Smoky Mountain News | March 25, 2026

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Animal deaths spark push for county action Page 16

On the Cover:

Rep. Mike Clampitt of Swain County served four terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives and was seeking a fifth. However, last week, the mountain legislator lost his year-long battle to cancer. Friendly in demeanor and flamboyant in dress, those who knew Clampitt remember him as a man of the people who was always willing to lend a hand and never took himself more seriously than the job. (Page 6) File photo News

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Library allies celebrate Former FRL Director

Tracy Fitzmaurice’s legacy honored

BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR

The Fontana Regional Library has held part of Tracy Fitzmaurice’s heart for over half of her life, and now she must consider what to do without it.

Fitzmaurice, 60, first came to the region during a March 1985 vacation. While in the region, she visited Western Carolina University. After returning home to England, she applied to attend college in the place that instantly captured her heart, and in August 1985, she made the move.

Despite a tough time filled with uncertainty, former Fontana Regional Library Director Tracy Fitzmaurice had plenty of reasons to smile as she spoke to a crowd of adoring supporters.

I worked. When my visa and my green card and everything got approved, I got a job there.”

“I feel like I’m probably one of the luckiest people on earth to have fallen into it, because it really was absolutely accidental,” she added.

She has been with FRL since 1991. The library system runs six libraries over Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, allowing those counties to pool their resources for a more efficient system that offers more robust services.

A few years after Fitzmaurice landed her bookish gig, someone gave her a piece of advice that changed her trajectory. If she’s really committed to working at the library, she’d might as well pursue a graduate degree that would open up her prospects in the

In late January, she tendered her resignation, and her last day at the helm was Feb. 26.

Last Saturday, the nonprofit Friends of the Jackson County Public Library hosted an event celebrating Fitzmaurice at Innovation Brewing in Dillsboro at a space the venue provided free of charge. Near the beginning of the event, Friends of the Jackson County Public Library Vice President Antoinette MacWatt, and Sue Lipton, who runs the nonprofit’s used bookstore, offered some words for the crowd.

“Speaking on behalf of the Friends of the Library, I would say that Tracy has been an amazing steward of the funds we’ve raised at the bookstore,” Lipton said. “We’ve always trusted that she would put the money to the best possible use, in the best possible way for our community, in an inclusive way.

Personally speaking, I have found Tracy to be one of the kindest and most understanding people.”

“The mountains, the river, the wildlife, the people,” she said, “this place just felt like home.”

The initial plan was to become a veterinarian, and Fitzmaurice even earned her undergraduate degree in biology with that aim in mind. Along with volunteering at the animal shelter, she also volunteered at Sylva’s library. She fell in love with it.

“I never wanted a job where I would be doing it to make money,” Fitzmaurice said. “I always wanted to help people in any way I could, and I realized in the library, you can do that for free every day, all walks of life. So

field. In the following years, she earned that degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Fitzmaurice was named the FRL director in January 2023. Not long after that promotion, commissioners in the three member counties gained the power to appoint new FRL board members, and the trajectory of the organization shifted. The new director came under scrutiny over the last year from newer FRL Board of Trustees members who questioned whether she harbored a political ideology that influenced the system’s direction.

Every table had a stack of red Solo cups in the center. Following MacWatt’s brief speech, which included highbrow and lowbrow quotes from the likes of T.S. Eliot and Jimmy Buffett, she quoted Toby Keith.

“Now, red Solo cup is the best receptacle For barbecues, tailgates, fairs, and festivals / And you, sir, do not have a pair of testicles / If you prefer drinkin’ from glass Hey, red Solo cup is cheap and disposable / In 14 years, they are decomposable / And unlike my home, they are not foreclosable,” she said.

“Grab a cup and lift it up as F

we celebrate,” she directed, leading the crowd to toast their plastic cups.

After the toast, Fitzmaurice addressed the crowd, becoming emotional as she spoke.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you all,” she said. “I’ve had so much support over the last four or five years and my whole career here. I remember seeing some of you, really young. Many of you that are here weren’t even born when I started.”

MacWatt and Lipton told The Smoky Mountain News that Fitzmaurice stood out by having a heart for the service that trickled down to library staff and made the whole system stronger. MacWatt pointed out the design motif for the event, which featured red hearts that looked like floating balloons with red strings.

“When the theme of the celebration today was chosen, it’s her love that she’s brought to this community. It is her heart. It’s her openness to everybody and her unwillingness to criticize or minimize people,” MacWatt said.

While Fitzmaurice’s legacy will be the dedication and compassion with which she served, it will also be her competence. In 2025, she was given the North Carolina Library Association’s Distinguished Library Service Award, a reflection of what’s in both her head and her heart. Fitzmaurice said she

logical advancements, always challenging her to find new ways to better serve the folks who patronize the Fontana Regional Library System.

“I love learning, and I like learning how to help people,” Fitzmaurice said. “It was this constant thing that just kept me going.”

Fitzmaurice said she has considered what she wants to do in the future and has a few “irons in the fire.”

But for now, it’s time slow down a bit and breathe. She’s been using her time now to “just enjoy life.”

She recently adopted a 14-week-old rescue dog, a pitty mix she thinks, and she’s looking forward to attending her 24th Merlefest in a few weeks. She also wants to volunteer for Meals on Wheels delivering food to senior citizens who don’t often have much human contact.

“This is the best time of year to not be at work,” she said with a smile.

While Fitzmaurice may not be working for FRL for the first time in almost 35 years, she does still find herself in a library from time to time, and then she feels at home in her “little kingdom” all over again.

“[The librarians] will laugh and say, ‘Go get your own book. You know where they are,’” Fitzmaurice said.

People, place and principle Remembering Rep. Mike Clampitt

BY KYLE PERROTTI NEWS EDITOR

In October 2018, Raleigh lobbyist Fred Bone was traveling in Western North Carolina and decided to go for an overnight backpacking trip in Swain County, leaving his car at Fontana Lake. From there, he caught a ride to the Road to Nowhere, from which he embarked.

After setting up camp in a rainstorm and suffering a rough night, Bone broke camp early the next morning and headed out, but he needed a ride from the trailhead back to his car. He found a cell signal near a mountaintop and called the only person he could think of in the area that he thought might be up for a quick favor — Mike Clampitt. It was 9:30 a.m. on the first day of early voting for a host of elections, including Clampitt’s.

When Bone explained his situation to Clampitt, the Swain County native laughed and said he’d be there. Not only did he help Bone in his moment of need — he took extra time to make the lobbyist feel at home in the far-western county.

“Mike picked me up, and we spent an entire day riding around his district, went to his family graveyard, went to his church and sat there and had a Coca-Cola,” Bone recalled. “He showed me the family home. He spent probably four or five hours with me and then took me back to my car. It’s the best time I have ever had. But yeah, that’s

Mike.”

Clampitt died last week after battling cancer for over a year. Bone’s anecdote may seem surprising to some — a man running for election not obsessively electioneering on the first day of early voting. But for those who knew Clampitt best, such good-natured selflessness is what they’d come to expect.

A native of Lower Alarka in Swain County, Clampitt spent nearly three decades as a firefighter, retiring as a captain with the Charlotte Fire Department 2004, and later won election to the North Carolina House of Representatives four times. After losing in 2012 and 2014 to Haywood County Democrat Joe Sam Queen, the third time was a charm, and Clampitt bested his old foe in 2016. He lost one last time to Queen in 2018 but regained his seat in 2020 and has held it since.

In April of last year, Clampitt announced he had been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare bone marrow cancer. In a

newsletter explaining the diagnosis, Clampitt said he had begun treatment.

“This is undoubtedly one of the most difficult periods of my life, but I remain hopeful and grounded by the unwavering support of my family, friends and this incredible community,” he wrote.

Despite the diagnosis, Clampitt sought a fifth term in office and came away with a strong victory in the Republican Primary Election earlier this month over a pair of opponents. He was set to face off against Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows in November’s General Election.

But over the last several weeks, his condition had worsened significantly, and last month, he was admitted to the hospital.

Clampitt used his legislative position to focus on public safety, advocacy for first responders and crime victims, combatting impaired driving and, in the wake of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, disaster recovery. He stood against a hurricane

The funeral service for Rep. Mike Clampitt will be held Saturday, April 4, at the Bardo Arts Center, located at 199 Centennial Drive in Cullowhee, on the campus of Western Carolina University. The outer doors will open at 10 a.m., with inner doors opening at 10:30 a.m. A public viewing will follow, allowing attendees to pay their respects before being seated. The formal service will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude around 2:30 p.m. Following the service, a procession led by firefighters and/or State Troopers will escort the casket to Lauada Cemetery, located on Lauada Cemetery Road in Bryson City, where the final committal will take place and is expected to conclude around 3:30 p.m.

relief bill that largely advanced unrelated policy changes, including removing the governor’s longstanding ability to appoint state and county boards of election to the state auditor, Republican Dave Boliek.

“It was very embarrassing to me that my colleagues would take advantage of a disaster such as Hurricane Helene and use it as a vehicle for some of the agendas that were being promoted, which I believe would have passed anyhow,” Clampitt said at the time.

While he had said that the unrelated measures shouldn’t be tied to disaster relief, he ultimately voted to overturn Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of the bill, signaling a change of a heart likely prompted by pressure from House leadership.

Nonetheless, in the months following the Hurricane Helene, Clampitt emerged as a strong voice for Western North Carolina, even though much of his district was spared the worst impacts of the storm.

“Before I was sworn in as governor, Rep. Mike Clampitt was one of the first people I called as we worked to rebuild western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Gov. Josh Stein, who was Attorney General when Helene hit, said on social media. “He was a steadfast public servant for his community in WNC, and today I am saddened by the news of his passing. May his memory be a blessing.”

In October 2021, ProPublica

enjoyed getting out and campaigning and meeting voters in his district.

published a story about the significant number of elected Republicans nationwide with ties to the Oath Keepers, an organization with anti-government sentiments that operates as a sort of loose-knit militia. The Oath Keepers played a prominent role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol aimed at interfering with the certification of the results of the 2020 election in which Donald Trump lost the Presidential election to Joe Biden. According ProPublica’s reporting, Clampitt’s name appeared on a list of more than 35,000 Oath Keepers that a hacker provided to the publication. However, for many, that wasn’t surprising, or even unknown. In fact, Clampitt told The Smoky Mountain News in 2014. In 2021, he said to SMN that while he was a member, he didn’t consider Oath Keepers to be a “militia.”

“I never attended a meeting in the past that there was any armed participation and organized attempt to conduct any kind of paramilitary training or education,” he said. “[It’s] concerned citizens that wanted to ensure that their rights aren’t infringed upon by the federal government.”

Over a decade ago, Clampitt was appointed as the House sergeant at arms, a role that required him to maintain order and security during legislative sessions. During that time, he met Young Bae, who was then an assistant sergeant at arms. The two developed a friendship, and in 2023, Clampitt hired Bae as a legislative assistant.

Bae discussed Clampitt’s passing in the most recent newsletter from the late representative’s office, noting that Clampitt often reminded him that his first responsibility was to serve the people of the district, work that Bae wants to continue in some fashion.

“I will greatly miss this wonderful man,” Bae wrote. “Representative Clampitt’s dedi-

state’s impaired driving laws. In that quest, he proposed the Sober Operator Act during multiple sessions. The bill sought to, among other things, lower the legal blood alcohol limit while driving from .08 to .05 and allow roadside breathalyzer results to be introduced in court as probable cause.

A seemingly unlikely ally in that endeavor over the last couple of years has been Democrat Eric Ager, who represents Buncombe County. In an era where things seem more polarized than any other time in recent memory, such cooperation among members of the two major parties may seem rare, but Ager argues that the relationship he and Clampitt maintained despite other disagreements is more common in Raleigh than most people think. He likes to think such relationships don’t get as much attention as more contentious ones.

legislative partner she needed.

Pitt first met Clampitt at one of his campaign events over a decade ago. She immediately liked him.

“I don’t know if it’s like instinct or something, but I knew he wasn’t going to be one of your polished Gucci suit-wearing types, and I knew that he understood people that had to work for a living,” Pitt said. Pitt echoed Bae’s words in saying she admired that Clampitt was “politically fearless.”

“He didn’t jump into things, but if he made his mind up and felt like he was right, if he felt there was something [law enforcement] officers needed or crime victims needed that they weren’t getting, once he was in, he was in,” she said.

cation, leadership and kindness will be remembered by many across our district and throughout North Carolina.”

For years, Clampitt was steadfast in his care for his ailing mother prior to her death. Bae told SMN that in recent years, he has also been caring for aging parents, something for which his boss offered consistent emotional support, and in such, Bae said, helped him grow as a man.

“He told me that responsibly is something you have to take as son,” Bae said. “He got me on the right path. He was that kind of person.”

Bae added that Clampitt’s passion for serving his district set the standard he now holds himself to.

“He believed in something, and then he wanted to push for it, even if maybe people would be against it,” Bae said. “He knew certain bills will not be passed. He still pushed it because he wanted to represent his constituents.”

Clampitt was well-known in Raleigh and Western North Carolina for wearing attention-grabbing, flamboyant suits at events or on the House floor, usually matched with a bow tie and a pair of Chuck Taylor shoes. The suits often celebrated the seasons — a festive suit in December; during the summer — barbecue season — he could be seen campaigning in an American flag ensemble.

In that, Clampitt broke the mold. Politics can be a bastion of big egos. While Clampitt took his job seriously, he never fell into the trap of taking himself too seriously. Known for his approachability and sense of humor, that universal appeal enabled him to connect with both constituents and fellow legislators.

One of Clampitt’s top priorities over his last few years in office was reforming the

“I don’t think it’s as dire as we see in the press most of the time,” Ager said. “We certainly didn’t agree politically on a lot, but this was one area where we did agree that we could work together and make a difference in making our roads safer. And so I was really pleased to work with him on that.”

Ager said he intends on continuing the fight for the Sober Operator Act, the newest iteration of which is already drafted and bears Clampitt’s name as a primary sponsor.

“We’ll keep that work going for sure,” he said. “But I think we’ll miss Mike’s energy.”

Clampitt’s greatest ally in advocating for new impaired driving laws has been Ellen Pitt, who heads up the Western North Carolina DWI Taskforce. Pitt seems to ascribe to the old mantra often repeated by American military leaders over the years: “Lead me, follow me or get out of my way.” But with Clampitt, things were different. He was the one person capable of matching her stride for stride, becoming the committed

Clampitt was frequently in touch with Pitt, even when he was in the hospital, right up until he was no longer able to talk or text. She received word Monday, March 14, that her friend didn’t have long left, and early Tuesday morning, she headed to Raleigh to be at his side. She said he’d wanted to come back to the mountains one last time, but doctors determined it wasn’t possible in that late hour.

She said goodbye around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and he died about an hour later. Before she parted, she gave Clampitt one last hug and reminded him that he’d done what he needed to do in the time he had on Earth.

Pitt feels that Clampitt is a “once-in-alifetime” friend.”

“After he went in the hospital, and we were talking on the phone, I said, ‘Have I ever failed you?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t think you ever have.’ I said, ‘Well, you’ve never failed me or our team ever,’” Pitt said. “There’s not too many friendships that you can say that a person never failed you.”

“That’s Mike,” she added.

with one

Clampitt was seeking election to his fifth term in office Earlier this month. He won the Republican primary for the seat easily over two challengers and was supposed to face off against Transylvania County Democrat Mark Burrows, who lost to Clampitt in the 2024 General Election, this coming November. According to state law, the governor must appoint Clampitt’s successor, as recommended by the Republican Party, within seven days of receiving the recommendation. That recommendation will be determined by a weighted vote of the GOP Executive Committees from each county comprising the district. In this case, that means Jackson and Transylvania counties, with larger numbers of Republican voters, will have a greater say in who fills the rest of the term, which will end at the beginning of next year. Swain County GOP Chair David Sawyer told The Smoky Mountain News on the afternoon of March 23 that a final decision hasn’t been made on exactly how the process to put a Republican on the ballot in Clampitt’s place will play out, but he thinks it may look similar, if not identical, to the process to determine who finishes out the term.

