on scotsmanpublic.com.

Robert Burns was a Scottish literary hero. File photo

On the street

‘Ice Fest’ takes over Haywood

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host its annual “Burns Night Supper” from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28. Five-course meal, live music, poetry and more. Tickets are $75 per person. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.

ALSO:

• 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 Flight” 6 p.m. Thursdays. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

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

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host

On the wall

semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

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

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

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

Local art showcase at Sylva library

Celebrating the beauty of winter in the mountains of Western North Carolina, “Ice Fest Weekend” will take place Jan. 29-Feb. 1 at various places around Haywood County.

• “Ice Fest” will kick off with a “Cool Jazz Concert” featuring the Ben Rosenblum Trio at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. A second performance with the Walter Smith Trio will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, at HART.

• Festivities will continue with the “Ice Block Party” from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, in downtown Waynesville. With ice sculptures lining the streets, downtown will come alive as businesses stay open late and offer cozy treats.

• The “Ice Extravaganza” will take place from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at the

‘Ice Fest’ will be in WNC Jan. 29-Feb. 1. Courtesy of Haywood TDA

Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. This event will feature live ice carving demonstrations, ice games, light features and a variety of local vendors.

Other local activities include an ice rink at Sorrells Street Park in downtown Canton, which will run 4-8 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday/Sunday.

Sponsored by Haywood Community College and the Town of Clyde, the “Frosty 5K” will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at HCC.

As well, Lake Junaluska will feature an ice garden all weekend long, with other outdoor activities also scheduled throughout the festival around the county. For more information and/or a full schedule of events during Ice Fest, go to visithaywood.com/things-to-do/visit-haywood-ice-fest-weekend.

The “Rotunda Show Reception” will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at the Rotunda Gallery at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

This group exhibition features work from regional artists working across a variety of mediums, highlighting the depth of artistic expression within our Western North Carolina community.

The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours. The opening reception will also provide light refreshments. All work is juried by the Jackson County Arts Council.

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.

ALSO:

• 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.

Jackson County Public Library. File photo

• Jackson County Green Energy Park (Dillsboro) will be offering a slew of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. 828.631.0271 / jcgep.org.

• Southwestern Community College Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host an array of workshops for adults and kids. 828.339.4000 / southwesterncc.edu/scclocations/swain-center.

• Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro will offer a selection of upcoming art classes and workshops. 828.586.2248 / dogwoodcrafters.com.

• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will be hosting an array of artist receptions, exhibits and showcases. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. 517.881.0959 / galleryzella.com. (Waynesville) will offer a wide range of classes, events and activities for artisans, locals and visitors. The HCAC gallery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. 828.452.0593 / haywoodarts.org.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host semi-regular arts and crafts workshops. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org.

On the wall

Cherokee pottery exhibition

A special showcase, “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.

On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive threemonth workshop.

will be sharing their neew w book:

Renowned for her pottery, McCoy began making crafts at 12 years old. She honed her skills while taking arts and crafts classes with Alyne Stamper (EBCI) and has won numerous awards at the Cherokee Fall Festival and at Southwestern Association of Indian Arts Santa Fe Indian Market.

Today, she shares her knowledge with others. Designed to increase and uplift pottery making among members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, McCoy’s workshop uses a hands-on approach, empowering first-time potters to bring their own personal style to ancestral techniques and methods.

“The Didanisisgi Gadagwatli pottery workshop is an example of how museums can support and uplift great work already happening in the community,” said MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (EBCI).

“Tara’s dedication to gadugi (community working together for the common good) and intensive approach to teaching has been hugely successful and is a powerful example of reconnections and resurgence.

Connection and practice to our material culture is a continuation of our shared Cherokee identity and perpetuates Cherokee pride.”

The artists exhibited include Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (EBCI), Barbara Jones (EBCI), Paula Wojtkowski (EBCI), Marisa “Sis” Cabe (EBCI), Lisa Howell (EBCI, Pawnee Nation) Malia Crowe Skulski (EBCI), Samantha Cole-Daniels (EBCI), Elvia Walkingstick (EBCI), Maggie Jackson (EBCI), Michelle Lynn Long (EBCI, Mvskoke Creek Nation) and Tara McCoy (EBCI).

For more information, visit motcp.org.

On the beat

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

• Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library (Cashiers) will host “Community Jam Sessions” from 2-4 p.m. the second and fourth Sunday of each month. Informal jamming. All skill levels are welcome. Free and open to the public. 828.743.0215 / fontanalib.org/cashiers.

