Becki Veach contributed to the story What started as a small Earth Day Festival has now become a celebration of Appalachian culture and spring, turning the 28th annual Greening Up The Mountains Festival into one of the largest single-day festivals in the U.S. “We love coming to these festivals. We try to support local artists […]
Whee Life: Spring arts and entertainment in review
April 24, 2026 by
This week on Whee Life, we’re focusing on arts and entertainment at Western Carolina University. We’ll share details on current campus exhibits, highlight recent performances, and preview events still to come. You’ll hear from Bardo Arts Center marketing manager Rachel Hood, along with student reporters, about standout art exhibits, events at the Bardo Arts Center, […]
Hummingbirds have returned to NC
April 24, 2026 by
Time to refill those sugar water feeders sitting in your garden! The annual hummingbird spring migration to North Carolina has begun. Hummingbird migration generally begins in early March and ends in mid-May. Once here, the hummingbirds will stay until August. Dr. Jeremy Hyman, professor and department chair of biology at Western Carolina University, received his […]
Sun, fun and trash pick up – that how its done during Tuck River cleanup
April 24, 2026 by
The 42nd annual Tuckasegee River cleanup was a success. 592 volunteers picked up around 5,000 pounds of trash from our beloved river and at the same time had fun on the boats and on the ground. Last year’s record of over 7,549 pounds of trash is undefeated because of Hurricane Helene. This year’s Tuck River […]
WCU Field Day: From tug-of-war to victory roars
April 24, 2026 by
Students gathered under clear spring skies on April 17 for a lively field day outside the Rock residence halls at Western Carolina University, where games, music and friendly competition brought the campus community together in celebration of the semesters final stretch. As the school year comes to an end, getting outside and active is a […]
Finding a solution on the childcare crisis in WNC
April 18, 2026 by
A version of the story was published in the Sylva Herald, April 15 edition Working parents don’t have it easy in North Carolina. The state has lost childcare facilities and parents are forced to either bring them to their workplace or work with the employers for accommodations. The economic impact of the childcare crisis and […]