‘Unrelenting’

EBCI exhibit reckons brilliantly with America 2026

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

On Independence Day 2026, the United States will have reached 250 years of sovereign nationhood, marked by the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

America250 was spearheaded by a Congressional caucus and supporting nonprofit as “a bipartisan initiative working to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

Events culminate July 4, inviting the public to “pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create.”

That task is more complicated for members of sovereign Indigenous nations, whose ancestors — among those whose humanity the Declaration of Independence refused to recognize — tended to the same soil thousands of years before the United States’ birth.

So, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians decided to offer its own invitation: “Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution,” a first voice collection at the Museum of the Cherokee People.

After four years of research and work on the part of the exhibit’s curators — Dakota Brown, the museum’s director of education; Evan Mathis, MotCP director of collections and exhibitions; and guest curator Brandon Dillard, director of historic interpretation and audience engagement at Monticello — “Unrelenting” premiered March 17 to a

‘Then

The text does not specify what exactly is remembered, but given the theme, it’s likely got everything to do with the impact of settler contact — how the culturally rich society of the Cherokee people was attacked, degraded and demolished.

In fact, through art, “Unrelenting” invokes both pre- and post-colonial moments. The collection includes a variety of pieces — glasswork, archival medals, paintings, photography, feathered skirts and weaved baskets. Most are contemporary works, though some have been passed down through the generations.

And through words, “Unrelenting” shares the specific ways in which the Cherokee were harmed by British colonists.

A timeline on the far wall spans 1711 to the postRevolutionary Era. The first date marks one of several intertribal skirmishes, some involving alliances with European nations. But the Anglo-Cherokee War in 1758 signified a turning point in these battlefield relations: British settlers declared war against tribal ancestors.

The most devastating period for the Cherokee people, however, coincided with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Growing nationalist sentiments among white colonists led to widespread anti-Indigenous violence.

crowded audience.

On display until Dec. 31, it brilliantly weaves archival pieces with contextual narrative signage with contemporary works, all of which were created either by enrolled members of the Eastern Band or Cherokee Nation.

Like America250, “Unrelenting” is a reflection, commemoration and celebration. But it tells a very different story.

Indeed, according to a blurb within the exhibition, “Today, many Cherokee People commemorate Independence Day just like other Americans with family cookouts, community gatherings, and fireworks displays, but as Cherokee people, we remember.”

Following that two-year struggle, Cherokee life was once again impacted by the signing of documents. Indigenous leaders signed treaties broken repeatedly by settler Americans, even as the initial treaty had already involved ceding a certain amount of land.

Land wasn’t the only thing intentionally denied to tribal ancestors — through boarding schools and removal policies, colonists also attempted to erase the Cherokee language.

Loss of language isn’t merely about words; language holds tradition and values and ways of relating to the world.

Indigenous culture sees the universe as alive and autonomous and places humans and the earth in reciprocal relationship.

In Cherokee and other Indigenous languages, verbs, not nouns, are central linguistic components, making up the vast majority of spoken vocabulary. Nature is given agency and animacy — from animals to apples to rocks.

But the most recent UNESCO worldwide language study, conducted in 2010, listed Cherokee (Eastern dialect) as severely endangered, with 1,000 speakers.

According to PBS North Carolina, “fewer than 140 Cherokee speakers remain on their homeland; their average age is 65” as of July 2025.

The Eastern Band, however, has taken intentional and comprehensive strides to reclaim a once-silenced language through the Kituwah Preservation and Education Program — and by adding Cherokee words and phrases to activities and programs.

“Unrelenting” is no exception.

“One of the methodologies that we’ve applied to this exhibition is the knowledge that’s contained in Cherokee language. So that’s very intentional. Anytime you see syllabary on the wall, that is intentional,” explained Shana Bushyhead Condill, the museum’s director.

In her artist’s statement, Walkingstick explained the intentionality behind not centering the flag but the wisdom and dignity of the woman.

“She stands wrapped in her own cloak and in her own continuity — not defined by the instability at her feet but sustained by what surrounds her. Survival did not come from federal protection, it came from land, from women’s labor, from planting, and from story,” she wrote.

In this way, the artist is interrogating the American story by highlighting its contradictions and subverting them. In “Then and Now,” people are far more important than patriotism, and greed cannot undermine presence.

“This is a Cherokee place,” she said.

TENSION AND CONTRADICTION

Drawing on his work at Monticello, guest curator and Cherokee Nation citizen Brandon Dillard said while founding father and former president Thomas Jefferson held democracy-centric ideals representing some of the most enlightened aspects of American society, his actions — which include enslaving more than 610 people and promoting Indigenous acculturation and debt accrual — embody some of its worst atrocities.

In that vein, Dillard told The Smoky Mountain News that “America250” is an opportunity for the public to reflect on this contradiction and envision how this country can be better, adding that striving for improvement has always been a core tenet of Cherokee people.

So, it’s no surprise that the artists of “Unrelenting” confront, engage with and reimagine what improvement and progress look like while exploring the tension between identifying as Indigenous and also American.

For example, EBCI member Laura Walkingstick’s “Then and Now: Wrapped in Survival” includes a rendition of the Betsy Ross flag at a cornhusk woman’s feet, bloody and torn. The doll stands tall and regal, surrounded by stalks of corn.

EBCI artist Louwana Jo Montelongo similarly conceptualized the 19th century narrative of Manifest Destiny by flipping it around.

Her piece, “Our Destiny, Manifested,” is a response to John Gast’s 1872 “American Progress,” which depicts a mindset of inevitable continental expansion and with it, settler domination of Indigenous lands and people. In the original painting, a pale woman dressed in white floats above colonists and their wagons as all trek from the enlightened east to the shadowy and merciless west. Native Americans cower before her, shrouded by dusk.

In Montelongo’s work, the central figure is an Indigenous woman adorned with beading and feathers to represent pre-colonial dress and wampum.

“She’s leaving behind all of the things that we wish to leave behind, environmental obstruction, extraction and destruction, imperialism, restriction of religion, religious freedom, imperialism, all of these things that are tied to the creation of America, she’s leaving behind. She’s walking into a future of food sovereignty, of spiritual healing, of language revitalization and community care,” said Montelongo.

Notably, the woman is facing eastward, turned away from the darkness in favor of the sun.

Her journey, Montelongo explained, represents tribal ancestors’ return to the pre-removal homelands of the Cherokee people.

Jewish-Palestinian perspectives

WNC residents prove perceptions vary widely

BY LILY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

Yousef routinely travels back to the West Bank to see his family. And always, the Hebron City landscape where he was born and raised looks unfathomably different.

“I typically try to go every year, at least for a month. I was actually planning to be with my family during the fasting month, Ramadan,” said the Asheville resident who, out of concern for his safety, requested The Smoky Mountain News refer to him on a first-name basis.

But after U.S. and Israel bombed Iran, the timing wasn’t feasible.

So when asked to speak at a March 10 local fundraiser for the Gaza Soup Kitchen, Yousef said he was available.

TWO ASHEVILLE EVENTS

The private fundraiser was the latter of two Asheville events featuring Peter Beinart — a major left-wing Jewish professor, journalist and author whose most recent book is “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza” — and it appeared as but an addendum to the prior evening’s panel with Rabbi Sandra Lawson.

Lawson, currently serving as the executive director of pro-democracy nonprofit Carolina Jews for Justice, took to Substack to explain how the panel arrived at its theme and title. A donor had initially asked the rabbi to speak with Beinart about Israel-Palestine itself. She declined, proposing that the conversation instead center on tensions within the Jewish community surrounding Palestine and Israel.

“That distinction matters to me. It’s not a dodge. It’s a different question — and I think it’s the more honest one for where the American Jewish community is right now,” she wrote, noting that “[Holiness] emerges from a community willing to build together even when they don’t see everything the same way.”

“Community and Belonging in American Jewry” attracted a nearly 300-person crowd to the Diana Wortham Theater in Asheville, including Mayor Esther Manheimer.

The 90-minute conversation, while acknowledging a growing divide between older and younger generations, largely confronted the predominant and institutional American Jewish narrative about Israel.

For example, Beinart spoke of the strong support the Civil Rights Movement received from Jewish institutions.

He said during the mid-20th century, groups like the Anti-Defamation League knew that Jewish safety was intertwined with the safety of other marginalized communities, believing “if American Jews supported the Black freedom struggle, which was essentially a struggle to make America a multiracial democracy,” success of the movement “would mean that Jews also move towards being fully equal citizen.”

But that’s not how these organizations operate now.

Instead, Beinart said, “The fundamental

question they ask is, ‘Does this politician unconditionally support Israel?’”

Lawson, a former ADL employee, said she is “heartbroken to see the direction that they are going.”

There was also the question of congregational attitudes.

Beinart recounted that while his synagogue had “an incredibly powerful mourning process” for Israelis killed and taken captive, “there was no reckoning at all with the Palestinians who were being killed.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done, she is of the mindset that “it’s important for Jews to support Israel.”

“One of the things is that you have to separate Israel and what it can be as a country and the political situation with — we are not always going to be ruled by Mr. Trump, and Israel is not always going to be ruled by Mr. Netanyahu, and we have to hope that the countries will be better in the future,” she said.

Levy also emphasized that Israel does an “unbelievable amount of good in the world that people just don’t know about— the fact that they treat many Palestinians in Israeli hospitals and provide them medical care.”

Lawson mentioned the “ridiculous litmus test” put on congregational rabbis, especially when it comes to Israel.

At the March 10 fundraiser, Beinart was asked an hour-long series of questions by event organizer Lauren Steiner. When asked how one might come to better understand what’s happening in Palestine, he said “the most powerful thing” is to listen to Palestinians.

Then Yousef spent 30 minutes answering questions about his story and the Gaza Soup Kitchen., which is still in operation.

Yousef’s connection to GSK was formed out of his friendship with Hani Almadhoun, the nonprofit’s co-founder. Almadhoun, an NYC resident, met Yousef in 2018 during a human rights organization fundraiser in Asheville.

Yousef said after October 7, 2023, Almadhoun’s family in Gaza floated the idea of “starting a community effort to feed our neighbors.”

Hani’s brother Mahmoud was the kitchen’s chef, and the initiative grew larger and larger. They were worried the Israeli government would observe the crowd through one of its many security cameras and come to the wrong conclusion.

Just to be safe, the Almadhouns decided to inform the authorities of the presence of the soup kitchen.

Mahmoud was targeted and killed by an Israeli drone one day later.

DIFFERING OPINIONS

After the Asheville events, SMN summarized key points of the panel for Rabbi RuthE Levy of Franklin-based Mountain Synagogue and asked a few questions.

Though Levy doesn’t agree with everything

Israel is required by international law to provide adequate medical care to all Palestinians under occupation.

And for as long as Yousef can remember, the situation on the ground has been inhumane for Palestinians. From an early age, he could discern by ear whether an object was a sound bomb or a hand grenade, a munition or a rubber bullet, a sedan or a VH, an M-16 or a pistol.

Yousef endured more violence after college, however, when he began working as a journalist. His first job involved “primarily reading the news” at a local radio station.

“And I remember 2012, 2013, when actually the Israeli military started to raid radio stations in West Bank and actually arrest crew members and confiscating equipment,” he said, adding that these events motivated him to leave his job in favor of solo freelance reporting.

“I learned the hard way immediately that I shouldn’t be by myself on these roads, because that’s when the Israeli military would look at me and say, ‘Oh, that’s an easy target,’” he said.

Being an “easy target” would have serious repercussions. Once, alone with his camera on an assignment, he was tear gassed by the Israeli Border Police. The canisters were thrown at his feet for maximum impact.

Following that incident, Yousef only moved in a group, and usually with four or five other journalists. They learned to detect Israeli snipers and decode nonverbal line-of-fire warnings from soldiers.

Still, he said, “there was a lot of journalists, unfortunately, who got either shot or killed in that process.”

“Throughout that journey, [we] learned immediately having a vest and having a helmet, having a tear gas mask, is not gonna protect you from being harassed or being arrested or being harmed physically in a lot of different ways,” he added.

During his several years as a West Bank journalist, Yousef was — among other things — threatened with a loaded M-16, shot by a rubber bullet and sprayed with skunk water, a substance leaving the body coated for days in an odor of sewage and rotting corpses. The perpetrators in every instance were Israeli forces.

He was also a victim of experimental technologies.

“We were exposed to these sound waves that — we felt fatigued. We felt tired. We felt constantly unable to walk,” he said.

Sound as a weapon was reported to have been used by the Israeli government against Palestinians — producing the effects Yousef described — as early as 2005.

But of the instances Yousef remembers most was a verbal interaction. It was predicated by the Israeli military observing him entering Levant with his camera.

“I was held on a checkpoint, detained on a checkpoint for hours, until an Israeli Border Police [agent] decided to put me in a military Jeep and drag me to an interrogation room” in the middle of an Israeli settlement, he recounted, adding that he had no idea why he was there in the first place.

Yet, Yousef was arrested and interrogated for multiple hours for allegedly assaulting an Israeli Border Police agent, a charge he said was baseless.

“I told the police officer, ‘View the security cameras before you threw a charge on me that way,’” he told SMN.

As for what happened next, Yousef remembers it verbatim.

“And [the officer] said, ‘Why are you speaking English to me? Speak in Arabic to me. I want to practice Arabic.’”

WORKING TOGETHER

When asked what an ideal future would look like for Israel, Levy said she’d like to see “Israelis and Palestinians living side by side,” but that both sides have to be willing to work together.

“In other words,” Levy said, “the best example I can have is that in Palestinian schools, they teach hate of Jews.”

Yousef attended school in the West Bank and had different things to say about his education.

“I hated math, I hated English, as any other student. But again, just to focus on the approach of, like, ‘What do we actually receive an educational system?’ It’s as normal as it can get,” he said.

Levy admitted she’d never discussed educational curriculum with a Palestinian, which Beinart said is a common experience.

“One of the tragedies of American Jewish life is that we have built institutions that largely keep Palestinian voices out,” he explained at the fundraiser, adding that “to talk about a group of people without listening to them is a recipe for both ignorance and dehumanization.”

Yousef told SMN that when people first meet him, they often address him as the Palestinian ‘exception’ because he can hold a conversation. But he grew up without money, surrounded by settlers and the Israeli military, just like any other West Bank Palestinian.

His life in the United States is result of his involvement with Community Peacemaker Teams, a group that “builds partnerships to transform violence and oppression,” according to its website, particularly in situations of lethal conflict.

Yousef began working with CPT in 2013 and eventually became fluent in English. His first time in an airplane was 2016, when he flew with the organization directly to a conference in Chicago.

Jackson elections chair faces misconduct complaints

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Apair of complaints have been filed against a Jackson County Board of Elections official, alleging he made inappropriate comments inside the Cullowhee polling site during early voting.

Both complaints were filed with the State Board of Elections on Feb. 13, the same day the alleged incident occurred and the second day of in-person early voting.

The first, filed by Catherine Brand-West of Cullowhee, alleges that around 8:45 a.m., Bill Thompson, chair of the Jackson BOE, entered the polling station and said something to the effect of “I like Germany, but I never trusted the Germans. You can tell by something in their eyes … they might do it again.”

Most people who were present felt Thompson was referring “to the events leading up to, and during World War II,” according to the complaint.

Thompson allegedly elaborated, saying “I would not go to Germany now because of the Islamic invasion. They are everywhere.”

Brad-West’s complaint concludes that the comments were disrespectful to both voters and poll workers. Two witnesses were listed on the complaint.