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

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

• Assembly On Main (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 7-9 p.m. Mondays (signup at 6:30 p.m.). Food and drink specials. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0839 / assemblyonmain.com.

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

• Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) will host “Picking on the Porch” (open community jam) 6 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

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

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host The Blue Mountaineers (Americana/bluegrass) on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 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, Beer & Loathing (rock/jam) Jan. 24 and Andrew Thelston Band (rock/jam) Jan. 31. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com.

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

• Bryson City Brewing (Bryson City) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise

noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0085 / brysoncitybrewing.com.

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host semi-regular live music throughout the week. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Reservations highly recommended. The kitchen and wine bar open at 4 p.m. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host “Open Mic” at 6 p.m. every second Friday of the month and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.

• 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 “Line Dancing Workshop” with the J. Creek Cloggers 6 p.m. Feb. 6 ($15 per person). 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Alma Russ (Americana/folk) Jan. 23, Rich Manz Trio (acoustic/oldies) Jan. 24, Bobby G. (Americana) 3 p.m. Jan. 25, Justin Brown (singer-songwriter) Jan. 30 and Frances Eliza (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. Jan. 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

• Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (Waynesville) will host the “Cool Jazz” show-

highlandsdive.com.

• Highlander Mountain House (Highlands) will host “Blues & Brews” with Scott Low 6-9 p.m. Thursdays ($5 cover), Zorki (singersongwriter) 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, “Bluegrass Brunch” 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays (free) and the “Salon Series” with Madi Diaz (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22. 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.

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

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic with Phil” on Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows and events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.586.9678 / innovation-brewing.com.

singers from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson and Swain counties to be part of its 30th season.

This spring semester celebrates three decades of music-making, community and artistic growth. Singers will rehearse and perform high-quality choral literature while building strong musical skills, lasting friendships and a lifelong love of the arts.

The choirs offer a welcoming, supportive environment, one where every singer is encouraged to grow in confidence, musicianship and joy through singing.

Upcoming events include two concerts this

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” on Thursdays and semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com.

• Farm At Old Edwards (Highlands) will host the “Fireside at the Farm” on select dates. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $40 per person, with discounts rates available for hotel guests and members. 866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com.

through high school to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Register now for any of the four choirs:

• Treble Makers: K-3rd grade (no voice placement)

• Youth Choir: 3rd-7th grade (voice placement required)

• Advanced Youth Choir: 6th-12th grade (voice placement required)

• Adult Choir: 18 years old and up (voice placement required)

For more information and/or to register or sign up for a voice placement, visit voicesinthelaurel.org.

case with the Ben Rosenblum Trio 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 (tickets start at $19 per person) and the Walter Smith Trio 2 p.m. Feb. 1 ($39 per person). 828.456.6322 / harttheatre.org.

• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.482.4502 / highcountrywineandprovisions.com.

• High Dive (Highlands) will host “Trivia” 7 p.m. on Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.2200 /

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All events begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.226.0262 / innovation-brewing.com.

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

• J.R. Chophouse (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.369.3663 / jrchophouse.com.

• Las Barricas (Franklin) will host C-Square Band 11 a.m. on the fourth Friday of each month. Free and open to the public. 828.349.4484 / lasbarricasmexicanrestaurant.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, “Old Time Jam” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 828.349.2337 / lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Legends Sports Bar & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host Blue Mountaineers (Americana/bluegrass) 5-7 p.m. Mondays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays (6 p.m.) and Saturdays (7 p.m.), with live music each Friday (8 p.m.). Free and open to the public. 828.944.0403 / facebook.com/legendssportsgrillmaggievalley.

• Macon County Public Library

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

• Meadowlark Motel (Maggie Valley) will host Bridget Gossett (singer-songwriter) Jan. 24 and Tricia Ann Band (southern rock) Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.1717 / meadowlarkmotel.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) Jan. 23, Shane Meade (indie/soul) Jan. 24, Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) Jan. 30 and Mountain Gypsy (Americana) Jan. 31. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

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

Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 / facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

ALSO:

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays, R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) Jan. 24, Garner Frick (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27, Joe Munoz (singer-songwriter) Jan. 30 and Bo Bullman (singer-songwriter) Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.369.6796 / facebook.com/rathskellercoffeebarandpub.

• Salty Dog’s Seafood & Grill (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Russell” on Mondays and Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Jan. 26. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.

