Rain could not stop outhouses from taking to the slopes on Feb. 15 in the 18th Annual Great Sapphire Outhouse Race. Around 20 teams showed up to race. Many of the teams were repeat participants, updating their outhouses each year to try to better their chances of winning. Despite the heavy rain, a crowd […]
Work session brings students and staff to speak up for the Jackson Community School
February 20, 2025 by
The Jackson County Board of Education held a work session on Feb. 11 to hear the opinions and questions of students, staff and community members at Jackson Community School. School Superintendent Dana Ayers brought up the future of the school two months ago, citing decreased enrollment and financial needs. For JCS to remain at its […]
Executive orders from Trump have shaken LGBTQ community at WCU
February 20, 2025 by
While some changes came as no surprise after President Trump took office, others have been put in place more quickly than anticipated. Executive orders are impacting the LGBTQ community and the queer community at Western Carolina University has something to say about it. Ash Haight, a creative writing graduate student at WCU shared her thoughts […]
JCPS sports complex to get a face lift
February 13, 2025 by
The Board of Education included all around improvements to athletic facilities around Smoky Mountain High School as one of their priorities in the meeting. The improvements include an expansion of the track from six lanes to eight lanes, a new field house with weight rooms and locker rooms for both male and female athletes, construction […]
Jackson County Board of Education details plan of new middle school and renovations to elementary buildings
February 13, 2025 by
A version of this story was originally published in the Sylva Herald Feb. 13 edition The Jackson County boards of Commissioners and Education held a joint meeting Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Southwestern Community College’s Burrell Building. Superintendent Dana Ayers led the discussion over various facelifts that many Jackson County schools will see in the upcoming […]
Apodaca floods amid classes
February 13, 2025 by
Around 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, Bonnie Ross, the Facility Management Housekeeping Department Manager, received a call from Chris Ammons about flooding on the first and second floors of the Apodaca Science Building. Ross was notified about a mechanical room causing leakage toward the backside of the building on the second floor that was seeping […]