The second complaint was filed by poll worker Norbert Wagner of Cashiers. Wagner largely recounts the “Islamic invasion” comment but adds that Thompson feels Germany is “way too dangerous and not safe.”

Wagner, a native of Germany, explained that German society “does not have these issues.” Thompson then directed his attention to France, which he said was “a mess.” Wagner found the remarks inappropriate at best and insulting at worst.

Fortunately, Wagner said in the complaint, no voters were nearby at the time, but when Thompson departed, “everyone shook their head.” Wagner’s complaint also includes two other witnesses not included in Brand-West’s complaint.

The complaints will now move to a preliminary hearing with the State Board of Elections, scheduled for 9 a.m. on March 25. Thompson may have violated state statutes associated with election-related activity but more plausibly may have created concerns over misconduct, given an election official’s duty to maintain neutrality and public confidence in a lawful, orderly voting environment.

If the complaint contains sufficient prima facie evidence of a violation, breach of duty or misconduct, the board schedules a full hearing and provides notice to the accused official, including the charges and the time and place of the proceeding.

After the hearing, the board issues a decision, which in some cases may be appealed to the NCSBE within a specified timeframe.

Thompson is no stranger to controversy; he was at the center of a December 2025 vote by the Jackson BOE to eliminate Western Carolina University’s Democratic-leaning on-campus early voting site despite data showing strong turnout there.

Thompson called it “a waste of taxpayer’s [sic] money” to operate two early voting sites less than five miles apart and opined that Jackson County could save up to $20,000 by closing any one of the county’s five early voting sites.

The decision drew criticism from students and voting advocates who saw it as a targeted reduction in access that would only save about $6,000 — against Jackson County’s $107 million budget.

When the plan moved to the state level, the North Carolina State Board of Elections approved it on party lines, cementing a local decision in which Thompson had played the defining role.

“In essence, I think he exposed deep and unfounded disgust against Muslims and their faith as well as any nonEuropean culture,” he said in the complaint. “It is worrisome for me that a person with these worldviews and full of resentment and disrespect is in a position of official service and public decision making.”

CPT is also the reason he’s in Asheville — he fell in love with an American on its 2014 delegation.

They’d planned to stay in Palestine but in 2015, Rachel, now his wife, was banned from Israel for 10 years, forcing the couple to rethink their decision. Rachel moved back to the U.S., and in May 2017, Yousef got his American immigration visa. They settled in Western North Carolina — Rachel loved the area and had attended Warren-Wilson College.

Not long after moving to the United States, Yousef worked with a few Jewish residents to try to get a chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace — an international progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization — off the ground in Asheville. But due to factors like burnout and JVP’s chapter membership requirements, the initiative slowly died out.

JVP currently has an Asheville pod, a more informal version of a chapter, which began in early 2024. Since Oct. 7, 2023the organization has seen a surge in interest nationwide, namely among younger Jewish people.

At the hearing, the complainant presents evidence, including affidavits served in advance, while the accused official has the right to respond with rebuttal evidence and testimony.

The board may subpoena witnesses if necessary, and its review is generally limited to the charges filed unless additional evidence warrants further inquiry.

Levy is upset to see that increasing numbers of Jews do not support the state of Israel.

“I’m sorry that that situation exists,” she said, adding that people with this belief system should go to Israel and work to change it for the better.

“Sitting here on this side and saying, ‘I don’t like Israel’ is not necessarily productive,” she noted.

Levy also suggested that younger Jews questioning their belief in Israel should participate in the Birthright program.

“You need to go and see Israel and really see it. People who make their judgments, make their judgments from afar,” the rabbi said.

Birthright offers a free 10-day Israel trip to Jews age 18-26 who have not yet visited.

Yousef talked about Birthright through a different angle, informed by his 2016 employment at a Hebron hostel that received many post-Birthright visitors.

“They would come, we’ll have conversations, and they would eventually open up, and they would say, ‘Hey, just to let you know, I was

The consequences became clear weeks later, when WCU students were forced to travel off campus to cast ballots, in some cases walking more than a mile to the nearest site.

Thompson became chair of the Republican-majority board due to provisions inserted into a disaster relief bill that contained no actual disaster relief.

In the waning days of the 2024 legislative session, Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly moved to curtail the authority of the incoming Democratic governor by redistributing key appointment powers that had traditionally resided in the executive branch. Among the most consequential changes was who would make appointments to county boards of elections, as well as the state board.

That power was given to the state auditor, one of five Council of State offices won by a Republican in 2024. Accordingly, on June 25, 2025, all 100 county boards, as well as the state board, flipped from Democrat to Republican control.

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

This is a developing story. Check back for updates after the March 25 hearing.

part of Birthright trip, took advantage of a free ticket. I’m here. I want to explore beyond the scope of the narrative that was given to [us] throughout the [Birthright] program,’” he said.

He admitted that “it gets scary for [former Birthrighters], because you receive all of this information” about where to avoid, where to travel — and whom to trust.

For example, Birthrighters told him they were warned strictly against entering Palestinian and Area A neighborhoods. The West Bank — made up of areas A, B and C — is divided by Jewish settlements.

“And there is actually a giant, big, piece of aluminum road sign that says ‘You’re entering Area A,’ labeled in red. ‘You’re entering a danger zone, an area that’s controlled from the Palestinian Authority,’” Yousef told SMN.

But those who made it past the notice were “very much shocked in a sense of, ‘Wow, [Palestinian] people are normal. People are hospitable. They invite me for coffee. They invite me for dinner. They invite me for their homes,” he said.

Birthright graduates, Yousef added, were often also shocked by the level of military presence or settler violence, bringing him “non-stop questions” about checkpoints and settlement infrastructure.

This sort of eye-opening journey, he said, was part of a cycle many internationals experienced. During the first week or two, they’d try to learn everything about the region in search of something that might end the cruel treatment of Palestinians.

Then they’d crash, overcome by burnout.

“The amount of harm … applied either on me or on my community, is tremendously larger than anyone could bear or handle, in a way that people cannot think about,” he explained. They’d ask him about a way they could help that was both long-term and sustainable.

“The true answer” to that question, Yousef said, “is, ‘Go back to your community. Tell the stories from your own point of view. Educate. That’s an excellent thing that you could do.’”

FEMA 2.0

What the leaked draft of the FEMA Review Council report really means

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

Aleaked draft of the FEMA Review Council’s final report on reform of the disaster response agency appears to shift considerable burden onto states, local governments, tribes and territories (SLTTs) while slashing the agency’s workforce by 50%, positioning federal response in the rear and largely ignoring requests to send recovery funding down to the county level.

President Donald Trump established the FEMA Review Council on Jan. 24, 2025, charging its leaders, then Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with gathering stakeholder input and presenting a list of recommendations for improving the embattled agency.

The full draft report, obtained by The Smoky Mountain News, has been floating around Washington, D.C., since last December. Some details have already been reported by other outlets, but a full breakdown has never been presented until now.

Michael Whatley, former Republican National Committee chair, Trump’s Hurricane Helene “recovery czar” and current U.S. Senate candidate, was appointed to the council on April 24, 2025 — the only person to represent North Carolina.

The review council got off to a late start, blew through deadlines and saw its one-year charter come dangerously close to expiring until Trump renewed it through March 25.

What Noem and Hegseth wrote in an introductory letter that prefaces the report seems on its face to align with the stated goals of many Western North Carolina leaders who lived through and continue to deal with the effects of the devastating storm.

“Throughout this lengthy process, the Council has focused their efforts on the key doctrine that disaster response should be locally executed, state or tribally managed and federally supported,” the report reads. “The first, best and most effective response to disasters comes from the local community and first responders where the disaster strikes.”

The report, however, creates a serious contradiction by talking at length about “local execution” but proposing a system where money flows through already skeptical state governments concerned about being able to rely on federal support — especially in light of the fact that 18 months after Helene, North Carolina has only received around $7 billion of the $60 billion state estimates say is needed for full recovery.

A meeting on Dec. 10, 2025, was supposed to include a vote on the draft plan’s approval.

The meeting was canceled. The report remains unfinished, and it’s unclear whether the council will issue a final report before its current charter expires. If it does, it may resemble the draft report — but it may not.

Implementation is another matter entirely. Most of the reforms would have no impact on Helene recovery in Western North Carolina, although some would.

most extreme cases, when SLTTs are overwhelmed.

Mentioned specifically in this recommendation, FEMA 2.0 should “endeavor” to close out historical disasters — like Helene — to reduce the administrative costs and legacy systems that exist solely to maintain open disaster declarations from years ago.

2. RECOMMEND FEMA 2.0 REMAIN IN DHS

Disaster response, in this framework, stays firmly inside the national security apparatus, rather than pulling FEMA out as a standalone agency. The plan keeps FEMA 2.0 within the Department of Homeland Security, tying emergency management to intelligence, logistics and interagency coordination already housed there. The argument is straightforward — large-scale disasters demand the same integrated response as other national threats.

March 18, Mullin did refer to one choke point not mentioned in the report but frequently cited by local officials as problematic — Noem’s insistence that any check over $100,000 be signed by her. Mullin said he’d do away with Noem’s policy.

3. EQUIP STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, TRIBES AND TERRITORIES TO LEAD DISASTER RESPONSE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Primary responsibility shifts decisively away from Washington; however, the implementation of national capability standards designed to establish some sort of baseline for response by thousands of state and local governments would necessarily increase bureaucracy.

Additionally, tribal entities interviewed for the report — dozens of them, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians —

Ten key points in the report serve as recommendations to shore up the ailing agency, but only time — and the next major disaster — will tell if the FEMA Review Council succeeds.

1. FEMA 2.0 — A NEW START

FEMA, as it currently exists, would be scrapped and replaced with a smaller, rebranded agency built around coordination rather than command. The proposal envisions cutting the workforce roughly in half over a two- to three-year period and pushing authority out of Washington and into state, tribal and local hands.

Responsibility for training, planning and day-to-day operations would shift downward, while the federal role narrows to oversight and limited support. Federal responders would no longer take the lead except in the

DHS would become the central hub for all-hazards response, with FEMA 2.0 operating alongside other federal capabilities. Autonomy takes a back seat to consolidation, with the emphasis on faster coordination, shared resources and continuity of government during crises.

But DHS has a lot on its plate in addition to disaster response — it oversees border and immigration enforcement, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure and transportation security. It also coordinates intelligence and federal resources across agencies to prevent threats and respond to emergencies at the national, state and local levels.

It’s also undergoing transition; Noem is on her way out, and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmationwas just confirmed by the Senate. In testimony on

“emphasized the importance of maintaining government-to-government relationships with FEMA, advocating against routing assistance through states or counties.”

Further pushing responsibility away from the federal government, this recommendation also encourages FEMA 2.0 to lean into partnerships with volunteer and faith-based organizations, known as VOADs.

In September 2025, an investigation by The Smoky Mountain News found that although nonprofits stepped up big in the aftermath of the storm, they were stretched to their limits, calling the sustainability of repeated, long-term disaster recovery efforts into question. Nonprofits and VOADs also operate on a far smaller scale, dollar-wise, than the federal government does — meaning they’ll never replace even a fraction of federal recovery fund- F

ing no matter how flexible or responsive they are.

Another particular point in the report seems to acknowledge the collapse of cellular and internet infrastructure that came with Helene — FEMA 2.0 should “Incentivize investments in interoperable systems for communication and data sharing to improve real-time coordination.”

Canton’s mayor, Zeb Smathers, was outspoken on the issue in the aftermath of the storm.

“We had to face down a 21st century storm with 20th century technology, and there is no doubt that the inability to communicate caused more damage — and possibly even cost lives,” Smathers said. “Further, to this day, I do not know exactly what happened, which is not acceptable. The seriousness of this issue is something local governments in North Carolina need to know about, something the public needs to know about.”

4. KEEP EXISTING FEDERAL DISASTER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES

Even as authority moves downward, federal capabilities should remain intact, according to the draft report, as well as “the responsibility to support these efforts when required.”

That promise sits uneasily alongside the proposed cuts. Slashing the workforce by roughly 50% while pledging to maintain support raises a basic capacity question; the same document that calls for a leaner, coordination-focused agency also relies on that agency to marshal federal assets, synchronize other departments and deliver timely assistance across jurisdictions.

Fewer staff, fewer regional resources and reduced on-the-ground presence could slow deployment and strain oversight, particularly during concurrent events.

5. REALIGN THE CRITERIA FOR FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE

Access to federal aid would become harder to reach. New thresholds would limit disaster declarations to events that clearly overwhelm state and local systems, replacing what is described as an inconsistent process.

When remnants of Tropical Storm Fred cut a half-billion dollar swath of destruction through eastern Haywood County in August 2021, the federal major disaster declaration didn’t come from the Biden White House for more than three weeks. With Helene, the Biden White House issued the major disaster declaration the next day.

If the recommendation is ever implemented, the major disaster declaration process will look very different.

“The current disaster declarations process for federal assistance does not adequately account for SLTT capacity and, therefore, is inconsistent with legislative intent and disincentivizes SLTT investment in disaster preparedness,” the report reads.

To remedy this, the report proposes an annual calendar year minimum expenditure for states prior to them being able to request

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a federal declaration — essentially, an unfunded federal mandate placing the burden on states.

“After what we’ve been through with Hurricane Helene, the last thing Western North Carolina needs is an agenda that makes it harder to get help,” said Jamie Ager, Democratic nominee for the 11th Congressional District who will face incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards in November. “This plan would leave communities like ours waiting longer to rebuild and put even more stress on our counties that are already struggling. This is not reform. It’s abandoning your promises. Chuck Edwards has had years and not only has he failed to get the funds we need, it seems his time in Congress has actually made things worse.”

Other requirements for SLTTs include the implementation of a “statewide citizen preparedness program,” certification of insurance on past projects, an annually updated resource list and that more formalized responsibility for damage data collection be placed on SLTTs.

6. REPLACE THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM WITH A TWO-PHASE FUNDING STRUCTURE

The existing mitigation grant system would disappear, replaced by a faster, state-managed model called Refined Risk Reduction (R3P).

Funding would arrive in two stages — an early infusion of 5% within weeks of a disaster for immediate mitigation, followed by a second round of 10% within six months.

and other federal agencies. States assume more responsibility for sheltering and immediate needs. Faster aid becomes the tradeoff for narrower federal support.

Renters would receive three months of the HUD fair market rent, with an additional three months for individuals with greater need. For homeowners, assistance would be limited to no more than 15% of the local government’s assessed value of the property, not to exceed $150,000.

In January, the average sales price of a home in Haywood County was down 4.8% from a year ago, to $424,536. In Buncombe County, it was $697,117, according to Canopy MLS.

Notably, the report reemphasizes that the individual assistance program is only for basic, critical needs and “is not designed to make survivors whole and is not a substitute for insurance coverage.”

8. REFORM THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE DIRECT FUNDING BLOCK GRANTS

Reimbursement gives way to upfront funding under a newly designated Reformed and Partnered Initiative for Disasters (RAPID) program. Instead of waiting months or years for project approvals, states would receive block grants within 30 days of a major federal disaster declaration — which, according to recommendation 5, will become more difficult to get.

“D.C. insider Michael Whatley has completely failed in his role as FEMA recovery czar and this leaked report — nearly five months late and not even finalized — continues to prove just how out-oftouch he is with what Western North Carolina needs.”

— Jordan Monaghan, campaign spokesperson for Roy Cooper

Currently, the maximum federal cost share for the hazard mitigation grant program is 75%. Under the R3P program, that would not change, but the 75% level would only be achievable by SLTTs that perform well under the revised criteria for federal assistance. A 50% minimum cost share would form a baseline of aid.