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

Mountain Layers goes Americana

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.

The road less traveled has always been the way for husband-and-wife duo Bird in Hand. Bryan and Megan Thurman call the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina home, and the region is directly reflected in their music. Bird in Hand is upbeat and new, while still rooted in the traditions of American folk.

The two have played all over the Appalachian region, as well as across the country, and share an onstage chemistry that demands attention. They need to be seen live to understand the meaning of “Appalachian Thunder Folk.”

The show is free and open to the public. For more information, go to mountainlayersbrewingcompany.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 “Music Nights” with James Thompson from 46 p.m. first and third Friday of the month. Free and open to the public. go2ottonc.com.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends.

HAYWOOD COUNTY

FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

Haywood County has Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects currently in progress. The CDBG program requires that a Fair Housing Plan and complaint procedure be adopted by the County.

Housing discrimination is prohibited by Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and by the North Carolina State Fair Housing Act. In an effort to promote fair housing and to ensure that the rights of housing discrimination victims are protected, Haywood County has adopted the following procedures for receiving and resolving housing discrimination complaints: 1.crimination in Haywood County may do so by informing Nicole Smiley, Haywood County Program Administrator of the facts and circumstances of the alleged discriminatory act or practice.

2. Upon receiving a housing discrimination complaint, Haywood County Program Administrator shall inform the North Carolina Human Relations Commission (Commission) about the complaint. The Haywood County Program Administrator shall then assist the Commission and the com-

sion, pursuant to the State Fair Housing Act and Title VIII.

3. The Haywood County Program Administrator shall offer assistance to the Commission in the investigation and conciliation of all housing discrimination complaints, which are based upon events occurring in Haywood County.

Bird in Hand will play Bryson City Jan. 23. File photo

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic” first Wednesday of every month, Tim Atkins (singer-songwriter) Jan. 22, The Tall Boys (rock/reggae) Jan. 24, Bratfolk (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. Jan. 25, Bobby G. (singer-songwriter) Jan. 29 and Mike Yow Band (rock/jam) Jan. 31. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.6292 / scotsmanpublic.com.

• Slanted Window Tasting Station (Franklin) will host Jamie Rasso (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Jan. 23 and Generations (Americana) 6 p.m. Jan. 30. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

4. The Haywood County Program Administrator shall publicize that the with housing discrimination complaints based upon events occurring in Haywood County by posting this complaint procedure in the Haywood County Historic Courthouse Building and publishing it in the local newspaper.

5. All complaints shall be acknowledged within ten (10) days of receipt.

If you have any questions about the complaint procedure or would like to register a complaint, please contact Nicole Smiley Haywood County Program Administrator by mail at the Haywood County Historic Courthouse, 215 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 or by phone at 828.356.2616 or for TDD assistance call 7-1-1.

This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Program Administrator, Nicole Smiley at 828.356.2616 or at 215 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 for accommodations for this request.

Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Program Administrator, Nicole Smiley al 828.356.2616 o en 215 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

On the stage

• Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (Waynesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.456.6322 / harttheatre.org.

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

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

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

Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. File photo

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

On the beat

CONTINUED FROM 21

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Tickets now available, with seating upgrades offered. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.com.

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

• Stecoah Valley Center (Robbinsville) will host a Community Jam 5:30-7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month (free) and semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.479.3364 / stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• Stubborn Bull (Highlands) will host “Live Music Mondays” with local/regional singersongwriters. All shows begin at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.200.0813 / the-stubborn-bull.com.

• Trailborn (Highlands) will host its “Carolina Concert Series” on semi-regular dates on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.482.1581 or trailborn.com/highlands.

• Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host “Bluegrass Music” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Karaoke” 9:30 p.m. Fridays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Sundays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com.

• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.944.0686 / valleycigarandwineco.com.

• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host “Karaoke with Jason” Tuesdays, “Tom’s Trivia

• Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host semi-regular stage productions on the weekends. 828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com.

Night” Wednesdays, Second Chance (Americana) Jan. 23 and Sweetlife Jan. 30. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com.

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

• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic Night” 8 p.m. Mondays and Breakcutter (rock/jam) Jan. 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar.

ALSO:

• Wells Events & Reception Center (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.476.5070 / wellseventcenter.simpletix.com.

• Western Carolina Brew & Wine (Highlands) will host live music 4-6 p.m. Saturdays. Free and open to the public. 828.342.6707 / wcbrewandwine.com.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.743.6000 / whitesidebrewing.com.

