Cory Vaillancourt

Haywood County's board of commissioners will remain a 5-0 Republican majority for at least the next two years. Haywood County government photo

A coalition of Haywood County community organizations, quasi-governmental institutions, local businesses and private individuals have stepped in

In recognition of the exceptional public service provided by a trio of radio stations during Hurricane Helene — when nearly all other communication infrastructure had failed — the Town of Canton has named them grand marshals for the annual downtown Christmas parade. “When we lost cell communication...

The Town of Canton’s temporary operations hub on Summer Street, home to town hall and the police department since shortly after deadly flooding in 2021, is about to get a little bigger. On Nov. 14, Canton’s governing board approved a lease between the town and the owners of two parcels just ea...

Haywood County Emergency Management Coordinator Zack Koonce briefs commissioners on storm recovery on Nov. 18. Haywood County photo

President Joe Biden (center) meets with North Caroline Gov. Roy Cooper (center-left) and a group of Western North Carolina leaders, including Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers (far right). White House photo

From dogs and cats to snakes and ferrets, the disaster caused by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina created a crisis in the already stressed animal welfare community. In some cases, people have had to give up pets on a hopefully temporary basis until they could secure stable housing. Inside is a look at one such case and a Haywood County animal rescue helping to ease the burden. Cory Vaillancourt photo

After decades of paying for hurricane recovery operations along the North Carolina coast, Western North Carolina taxpayers finally had a reason to ask the rest of the state to return the favor in the wake of Hurricane Helene. On Dec. 11, the rest of the state answered with a resounding “no.” Senate...

Gov. Roy Cooper, seen here at the historic Haywood County Courthouse in 2022, has left an indelible mark on the Tarheel State over his 40 years in public service. Cory Vaillancourt photo

T wo weeks after an unusual meeting where Commissioner Terry Ramey was told to resign over lies he helped spread about the post-Helene housing situation in Haywood County, the other four commissioners made clear they weren’t in the mood for any more shenanigans — removing one woman from the meeting, refuting more lies and even using a little bit of poetry from a cherished Western North Carolina scribe to keep things on track.