Early voting is now open in North Carolina for the 2025 municipal election season. Early voting will run until Nov. 1. During municipal elections, voter choose officials to represent them in their local governments, including mayor, councilpersons and board of commissioners. “Local elections have the greatest impact on citizens’ day-to-day lives, so it’s important to […]
Jackson County Municipal Election candidates: Who’s Running This Fall
October 22, 2025 by
The election will determine leadership for the county’s four incorporated towns: Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Forest Hills. The profiles were published in The Sylva Herald. A total of 17 seats across the four municipalities are up for election, including mayoral and town or village board positions. Residents must live within a municipality for at least […]
New state law requires phone policies in classrooms
October 12, 2025 by
Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Oct. 8 edition Over the summer, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill that mandates all local boards of education create a phone policy for their districts. NC House Bill 959, approved on July 1, includes the minimum standards for these phone policies. This includes limiting student […]
Jackson County members hold vigil for Charlie Kirk
September 24, 2025 by
A vigil and remembrance for Charlie Kirk was organized by a Whittie resident and Jackson county GOP treasurer, Kitti Chisholm was held on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Bridge Park in Sylva. Kirk a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. […]
Future teachers brought Appalachian traditions to life at WCU
September 24, 2025 by
From basket weaving to puppet shows, local children discovered the artistry of mountain traditions during Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Week craft demonstrations. Around 150 elementary and middle school students from Jackson County tried their hands at traditional mountain crafts and skills during the field day on Sept. 23 through demonstrations from local craftsman’s aided […]
Reaching to the past with the hands of the future
September 22, 2025 by
Twenty-two WCU elementary education students and volunteers prepare to guide Jackson County 2nd graders as part of a Mountain Heritage week of celebration. The crafts and cultural demonstration for elementary students from the surrounding areas will be on Tuesday, Sept. 23 near the WCU picnic tables. Students of the elementary social studies methods class will […]
