Cory Vaillancourt

Maggie Valley

Politics Editor at Smoky Mountain News

Politics Editor @SmokyMtnNews. Seen/heard WaPo/NPR/CNN & elsewhere. Views=mine. Disclaimers=weird. #ncpol #ncga #helene #AVL #NC11

Articles

Botany, beauty and Bartram: The flower hunter's legacy

4 days ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

“How cheerful and gay all nature appears! Hark! The musical savanna cranes, ere the chirping sparrow flirts from his grassy couch, or the glorious sun gilds the tops of the pines, spread their expansive wings, leave their lofty roosts, and repair to the ample plains,” Bartram wrote in his landmark 1791 book, “Bartram’s Travels.” True then as now, Bartram’s astute observations remain foundational to modern understandings of biodiversity and cultural heritage in the Southeast; a botanist,...
Persistence pays off: Pless champions long-delayed infrastructure project

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Latest Persistence pays off: Pless champions long-delayed infrastructure project After more than four years of setbacks, political wrangling and bureaucratic delays, a small but vital infrastructure project in Haywood County is nearly complete — thanks in large part to the persistence of Rep.
Despite illness, Clampitt plans to run again

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

One of the most underappreciated parts of some of the foods we eat is fiber. Fiber can: • Make us feel more full and satisfied. • Help with digestion and gut health. • Reduce "bad" cholesterol Read More
Part of broader effort, Helene recovery bill offers $60M for small businesses

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

From downtown storefronts to rural tradespeople, businesses that form the foundation of Western North Carolina’s economy were upended by the storm — losing customers, revenue and, in some cases, the ability to operate at all. The North Carolina General Assembly’s initial relief measure in October 2024 provided $273 million in aid, establishing the Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund and easing certain regulatory barriers to expedite assistance.
No tax increase in Waynesville budget

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Latest No tax increase in Waynesville budget During a difficult meeting in March, Waynesville’s Town Council was presented with a perfect storm of bad budgeting news. After Council’s most recent meeting, it looks like they’ll weather that storm with only a modest sewer rate increase.
Haywood proposes budget without tax increase

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

“With the mill closing and the flood and everything else that’s happened economy-wise it’s been a tough budget year,” said Brandon Rogers, vice chair of the commission. County Manager Bryant Morehead proposed a $111.9 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026 that maintains the current property tax rate of 55 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, despite rising costs in personnel, education, public safety and capital needs.
Into the hornet's nest: The ‘Meck Dec’ at 250

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Latest Into the hornet's nest: The ‘Meck Dec’ at 250 Every May 20, beneath the proverbial shadows of Charlotte’s modern glass and steel skyline, supporters gather to commemorate what they believe was the first declaration of independence in the American colonies, made more than a year before the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Whether the Mecklenburg Declaration existed at all is still a topic of dispute, but one thing remains certain — more than 250 years later, the idea it...
Pless makes dramatic change to controversial TDA bill

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Latest Pless makes dramatic change to controversial TDA bill Now that it’s been presented to the House Finance Committee, a bill filed by Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless that would have essentially abolished the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority looks much different.
EXCLUSIVE: Payton McNabb’s victim speaks out

3 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Latest EXCLUSIVE: Payton McNabb’s victim speaks out On May 2, 2024, a brief, awkward moment inside a women’s restroom at Western Carolina University was recorded, uploaded to social media, and sparked a flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars.
NC-11 Dems elect new chair

3 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Cory Vaillancourt

Just two weeks after western Republicans elected a new 11th Congressional District chair, their Democratic counterparts have now done the same. Bill Baugh, a microbiologist and political activist living in Buncombe County, was elected chair of the North Carolina 11th Congressional District Democratic Party on Saturday, pledging to rebuild unity across the district and to refocus messaging on kitchen-table issues that resonate in rural Western North Carolina.