7. STREAMLINE THE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INTO A SINGLE DIRECT PAYMENT PROGRAM

A single check would replace a maze of programs. Disaster survivors whose homes are uninhabitable would receive one direct payment instead of navigating multiple aid categories.

The current Temporary Housing Assistance program allows for a 100% federal cost share. The proposed Framework for Accessible Individual Relief (FAIR) program would cut that to 75%. Long-term housing recovery moves largely out of FEMA’s hands with greater reliance on private insurance

the federal government or through the state,” Rogers said. “They need to do the same thing with storm cleanup.”

9. REFORM THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR FINANCIAL STABILIT Y AND RISK RESILIENCE

Federal flood insurance takes a step back as the private market moves forward. Updated risk data, stricter pricing and reduced federal exposure form the backbone of the proposal.

Communities would face pressure to adopt stronger land-use policies and building standards, while homeowners would pay premiums that reflect actual risk, not supposed risk based on outdated risk maps.

Policies would gradually shift out of the federal system and into private hands, with FEMA focused on oversight and transition.

10.

MAXIMIZE EVERY

DOLLAR SPENT BY REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

Too much disaster money, in this view, never reaches the ground. Consultants, compliance requirements and layered grant processes consume a significant share of funding, slowing recovery and driving up costs.

The report quotes a FEMA official in Puerto Rico who said, “I have 500 contracted employees that would not be needed if FEMA’s grant process was not so complex.” Simplifying programs and moving to direct funding models aims to cut that overhead. States would take on greater responsibility for auditing and financial oversight, with tighter accountability tied to funding. Less bureaucracy, fewer middlemen and more dollars flowing directly to recovery define the approach, even as administrative burdens shift away from the federal level.

Currently, federal cost share on all four public assistance programs (emergency declarations, debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent work) is no less than 75%.

Under RAPID, federal cost sharing would shrink and hinge on performance — no less than 50%, with a maximum of 75% which would be subject to increase by the president.

That money comes with autonomy. States decide how to spend it, which projects qualify and how recovery unfolds. But it still leaves counties relying on middlemen to cut the check and shifts financial risk to states, which would be responsible for managing funds and absorbing overruns if costs exceed initial allocations.

During a March 16 Haywood County budget presentation — where commissioners learned the county had only received $1.6 million of the $19.2 million in claims it had submitted to FEMA — Commissioner Brandon Rogers reiterated his desire to see recovery funding pushed directly to counties

“We’re held accountable every day for money that’s handed down either through

WHAT’S NEXT

The current charter for the FEMA Review Council expires on March 26, unless renewed by the president as it was in January. A note on the council’s website says the council’s “meeting has been postponed” but doesn’t specify which meeting and doesn’t list any upcoming meetings.

A campaign spokesperson for Roy Cooper, Whatley’s opponent, places much of the blame on Whatley, who declined to comment on the leaked report.

“D.C. insider Michael Whatley has completely failed in his role as FEMA recovery czar and this leaked report — nearly five months late and not even finalized — continues to prove just how out-of-touch he is with what Western North Carolina needs,” said Jordan Monaghan. “After receiving only 12% of the federal funding they need to recover, Whatley now wants local communities to foot the bill with no plan in place to help them. North Carolina deserves better — Roy Cooper will work with leaders in both parties to fast-track federal funding to ensure the people of Western North Carolina get every federal dollar they are owed.”

Western North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards did not respond to an interview request.

WCU professor Brian Byrd receives 2026 BOG Award for Excellence in Teaching

Brian Byrd, Western Carolina University’s professor of environmental health sciences and resident “skeeter man,” was awarded the 2026 University of North Carolina System Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Byrd has been with WCU since 2008 and has taught thousands of Catamounts over his tenure. His most recent courses include “Epidemiological Methods,” “Vector-borne Disease Control,” “First Year Seminar” and “Global Health.”

Byrd’s nickname stems from his research, which is focused on domestic, mosquito-borne diseases, specifically La Crosse encephalitis, the ecology of mosquitoes and the molecular identification of arthropod vectors.

Students learning from Byrd can expect opportunities in and out of the classroom to conduct their own research, many of whom have seen their findings published nationally with partners like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Marissa Taylor, WCU alumna and former student of Byrd, is currently employed with the CDC as an epidemiologist. Describing Byrd’s teaching, she praised his ability to motivate and the experiences he offered her and her peers.

“Training beyond the classroom was integral to my success as a scientist; his classes were where the rubber met the road –had we gathered adequate data about our specimens? Had we packed enough forceps? Heightening our engagement, we were pursuing contemporary research questions with tangible impacts,” Taylor said. “My group field collected Ixodes scapularis ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, and needed to be tracked on their southward expansion into Western North Carolina. Students were empowered through these experiences, which bestowed more responsibility than typical for undergraduate students.”

Another of Byrd’s former students, Lt. Corey Day of the

United States Navy, also wrote fondly of the hands-on methods employed by the professor.

“The ‘skeeter man’ showed up to our classroom with a cage filled with hundreds of mosquitoes, into which he promptly inserted his entire arm. While the mosquitoes fed on his blood, Brian explained his scientific role as a medical entomologist, including his mission to reduce the hidden burden of a little-known mosquitoborne disease that affected families in western North Carolina,” Day said.

“His classes taught you how to think broadly and critically, organize projects and work together as a team.”

When reflecting on his teaching, Byrd describes an overarching and simple goal: “to provide students opportunities to succeed.”

“For some, it may just be getting them successfully through a first year seminar course while they are struggling during their first semester at college. For others, it may be sparking an interest in public health or a public service career. For some it may be making room for them to apply what they are learning in a way that is meaningful to them. For many it means sharing my professional networks or resources. For some it means pointing them in a direction and getting out of their way (but being available if there are hiccups). For others, it goes far deeper,” Byrd said.

“Some of [my students’] stories mirrored some of my challenges as a student. I was a first-generation college student, and it took me nine years to finish my undergrad degree,” Byrd said. “I had some hiccups along the way, figuring things out, but I always enjoyed college. I liked the university environment.”

That enjoyment, explains Byrd, however strained, was cultivated by mentors from high school through graduate school.

It was Professor Michael Stuart of UNC Asheville that saw him underachieving and pushed him further. It was his professors and peer community at Tulane University who supported him and his family after Hurricane Katrina flooded their home.

“Getting this award has been an opportunity to reflect on how others have impacted me in a meaningful way, and that is a gift,” Byrd said.

Students learning from Byrd can expect opportunities in and out of the classroom to conduct their own research, many of whom have seen their findings published nationally. Donated photo

Asked for his advice for students and Catamounts aspiring to teach themselves, Byrd offered this: “I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to get into it. You’ve really got to get into it … For us that means getting out of the classroom, getting in the field, making those observations and generating questions from your own observations.”

Byrd’s teaching philosophy and empathy for his students was born of his own tumultuous time early in academia.

“The world’s changing, and the way to observe that change and understand that change is to get into it. Some of that can happen in the classroom or the lab, but for us, a lot of it happens outside. So whatever that means for your disciplines, you just got to do it.”

2,500+

Animal deaths spark push for county action

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT POLITICS EDITOR

The stories came in waves, each more graphic than the last, until the room itself seemed to tighten under the weight of them — a dog so badly abused she could not walk, a horse found dead in a dry creek bed, another starving animal that did not survive despite last-ditch rescue efforts. By the time public comment ended March 16, Haywood County commissioners were left facing a stark question residents had repeated in different ways all night: how had so many warnings gone unanswered?

the meeting.

Greenwald said animal control had been called to a Canton property several times between 2019 and 2025 — calls that only ended when a private citizen paid $500 to remove the dog from the property. Once freed, Zoe presented “as a bait animal” and had to be euthanized weeks later.

“Zoe did not get a second chance,” she said. “The dogs still living on the chains in this county deserve better.”

Speaker after speaker built on that narrative, describing what they said was a pattern of delayed responses, insufficient authority

where he said repeated complaints failed to trigger timely action and resulted in no charges for the owner.

Karen Owens, who submitted the proposed ordinance, said she had personally reviewed animal control reports and offered a timeline of calls and responses related to the same herd. She recounted follow-ups spaced days and weeks apart, culminating in the discovery of a dead horse and another animal in critical condition. Owens said those deaths could have been prevented. Her conclusion drew a direct line between those outcomes and the need for leadership changes.

More than a dozen speakers used their allotted three minutes to speak about potential changes to the county’s animal ordinance, arguing that gaps in enforcement, recordkeeping and authority had allowed neglect and abuse to persist for years without meaningful intervention.

Holly Greenwald opened the flood of testimony by noting that a proposed animal control ordinance had been sent to each commissioner around Feb. 23, asking for stronger definitions, clearer standards and better enforcement tools.

“Stronger ordinances are not about punishment, they are about prevention,” Greenwald said.

She backed up the ordinance’s necessity with a detailed account of a dog named Zoe, whose case became one of the focal points of

and missed opportunities to intervene before animals suffered irreversible harm.

Jeffrey Jensen, a longtime animal owner and business operator, framed the issue as both moral and administrative.

“Animals are not simply objects or property,” Jensen said. “They are sentient beings.”

Citing concerns about record-keeping practices, Jensen alleged that some animals were not properly documented upon intake by Haywood County Animal Services.

“Any animal taken into public custody should be documented,” he said. “Transparency and accountability are basic expectations of any publicly funded agency.”

He also pointed to cases of neglect involving a donkey and two horses in the Beaver Dam area between 2023 and 2025,

Not all speakers supported changes to the ordinance. Several residents, particularly those who keep working dogs, argued that current practices such as tethering and barrel housing are not inherently cruel and should not be restricted. Blake Mathis rejected the premise of new regulations outright and finished with a plea to commissioners.

“I don’t see no reason whatsoever that we should be changing anything,” said Mathis, who noted he’d raised chained, barrel-housed hounds in Haywood County his whole life. “I’ve never seen one freeze to death. I’ve never seen one overheat. They’re fed daily. They’re watered daily. There is no reason to change anything in the community. Leave it the way it is. I wish y’all would stand with us.”

Ben Green, who said he travels extensively with his dogs, defended common practices among hunters.

“Dogs are tough as their owners,” Green said, describing routine care of his dogs. “We spend fortunes on dogs to keep them up and running. They put food on our table. We take very good care of our dogs. I can’t speak for everybody. Some people, the starving to death ones, I don’t agree with that no more than anybody else does.”

Savannah Rayburn, a veterinary technician with experience in Buncombe County, called for a balanced approach.

“Yes, there should be better treatment of animals in this county. There are definitely instances like you’ve heard with Zoe and with the horses, there are reasons to be taken into consideration, but there needs to be some middle ground of what people are looking for,” Rayburn said. “There are definitely instances of neglect in this county, but there needs to be a fine line between the condition of working dogs and what’s truly neglect.”

Danny Heatherly struck that middle tone.

Other speakers echoed concerns about enforcement and accountability, while broadening the issue to systemic failures. Laurel Smith framed the responsibility in bleak terms.

“Like children, animals don’t ask to be born or owned,” Smith said. “It’s the responsibility of society, of humankind, to protect them.”

Vicki Nordozi questioned whether the problem lay in the ordinance itself or in its implementation.

“I know we have an ordinance in Haywood County that is intended to protect these animals … It is either insufficient in its current status or the people tasked with enacting [enforcing] it are not doing what they need to do to enforce that ordinance,” Nordozi said.

“I don’t believe in any animal cruelty under any circumstance, and that’s not acceptable at all,” Heatherly said. “It needs to be addressed whether if the person’s on drugs and the neighbor’s scared to call, the drugs need to be addressed. Whatever the problem is, it does need to be addressed.”

He also cautioned against broad assumptions about dog owners, especially bear hunters.

“There’s not a greater group of men sitting right over here that cares for their dogs than bear hunters,” he said. “They love their dogs, the feed them, they take care of them and when one gets hurt, he’s headed straight to the vet. They’ll carry them out of the woods. They sleep with them. They stay out all night to get them. So I don’t want any animosity towards bear hunters because these bear hunters are doing a great job of taking care of them.”

After more nearly an hour of public comment, commissioners responded with a mix of concern, caution and commitment to further F

review. Commissioner Tommy Long suggested the issue reflected broader human behavior rather than regulatory gaps.

“I’m sure there will be a whole lot of things to unpack from all the comments that were said, but to me, this is kind of a people thing,” Long said. “It sounds like a people issue … The righteous people, they take care of their stuff. Cruel and wicked people at heart, they don’t.”

Long acknowledged the need for potential improvements.

“I don’t know how we police this,” he said. “I’m sure we can tighten some things up, from what I’ve heard, but good people take care of their animals — that’s a theme we’ve heard here tonight. So if we can do better as a county, we should.”

Commissioner Jennifer Best said the volume and specificity of comments warranted a closer look.

“You have raised enough of a concern tonight that certainly we need to maybe go back with a different eye and just look at things one more time,” Best said, adding that her husband is a bear hunter and that she recognizes the standard of care afforded hunting dogs.

“In public policy, there is a place where we can all come together and you have my word that I will look at that again,” she said.

Agreeing with Long, Commissioner Brandon Rogers expressed support for revisiting certain aspects of enforcement but also opined that bear hunters don’t spend thousands of dollars on dogs to mistreat them.

“When you got pay $10,000 for a dog — and I may be off, they may be more now — but I can promise you they’re not going to abuse them or not feed them or not take care of them, because when they want them dogs to perform, they want them to do what they can,” he said.

Speaking on the county’s 2010 animal tethering ordinance, Rogers said he was firm on leaving it as-is; however, he pledged to look more closely at equine abuse and the performance of Haywood County’s Animal Services department.

Commissioner Terry Ramey, who was investigated for neglect of five horses on his property in 2024, said he thought a reexamination of priorities was warranted. After a vet checked them, she said Ramey’s horses had Henneke body condition scores ranging from 2.5 to 4, and that three of the horses showed “prominent ribs.” The Henneke BCS scale notes that horses with a score of 3 or less are underweight, and that horses generally be maintained between 4 and 6. Although the vet’s report noted that “there could always be underlying health conditions causing weight loss or failure to thrive,” such situations are “unlikely in a group of five horses.” No charges were ever brought against Ramey.

Chairman Kevin Ensley said he wanted more information about how Animal Control determines when to seize an animal and how records at Haywood Animal Control are maintained.

No item related to the ordinance appeared on the agenda, and no immediate action was taken.

Join the Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade

Dillsboro will host its 36th annual Easter Hat Parade over the holiday weekend.

The parade begins at 2 p.m. on April 4, in the town hall parking lot, located at 31 Front St.

Following the parade, judges will award prizes with numerous hat categories, a from the largest and smallest hat, most edible, most outrageous, tallest, “poofiest” (think 1980’s hair on a hat), and many other awards.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until 1:45 p.m. Activities start at 10 a.m. and will be scattered throughout town. Dogwood Crafters will host a hatmaking table in front of their store, and the Easter Bunny will be passing out treats and taking pictures near Quirky Birds Bistro.

until his death in 1916. His name came from a missing arm and part of a leg, and the leaden bullets embedded in his “good” leg. In spite of his infirmity, he became a fixture in the community working as a timber buyer, editor of the Bryson City Star, Clerk of Court, Justice of the Peace, U.S. Commissioner and Secretary of the Swain County Republican Club.

He was known for his “tall tales” of having been a ship’s captain, having ridden with the James Gang and having been in Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. After separating from the younger local woman he had married, he lived alone on Bryson Island and sought refuge in a tall tree during flooding.

Paul Webb and Kaley Kelly will present their recent research findings about Ironfoot. There are many in the community who have stories of Ironfoot that have been passed down through their families; the audience will have the opportunity to share those stories and what they know about this mystery man and how he ended up in Bryson City.

Unique to this presentation, the speakers are providing a 5-year paid SCGHS membership to the first person who brings an actual photograph of Ralph “Ironfoot” Clarke to the meeting.