• Yonder Community Market (Franklin) will host “Country Thursdays” (Americana/country) 6 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Family/dog friendly. 828.200.2169 / eatrealfoodinc.com.

Disappointing reads, or ‘Lit in the Pits’

Since 1999, hundreds of my reviews have appeared in The Smoky Mountain News. Of those, I would guess that less than 25 were negative. The cause of this disparity is simple enough. My good editor at the SMN lets me choose the books I review, and so I generally pick ones I expect to enjoy.

Today is different. Maybe it’s my mood, maybe old age, but here are three different books — a novel read in its entirety, another barely skimmed and a guide on wisdom that wasn’t so wise — that left me cold.

First up is Stephen Hunter’s “The Gun Man

Jackson Swagger” (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2025, 304 pages), one more installment in Hunter’s Swagger family chronicles, some of which I’ve read and enjoyed.

Set in the drought-stricken Arizona Territory in the 1890s, Jackson Swagger, Civil War veteran, shootist, and jack of all trades, arrives at the Callahan Ranch looking for work. Col. Callahan hires Swagger to serve as one of his gunmen, for a small gang employed to help defend the construction of a nearby railroad and intimidate, through violence if necessary, anyone interfering with the project and its supply lines.

Soon the flint-eyed Swagger begins investigating the suspicious death of a gentlenatured young man, nicknamed Teacher, who until recently had worked as a wrangler at the ranch. Swagger’s sleuthing takes him to brothels and bars, the Mexican military, and a radical group intent on destroying capitalism.

There’s much to like about this book — the descriptions of the land, for example, and some parts of cowboying that showed Hunter had done his homework. Yet here’s another one of those suspense novels, this one garbed in chaps and boots, where there are enough dead bodies littering the pages to fill a graveyard, which saps the story of credibility.

In addition, the band of Marxist revolutionaries, led by a commander known as The Frenchman, beggars belief. Some of these men don’t know the meaning of “capital” or why they’re supposed to fight against it, while three of them are Ivy League students who seem lost in this scenario.

Writers of fiction create a dream where readers live, a world which dims the lights on the real world they inhabit. Incongruities like the ones cited above puncture this dream and let the air out. “The Gun Man Jackson Swagger” deflates as we read it.

Billed as The “New York Times” Phenomenon That Everybody’s Talking

About, Colleen Hoover’s “Verity” (Grand Central Publishing, 2021, 336 pages) came to me via the recommendation of an acquaintance. When I opened the book for the first time, here’s what I read:

“I was burning inside for him. He had lit a fire in me, and I was determined to make sure it didn’t go out.

He fed me before he ****ed me.”

How sweet.

And yes, it’s another one of those “romances” written chiefly for women that once qualified as pornography. Flip to another page, as I did, and the narrator, who is expecting a baby, thinks, “If I could somehow figure out how to deliver early… maybe around thirty-three or thirty-four weeks, I could avoid the most detrimental part of pregnancy.” To heck with the kid in her belly; she wants to look good for the man she loves. More sex follows along with murder, and ultimately, silliness and idiocy. Go to Amazon if you want to read the synopsis, go next to the comments section where many

readers shower “Verity” with praise, and then go into mourning for our moribund American culture.

“Wisdom Takes Work” (Portfolio, 2025, 400 pages) is the final book in Ryan Holiday’s series on the four classical virtues: courage, temperance, justice and wisdom. The others were a pleasure to read — I gave “Discipline Is Destiny,” the book on temperance, to my four children for Christmas a year ago — and I opened this volume geared up for some good stuff.

All went well until I hit the chapter titled “The Storm Within Us…” In a book where the chapters average seven or eight pages and usually focus on some historic figure, Holiday in this chapter devotes 27 pages to Elon Musk, first praising him as a genius, then tearing him apart for his lifestyle, his purchase of Twitter, his supposed bigotry, his lack of concern for others and so on.

Some of Holiday’s attacks are on target, but they don’t end with that chapter. He returns to Musk several times throughout the book, seemingly vindictive or obsessed in his criticism of the world’s richest man.

At the end of the book, after patting himself on the back for his courage in writing critically of Musk — “He is a thin-skinned, impulsive person. He could make things very painful for me” — Holiday then writes, “I’m sure a significant portion of my readers will disagree with my take entirely.” I’m one of those readers, but not because I care all that much about the politics or the wealth of Elon Musk, of whom I know little. But in a book whose subject is wisdom written by an author whose work I have enjoyed and praised, I found this beatdown of Musk lopsided and ugly when compared to the rest of the book.

