Webster Board updated on Givens, Webster Village

Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Sept. 9 The Webster Board of Commissioners meeting opened with an update on Webster Village, a multi-income housing community for seniors in Jackson County, developed through a partnership between Mountain Projects, Inc., Givens Communities and Western Carolina University. Andrew Crosson, Executive Director of Affordable Communities, explained the importance […]

HHS is the new Cullowhee Election Day polling site

The Jackson County Board of Elections voted 3-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, for the Health and Human Sciences building to serve as the official polling site for Election Day. The HHS building on Western Carolina University’s millennial campus will replace the Cullowhee Recreation Center as the polling location for voters beginning Nov. 3. See the […]

Picklefest: Pickling is culture

Bryson City, N.C. – Western North Carolina locals gathered for the second annual Picklefest at Darnell Farms on Sept. 5 and 6. The community came together to celebrate pickles by listening to live music, enjoying pickled foods, and supporting local vendors. The event was inclusive, and admission was free, allowing hundreds to enjoy the festival. The […]

Why are there dead butterflies in the parking deck? 

If you’ve had a WCU commuter parking pass and parked in the parking deck, you have likely seen butterfly wings throughout the stairwells.  In case you have never walked through the parking deck, the wings I am referring to are mainly from the North Carolina state butterfly: the Eastern tiger swallowtail. You’ve likely seen them flying throughout North Carolina (or any part of Eastern U.S.).  Remnants […]

“I Voted” sticker contest recognition

The winners of Jackson County’s 2026 “I Voted” sticker contest were recognized Tuesday, Sept. 1, during the Jackson County Board of Elections meeting. Naomi Pratt, 7, took first place with a design featuring an eagle and red, white and blue lettering that reads “I VOTED.”  “I chose the eagle because there is an eagle at East Laporte,” […]

WCU College Republicans plan to bring candidates and do some cleaning up

The College Republicans at Western Carolina University will have their inaugural meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in the University Center Dogwood Room. Tristin Goode, the leader of the group, wants them to bring Republican candidates to talk about politics and climate change. The College Republicans club was revived in 2025, and Goode is hoping […]