The presentation will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 2 at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center, 45 East Ridge Drive in Bryson City.

This event is free and open to the public.

Haywood Big Brothers Big Sisters hosts bowling fundraiser

Waynesville’s Friendship House hosts Easter egg hunt

Families are invited to come out to the Friendship House at Waynesville’s First United Methodist Church at 140 Academy St. for an Easter egg hunt.

The event, held Saturday, April 4, will feature two Easter egg hunts — one for younger children at 9 a.m. and one for older children at 9:15 a.m. Doors open at 7 a.m. for coffee and fellowship. A hot breakfast will be served from 8-9 a.m. The food pantry, which includes a clothing closet and housewares section, will be open from 8:30-10 a.m.

Everyone is welcome, and there is no charge.

Pigeon Center hosts fish fry fundraiser

Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will host its annual fish fry fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3.

Tickets are $15. Foods served will be fried fish, slaw, hushpuppies, baked beans and dessert.

Plates can be taken to-go.

Haywood animal services hosts animal adoption at Waynesville PetSmart

Anyone interested in adopting a rescue animal will have an opportunity at an event put on by Haywood County Animal Services at the PetSmart in Waynesville.

Treats from Frozen Josie’s Hand Dipped Ice Cream & Sweets will

be available.

For more information, visit dillsboronc.org or call Dillsboro Town Hall at 828.586.1439.

At 11 a.m., Generations Church will host an Easter Egg hunt with over 4,000 eggs in Monteith Farmstead Park, located at 109 West Hometown Place.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 28.

New walking tour explores the history of downtown Sylva

The Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center announced its latest initiative, “Sylva’s Story on Foot.” This studentdesigned walking tour offers a fresh, youth-led perspective on the town’s rich railroad history and its modern evolution into a hub for craft beer and local commerce.

Supported in part by a grant from the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, the tour is designed to bridge the gap between historic landmarks and Main Street’s vibrant merchant scene. Participants will be guided through downtown Sylva, learning about the town’s heritage while being encouraged to visit local shops and restaurants at the tour’s conclusion.

Tours are free to the public and will take place on the following dates at 3:30 p.m. The tour group will meet at Bridge Park to begin the tour.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

• Sunday, March 29

• Sunday, April 12

• Sunday, April 19

• Saturday, April 25

To register for free, visit bit.ly/sylvahistorytour

Swain Genealogy hosts lecture on Bryson City’s mystery man

“Ironfoot Clarke: Unraveling the Tangled Life of Bryson City’s Mystery Man,” is the topic of the presentation at the April meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society.

This “mystery man” lived in Swain County from the late 1890s

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County’s most popular fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake, will take place April 11 at Sky Lanes in Asheville.

The event offers a fun, easy and meaningful way to help children get matched with a mentor. Every year, Bowl for Kids’ Sake has a theme to encourage bowlers to dress up in costumes. This year’s theme is “Boots & Bowling.” Don’t be surprised if a “Boots on the Ground” line dance breaks out.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake participants form teams of four to five bowlers, bringing together family members, friends, coworkers, classmates and neighbors for two hours of lighthearted competition and community spirit. Each bowler is asked to donate or raise at least $50. Teams are asked to raise $250 total.

Once fundraising is complete, it’s time to have fun. Bowlers pick the time slot they would like to hit the lane: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. Shoe rental is included.

Registration, fundraising tips and additional details can be found by visiting the ’Boots & Bowling” Facebook page or bbbswnc.org. There will be prizes for best costume. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, visit bbswnc.org.

New Discover Lake Junaluska magazine now available

Lake Junaluska announced the release of its award-winning Discover Lake Junaluska magazine and visitor guide for 2026. Highlights of the magazine include a story on the touchstones at Lake Junaluska that keep people returning; a special wedding; the popular Top 10 list of favorite places to gather; the excellent photo essay that illustrates the beauty and wonder of this sacred place and more. The special “Plan Your Visit” section is full of useful information about accommodations, recreation, shopping, day trips and dining at Lake Junaluska.

Discover Lake Junaluska was mailed to more than 16,000 recent guests, charitable supporters and subscribers. The magazine is also distributed to visitor centers and available at Lake Junaluska at Bethea Welcome Center, Harrell Center and other locations across the grounds and around Haywood County.

To view the magazine online, visit bit.ly/DiscoverLJ2026

The bar is low, but Trump slithers under it

They may be coming for just the signs, but the message is clear: let’s rewrite history while ignoring science. The disappointments of this administration just never stop piling up.

A leaked memo from the Department of the Interior contained a list of markers and educational signage at national parks that this administration may have a problem with. After all, the president’s order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” calls for the department to review their signage, and “focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.”

Does anyone know what all that gobbledygook is supposed to mean? It sounds more like the dimwitted meanderings of some blowhard than actual government policy.

Ten of those signs that may be removed — or altered to reflect this administration’s political views — are here in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. One that was flagged provides information about the Trail of Tears and the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their lands in this region.

When I read about the flagged signs, I started thinking of those Eastern Band members who The Smoky Mountain

Join protestors for ‘No Kings’

To the Editor:

Does it seem like every day you are overwhelmed by the atrocities in the news? Are you feeling beaten down in despair and hopelessness? Are you longing for some positive energy, some common sense, some time to gather with others, a chance to make some changes in the world?

We invite you to come join us. Come stand with your neighbors in a joyful community resistance against this current regime as we gather for a local “No Kings” rally. On Saturday, March 28, Haywood County residents and visitors will gather in front of the historic Haywood County Courthouse from 1 to 3 p.m. to joyfully unite in community resistance against this administration. There will be a drum circle, music, bubbles, protest chants and signs, and best of all, a chance to be with like-minded people who are taking a stand against all of the wrong that we see.

You will be participating in the largest protest in the history of our nation. This will become our act of resistance. We resist because we must stop the lawlessness, hemorrhaging of our money and resources, the damage to our nation and our rights and the killing that this administration is carrying out in the United States and abroad.

We resist joyfully because we are united in community. We are taking back our power to shape the future for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and for generations of Americans to come. Now is the time to stand up and take action to save the nation that we love, not one that has been hostilely taken

News talked to just a few weeks ago who are training to ride 950 miles on a bicycle in an event called Remember the Removal. Many of those taking part say the ride is a way to stay connected to a heritage in which they take great pride. The ride to commemorate the removal starts in early June.

EBCI member Sara Ferguson has learned of ancestors that were a part of — and ancestors that resisted — the Trail of Tears removal. She has ancestors who moved out West and ancestors that returned.

“I’ve learned that I was just obviously distantly related to Yonaguska, who was part of one of the removals, of one of the detachments that went out West and then came back to the boundary. I have Tsali somewhere in my line.”

As she trains for this ride, signs along the Parkway describing the horror of the Trail of Tears are in danger of just going away as the Trump administration embraces a fundamentally wrong version of U.S. history. The U.S. is indeed a great country, but far from perfect. You teach your kids to become better people by owning up to mistakes and shortcomings and learning from them. In Trump’s world,

LETTERS

over by corrupt elites.

We have permission to say no! We are so much stronger when we rise up together. There is a place for you here. So come out, bring a sign and become part of something much bigger than yourself. Find your community. Protest peacefully. There is unity in our community. There is hope.

Lori Stephens, Waynesville Lorelei Yerse, Clyde

Finding strength in community

To the Editor:

In Western North Carolina we’ve been insulated from the horror and tragedies across the country. We haven’t seen the ICE raids, but sadly I recently learned that ICE is around. We don’t have the details but in Asheville a friend of one of one of my friends was picked up and sent to Atlanta. From Indivisible, a national resistance organization: “Those who oppress us have always relied on the ability to make us feel hopeless and that there is nothing good to fight for. We refuse to feel that way. Joy and community are resistance in this moment.”

This doesn’t mean we aren’t angry and scared. It means that in community we find our strength and, in that strength, we focus on our end game, not theirs. Our end game is a stronger country that takes care of its citizens, not just the rich. It is a country that sees no distinction in skin color or sexual orientation. Our end game is a country that recognizes equal rights for ALL. We also recognize

we just erase them and act like they never happened.

And then there are the signs that discuss pollution and climate change. According to Blue Ridge Public Radio, a marker titled “Blue, Like Smoke” that addresses the history of the park’s name (Smoky) and ongoing issues about visibility and vehicle emissions is also on the flagged list. Wordage on the sign includes this: “Air pollution’s impact goes far beyond obscuring the view. Many plant and animal species in the Smokies suffer from the effects of acid precipitation and high amounts of ground-level ozone. What does the future hold? We don’t know.”

The science is clear about ozone and its effect on health and visibility. But no, why have informational signs that explain to people why they can only see clearly for three or four miles when in the past their views extended for 50 miles? Why try to explain the difference between the mountain’s normal blue haze and what is caused by manmade pollutants?

Perhaps all of this is just more bluster and none of the wayfaring plaques and informational kiosks will be changed. But the fact that the list does indeed exist is evidence enough of how low this administration has sunk. Outrageous. (Scott McLeod is the editor and publisher of The Smoky Mountain News. info@smokymountainnews.com.)

it is a long and bumpy road to our end game, but we the people are going reach it.  It is easy with everything being thrown at us to feel defeated and worn down; that is what “they” want. A perfect place for you to reenergize will be at the March 28 “No Kings Rally — Unity for Community” (1 p.m.-3 p.m., Haywood County Courthouse). You will be with like-minded people and will be reminded you are not fighting this fight alone. You will have people you can share your fears, anger and hopes with. But, more importantly, it is where you will see joy and community are the resistance.

Mary Ford Waynesville

Progressives must plan and fight

To the Editor:

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. There has been a coordinated plan by people such as those in the Heritage Foundation to dumb down regular people in the USA since the Reagan era. Alvin Toffler even said in his book, “The Third Wave,” that industrial era schools were designed to teach students to be obedient, on time and do rote repetitive work.

There are wealthy people who feel they are entitled to live off of the labor of others. George Orwell, in his book “1984,” had this to say: “So long as they [common people] continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance. To keep them in control was not difficult.”

Progressives have been playing defense and only responding to threats from the

regressive right. We, the people, need to support better education and better leadership to break the control of the very wealthy. We progressives must work together and have a plan. Planning, execution and control are the three phases of a project. Planning is by far the most important part. We have been winging it, while the authoritarians have been methodically pursuing their plan of action. Consciousness raising is the first step to behavior change. Spread the word!

David Stearns Otto

Veterans, it’s time to choose

To the Editor:

Abroad, the Trump Administration defies international laws, violates the United Nations Charter (that the U.S. helped develop) and threatens world peace by recklessly initiating wars with sovereign nations that pose no imminent threat to the United States or our allies.

Here at home we’re watching a police state evolve right before our eyes as peaceful citizens are shot dead on the streets of their own cities by well-armed masked thugs masquerading as an authentic police force. Trump’s aim, both at home and abroad, seems abundantly clear: seize power and end our democratic experiment — perversely, on the 250th anniversary of its birth.

I’m disheartened by the direction our country has elected, the surrendering of our moral compass characterized by the veteran community’s response — an unforeseen but most deafening silence. For a

Time to throw the bums out

To the Editor:

Republicans are fiscally responsible. They lower taxes on working folks and make things less expensive. Republicans make our country safer. They care about the common folk. They run things like a business.

Right? Let’s look at our current situation.

Here in Waynesville, we have a 2026 budget shortfall (starts July 1) of $5 million (overall budget is $40 million).

About $3.8 million is currently feared as unreimbursed FEMA funding (we will be lucky to get $500,000) from Helene.

The $1.4 million shortfall is from three other areas: 33% increase in town employee health insurance premiums. Yup 33%. One Big Beautiful Bill related? Also, there’s a 12% increase in property and liability insurance premiums, yup, 12%. Then there’s a 7% increase for workman’s comp. Oh, only 7%, phew.

All this while our dedicated, shorthanded town workers get a 1% COL A and our mayor and town council work overtime pleading FEMA to honor their promises and guidelines, all while effectively managing regular town demands.

So let’s look at (and for) our Republican representatives:

Where’s Michael Whatley, GOP Senate candidate? He’s supposedly our “Helene Recovery Czar,” but he’s busy running to try and get Thom Tillis’ old seat (Thom grew a backbone and is now persona non grata in the MAGA GOP).

Where’s DHS Secretary Noem? She’s in charge of FEMA. Oh yeah, she got fired for

decade, the dominant feature of human existence in the United States has been navigating the ever-thickening fog of uncertainty.

I vividly recall a time in America when people caught lying were routinely and universally expected to exhibit both remorse and a sense of shame. Woodsheds were built specifically for that purpose. Trump has transformed that axiom by establishing lying as standard operating procedure and utter bullshit as the modern-day equivalent to statesmanship.

I served 20 years active duty (Navy) under six presidents, another 10 years in the Fleet Reserve (subject to recall) under two more (Eisenhower to George H.W. Bush), all eight former Army or Naval officers.

None of these eight presidents claimed to be perfect — but neither would any one of them have incited an armed, angry mob to attack our own Capitol and kill its defenders to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. This president (a convicted felon who considers himself above all laws) did exactly that, and then pardoned over 1,500 men and women who helped him commit that crime.

I thought the vengeance campaign by the Trump-Hegseth duo against the decorated retired Navy combat veteran and former

spending our money lavishly on planes with bedrooms, TV commercials starring her, and generally scorching the U.S.

Where’s Congressman Edwards? He sits on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and supposedly authored a $110 billion resolution back two Decembers ago (2024). The bill is currently projected to actually pay $9-15 billion for all of N.C. to cover over $60 billion in damage. Open your wallets, folks.

Meanwhile our Republican-controlled state Legislature can’t do the most basic job of passing a budget eight months into the fiscal year. Too busy gerrymandering, I guess.

Other fun facts:

• Those tariffs we all paid to buy foreign goods? Turns out they weren’t legal. Good luck getting paid back.

• The One Big Beautiful Bill has resulted in a 22% decrease in ACA enrollment in 2026 in N.C., meaning N.C. folks that had health insurance now will likely use the ER instead, driving up your expenses and wait times. Or just suffer and/or die. Good news though — big tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

Our current leader is spending almost $1 billion a day on a war started for questionable reasons. (Hey, look over here!)

Meanwhile, your retirement savings are being drop-kicked (if you have any), farmer’s fertilizer costs are rising and their exports stymied, gas is a buck per gallon more, and your everyday costs to live are rising.

As folks used to say, “Throw. The. Bums. Out.”

Eric Hanson Waynesville

astronaut (Capt. Mark Kelly), now a U.S. senator, would bring the veteran community to its senses. I was wrong.

Such an attack on a distinguished veteran (clearly an abuse of military law and First Amendment rights) ordinarily would be considered nonsensical bordering on moronic were it not recognizable both Congress and the Supreme Court are corrupted to the point that unbiased, fair outcomes are no longer assured.

I have hoped the veteran community would take the lead in seeking the truth amidst this administration’s lying, often racist, anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, pro-crime behavior, and shepherd our nation out of difficult times, defending the time-honored institutions and values Americans have been taught to respect since childhood.

I appeal to my fellow veterans, compatriots in the American Legion, VFW, AMVETS, DAV, TREA, the NCVA (ALL Veterans): honor our oath, dignify what our uniforms symbolize, choose to remain silent no longer. Stand up and speak firmly for right to prevail over wrong. The world is watching and history is recording. Fellow veterans: the future is ours to determine. David L. Snell Franklin

Chords for Callum

Jon Stickley to lead powerhouse fundraising concert

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

J on Stickley is a pillar of the Asheville and greater Western North Carolina music scenes. He’s also a nationallyrenowned guitarist, one whose skillset and scope goes far beyond the ancient mountains of Southern Appalachia.