Holiday then writes, defending his attacks on Musk, “But this is what we’re talking about, isn’t it? You gotta do what you think is right. You speak the truth as you see it.”

“You speak the truth as you see it.” Doesn’t that translate as “Your truth isn’t my truth”? Socrates would have a field day taking apart this sentence with its sloppy language and thinking.

As for the three mini-reviews I’ve just written, these are opinions, not truths.

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

Wall Street Books fundraiser

Wall Street Books will be hosting a fundraiser benefiting the Haywood County Schools Foundation from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, in Waynesville. The fundraising event will benefit the HCSF, in support of Jon Arrington, who is running for Haywood County Schools Foundation “Mardi Gras King.”

The evening will feature a “Literary Character Costume Contest.” Dust off that bonnet, cape or wizard hat and come ready to show off your best bookinspired look. Contest entry is $10, with proceeds going straight to the cause. Whether you’re a classic novel fan or a children’s book enthusiast, creativity is encouraged and fun is guaranteed.

As well, guests can enjoy light snacks and beverages while browsing the shelves. To note, Wall Street Books will donate a percentage of all purchases made between 4-7 p.m. to the fundraiser. For more information, call 828.456.5000.

Word from the Smokies

BY HOLLY KAYS FOR S MOKIES LIFE

Plans for rebuilding I-40 spur concern for wildlife

Editor’s note: This piece is the first of a two-part series exploring plans to rebuild I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge and the project’s implication for wildlife populations. Part two will appear in next week’s the Smoky Mountain News.

When I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge first opened in October 1968, it was hailed as a triumph of human accomplishment, the dawn of a new era for travel, tourism, and economic opportunity in newly linked Haywood County, North Carolina, and Cocke County, Tennessee.

“Instead of going over or around mountains… man now goes through them,” proclaimed an advertisement in the special issue of the Waynesville Mountaineer celebrating the road’s grand opening.

But this “milestone to the genius of man” was more vulnerable than it first appeared, as proven by Hurricane Helene’s September 2024 onslaught. The raging Pigeon River undercut the steep slopes supporting the road, carrying away entire chunks of eastbound lanes in the worst-hit section, extending from the Tennessee-North Carolina line to NC mile marker 4.5. The road remained closed through March 1, 2025, reopening with 12 miles of single-lane travel in each direction.

Natural forces have caused plenty of clo-

sures during the road’s nearly 60 years of existence — rockslides from the sheer cliffs rising from the north side are the most common reason — but Helene was unique in the scale of the damage it caused. Rebuilding a road that would provide safety to travelers and durability in the face of future natural disasters presented the NC Department of Transportation with a monumental task.

It also stands out as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to the Safe Passage coalition, a group that has been working since 2017 to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions in the gorge. The project has the potential to be an enormous win for wildlife connectivity in the gorge — or a huge loss. The cost is currently estimated at $2 billion, and engineers hope the rebuilt road will last for as long as 100 years after its completion in late 2028 or early 2029, meaning it could remain in place for generations.

In the first project of its kind in North Carolina, NCDOT plans to use roller-compacted concrete to build an enormous wall — 20-30 feet tall and averaging 30 feet thick — stabilizing the slope between the road and the river and protecting it from erosion. Those plans, nearing their final form, have Safe Passage members alarmed.

“It would be a huge loss for the Safe Passage coalition and everything we’ve been trying to accomplish,” said Ron Sutherland, chief scientist for Wildlands Network, a Safe Passage coalition member.

of Safe Passage’s work since its inception, with the I-40 corridor representing a unique risk to wildlife connectivity and biodiversity. The road section, which in 2023, prior to Helene, saw an average of 26,500 cars each day, divides a rugged mountain landscape that includes a narrow band of national forest acreage, about half of which falls within the rebuild area. This forest connects a swath of federal land stretching hundreds of miles from northern Georgia into northern Virginia and southern West Virginia. Great Smoky

“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this corridor from the Great Smoky Mountains northeastward for wildlife and biodiversity,” Sutherland said. “It’s kind of the major pathway for wildlife and climate migration and everything else in the whole region.”

NCDOT has been a partner in that priority, collaborating with Safe Passage and, where possible, integrating the group’s recommendations into its designs. Many of these recommendations came from a 2022 report that was based on a three-year study focused on bear, deer and elk movements. Funded by Safe Passage, the study was conducted by wildlife biologists with Wildlands Network and National Parks Conservation Association to identify the gorge’s wildlife crossing hotspots and make recommendations to help support habitat connectivity and improve transportation safety.

