On Nov. 6, 2024, Swain County voted to allow the on-premises sale of wine and malt beverages. Prior to the 2024 election, businesses inside of Bryson City city limits were allowed to sell alcohol. This decision has shown Swain County residents’ trust in business owners to safely and responsibly sell alcohol. This trust has given […]
Why Rush: The stigma behind Greek life
March 30, 2020 by
According to the American Freshman, a survey done through the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, as of 2018, 12% of incoming university students reported having a high chance of joining a fraternity or sorority. This is a 1% increase from 2015. On Western’s campus alone, there are 13 active fraternity chapters and eight active sorority […]
Jekyll and Hyde: A survivor’s tale of domestic violence
September 6, 2018 by
The names of our sources were changed to protect their anonymity. She knew him before the drugs and the alcohol. She fell in love with the star basketball player with the world at his feet. All too quickly he turned into this person she had never seen before, pressuring her into partaking in hard drugs […]
Storyteller reflects on county moonshine history
June 16, 2017 by
This story was originally published in The Sylva Herald. Although you’re not likely to stumble across illicit moonshine stills in Jackson County today, 50 or 60 years ago, you stood a better chance. Jackson County once played a starring role in regional moonshine production. It served as a hub for making and bootlegging the illegal liquor, according […]
Jackson Police educates students on alcohol awareness
April 15, 2016 by
“The Batmobile” was parked at the Forsyth parking lot on April 14 and Jackson County police officers were talking to students about drunk driving. “We want to raise the awareness of the consequences of alcohol violators, so hopefully we see less people coming through our checkpoints, getting in accidents, and getting stopped,” said Lieutenant John […]
A lesson for a safe spring break
March 19, 2015 by
“Have you ever driven a car drunk?” “Have you ever been the passenger in a car with someone who was driving drunk?” “Have you ever killed your three best friends in a car wreck?” These were some of the beginning questions that Mark Sterner asked the 450 students who were in attendance to hear him […]
