Legislation provides some assistance to school nutrition departments

After passing in Congress, President Biden signed the Keep the Kids Fed Act  on June 23, partially extending school meal flexibilities just days before they were set to expire.

Pisgah Legal opens Waynesville office, offers program to help working families

As Pisgah Legal Services continues to grow and better serve its clientele, a key challenge has simply been getting word of its ability to help low-income households out to the public.

Vecinos spearheads services uninsured and low-income residents

Vecinos, a free and charitable clinic providing bilingual primary and behavioral health care in Western North Carolina, is leading a $5.6 million effort to better serve the region’s uninsured and low-income residents by bringing multiple health and social services under one roof.

We can overcome WNC’s affordable housing crisis

I am old enough that my first 1,800-square-foot house cost just $31,000 and its purchase was easily financed on my middle class salary of $14,000. Now I live a comfortable retired life in Asheville, having made an inflation-profit each time I sold a house.

WNC museums

Although the rich history and culture of Western North Carolina is alive and thriving through the hands of our local artisans and performers, there are also numerous museums here preserving and perpetuating the heritage of Southern Appalachia. These buildings each pay homage to the crafts, sounds, and deeply held traditions of these ancient mountains and its people.

Performance Venues

Live music is an important part of the heritage of Western North Carolina. Here’s a listing of venues that regularly have bands in the region.

Songs of Freedom: Local churches 
celebrate Juneteenth through gospel music

On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas were told of their freedom — two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia, and over two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

Walk in their shoes: Event raises awareness for elder abuse

For the tenth year in a row, people will gather in towns across Western North Carolina on the evening of June 15 to raise awareness about elder abuse.

It’s hard not to love where we live 

When I travel and tell someone I’m from Waynesville, a small town nestled in the Smoky Mountains, the comment is always met with awe and excitement.

Are courthouse politics gumming up the system?

When I came back to The Smoky Mountain News after six months away from journalism, one of my first trips was to the Haywood County Courthouse. 

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