Early voting open in municipal non-partisan elections

Early voting is now open in North Carolina for the 2025 municipal election season. Early voting will run until Nov. 1. During municipal elections, voter choose officials to represent them in their local governments, including mayor, councilpersons and board of commissioners. “Local elections have the greatest impact on citizens’ day-to-day lives, so it’s important to […]

No Kings protest shuts down downtown Asheville

Downtown Asheville filled with demonstrators for the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18, as part of a nationwide movement opposing the Trump administration and what many perceive as authoritarian leadership. Organized by Indivisible Asheville and the Western Region NC Poor People’s Campaign, the event drew thousands to Pack Square Park. No Kings protests were […]

War guilty in mock trial at Appalachian Women’s Museum

In an outdoor courtroom featuring war itself as the defendant, War was found guilty on all eight symbolic charges. A mock trial held on Oct. 7 at the Appalachian Women’s Museum in Dillsboro, where Western Carolina University students, faculty and community members gathered to debate the ethics and consequences of armed conflict. The event was […]

New state law requires phone policies in classrooms

Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Oct. 8 edition Over the summer, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill that mandates all local boards of education create a phone policy for their districts.  NC House Bill 959, approved on July 1, includes the minimum standards for these phone policies. This includes limiting student […]

The career fairs at WCU bring over 800 students and 100 employers at Ramsey

The Ramsey Center on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. was packed to the brim with WCU students and potential employers that came to the Career Fair. The event was organized by the Center for Career and Professional Development with around 100 businesses, public organizations and schools participating in the first career […]

NC Senate bill impacting local elections

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 […]