Kyle Perrotti

Chuck Edwards has faced a mountain of calls to withdraw from his reelection bid since a damning House Ethics Committee report was released. Credit: Cory Vaillancourt photo

Current State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom will replace Chuck Edwards as the Republican on the ballot for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District seat. Balkcom was nominated by the district GOP executive committee the evening of Aug. 10 at Buncombe County’s party headquarters. The process began with early morning tweet on Aug. 5, wherein Edwards announced he […]

Jennifer Balkcom, currently a State House representative, won the nomination with an ‘overwhelming’ portion of the vote. Credit: From ncleg.gov

The Fontana Regional Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously during an Aug. 7 meeting to hire Jeffery Hall as the system’s interim director.

High speed and big air were the orders of the day, and Haywood County’s BMX riders were happy to oblige. On Aug. 8, the long-awaited Raccoon Creek Bike Park in Waynesville opened to the public, also drawing people from the surrounding community and beyond to see what all the fuss was about. Dozens of kids and adults of skill levels enjoyed the ups and downs of the Velosolutions pump track and accompanying jump track — some were concerned with speed, some with big air and others just with keeping upright. Don Ramsey, a member of the county finance department, planned the Aug. 8 event as well as the preceding ribbon cutting. As a former employee for the City of Asheville, Ramsey was in the asset management division for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, so he was able to handle the duty. “We started planning probably about six weeks ago when we knew the park was going to be finished,” Ramsey said.

The SMN Xtra: Updates from the Smoky Mountain News throughout the week

Macon County Commissioners passed an ordinance amendment meant to deter data centers from setting up shop. The county’s approach is markedly different from what other Western North Carolina local governments have done.

Members of the public had the chance to tour the ruins of Canton’s out-of-commission paper mill last week for the first time since it shut down in 2023. The tour was organized by Haywood County Commission candidate Vicki Hyatt as part of a series of community events highlighting local points of interest. She advertised the tours in her newsletter and on social media and coordinated the mill tour with leadership from Two Banks Development, LLC, a subsidiary of Spirtas International, the company that purchased the property for $3.36 million. The mill had operated from 1908 until the final whistle in June 2023. It employed generations of Western North Carolinians, providing thousands of families a decent living, but it was also the subject of numerous environmental concerns regarding both air and water quality.

Community stakeholders were invited to see how Canton’s long-term plan will be shaped while also having a chance to weigh in. Credit: Kyle Perrotti photo

Frank Hughes III, left, aims to unseat Sen. Ralph Hise, who is seeking his ninth term. Credit: From electhughes.com and ncleg.gov