Smoky Mountain News

Smoky Mountain News is a complimentary weekly publication located in Waynesville, North Carolina. It is available for readers in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties in the state.

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

3 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.
'Equal opportunity offender:' Community defends FRL amidst Jackson’s possible withdrawal

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Hannah McLeod

Commissioners listened to residents but had no discussion regarding county libraries and the Fontana Regional Library system. A new agreement between the three counties that make up the Fontana Regional Library system — Jackson, Macon and Swain — had been reached in November, signaling what was thought to be the end of almost two years of controversy over the merits of the regional library system and libraries themselves.
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.
How did we do it: Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Garret K. Woodward

“It was sort of a recalibration,” Sharp said of the performance. “When the Rangers play a show, everything’s tight and arranged. But, with this, everything is brand new. You don’t really know how these songs will work live or where they’re going to go [musically].” The “Rangers,” as in Steep Canyon Rangers, the Grammy-winning group that Sharp founded 25 years ago in the dorms while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Damage is done: Macon to make changes following damage caused by debris removal

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Hannah McLeod

Outdoors Latest Damage is done: Macon to make changes following damage caused by debris removal Over the last few months, Maconians have sounded the alarm on what they see as excessive debris removal in the county’s waterways.
Word from the Smokies: All hands on deck to rehab a rugged Appalachian Trail section

1 week ago | smokymountainnews.com | Holly Kays

Somewhere after 2 p.m. on a sunny Wednesday in mid-March, the chaotic wind of a descending helicopter whipped the calm skies above the Appalachian Trail near Icewater Spring Shelter. Four people — two Smoky Mountains Hiking Club volunteers and two Appalachian Trail Conservancy employees — waited at the intersection of the Boulevard and Appalachian trails, watching the bundle of black locust logs suspended below the chopper come to a gentle rest in the small forest opening.
Settlement reached in Cherokee County police involved shooting case

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Kyle Perrotti

More than two years after he was shot by Cherokee Indian Police Department SWAT Team members, Jason Harley Kloepfer has reached a $10 million settlement with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee County, ending any chances of what was shaping up to be a difficult and complicated federal trial. Many details of the settlement aren’t yet known, but according to a release from Cherokee County, $5 million of that sum will come from the Eastern Band and $5 million comes from the county.
Following Helene, Big Pillow Brewing crafts its next chapter

2 weeks ago | smokymountainnews.com | Garret K. Woodward

“It feels great to see all these smiling faces,” said Chris Donochod, co-owner of Big Pillow. “And things are starting to feel a little more familiar again.” Just about eight months ago, floodwaters from Hurricane Helene bulldozed through the mountains of Western North Carolina, with Hot Springs (population: 538) smack dab between the French Broad River and Spring Creek. Both bodies of water ripped through the community, destroying most of downtown in the process.