DA declines to prosecute SRCA interim director

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of stories on Haywood County’s public charter school, Shining Rock Classical Academy, which has been beset by a host of academic and organizational problems since opening in 2015.

Two weeks after holding an illegal meeting to dismiss parent grievances against Shining Rock Classical Academy Interim Head of School Joshua Morgan, the charter school’s board found itself facing questions from parents who want to know what, exactly, is going on at the troubled school. 

Haywood takes precaution amid measles outbreak

As public health officials continue to monitor the measles outbreak across the nation, Haywood County Schools will be taking more precautions during the next school year to ensure the outbreak doesn’t impact the student population. 

Grievances filed against Shining Rock interim head

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories on Haywood County’s public charter school, Shining Rock Classical Academy, which has been beset by a host of academic and organizational problems since opening in 2015.

As Shining Rock Classical Academy now searches for its third head of school in just four years, Interim Head of School Joshua Morgan has emerged as a leading candidate for the job.

A group of concerned parents don’t think Morgan should be the next head of school, or even working in education at all. They say he’s a bully with anger management issues who physically intimidates students and recently placed one in a martial arts hold.

Planning underway for Cullowhee’s future

Development of a plan to guide Cullowhee’s future is now underway, with a three-day marathon of activities held April 22-24 gathering feedback from the community toward a draft small area plan for the community. 

Macon, Jackson funded for school health centers

Macon County Schools will be setting up a school-based health center at South Macon Elementary School soon thanks to a $150,000 community health grant from the state Office of Rural Health. 

Jackson County settles with student housing developer

Plans for a proposed housing development on South Painter Road in Cullowhee will proceed following the Jackson County Commissioners’ decision to accept a settlement agreement with Atlanta-based Mallory and Evans Development LLC.

HCC lumberjacks claim first place at Woodsmen’s Meet

The Haywood Community College timbersports team claimed first place at the Mid-Atlantic States Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet held at the Haywood County Fairgrounds this past weekend. 

HCC student Darby Hand took first place in the STIHL Timbersports Collegiate Series Mid-Atlantic Qualifier. As a result, he will compete in the U.S. Collegiate Championships in Milwaukee in late July. Following HCC, Penn State Mont Alto came in second place and Montgomery Community College came in third.    

HCC offers free tuition to needy Haywood students

Financial aid and scholarships are a great way to pay for college, but not everyone qualifies. For those who do, financial aid doesn’t always cover the full cost of tuition, making it harder for some to break the cycle of generational poverty through education. 

‘She just slipped through our fingers’

Editor's note: some names in this story have been changed to honor a request from the family of the deceased. 

At 13, Tuscola High School freshman Zemra Teuta was like almost any other American teenage girl — she liked popular music, boys, hanging out with friends and chatting on social media. 

Zemra, however, wasn’t like every other teenage American girl. She was different. 

WCU athletics on the upswing

Randy Eaton isn’t a fortune teller, but the Western Carolina University athletic director sees a winning future for WCU teams. 

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