Becky Johnson

Waynesville

Reporter at The Mountaineer

Writer and Reporter at Freelance

Articles

Earthquake felt across Haywood County Saturday morning

5 days ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

An earthquake rolled across Haywood County and surrounding areas of WNC around 9 a.m Saturday, May 10. The earthquake lasted for several seconds and rattled homes — startling many as they processed what was happening. The earthquake's epicenter was in Greenback, Tennessee, south of Knoxville. It registered a 4.1 on the Richter scale, according to the U.S. Geological Service. The USGS initially reported the earthquake as a 3.5. However, it was upgraded to a 4.1 by 9:30 am.
Court trial probes allegations at Shining Rock charter school

6 days ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

Dueling civil lawsuits have landed Shining Rock Classical Academy charter school in the crosshairs of an emotional court trial in Haywood County. On one side, parents, former staff and a former board member have portrayed Head of School Josh Morgan as a controlling leader who is unkind to students, creates a climate of fear and rules by intimidation. On the other side, Morgan claims he is the victim of vindictive lies, character assassination and harassment whipped up by a disgruntled parent.
Road block ahead: Waynesville South Main project on hold indefinitely

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Becky Johnson

May 5—The on-again-off-again makeover of South Main Street in Waynesville is off again, prolonging congestion through the commercialized stretch around Walmart and creating uncertainty for the myriad vacant lots that line the corridor. Right-of-way buyouts to make way for the widening of South Main had been scheduled for 2027, with construction slated to begin in 2029. Now, the project has been delayed indefinitely, with a new date to-be-determined.
Road block ahead: Waynesville South Main project on hold indefinitely

1 week ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

The on-again-off-again makeover of South Main Street in Waynesville is off again, prolonging congestion through the commercialized stretch around Walmart and creating uncertainty for the myriad vacant lots that line the corridor. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love Funny Wow Sad Angry You must be logged in to rate. Click any rating to login.
Road block ahead: Waynesville South Main project on hold indefinitely

1 week ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

The on-again-off-again makeover of South Main Street in Waynesville is off again, prolonging congestion through the commercialized stretch around Walmart and creating uncertainty for the myriad vacant lots that line the corridor. Right-of-way buyouts to make way for the widening of South Main had been scheduled for 2027, with construction slated to begin in 2029. Now, the project has been delayed indefinitely, with a new date to-be-determined.
Lottery funding not what it's cracked up to be

2 weeks ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

When Haywood County Schools Superintendent Trevor Putnam got a call asking the school system to be featured in a commercial promoting the N.C. Education Lottery, he couldn’t believe his ears. Lottery promoters wanted school systems to share stories about how helpful lottery funding is. “The commercial had folks saying ‘Golly, we are so thankful for the lottery paying for our after school, paying for our maintenance, and paying for our custodians,” Putnam said.
Policing abandon properties in Clyde post-flood poses a challenge

3 weeks ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

With entire blocks of Clyde deserted along the Pigeon River after Helene flooding, extra precautions have been put in place to keep out opportunistic ne’er-do-wells. “There’s nobody living in the houses, so at nighttime there’s nobody down through there,” said Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Sgt. Kenneth Stiles. Opportunistic thieves have seen dollar signs in the copper pipes and wiring that can be stripped out and sold as scrap.
The word 'psilocybin' won the Kiwanis Spelling Bee

1 month ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

Editor’s note: Words in italics were among the evening’s spelling words. On a warm spring evening, there was fiery competition brewing at the 11th annual Kiwanis Adult “No Sweat” Spelling Bee, held April 4 at Waynesville First United Methodist Church.
School budget can't be squeezed any tighter, superintendent says

1 month ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

Haywood County Schools face a litany of budget challenges but won’t be cutting next year’s budget — instead opting to dip into savings to cover the gap rather than compromise on education. The Haywood County Schools system is ranked sixth in the state in academic performance out of 115 school districts, up from seventh the year before. “We have the magic sauce,” Superintendent Dr. Trevor Putnam said. Right behind Haywood County Schools this year was Wake County.
The hunt for rock to repair I-40: test drilling underway in national forest

1 month ago | themountaineer.com | Becky Johnson

A triumphant victory in mining rock for Interstate 40 slide repairs from the nearby national forest was announced by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration two weeks ago — but the reality isn’t quite what was telegraphed by the agency.