Aarik Long

19 hours ago | themountaineer.com | Aarik Long

A Haywood County man will spend nearly four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to dealing methamphetamine. Kelly Woodrow Ross, 64, of Canton, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. It became a federal case because Ross was on federal probation after pleading guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2022.

20 hours ago | themountaineer.com | Aarik Long

Big Lots is back in Haywood County. After closing earlier this year, the location on Russ Avenue re-opened on Thursday. It is one of more than 219 Big Lots stores that have re-opened in the United States to date and one of 70 in the current wave of restarts. Big Lots initially announced plans to close all 870 of its stores nationwide — making Waynesville one of only a quarter that will survive. With the restructuring, North Carolina will be the state with the greatest Big Lots presence.

20 hours ago | themountaineer.com | Aarik Long

The annual Drawdown at Pisgah High School saw another successful year — breaking records for the second year in a row. The event is held annually by the Pisgah Athletics Booster Club to raise money for the organization to invest in the Bears’ various teams. Last year, the event generated a profit of $51,000. This year, that total is north of $55,000. “This was a record year on a number of levels.

20 hours ago | themountaineer.com | Aarik Long

The Waynesville Middle girls soccer team completed a historic season, finishing undefeated and as conference champions. “After getting to the championship and losing last year, we were super determined to get back this year,” said Waynesville Middle Coach Bethany Brown. The season was capped off with a 2-0 win over Brevard — the team that beat them in the title game last season. “That made it even better to beat the team we lost to last year,” Brown said.

3 days ago | yahoo.com | Aarik Long

Jun. 4—Resiliency. It's a word that has defined Haywood County's easternmost town, particularly over the last few years. Between catastrophic floods only three years apart and the closure of the town's mill, folks from Canton have faced it all. While the whole town has faced those struggles, this year's graduating class from Pisgah High School has been particularly challenged. While struggling to get through high school is difficult enough, having these disasters thrown on top only made it tougher.