Op-Ed By DAVID O. BELCHER I had the privilege of presiding over Western Carolina University’s Dec. 16 commencement ceremonies and witnessing the great emotion and sense of accomplishment among the graduates. A point of pride at this December’s commencement was that nearly half of the fall graduating class hails from the 18 westernmost counties of […]
The futures of WCU and WNC – the region it was founded to serve – will forever be inextricably linked
December 18, 2017 by
The basics of Fly Fishing
May 21, 2017 by
This story was co-written with Ashley Kairis Fly fishing is immensely popular in western North Carolina. According to The WNC Fly Fishing Trail, Jackson County alone has more than 4,000 miles of trout streams and is the home of the state record for the largest rainbow trout ever caught. Living in an area that has such a […]
Thousands flock to the Greening Up the Mountains festival
April 30, 2017 by
The 20th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival was April 22. According to event coordinator, Amy Ammons Garza, she’s estimating there were around 1,200 visitors, this is 2,000 more than last year. Garza said the streets of downtown Sylva were very crowded, not even the rain could discourage visitors. “When it rained, I think people went into […]
Family fun day for a good cause – stop bullying in schools
April 28, 2017 by
Sylva’s Mountain Mediation Services is hosting a Bridges to Peace Family Fun Day at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee this Saturday, April 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This carnival-style family fun day is a fundraiser to support upcoming programs to spread awareness and prevention for bullying in schools. During the day, there […]
WNC communities organize Town Hall on healthcare; Mark Meadows plays hooky
April 27, 2017 by
People from 16 Western North Carolina counties and over a dozen organizations from North Carolina’s District 11 gathered outside of the Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville on Sunday, April 23. “Where is Mark Meadows?” was the question on many signs of an estimated 450 people standing outside the courthouse in the heavy rain. Meadows currently serves as […]
Reduce, reuse…now what?
April 27, 2017 by
This story was co-written with Jessica Wooten. Every year, according to a 2015 study, North Carolinians throw away 23.6 billion pounds of trash. That is enough trash to circle the earth twice. It isn’t spite that makes NC residents throw away their recyclables, but ignorance. Ipsos, a market research company, performed a study in 2011 during […]