“I just love the guitar. One of my favorite things is that the guitar can kind of do it all,” Stickley said. “You can rip leads, but the guitar’s range is very close to the human voice, so there’s a vocal quality to it. I can crosspick it and sound like a banjo. I can also walk around the house singing Beatles songs to my kids, then hang it back up on the wall.”

A professional touring musician, Stickley is also a family man. Alongside his wife, Julianne, and two young children, the six-string virtuoso, Jon, like any kind and loving soul, views his household and those who inhabit it as anchor points, which is why his upcoming Asheville gig means so much.

Titled “Chords for Callum,” the second annual gathering, taking place at Highland Brewing on March 29, will serve as an awareness event and fundraiser for the STXBP1 Foundation. To note, Stickley’s five-year-old son, Callum, has STXBP1, a rare genetic condition that “causes physical and cognitive disabilities, autism and risk for seizures.”

“[The event will] raise funds for intensive therapy programs that Callum needed to thrive,” Stickley said. “Those [programs] resulted in him learning to walk last year, just after his fifth

Jon Stickley will play Asheville March 29. File photo

birthday, and beginning to use his AAC device to communicate intentionally.”

All proceeds from the performance and silent auction will go directly to the foundation, “which is funding critical research, advancing nearly 20 potential therapies currently in development, supporting clinical initiatives and providing resources and connection for families navigating this ultra-rare diagnosis.”

“Because STXBP1 is so rare, research depends heavily on community-driven fundraising,” Stickley said. “Every dollar raised moves us closer to better treatments, greater understanding and real hope for children like Callum.”

Alongside Stickley will be a “who’s who” of musicians, including Lindsay Lou, Kyle Tuttle, Lyndsay Pruett and Fireside Trio (featuring Jesse Iaquinto, Tommy Maher and Carson White). The silent auction will feature a slew of items donated by Billy Strings, Trey Anastasio, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Hulaween, Winter WonderGrass and more.

For the Stickley family, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions in recent years. Mere months after Callum’s diagnosis, Stickley’s wife had a stroke and was hospitalized for four months. As a result, she permanently lost most of her vision and the ability to drive. With all of these hardships, Julianne is “an amazing partner and mother and is the driving force behind Team Callum.”

“It’s been a whirlwind, to say the least,” Stickley said. “Despite what we’ve been through, I’m ultimately just incredibly grateful for what we have and I’m able to look toward the future

with hope.”

Even with everything, Stickley himself has been able to find solace.

“I’ve learned a lot and have been in therapy to help process everything,” Stickley said. “With a lot of support from friends and family, I’ve been able to keep performing and am looking forward to a full season of music this year.”

When he’s not taking care of his family, Stickley is on the road and on tour, clocking tens of thousands of miles each year in a constant pursuit of his tightly held dreams, all while being able to support his family with his finely tuned craft. It’s an existence that has Stickley feeling “like Stretch Armstrong, being pulled in four different directions at once.”

Want to go?

Bringing awareness to STXBP1-related disorders, the annual “Chords for Callum” fundraising show will be held from 1-8 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville.

Featured performers will include Lindsay Lou, Kyle Tuttle, Jon Stickley and Lyndsay Pruett. Opening band Fireside Trio (featuring Jesse Iaquinto, Tommy Maher and Carson White) will hit the stage from 2-2:45 p.m. with the main act

performing from 3-6 p.m.

Doors open at 1 p.m. There will be food trucks onsite and also a silent auction. Tickets are $50 for adults, $15 for students (ages 18 and under), with children (ages 5 and under) admitted free. Additional donations are also welcomed.

All proceeds (including donations) will go directly to the STXBP1 Foundation. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit tickettailor.com/events/chordsforcallum.

“It has inspired me to continue to be a part of [music] and keep contributing my good energy to it as long as I can, in whatever capacity that may be,” Stickley said. “I definitely feel the tension between traveling to make a living and being there to pull the weight at home. Thankfully, we have a great support system that allows me to travel for work most weekends.”

To note, Stickley’s acclaimed group, the Jon Stickley Trio, recently crossed over the 15-year mark. The anniversary is a moment to reflect and celebrate.

“Given that my initial goals were to have fun playing music, get paid to go to festivals, hang out with my heroes and make good records, I’d say we’ve been extremely successful,” Stickley said. “I’m so grateful to my bandmates for sticking with the project through all of the twists and turns in my life — more people are coming out to the shows than ever, so let’s make it to 20.”

And with acoustic music experiencing an unprecedented swell of popularity as of late — especially when it comes to jamgrass music — Stickley is seeing the fruits of his labors, whether at home in WNC or across the country on tour.

“My best guess is that there are few things more relatable than people playing acoustic instruments and singing with their heart and soul,” Stickley said of this current high-water mark. “Bluegrass and old-time was meant to connect with people [and] I think in an increasingly disconnected world, these communal aspects of music and humanity really stand out.”

Aside from his upcoming tour schedule, Stickley has been developing an instructional guitar website, which will launch in the next few months

“It focuses on mastering the basics and learning by ear, so players can advance their skills at their own pace,” Stickley said. “Creating this website has been very enlightening. Breaking things down to the most basic level has shown me elements of my own playing that I overlooked or didn’t pay enough attention to when I was getting started — I’m learning to actually take my own advice.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘I feel summer creepin’ in and I’m tired of this town again’

Hello from the Trade Winds Lounge in downtown Saint Augustine, Florida. It’s 10:10 p.m. and I just finished my first Coors Light at this second stop of the evening, and right when classic rock/country gold tribute act Jackhammer finishes up its second of three sets tonight.

What was initially an old-school tiki bar when it opened decades (and decades) ago has now morphed, more so melted in the hot Florida sun, into a beloved dive bar of legendary proportions. The inside of the bar feels like the belly of some creaky, warped pirate ship, no doubt from being flooded out several times from the nearby Matanzas River just across the street.

The staff is rowdy and doesn’t put up with shit of any kind, a key trait well-earned after years at the helm. Behind the bar, wellworn bumper stickers cover the counter with statements like “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading,” “When Was The Last Time You Were Jagermeistered?” and “My Bartender Can Beat Up Your Therapist.”

For me? I’ve been, happily, wandering in here for the better part of the last 10 years. Cold beer and good folk, live rock-n-roll and hearty conversation. I mean, what more do you want, am I right? Update: 10:25 p.m. and Jackhammer is back onstage. Cue Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

It is immediately after the completion of that song in the previous paragraph when the dichotomy of my existence comes into full view. There I am, sitting by myself at the bar, watching a band of 60-something dudes singing songs of my 40-something youth (Oasis “Wonderwall”), all while the 20something crowd from nearby Flagler College are ordering shots and howling, especially when Jackhammer slides into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”

At that moment, I realized I’m too old to be cool like those Gen Z faces in the audience, and yet too young to collect Social Security like those Baby Boomers behind the microphone. Shit, we millennials are currently stuck between a rock and a hard

place. We remember the world before the internet and were just teenagers when social media and smart phones burst onto the scene — this haphazard, somewhat lost and jaded generation of chaos and confusion. No matter, I feel pretty damn good for 41 (knock on wood, knock three times). Never married. No kids. Freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want. This isn’t to brag, it’s more so the situation I’ve found myself in at this juncture of my life. In truth, when I was in college in Connecticut, I figured by 40, I’d be married to the love of my life with two kids, a mortgage, a dog, and maybe two vacations a year to somewhere warm and/or on some coast. That wasn’t the case. No hard feelings, either, seeing as I’ve been lucky enough to date and genuinely love some incredible women over the decades. Weird to even type the word “decades,” but it was 24 years ago when I started dating my high school sweetheart, 21 since my college girlfriend, and several years since other faces have come and gone. The memories are still there, albeit a little fuzzy on the edges nowadays, though they remain cherished, even today.

All of this circles back to this essay I came across years ago in The New Yorker magazine. Written in 2016 by the late Donald Hall, it’s titled, “Between Solitude and Loneliness.” It is a piece of work I return to at least once a year, especially when the loneliness of time and place creeps into my heart and soul every so often. Hall’s words and emotions continue to soothe my restless mind and provide a sense of imagination for what lies beyond the unknown horizon.

One of my favorite parts of the essay plays into my continued manifestation for a cottage/cabin in the northern woods to live, work and exist in with a beloved significant other: “Summer afternoons we spent beside Eagle Pond, on a bite-sized beach among frogs, mink, and beaver. Jane lay in the sun, tanning, while I read books in a canvas sling chair. Every now and then, we would dive into the pond. Sometimes, for an early supper, we broiled sausage on a hibachi.”

Sure, Hall’s essay ends with a sense of sadness and sorrow. But, what I took away from it was this deep well of gratitude — for being able to love, and have the capacity to

HOT PICKS

1

Legendary classic rock act Three Dog Night will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee.

2

Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host Shane Meade & Rob Masten (Americana/soul) at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29.

3

Classic rock/R&B act The V8s will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

4

A special stage production of “Ethnically Ambiguous” will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 27-28 and 2 p.m. March 29 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

5

Dillsboro Glass Arts Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28, on Front Street.

do so. That, and you just never know what the future has in store for you, with many of the good things fleeting as soon as they arrive.

And yet, to simply be in the presence of those good things? Count your lucky stars to be able to witness such beauty and splendor in real time. I know I do, where as I get older, I try to embrace the fragility and inevitability of human life and of experiences with said well of gratitude as we all continue on our way, either on this earthly plane or somewhere else in the cosmic ether.

It’s like this one time I heard a passerby drunk guy say to his buddy on Broadway in downtown Nashville: “It is what it is, it was what it was, and it ain’t what it ain’t.” I remember being so struck by that statement, so much so I stopped walking for a hot second to simply let that sentiment sink in, so that I wouldn’t forget it, only to continue my way along the journey of life and love.

While I was momentarily lost in thought at Trade Winds, Jackhammer rolls into Tom Petty & The Heartbreaker’s seminal number, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” Once the audience hears that opening guitar riff, the lead singer kicks things off to the roar of the crowd: “She grew up in an Indiana town/Had a good-looking mama who never was around/But she grew up tall and she grew up right/With them Indiana boys on an Indiana night.”

Visions of first hearing that melody at the (now long gone) Bowl Mart in my hometown of Rouses Point, New York. That tiny town is my starting line, the measuring stick — either geographically or spiritually — of the road to the “here and now.” That unrelenting purpose within is to always be curious and retain that sense of wonder that conjures magic from the endless universe of people, places and things one may encounter at any given moment.

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

We Can Cater Everything from an Intimate Get-Together to a Large, Formal Gathering & Everything In-Between!

Catering is Our Passion! 828-452-7837 294 N. Haywood Street Waynesville

Thursday, March 26 Bo Bullman 8pm-10pm • Classic Country Saturday, March 28 TrancEnd 9pm-Midnight 90’s and early 2000’s covers Sunday, March 29 Celtic Sunday w/ Trippin’ Up The Stairs 3pm-6pm • Celtic

On the wall

HCAC’s ‘Little Hands, Big Imagination’

The latest exhibit, “Little Hands, Big Imagination,” will be showcased through April 13 in the Haywood Handmade Gallery at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville.

A work from Meadowbrook Elementary.

Donated photo

Join the HCAC for a joyful exhibit of large-scale collaborative artwork created by elementary students across Haywood County. Each school contributes one piece, made with many little hands and big imaginations. All works will be auctioned off to support each school’s art program.

In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, HCAC is also partnering with the Friends of the Library for a children’s book exchange, so bring a book and take a new story home.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit haywoodarts.org or stop by the gallery during regular business hours.

‘Cherokee People and the American Revolution’

A first-of-its-kind exhibition centering Native voices, perspectives and creativity in response to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the exhibition “Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution” is currently being showcased at the Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP) in Cherokee.

On view through Dec. 30, the exhibition features historic objects in conversation with works by Cherokee artists, merging cultural heritage, military history and contemporary art for a nuanced examination of a pivotal moment in Cherokee and American history.

“As a sovereign nation and the tribal museum of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, we are so pleased we can present this self-funded, independent exhibition from a Cherokee perspective,” said MotCP Executive Director Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).

With research beginning in 2022, the exhibition’s curators — MotCP Director of Education Dakota Brown (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), MotCP Director of Collections and Exhibitions Evan Mathis and guest curator Brandon Dillard (Cherokee Nation), director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Monticello — sought Cherokee accounts of the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the Cherokee American War (1776-1794), highlighting the complexities of memory and commemoration.

“For those of us from the South, memory is inscribed on the landscape in countless ways that are so naturalized that they feel omnipresent,” Dillard said. “Most people drive by roadside markers commemorating longforgotten battles every day. We pass statues in public squares, learn and work in buildings named after complicated and often fraught people and we partake in rituals commemorating historical events. But how often do most people sit around and actually talk about those events?”

In addition to showcasing historic objects, including weapons, adornments and archival materials, MotCP invited Cherokee artists to create new works in response to historic treaties and documents from the Revolutionary era. Ranging in mediums from spoken word songs to paintings to beadwork, these contemporary creative expressions “make it impossible for the viewer to put us, as Cherokee people, in the past,” Condill said.

As the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the curators of the exhibition aspire to spark conversation about American identity and sovereignty among visitors of all walks of life, sharing new research in the first exhibit about Cherokees in the American Revolution by Cherokee scholars.

“Because American nationalist mythology pretends like Native people belong in the past, our contemporary existence contradicts the dominant memory and commemorative landscape of the United States,” Dillard said. “With ‘Unrelenting,’ we just wanted to invite people to think about some of those things and recognize how complicated it all is and, most importantly, to welcome complexity when thinking about the past.”

General admission tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. MotCP offers free admission to members of federally recognized tribes and museum members. Student, educator, senior and military rates available. Admission to all changing exhibitions is included in the general admission ticket price. For more information, visit motcp.org.

WCU MFA exhibition

Western Carolina University will host the Master of Fine Art Thesis Exhibition starting Tuesday, April 7, at the Fine Art Museum on campus in Cullowhee.

Experience the culmination of three years of intense creative study and exploration in this exhibition highlighting artwork from graduating MFA students in the WCU School of Art and Design.

This year’s exhibition showcases work in various media by five artists: Holly Hill, Lynne M. Hudson, Reese Seigfried, Brooklin Routt and Remi Roce. The five exhibiting artists offer a wide range of conceptual approaches and mediums.

The exhibition will be on display through May 1. A reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 9, at the museum. Complimentary appetizers and beverages will be available at the reception. Free parking is available at the Bardo Arts Center parking lot.

To learn more about the exhibition and reception, visit arts.wcu.edu/mfa-26. To see BAC’s full calendar of events, please

• Dillsboro Makers Market will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at 31 Front Street in downtown. Hosted every first Saturday of the month (April-November), the market features an array of local artisans. For more information, email jcgep@jacksonnc.org.

• “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee. On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop. For more information, visit motcp.org.

• Dillsboro Glass Arts Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28, on Front Street. Live mobile glass blowing and lampworking demonstrations by premier regional artists. Beyond the demonstrations, you can browse and purchase one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces from a variety of glass art vendors, find creative fun at the kids’ activity tent and enjoy a selection of local food/craft beer. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit dillsboronc.org.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host “ArtWorks” at 1 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Come create your

visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call 828.227.ARTS. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. A work by Reese Seigfried. Courtesy of

own masterpiece. The materials for art works are supplied, and participants are welcome to bring ideas and supplies to share with each other. Ages 16 and up. Space limited to 10 participants. Free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 / vroberson@fontanalib.org

• CRE828 (Waynesville) will offer a selection of art classes and workshops at its studio located at 1283 Asheville Road. Workshops will include art journaling, watercoloring, mixed media, acrylic painting and more. 828.283.0523 / cre828.com.

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

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

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

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

On the table

• 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/ranchevent.