While the study was still underway, Safe Passage used the emerging data to deliver recommendations for five bridges slated for replacement in the gorge. As a result, the Harmon Den bridge at Exit 7, completed in 2023, features wildlife-friendly dirt paths underneath as well as fencing and cattle guards to prevent animals from wandering onto the highway. Four additional bridge projects in the area are now either complete or nearly so. All include some type of researchdriven wildlife crossing feature, and all survived Helene. Meanwhile, NCDOT’s growing relationship with Safe Passage helped inspire the design of a new overpass for wildlife and Appalachian Trail hikers, currently being installed on N.C. 143 at Stecoah Gap near Robbinsville.

“These are all really positive things,” said

wildlife-friendly alternative to riprap, encouraging animals to cross safely underneath the interstate. Jennifer Fulford, Smokies Life, photo

tained one of the

The Pigeon River Gorge has been the focus

Mountains National Park, the most biodiverse site in the National Park System, lies just to the south. Ensuring animals can move safely from one side of the highway to the other is crucial to ensuring genetic health and resilience in the face of hardships like food shortages, habitat loss, or changes in climate.

ings in the entire underground, leaving a natural, wooded area on top that creates an earthen bridge for wildlife. But Helene carried away the land that had connected this bridge to the river, leaving animals to navigate an impassable 90-degree drop-off.

“None of us, I don’t think, could have envisioned we would have lost

that crossing,” Hunter said.

Pre-Helene, the big push in this area had been at nearby Groundhog Creek, where Safe Passage hoped to carry out a culvert improvement project that would greatly benefit wildlife connectivity. Culverts don’t just move water; wildlife use them too. The

Prior to Helene, the double tunnel provided a natural land bridge for animals where the road went underground, but the hurricane tore away at the riverside, creating an impassable cliff.

that same process. Nor are they primarily tied to state funding. Instead, the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program covers up to 90% of the cost — provided plans meet the agency’s criteria.

For NCDOT, that financial support was critical. Hurricane recovery projects across the

verts moving Groundhog Creek under I-40 had some of the highest levels of wildlife activity in the entire gorge, with cameras recording species ranging from bobcat to bear. To make the crossing even more effective, researchers recommended replacing the three culverts with one big pipe able to accommodate even large animals like antlered deer and elk, with additional modifications to make it more useful to a wide range of species. The report also recommended enlarging the culvert at Snowbird Creek, also located within the rebuild corridor; though topography prevented researchers from placing a camera there, collision data indicated the creek crossing was a hotspot for wildlife activity.

But Helene changed the equation, creating an urgent situation that required immediate action on I-40 — and, simultaneously, everywhere else in Western North Carolina. With reliable thoroughfares obliterated and entire communities cut off from the outside world, NCDOT faced a seemingly impossible task.

“When it comes to emergency repair projects like this, it’s of course an all-handson-deck kind of approach,” said John Jamison, head of NCDOT’s Environmental Policy Unit. “Not only is it a rush to figure out what needs to be repaired and how to repair it and actually do the repairs, but there’s a lot that goes into the conversation about how does it get funded.”

Normally, major road projects go through a years-long process of planning, design, and community engagement. Before the first shovel hits the ground, NCDOT and local stakeholders engage in extensive conversations about the proposed plan, alternative approaches and opportunities to fund enhancements.

But Helene recovery projects are a form of emergency response and don’t follow

lion, an enormous expenditure considering that in fiscal year 2023-2024, funding for construction projects statewide came in at $3.5 billion.

“We’re essentially funding a big loan on these projects,” Jamison said.

As the floodwaters receded, Safe Passage members had high hopes that the tragedy could hold a silver lining for wildlife. With I-40 closed and major roadwork inevitable, why not add culvert enlargements or even road section reroutes into the recovery plan? Could the highway perhaps be reimagined as a viaduct, supported by pylons that would allow both water and wildlife to move freely underneath?

But federal reimbursement rules — combined with a desire to see the road fully reopen as quickly as possible — have dashed those hopes. FHWA emergency funds cover only road “replacements,” not road “improvements.” Though the eastbound lanes were severely damaged, westbound lanes and culverts remained intact, so the kinds of projects on Safe Passage’s wish list would have fallen under the “improvements” category, leaving NC taxpayers on the hook for the entire cost.

