A version of this story was published in The Sylva Herald Jackson County Public Schools’ new building projects and renovations are nearly twice as much as the county had previously allocated. This was the main topic of the regular joint meeting between the Jackson County Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 where no decision was […]
State board of elections closes WCU’s early voting site
January 24, 2026 by
Students will no longer be able to vote at Western Carolina University’s polling place, following the decision made by the State Board of Elections on Jan. 13. Jackson County Board of Elections in December split on the decision to consolidate Jackson County’s polling locations and closing of the early voting site at WCU University Center in a 3-2 vote. Jackson County was amongst a dozen election board counties that […]
WCU winter weather: Students get a snow day on Monday
January 24, 2026 by
Winter storm Fern is expected to bring snow and ice to Cullowhee, starting Saturday at 1 p.m. The National Weather Service is predicting these conditions to last until Monday and has issued an Ice Storm Warning. To keep students and staff safe WCU made the decision Friday afternoon, Jan. 23 to operate under condition level […]
Local media won’t bow to threats, lies
January 23, 2026 by
The Western Carolina Journalist is re-publishing the story in support of our friends, partners and mentors for their professionalism and dedication of informing on all things that are happening in our community. By Dave Russell, The Sylva Herald, and Cory Vaillancourt, The Smoky Mountain News The Sylva Herald and The Smoky Mountain News last Friday received […]
WCU sets stage for first opera inspired by Appalachia
January 22, 2026 by
Mark your calendars and make weekend plans to see Western Carolina’s first opera performance on Friday, Jan. 23. WCU takes inspiration from Ron Rash’s poetry works of Appalachian history and transforms them into this new medium, filled with drama, human themes—and most importantly song. The weather moved the premier night for “Shelton Laurel: An Appalachian […]
Sylva Eats: Downtown culinary experience
December 15, 2025 by
Story Produced with Tatum Gordon and Halle Stanley With the year coming to an end and holidays coming, we wanted to talk about something we are passionate about – FOOD! More specifically, restaurants and food served in downtown Sylva. Sylva has a variety of food options to choose from, from brunch to lunch, dinner, and […]