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

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

ALSO:

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host semi-regular tap-takeovers from local and regional breweries on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / blueridgebeerhub.com.

• “Flights & Bites” will be held at 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. There will also be a special Italian wine dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. 828.452.0120 / waynesvillewine.com.

• “Take A Flight” with four new wines every Friday and Saturday 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 on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal and more. There will also be a special “Carolina Moonshine” train on select dates. 800.872.4681 / gsmr.com.

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.

p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.246.9320 / facebook.com/brbeerhub

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Karaoke Night” 9 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia” 7 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Jam” 10 p.m. Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows are located in The Gem downstairs taproom and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 / boojumbrewing.com

• Breadheads Tiki Shak (Sylva) will host “Tiki Trivia” at 7 p.m. every other Thursday of the month, The Loverfaces & Gulf Of Mexico 10 p.m. March 28 and Steve & The People

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

866.526.8008 / oldedwardshospitality.com

• Folkmoot Friendship Center (Waynesville) will host “World Drum Classes” every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults, free) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages, free), “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month (free) and semi-regular live music monthly. 828.452.2997 / folkmoot.org.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Jazz On The Level” 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Couple Of Wanderers 5:30 p.m. March 26, “Trivia Night” March 26, Frances Eliza March 27, Bo Bullman (country gold) March 28 and

Three Dog Night returns to Harrah’s

Legendary classic rock act Three Dog Night will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee.

Between 1969 and 1974, no other group achieved more Top 10 hits, sold more records or filled more venues than Three Dog Night. The iconic ensemble is beloved for its signature melodies, including “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “One,” “Shambala” and many more.

Tickets start at $44.20 per person. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• 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.), “Trivia Night” 6 p.m. Tuesdays and “Karaoke Night” 7 p.m. Thursdays. 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 a special “dinner and a show” with Anya Hinkle & Libby Weitnauer (Americana/folk) 6 p.m. April 17 (tickets are now available). 828.283.0145 / thebalsammountaininn.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host “Music Bingo Night” 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, The Blue Mountaineers (Americana/bluegrass) Thursdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. All music starts at 5

Pleasers 10 p.m. April 4. 828.307.2160 / breadheadstikishak.com.

• Cataloochee Ranch (Maggie Valley) will host Marc & Anita Pruett (Americana/bluegrass) March 25 (and April 8), Alan Edwards (Americana/indie) March 29 and Hill Country Band (bluegrass) April 1. All shows begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Admission is $25 per person. For tickets and reservations, visit cataloocheeranch.com/ranch-event.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Brent LaCasce (jazz piano/vocals) 7 p.m. April 3. Reservations highly recommended ($10 per person minimum food purchase). 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 Kaira Ba (world) 4 p.m. April 12 ($15 adults, $7.50 kids). 828.369.4080 / coweeschool.org/music.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host “Music Bingo” 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. 828.634.0078 / curraheebrew.com

• Higher Rock (Waynesville) is currently seeking singer-songwriters for the new venue, which is expected to open in April. If interested, contact Cyndi Sullivan at 704.579.0482 or email cyndisullivan1969@gmail.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 Logan Ledger (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. March 26 ($41.84 per person, tax included). 828.526.2590 / highlandermountainhouse.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host “Monday Night Trivia” every week, “Open Mic” 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

Three Dog Night will play Cherokee March 27. File photo

Mike Hollon (singer-songwriter) 3 p.m. March 29. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 / froglevelbrewing.com.

• Frog Quarters (Franklin) will host live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays with Burningtown Bluegrass Gospel Band March 28. Free and open to the public. 828.369.8488 / littletennessee.org.

• Happ’s Place (Glenville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public. 828.742.5700 / happsplace.com.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort (Cherokee) will host Three Dog Night (classic rock) 9 p.m. March 27 and Santana (classic rock) 7:30 p.m. April 4. For tickets, visit caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee.

• High Country Wine & Provisions (Highlands) will host Zorki (singer-songwriter) 5 p.m. April 10. 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 / highlandsdive.com.

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

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

• 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 “Board Game Night” 5 p.m. Mondays, “Music Bingo” 7 p.m. Tuesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, “Open Mic Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Karaoke” March 27 and Canon Tyler (country/bluegrass) March 28. 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 The V8s (rock/soul) March 27. 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 F

Mountain Layers goes Americana

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, April 3, 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 & 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, visit mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

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

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host “Open Mic Night” with Frank Lee every Thursday, Mountain Gypsy (Americana) March 27, Ron Neill (singer-songwriter) March 28, Frank Lee (Americana/roots) 5 p.m. March 29, Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) April 3 and Liz Petty (singer-songwriter) April 4. All shows begin at 6 p.m unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 / mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Mountain Vibes Kava Lounge (Waynesville) will host “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Mondays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.246.9283.

• 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.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host Dr. Iconic (70s/80s tribute) March 28 and Greg Shaddix (Bob Dylan/John Prine tribute) April 4. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org

• Quirky Birds Treehouse & Bistro (Dillsboro) will host Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.586.1717 / facebook.com/quirkybirdstreehouse.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host “Karaoke” 7 p.m. Wednesdays, “Trivia Night” 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, “Open Mic” 6:30 p.m. Fridays, R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) March 28 and Jason Rogers (singer-songwriter) 6:30 p.m. March 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)

Bird in Hand will play Bryson City April 3. File photo

will host “Karaoke Night” on Mondays, “KO/Keith” March 27, Wayne McAllister & Eric March 28, Mike Hollon (singer-songwriter) April 3 and Susie Copeland (singersongwriter) April 4. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.9105 / facebook.com/saltydogs2005.

• Scotsman (Waynesville) will host “Open Mic” the first Wednesday of every month, Bo Bullman (country gold) March 26, TrancEnd (pop/rock) 9 p.m. March 28, Trippin’ Up The Stairs (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. March 29, Bobby G. April 2, Bridget Gossett (Americana) April 4 and Bratfolk (Celtic/world) 3 p.m. April 5. 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 Generations 6 p.m. March 27, Michael Kitchens (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. March 29 and R.A. Nightingale (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. April 3. 828.276.9463 / slantedwindow.com.

• Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Mark Lowry (Christian) 7:30 p.m. March 26. Tickets now available, with seating upgrades offered. 866.273.4615 / smokymountainarts.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.

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

• 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

SEE ON THE BEAT, PAGE 28

Ingles Nutrition Notes

written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

HOW OLD ARE THE EGGS?

Question: How can I tell how old eggs are at Ingles Markets?

Answer: You should see a number on the side of the egg carton. This is known as the JULIAN DATE. The Julian date shows you the year and date those eggs were packed, which would normally be within a few hours of the hens producing them.

The Julian Date starts with January 1st which would be 001. So, if you were to see 26001 that would mean and egg was packed on January 1st 2026 and January 31st would be 26031. Once eggs are packed, they are normally sold for about 4 weeks after that Julian Date, and you might see that listed as a “Sell By” date. Certain eggs always “move” (are sold) faster. Our Laura Lynn eggs come from Northeast Georgia may be laid by hens, packaged and shipped to our warehouse in Swannanoa all within just a couple of days so Laura Lynn eggs may end up at your local Ingles Market in the same week they were packaged.

McGrath, RDN, LDN

On the stage

• 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.

• Peacock Performing Arts Center (Hayesville) will host semi-regular stage pro-

ductions on the weekends. 828.389.ARTS / thepeacocknc.org.

• Swain Arts Center (Bryson City) will host a special production of “Into the Woods” at 6 p.m. March 27-28 and 2:30 p.m. March 29. Tickets are $10 adults, $6 students in advance ($12 adults, $8 students at the door). 828.488.7843 / swainartscenter.com

• Tuscola High School (Waynesville) will host a special production of “The Little Mermaid” at 7 p.m. March 27 and 2 p.m. March 28. Presented by Tuscola High School Stage & Song. The shows will be held at the Tuscola Auditorium, located at 564 Tuscola School Road.

HART presents ‘Ethnically Ambiguous’

A special stage production of “Ethnically Ambiguous” will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 27-28 and 2 p.m. March 29 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Alex McDonald Villarreal shares his hilarious and heartfelt journey of growing up Mexican American, navigating family and carving out a place in the world as an “ethnically ambiguous” actor. Tickets are available at harttheatre.org or by calling the box office at 828.456.6322.

Ready for ‘The Revelry Ball’?

The Smut Oracle and Painted Soul Studios will present “The Revelry Ball” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

This is an immersive Regency-inspired masquerade designed to transport guests into an evening of dinner, gossip and high-society spectacle. The event invites attendees to step into a world shaped by romance, elegance and playful intrigue.

Guests are encouraged to attend in Regency-inspired attire and masks as they take part in an evening of dancing, mingling, live performances and interactive storytelling. Rather than a traditional performance, “The Revelry Ball” is designed as a participatory experience, one where guests themselves become part of the spectacle.

Throughout the evening, attendees will encounter costumed characters, curated

On the beat

on the weekends. 828.526.8364 / theuglydogpub.com

moments of theatrical interaction and the atmosphere of a grand society gathering where every guest has the chance to shine among the Ton.

The event will feature a champagne welcome, evening fare, immersive entertainment and a cash bar, along with a variety of ticket tiers offering enhanced experiences including preferred seating and exclusive VIP accommodations.

Co-created by The Smut Oracle and Painted Soul Studios, two local curators of immersive and book-inspired experiences, “The Revelry Ball” marks the beginning of a new series of literary-inspired events designed to bring storytelling to life through atmosphere, community and imagination.

Tickets range from $125-$425. For ticket information and event details, thesmutoracle.com/events.

unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.482.5573 / thevineyardathighholly.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host “Trivia Night” 7 p.m. Mondays, “Karaoke Night” 8 p.m. Thursdays, with semi-regular DJs and live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 828.456.4750 / facebook.com/waternhole.bar

• Valley Cigar & Wine Company (Waynesville) will host Rene Russell (singer-songwriter) 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Shane Meade & Rob Masten (Americana/soul) March 29 and Jerry Gaff (singer-songwriter) April 4. 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 “Country & Western Night” Tuesdays, “Trivia With Tom” Wednesdays, “Music Bingo” Saturdays and The Brue March 27. All shows and events begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.926.7440 / valley-tavern.com

• Vineyard At High Holly (Scaly Mountain) will host Madison Owenby (singer-songwriter) March 28 and Jordan Denton (singer-songwriter) March 29. All shows begin at 2 p.m.

• 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.

Lazy Hiker welcomes The V8s

Classic rock/R&B act The V8s will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Sylva.

Most of The V8s have been playing in various bands (often together) since 1975. The outcome is one good-time party band. Classic, danceable tunes delivered from old school musicians with feel. On any given night, the band will deliver their smokin’ hot versions of songs by artists such as Otis

by

Lin and pick up a copy. It takes place in the beautiful setting of Cosby, TN where Valerie & Patrick have an inauspicious start after their first meeting. Her family owns a local garden/nursery center and he is a biology/botany professor. Sounds like a perfect match…but are they?

Word from the Smokies

BY HOLLY KAYS FOR SMOKIES LIFE

Artistic duo creates unique interpretations of Smokies scenes

Charlotte Rollman swears she used to be shy.

“I did art so that people would like me,” she said, telling the story of how, as a fourth grader, she once drew money and passed it out to her classmates, who then “really liked me.”

But when John Adkins met the woman who would later become his business partner, shyness was nowhere to be found among his first impressions. One of his earliest memories involving Rollman came after finishing a painting along Little River at Metcalf Bottoms during a Tuesday Painters outing. Both Rollman and Adkins are members of the plein air painting group, which Adkins joined following his post-retirement move to Sevierville, Tennessee in 2019. After laying down his brush, Adkins looked around and spotted Rollman sitting in the river, enjoying the cool water.

“I have stories about this one,” Adkins said, nodding toward Rollman from his seat in the light-filled art gallery they now share in Gatlinburg.

Perhaps the most important story began in 2022, when Rollman, now 78, first approached Adkins about opening the gallery. Adkins, at 73 a lifelong painter who spent his

out instructors capable of inspiring and refining his work, during his working years he could never spend as much time with his paints as he would have liked.

“Then I retired,” he said, “and now I paint some nearly every day.”

For Rollman, however, art was always part of the job description. She began her career as a drawing instructor at Ball State University in Indiana and then spent 12 years working for textile and wallpaper design companies in New York City and Chicago. During this time, she also got serious about painting, with a work-from-home position freeing up time to create paintings that she shared in shows throughout Chicago.

Eventually the company decided that she needed to start reporting to headquarters — so Rollman decided she needed to report to a different job. For three years, she juggled a wallpaper design job with a part-time teaching position at Northern Illinois University. Then she earned a full-time role at NIU, where she stayed until her retirement 30 years later.

career as a pharmacist, had always wanted to have his work in a gallery, but his first foray hadn’t gone very well. He sold only a handful of paintings each of the three years his paintings were displayed at a market in Knoxville, and when Rollman made her pitch, he didn’t feel ready to try again.

“I said, ‘I’m not really sure I want to do this yet,’” Adkins said. “She said, ‘Well, I’m so-and-so age, and if I’m going to do it, I need to do it now.’ So she talked me into it.”

He’s glad she did. Adkins–Rollman Gallery opened in November 2022 on Glades Road in Gatlinburg, displaying dozens of original paintings inspired by the surrounding Smoky Mountains. Adkins was “shocked,” when they sold a combined 94 paintings in their first year, averaging 100 sales annually during their first three years. Nearly all of these paintings were created outdoors — en plein air — with the artists immersed in the scene they sought to portray.

Though Rollman and Adkins often set their easels next to each other, painting the same compelling scenes, their differing techniques and artistic interpretations yield wildly divergent results.

“We can be standing next to each other and paint in totally opposite ways,” said Rollman. “He looks at things differently than me, which is nice because I’m sort of loud and in-your-face with color. He’s nicer, he’s sweeter, he lets you see at a distance.”

Adkins, who uses oils, starts with the darkest darks, brushing the light colors on top to

create detailed, realistic works. Meanwhile, Rollman paints in acrylic, but with an impressionistic style informed by years of watercolor work. She paints color first and draws in details later.

“It’s interesting to watch her paint, because I never know what she’s doing until I see the result,” Adkins said.

“Well, it’s interesting for me to see yours,” Rollman replied. “I think that’s the ‘opposites attract.’ I knew John would be a good partner because of his love for painting, and since he’s been in this gallery, his painting has just blossomed.”

For both painters, art has been a lifelong pursuit, but the journey has led them down markedly different paths.

Adkins began studying art as a teenager but spent his career as a pharmacist. Though the Alabama native has continually sought

Rollman discovered plein air painting while at NIU — and so did her students, who she “made go out and paint with me.” But the bitterly cold Illinois winters curtailed the season for outdoor painting; in retirement, she decided, she needed to live somewhere she could paint year-round. After finding “heaven on Earth” in the Smokies, she moved to Wears Valley in 2016.

Meanwhile, Adkins was developing a plein air passion of his own, stemming from a 1999 workshop he attended at the Nicolai Fechin Institute in Taos, New Mexico. The experience inspired him to help found Plein Air Artists of Alabama in 2006, and he served as the organization’s president for 10 years.

That term overlapped with a time of extreme and sometimes tragic change in Adkins’ life. His wife Ginger died in 2007 following a battle with cancer. He remarried in 2011, and he and his wife Laurie spent their early years of marriage caring for both their parents through the end of life. A 2019 move to the Great Smoky

John Adkins and Charlotte Rollman display their work at their gallery on Glades Road in Gatlinburg, which they opened in November 2022.

Mountains allowed them to start a new chapter together in a new house.

The move also allowed Adkins to reconnect with the passion he’s felt for art throughout his life. Chuckling, he recalls Laurie’s disbelief when she first saw his house in Alabama, walls covered with something like 300 paintings. She might have hoped that opening a gallery would help reduce the inventory, but such has not been the case.

