Clock tower rings in Christmas for Cullowhee

As finals have begun to rain down on the students of Western Carolina, Chancellor Kelli Brown and her husband Dennis Brown spread some Christmas cheer by hosting WCU’s 4th annual Holidays on the Plaza festival. For a night of seasonal celebration the evening of Dec. 5, dozens of students gathered around the main square of […]

N.C. amends constitution language regarding citizenship

North Carolina House Bill 1074, or Citizens-Only Voting as it appeared on ballots, passed into law Nov. 5, earning 78% of NC votes. North Carolina House Rep. Destin Hall (R) introduced the bill in May of this year. The bill also appeared in varying forms on eight state ballots across the U.S. The amendment changed […]

North Carolina remains red. Democrats keep the governor seat

The 2024 election saw many offices and seats trade hands in what was certainly a divisive election. WCU communication students produced live, hyper-local coverage of the election from multiple counties in Western North Carolina. Their live broadcast brought updates from Jackson, Haywood, Macon and Swain counties, as well as thorough in-studio coverage. Our reporters said […]

Election day in Western North Carolina

“I think it’s our constitutional right to vote and decide who we want to be our next president,” said Amy Bollinger, a Jackson County voter. Immigration, abortion and the economy are just a few issues that concern voters this election. Voters in Jackson County feel very strongly about coming out to voice their thoughts and […]

Early voting saw record turnout. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5

Despite the Homecoming festivities, tailgating and home game WCU polling place saw a steady trickle of voters on the last day of early voting Nov. 2. By closing time at 3 p.m. over 2,900 people voted at WCU polling station the highest since the polling place opened in 2016. In Jackson County 17,502 registered voters […]

From graduation to elections: Adam Byrnes prepares for fourth election as director

It was three weeks after Adam Byrnes graduated from Emory University that he became the director of the Board of Elections in Swain County. “[The job] was daunting at first, but I don’t think because of my age,” Byrnes said. “But in a field like this you get experience quickly out of necessity as much […]