Version of the story was published in The Sylva Herald, Sept. 10 edition. Western Carolina students might walk past the small sweetgum sapling near the front of campus without any idea how unique it is. This small tree’s seed has left the planet and orbited around the moon. The Moon Tree, donated to the school […]
Local election season kicks off with candidate forum
August 29, 2025 by
A version of this story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Aug. 27 edition.Story produced with Halle Stanley Indivisible Common Ground-WNC hosted a forum for candidates in the upcoming local elections to introduce themselves and answer common questions. Brooklyn Brownie, Joseph Waldrum, Dwight McMahan, Taylor Armstrong, Samuel McGuire and Calvin Autrey are running for town […]
Payton McNabb’s victim speaks out
May 17, 2025 by
This story was originally published in the Smoky Mountain News and written by Cory Vaillancourt. On May 2, 2024, a brief, awkward moment inside a women’s restroom at Western Carolina University was recorded, uploaded to social media, and sparked a flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars. At the center of the encounter was Payton McNabb, […]
Don’t put your foam in the garbage. Feed Me Foam can do something about it
May 14, 2025 by
You’ve heard of paper shredder, but now meet the machine that shreds Styrofoam and turns it into usable plastic. Meet Audrey, the machine behind the business ‘Feed Me Foam.’Paul Allen, the creator of Feed Me Foam, noted how much space Styrofoam has been taking up landfills and decided to do something about it. His goal […]
WheeLife Episode 7: Environmental edition
May 9, 2025 by
Hear about different environmental stories from around Western North Carolina. We got a behind the scenes of a day-in-the-life of a N.C. Forest Service Ranger based out of Macon County. Greening up the Mountain Festival was at the end of April and the artists from the Green Energy Park showcased some of their art at […]
Department of Education changes worry students about future
May 8, 2025 by
Videos produced by Anthony Fowler. With executive orders like “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” the Trump administration has already made many significant changes to the Department of Education. Many of the changes that have been made fall in line with Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership: The […]