“I also had guilt, because I didn’t want to leave my daughter with all my piles of paintings,” Rollman said. “But it’s made us paint more.”

For every painting hanging on the gallery’s walls, there’s at least one more back in storage — and new works created all the time.

For both artists, the Smoky Mountain landscape is a source of endless inspiration. The mountains, the seasons, the challenge of perfecting the countless shades of green and the bluepurple of distant mountains — taken together, it’s a painter’s paradise.

holds a power she can’t explain. It’s a lifeforce on its own, sustaining and invigorating her with each brushstroke.

John Adkins uses oil paints to render a water scene in the Great Smoky Mountains.

When she paints, Rollman feels not just the beauty of the landscape but also the footprints of those who walked it before her.

“Sometimes when I’m in Tremont I have this sense that the Cherokee have walked this way, they looked at that tree, they saw that stream, and of course in Cades Cove you can feel it everywhere,” she said. “I don’t have people in my paintings, but I make sure there’s a path in the painting where someone could walk.”

Both artists say there’s a transcendence that occurs when they sit outdoors, rendering the view into oil or acrylic.

“A lot of times before I start to paint a painting I will pray, ‘God, guide my hand and help me know what to do,’” Adkins said. “It’s amazing to me that I can do any of this. There’s the training that I’ve done and the painting that I’ve done to get to where I am. But there’s also a part of it that is not of me. It’s in my soul.”

For Rollman, the act of painting itself

“I don’t know how to explain this, but when you’re out painting, and you put it all into the painting, it almost reverses time,” she said. “I won’t say that it happens every time, but there are some times in which I feel so young, painting.”

An expanded version of this story was originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Smokies Life Journal, a twice-yearly magazine that is the primary benefit of joining Smokies Life. To read more stories like this while supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit smokieslife.org/membership and become a Park Keeper.

(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.)

Participants will hike sections of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which runs through Pisgah National Forest. Jim Grode photo

Youth backpacking ministry joins Lake Junaluska

Lake Junaluska and Wilderness Trail, a long-time adventure and backpacking ministry, have joined forces to launch a new satellite program at Lake Junaluska June 6–11.

Based in Troutdale, Virginia, with an office at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, Wilderness Trail has a 39-year history of leading backpacking trips for middle school and high school students in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

in Virginia. Participants in the Lake Junaluska program will spend four nights backpacking in the nearby Pisgah National Forest.

No previous hiking or backpacking experience is required. Participants need only bring a sleeping bag; a full packing list is available at Wtrail.com

The program is limited to 40 participants and the deadline to register is March 31. To register, visit bit.ly/ljwildernesstrail.

Smokies plans prescribed burns

The National Park Service plans to burn approximately 180 acres in Wear Cove Gap (north of Metcalf Bottoms) and 243 acres in Lynn Hollow (near the Top of the World community) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Weather permitting, burn operations may begin as early as March 25 and may continue through March 31. These prescribed fires will help to safely reduce fuels, maintain resilient natural systems and protect communities along the park boundary.

• Gold Mine Trail, from the trailhead. (Steffner Circle) to Cooper Road Trail.

• Cooper Road Trail from Little Bottoms Trail to Goldmine Trail.

• Roundtop Trail.

• Little Greenbrier, Metcalf Bottoms Trail and Little Brier Gap Trail will not be accessible from Metcalf Bottoms or Wear Cove Gap Road.

Both burns will require temporary road and trail closures for visitor and firefighter safety. Planned temporary closures include:

• Flats Road between Bear Road and the park boundary.

• Wear Cove Gap Road (visitors can access Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area from Little River Road).

Visitors and park neighbors should expect to see firefighters and fire activity during prescribed burn operations. Drivers should reduce speed in work zones, but refrain from stopping in the roadways. If smoke is present, drivers should roll up windows and turn on headlights. Fire resources will be staged at neighboring properties out of an abundance of caution.

NCDA&CS announces grant opportunity for value-added processing of agricultural commodities

Applications are now being accepted through April 13 for the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative, which was created to fund and promote the establishment of value-added agricultural manufacturing and food processing facilities in North Carolina. The program includes $4.3 million in available funding to support eligible projects. This initiative was established by the N.C.

General Assembly in the 2023 session and is administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Potential applicants are invited to contact NCDA&CS to discuss proposals prior to applying to determine fitness and for other guidance. Potential applicants are asked to email the Marketing office at ncampi@ncagr.gov

The program is intended to:

• Provide support for agricultural processing opportunities that increase jobs and local tax bases across the state and/or reduce costs and increase profit options for farmers and growers.

• Identify and assess opportunities to increase value-added processing of commodities produced in the state and fill geographic and commodity gaps in North Carolina.

• Market and recruit facilities to fill such gaps

and meet such opportunities.

• Support selected entities with funding for eligible costs necessary to create or expand North Carolina agricultural manufacturing facilities and projects related to increased demand for agricultural products.

The guidelines, application and supporting documents for NCAMPI can be found at ncagr.gov/divisions/marketing/ncampi

Up Moses Creek

BY BURT KORNEGAY

Spring Has Sprung!

For the past dozen years here up Moses Creek, October has brought not only cool temperatures and colorful leaves but swarms of drone-like brown marmorated stinkbugs that try to get inside our house for the winter. I wrote about these invasive pests in the Nov. 8, 2023, issue of the Smoky Mountain News, and how Becky and I turned their unwelcome arrival into a kind of enjoyable hunting season, making lemonade out of lemons, with no limit on how many bugs we could bag.

The only problem is that, during the first warm days of spring, the stinkbugs that survived our fall “hunt” and made it into the house reemerge. A stinkbug is like the family cat that wants in, only to want back out. And for several days in March, we find the stinkbug situation reversed: now they are inside clinging to the doors and windows and looking out.

I always assumed that these survivor bugs had hidden deep inside the house, that is until one afternoon this month when I brought up a sliding screen door, stowed in the basement for the winter, and set it back in the doorway leading out to the deck. Almost immediately an unmistakable odor filled the house, and we saw several stinkbugs on the screen. I quickly lifted the door back out of its track, and when I set it on the deck, a heaping handful of stinkbugs spilled into the sunlight from the door’s hollow aluminum frame. That’s when I realized I’d been wrong: the stinkbugs had not hidden deep in the house. They’d stuffed themselves into the screen door itself. My jostling the door, combined with the warm spring sunlight on it, was drawing them out.

I hardly had the chance to yell, “They’re in the door!” before Becky, my usually easygoing and peaceable wife, who, when she watches a sports game cheers for both sides, came hurrying out with a flyswatter in her hand and started whacking the bugs.

To take advantage of her surprising gung-ho attack, I held the screen door on

edge and began letting one corner drop hard on the deck. Every time I let it drop, a batch of stinkbugs tumbled into sight. And every time a new batch appeared, Becky went at them with vigor. When some of the stinkbugs tried to scoot under her feet, Becky started doing some crazy looking footwork, too. We’ve been married for 46 years, and I didn’t know she could clog like that! I started banging the door to a rhythmic beat, and the faster I drummed, the faster the bugs appeared and the faster

ice cream get-togethers for the family on their eastern North Carolina farm. While the women baked in the kitchen and the men cranked ice cream churns on the porch, we kids had a great time killing the flies coming from the nearby pig pen and a chicken coop. And I can tell you one thing: they don’t make flyswatters like they used to!

But what the modern world lacks in quality products it makes up for in quantity. Becky simply tossed the ruined swatter

Finally still, Becky glanced up at the top of my head and said, “They don’t go for bald.”

It reminded me of the story she once told me about a coworker at Western Carolina University who discovered she had a tick embedded in her scalp: “Her whole body quivered,” Becky said, “and she started yelling, ‘GET IT OUT!’

When I pointed to stinkbugs coming out of the opposite end of the door, Becky called “Switch!” It’s a term she’d picked up in pickleball when two partners need to change sides fast. So, I tilted that end of the door down and she started batting those bugs with pickleball expertise.

Becky swatted and danced.

It wasn’t long before the flyswatter’s thin wire handle was bent into a U, and its red plastic business end was torn. “Cheapass modern flyswatter,” Becky exclaimed. I told her it was made to handle soft, squishy houseflies, not hard-shelled stinkbugs. But I knew she was right.

Back in the 1950s, my grandparents, Mordecai and Bertha Barefoot, would have

Puzzles can be found on page 38

These are only the answers.

and grabbed another.

Brown marmorated stinkbugs,

‘Halyomorpha

halys,’ are invasive insects from Asia. Fred Coyle photo

Then two stinkbugs landed in her hair.

Have you ever seen the dance called “head banging” — where a woman whips her head up and down and back and forth to frenzied music, making her long hair fly? Well, it’s a good thing Becky’s hair is short, because the way her head was whipping every which way, the hair follicles had to do all they could to hang on by their roots.

Then I noticed that the remaining stinkbugs were poking just their antennae out of the frame first and waving them around like little periscopes. They must have sensed the danger. I thought it was kind of cute. But as soon as they poked their heads out for a better look-see, wham went the flyswatter, and off went their heads.

I can’t tell you how many brown marmorated stinkbugs were packed inside the door, but after I’d banged it for several minutes and Becky swatted, both of us needed to catch our breath. Standing in the middle of the carnage, I wondered if there might be stinkbugs inside our other sliding screen door too. So, with Becky positioned at the ready with flyswatter No. 3, I lifted that door out of its track. Then bugs and Becky and Burt went at it again.

And all the while, a cardinal, who had been attacking his reflection in one of the windows, took time off to perch in a nearby tree, as if he were sitting in a stadium, to watch us and sing his fight song.

(Burt and Becky Kornegay live in Jackson County.)

Lake Junaluska switching to summer swim vouchers

Lake Junaluska is now offering a new summer swim voucher instead of its traditional Summer Activity Pass to improve

Lake Junaluska is replacing its Season Activity Pass with swim vouchers that can be purchased in increments of 10 to 50 visits.

swimmers’ experience and value. The new vouchers — similar to a punch pass — can be purchased in increments of 10 to 50 visits, with unused visits rolling over to the next year.

Single day passes can still be purchased for $10 each per person.

Lake Junaluska is offering Early Bird specials to help guests save up to 30% on

vouchers purchased between now and March 31. A 10-visit voucher can be purchased during the Early Bird special for $70, or $7 a visit. A 50-visit voucher would cost $350, which would give a family of four one visit to the pool a week for the entire pool season.

From April 1 through April 30, guests can save 20% on vouchers, with prices ranging from $80 for 10 visits to $400 for 50 visits.

From May 1 through the end of the season, guests can save 10%, with voucher prices ranging from $90 for 10 visits to $450 for 50 visits.

Early Bird Specials may be purchased online at bit.ly/ljsummerswimvoucher2026.

Vouchers can also be purchased at the 10% discount rate at Junaluska Outfitters when the pool opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23, weather permitting.

HCC hosts boater safety courses

Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer four opportunities for boater safety courses in spring and summer 2026. Classes will be offered April 1-2, May 13-14, June 3-4 and July 2930 from 6-9 p.m. on the HCC campus in the Walnut building, room 3312. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification.

These courses are offered for the general public as a community service and are free of charge. There are no minimum age requirements; however, a written exam must be completed without assistance.

Pre-registration is required. Anyone interested in taking a boater safety course must register online in order to attend any session. Course registration may be completed at ncwildlife.org

HCC hosts Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate

Woodsmen’s Meet

Haywood Community College will host the annual Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. Each year, the event is held at a different location, and in 2026, HCC will welcome seven collegiate teams to campus for two days of competitive lumberjack events. This event is free and open to the public.

On Friday, March 27, HCC will welcome students to campus with time for each team to check in, enjoy dinner together and start the competition with academic-focused events.

Saturday, March 28 will feature many events around campus, and is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Market PLACE WNC

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.26E000077-430

Penny Osborne Robinson and Thomas Massie Osborne, having quali昀ed as the Co-Executors of the Estate of Joan McElroy Osborne of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 18 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Co-Executor

Penny Robinson 630 Stamey Cove Road Clyde NC 28721

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000043-490

Patricia Ann Robinson, having quali昀ed as the Executor of the Estate of Arthur David Robinson, Jr. of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 25 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor c/o Grif昀n & Schaefer, P.A. 721 N. Main St. Waynesville, NC 28786

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000111-430

SANDRA BANKS, having quali昀ed as the Executor of the Estate of ROY

BANKS a/k/a ROY SAMUEL BANKS of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 18 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor 505 Meadow Brook Road Leicester, NC 28748

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000068-490

Donna Marie Faber, having quali昀ed as the Executor of the Estate of Marguerite Jean Betts aka Marguerite Jean Faber of Jackson County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 25 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor c/o Coward, Hicks & Siler 705 W Main Street Sylva, NC 28779

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E00136-430

JACOB CARL ROSS, having quali昀ed as the Executor of the Estate of BETTY LEATHERMAN ROSS of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 11 2026, or this notice will be pleaded

in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor 570 Elbert Burnett Rd Canton, NC 28716

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000151-430

Suzanne Inman, having quali昀ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Mary Stiles Inman of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 25 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator 349 Ricky Lane Canton, N.C. 28716

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.26E000090-430

Kathy Lynn Burgin Sisk, having quali昀ed as the Executor of the Estate of Mary L. Burgin of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 04 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Executor PO Box 45 Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Case No.19E000705-430

Nikki Elaine Barnwell, having quali昀ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Illa Faye O’Neil Teixeira of Haywood County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before Jun 25 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

Administrator 84 Whitetail Dr Horseshoe, NC 28742

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Mountain Creek Real Estate

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Rob Roland Realty

• Rob Roland - 828-400-1923

Springdale Realty - springdalerealty.com

• Heather Howell - heather@springdalerealty.com

A

1 Part

5

19

21 Bargain offered by a prosecutor

23 Male horse that's the subject of a novel?

25 Deli meat often on rye

26 Visiting a website, e.g.

27 Sunshine St.

28 Contributed one's share

29 Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon

30 Setting a weekly limit on Mastercard purchases?

33 401, to Nero

34 Water, in Paris

35 Nickel, e.g.

36 Hands, in Havana

37 James Bond's creator, if he had lived on the island of Ithaca?

42 German car company

44 Pulls on

45 Theta lead-in

46 Egyptian -- (cat breed)

47 Current unit

50 "This requires a lot of effort"

52 "You're the Top" composer dishing out servings of food?

58 "You betcha"

60 Persia, now

61 As a whole

62 At the post one formerly held?

70 "Fighting" Big Ten team

71 Cyber-trash

72 Pro trained in trauma

73 Statement after a female jungle cat gains a lot of weight?

77 Include as a bonus

Bug planter

Internet investing site

Burkina --

Squid ink, for example?

One- -- (short play)

Foot bottom

"Well, I'll be!"

Lace up, e.g. 100 The stress of being a trailblazer?

105 Opposed to, in Westerns 107 They stagnate during recessions

Old Glory's nation

"Scandal" creator Rhimes 111 Be physically intimate

Extra things seen eight times in this puzzle? 115 Fawned over

Blue-eyed cat

-- & Chandon (Champagne)

Short sleeps

Hosp. areas

Major forgetfulness

Within: Prefix

1 "The Living Daylights" actress Maryam 2 Resolved, as difficulties

Angry rebukes

Newswoman Roberts

Fawn over, with "on"

ANSWERS ON PAGE 34

Pets

BLACK & WHITE CAT, BASHFUL 8 yr old male; calm and reserved but also curious, sweet, and loving. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org

ANGELA, Hound mix — reddish brown. 4 yrs old; 55 lbs. Energetic, playful girl; would love to keep working on training. Asheville Humane Society (828) 761-2001 adoptions@ashevillehumane.org

Real Estate Announcements

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SUDOKU

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Wanted to Buy

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