“That funding uncertainty made it fairly straightforward for us to stick to the existing roadway,” Jamison said.

Part 2 of this series will take a closer look at the planned rebuild, opportunities to benefit wildlife passage, and the factors influencing these decisions. Smokies Life is a member of the Safe Passage coalition.

(Holly Kays is the lead writer for the 29,000member Smokies Life, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the scientific, historical and interpretive activities of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by providing educational products and services such as this column. Learn more at SmokiesLife.org, or reach the author at hollyk@smokieslife.org.)

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The Joyful Botanist

BY ADAM B IGELOW

More dirt on soil

Plants grow in soil. It is plant roots that hold soil in the ground in fields and forests, and along creekbanks, streambanks and riverbanks. When floods come again — and they will — having plants like shrubs, trees and wildflowers growing along and up to the waterline will help ensure that the banks do not fail. If you mow and clear plants right up to the water’s edge so that you can see the water, you are at increased risk of soil erosion and destabilizing the bank.

Soil erosion and the loss of topsoil is the primary environmental harm that occurs in Western North Carolina. During a normal

stop mowing is turfgrass, then you’ll need native plants to help hold in the soil. Turfgrass will not put roots down far enough to be effective, as the fibrous roots of mown grass only grow as deep into the soil as the height the grass blades are mown, which is usually not very much. Roots of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees grow much deeper and are more effective at holding the soil in the ground and on the banks. Where a mowed lawn will only have roots to four or six inches into the soil, depending on how short it is mown, some native plant species can have roots as deep as 15 feet.

or excessive rain event, the waterways around us are filled with mud and sediment, making the normally clear water run dirty, with the color and consistency of a chocolatey Yoohoo beverage. And that’s not how they’re supposed to look.

During the same storm event, you can go into the Smokies and see the creeks and rivers raging with white foam and lots of energy, but the water is clear still. That is because there is no development or other disturbances upstream and especially because there are plants along the banks, holding in the soil and helping to soak up excess water. This is how it is supposed to be.

And this is how we can all help heal the land and reduce soil erosion and sedimentation in the watershed. If you mow and clear plants along the waterways on your property, I am begging you to please stop. If your property has been cleared for a long time and the only thing that grows when you

If you are hoping to repair a damaged streambank and don’t have unlimited funds num (Viburnum dentatum) and silky dogwood (Swida amomum). All of these shrubs can be found growing naturally in riparian areas, and they all have the ability to form new roots along their stems when the stems come in contact with soil. This is what makes them great candidates for use in live-staking. You can also use this technique with the common riverine tree sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).

I hope you can see the benefit in not being able to see the water on your property go by and keeping the riparian area filled with plants. It will reduce soil erosion and help protect the many critters that live in the rivers and require clear, clean water to live. Things like hellbenders, trout, caddisflies, mussels and many other animals that live in the waters of WNC depend on cool clear water to live.

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

Through a new agreement with local companies Liquidlogic Kayaks and BIG Adventures, Catamounts will have access to top-of-the-line boats and opportunities to learn from industry professionals, including Olympic-level athletes, at future clinics. Donated photo

WCU outfitted with new Liquidlogic kayaks

Western Carolina University students are gearing up for their next adventures with fresh equipment, all thanks to a partnership that brings a new fleet of Liquidlogic kayaks to campus.

The Nantahala, the Tuckasegee and the French Broad rivers are world-renowned destinations for white-water sports. Beginners can enjoy slow stretches in relatively still waters, and seasoned paddlers can take on roaring rapids of every class.

To help students experience these waters firsthand, WCU has long prioritized the outdoor programming available through the parks and recreation management program and campus recreation and wellness' Base Camp Cullowhee. Now, that commitment is getting a major boost.

Through a new agreement with local companies Liquidlogic Kayaks and BIG Adventures, Catamounts will have access to top-of-the-line boats and opportunities to learn from industry professionals, including Olympic-level athletes, at future clinics. The

Haywood seeks applicant for Greenway Advisory Council

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill one bicycling community member position on the Greenway Advisory Council. The Greenway Advisory Council plans, guides, coordinates and promotes effective greenway projects and oppor-tunities in Haywood County. The member will be appointed to three-year term.

