A version of this story was published in The Western Carolinian and The Sylva Herald Jan. 28 edition New North Carolina House Bill 318, called the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, is requiring sheriffs to work even more closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to the bill, jail administrators would be required to notify […]
JCPS construction projects estimated to be nearly $30 million over budget
January 30, 2026 by
A version of this story was published in The Sylva Herald Jackson County Public Schools’ new building projects and renovations are nearly twice as much as the county had previously allocated. This was the main topic of the regular joint meeting between the Jackson County Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 where no decision was […]
State board of elections closes WCU’s early voting site
January 24, 2026 by
Students will no longer be able to vote at Western Carolina University’s polling place, following the decision made by the State Board of Elections on Jan. 13. Jackson County Board of Elections in December split on the decision to consolidate Jackson County’s polling locations and closing of the early voting site at WCU University Center in a 3-2 vote. Jackson County was amongst a dozen election board counties that […]
Local media won’t bow to threats, lies
January 23, 2026 by
The Western Carolina Journalist is re-publishing the story in support of our friends, partners and mentors for their professionalism and dedication of informing on all things that are happening in our community. By Dave Russell, The Sylva Herald, and Cory Vaillancourt, The Smoky Mountain News The Sylva Herald and The Smoky Mountain News last Friday received […]
MLK March draws a crowd despite cold
January 23, 2026 by
Almost 80 people attended the Martin Luther King Jr. march on Monday, Jan. 19 brandishing anti-racist protest signs as the crowd started from the UC Plaza, past the library, circling past the Apodaca science building, and finally ending at the UC Plaza. The WCU chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha organized the march in collaboration with […]
Sylva Eats: Downtown culinary experience
December 15, 2025 by
Story Produced with Tatum Gordon and Halle Stanley With the year coming to an end and holidays coming, we wanted to talk about something we are passionate about – FOOD! More specifically, restaurants and food served in downtown Sylva. Sylva has a variety of food options to choose from, from brunch to lunch, dinner, and […]
