As this municipality election season kicks off, a recent North Carolina Senate bill may impact some voters. NC SB 382 covers a wide range of topics, from Hurricane Helene disaster relief to various law changes. Section 3A outlines several administrative changes to Board of Elections processes, including shortening the deadline to cure ballots. When a ballot […]
Whee Life: Mountain Heritage Days recap
October 3, 2025 by
This year, Mountain Heritage Day expanded into Days with a week of fun events for students and community members. Hear more about events that took place during the week including the Hurricane Helene anniversary and Rooted in the Mountains symposium. Mountain Heritage Days co-director Amber Albert also gives us a peak as to what next […]
Board of Education meeting discusses test scores, recognizes students
September 29, 2025 by
Jackson County Public Schools’ test scores are on the rise, with several Smoky Mountain High School students receiving College Board awards for academic excellence. At the Sept. 23 Board of Education meeting, JCPS Director of Testing and Accountability Adam Holt presented the 2024-2025 academic year state accountability data release. This data examines end-of-course exams, ACT […]
Mountain Heritage Day expands into days of celebration
September 7, 2025 by
Last September, Mountain Heritage Day was gearing up for the big 50th anniversary celebration, aiming to be one of the biggest festivals yet. However, just days before the planned events, WCU canceled the event due to Hurricane Helene’s arrival. This year, Mountain Heritage Day is back and bigger than ever with a week full of […]
Local election season kicks off with candidate forum
August 29, 2025 by
A version of this story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Aug. 27 edition.Story produced with Halle Stanley Indivisible Common Ground-WNC hosted a forum for candidates in the upcoming local elections to introduce themselves and answer common questions. Brooklyn Brownie, Joseph Waldrum, Dwight McMahan, Taylor Armstrong, Samuel McGuire and Calvin Autrey are running for town […]
Department of Education changes worry students about future
May 8, 2025 by
Videos produced by Anthony Fowler. With executive orders like “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” the Trump administration has already made many significant changes to the Department of Education. Many of the changes that have been made fall in line with Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership: The […]