The Volunteer Board Applicant Form may be downloaded from the “How Do I

State offers opportunity to support wildlife

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission invites 2025 North Carolina taxpayers to donate all or part of their state tax refund to the N.C. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund. Donations support research and conservation projects for the state’s most vulnerable

“Funds donated through the tax-checkoff program are matched by federal grants for species of greatest conservation need,” said Dr. Sara Schweitzer, assistant chief of NCWRC’s Wildlife Management Division. “A $100 donation is matched by $186 in grant funding, significantly expanding conservation

Funds support monitoring efforts of several endangered species, including the Eastern hellbender.

deal also allows WCU to purchase additional kayaks at a reduced cost, benefiting students, faculty and staff alike.

Liquidlogic Kayaks, founded 25 years ago on the banks of the Green River, has grown into a leading name in paddlesports by constantly innovating the game, incorporating improved pedal-assist technology into their crafts and pushing the thresholds of kayak design. Many of its team members, headquartered in nearby Fletcher, share a passion for educating younger athletes.

With new equipment and professional connections, WCU students are better prepared than ever to explore the rivers of southern Appalachia. Clinics and courses through Base Camp Cullowhee and PRM will continue to introduce students to paddling, building skills that last a lifetime.

Students can learn more or register for upcoming programs through campus recreation and wellness. Any individuals interested in donating to the PRM program can visit give.wcu.edu.

Submit Volunteer Board or Committee Application” at haywoodcountync.gov/9/how-do-i or picked up from the county manager’s office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the historic Haywood County Courthouse.

The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26.

Completed applications may be returned to the county manager’s office or attached to an email to Haven B. Muse, deputy clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, at haven.muse@haywoodcountync.gov.

For more information, contact the county manager’s office at 828.452.6625.

In Western North Carolina, donations will help address impacts from Hurricane Helene on species such as the Eastern hellbender, bog turtle, gray bat, Carolina northern flying squirrel and high-elevation migratory birds. Funds also support surveys, monitoring and habitat restoration for rare species statewide, including in drought-impacted Sandhills areas.

Taxpayers can participate by checking Line 30 on their state income tax form or selecting the fund in online tax software. Those without a refund may donate directly through the N.C. Wildlife Diversity Endowment Fund.

Take part in the Assault on BlackRock

The 2026 Assault on BlackRock trail race has been set for Saturday, March 21. All proceeds from this race will go to the Sylva Art & Design Committee with a focus on bringing more art (outdoor murals) to downtown Sylva.

T-shirts are guaranteed to those registered prior to March 1. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers and anyone who completes the BlackRock 101 challenge will get a belt buckle. There is also a $400 cash award to the first person who completes the course on race day in under one hour. The cost is $35 to pre-register and $45 on race day. Register online at ul-trasignup.com/register.aspx?did=131374.

Market PLACE WNC

Case No.25E000707-430

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

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

• Free — Lost or found pet ads.

• $6 — Residential yard sale ads.*

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

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

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

• Boost in Print

• Add Photo $6

• Bold ad $2

• Yellow, Green, Pink or Blue Highlight $4

• Border $4

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

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

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

Legals

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26e000003-490

John Leopard, having

Tina Anne Leopard Apr 14 2026, or Administrator

705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.25E000725-430 GRADY MICHAEL

Joyce Hazel Riggs

Mar 31 2026

Apr 07 2026

GWENDOLYN FAYE GEDDINGS NASH Apr 14 2026

Executor

PO Box 145 Candler, NC 28715

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000002-490

Sanford Preston Artman Apr 14 2026

Ginger Lovelace, Executor c/o Stone & Christy, P.A. 110 N Dougherty Street Black Mountain, NC 28711

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION Case No.26E000003-430

Thresia Moody Apr 14 2026, or

RECEIVE AND ADMINISTER ASSETS OF ESTATE 3027 HIGHWAY 545 CONWAY, SC 29526

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Ancillary Administrator

705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.25E000191-490

Steven W. Sunderland

Executor Joseph Riccardi 7410 Autumn Bent Way Crestwood, KY 40014

Announcements

Brown Tabby Cat. Petite 8-yr old female. Sassy, affectionate; loves petting. Prefers to be only cat in household. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

Mixed toy breed dog — tan & white. Gentle 8-yr old, 28lb, loving male; still occasionally playful! Prefer as only pet in household. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ ashevillehumane.org

69 Enclosed bill of fare?

72 Showed on TV again

73 Actor Silver portraying a guy escaping a burning building?

Feature of this

(hint: string together the letters omitted from the starts of 10 long answers)

ANSWERS ON PAGE 26

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, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!