by DJ | Aug 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, written by Carey Phillips The Southern Conference joined most others across the nation last Thursday when the Council of Presidents announced the league will not have fall conference competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference hopes to...
by DJ | Aug 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, written by Carey Phillips Two days after releasing a revised sports calendar for the 2020-21 school year (see story on page 1A), the N.C. High School Athletic Association issued a moratorium on schools scheduling athletic events. The NCHSAA hopes to...
by DJ | Aug 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald Jackson County students returned to school Monday in a year unlike any other. Classes opened with a limited number of students, who are divided into groups A and group B. Each group comes two days per week (A group comes on Monday and Tuesday and B...
by DJ | Aug 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, written by Dave Russell Jackson County COVID-19 cases rose by just 3 percent over the last week. That’s down from almost 40 percent a month ago. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Jackson County Department of Public Health reported 479 cases of full-time...
by DJ | Aug 21, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, written by Carey Phillips There will be no high school sports in Jackson County until at least November, and college sports will be limited at best due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the result of decisions made last week by the N.C. High School...
by DJ | Aug 12, 2020 | Election Central, Legislative Watch
CAMPAIGN MANAGER GRAEME MCGUFFICKE HERE … We are still ironing out some of the details, but I wanted to let you know there will be at least three debates with Madison Cawthorn coming up in early September. We are hoping there will be more. And I think it will become...
by DJ | Aug 12, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
Smoky Mountain News, (Opinion by By Kelli R. Brown, chancellor of Western Carolina University • Guest Columnist) These are uncertain and challenging times. Our communities, our state and our nation are grappling with an unprecedented set of issues that affect each...
by DJ | Aug 12, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
Smoky Mountain News, Written by Holly Kays Seventeen employees at University of North Carolina System schools — including two from Western Carolina University — are suing the university system and Gov. Roy Cooper in a class-action lawsuit demanding a halt to plans to...
by DJ | Aug 12, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Carey Phillips and Dave Russell While the rate of infection is dropping locally, Jackson County has reported three more deaths in the past week from COVID-19. That brings the total to seven since the pandemic started in March. The Jackson County...
by DJ | Aug 12, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Beth Lawrence As students migrated out of other towns and states into Western Carolina University residence halls and student housing, WCU’s Faculty Senate debated a resolution to oppose in-person learning. Upwards of 400 people from staff,...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Beth Lawrence Vecinos, a nonprofit dedicated to meeting healthcare and other needs of Western North Carolina’s farmworkers, has had to change the way it delivers its services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest impact to Vecinos has been the...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald Editor’s note: The Herald submitted a series of questions to Western Carolina University leadership regarding the opening of the school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Below are answers from various campus leaders. The Herald thanks Chief...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Carey Phillips Western Carolina has reported seven student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Meanwhile the Catamount athletic department is waiting for direction from the NCAA Board of Governors and Southern Conference chancellors...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
Stabilizing trends are good but fragile, and now is the time to double down on safety measures Governor Roy Cooper today announced that North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase 2 for another 5 weeks as students and staff return to schools, colleges and...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) today announced its selection of seven vendors to hire and manage over 250 Community Health Workers, who will be deployed in 50 targeted counties to connect North Carolinians affected by COVID-19 with...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has 38 upcoming community testing events scheduled in Alexander, Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, Columbus, Duplin, Graham, Henderson, Hertford, Jackson, Lenoir, Pitt, Randolph, Sampson, Wake and Wilson...
by DJ | Aug 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Dave Russell The Jackson County Department of Public Health reported Monday the death of a fourth county resident related to COVID-19. The individual was between the ages of 65-74 with underlying health conditions. The health department...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
A MESSAGE FROM MOE … I recently moved into a new house in Asheville and have been opening old boxes of memorabilia long stored away. I discovered this picture from my 25-year career in the Air Force, when I served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Southern Watch.There...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates, News
Smoky Mountain News, by Admin United Way of North Carolina launches a statewide survey today to assess how COVID-19 has impacted community members across the state. All North Carolina families are invited to complete the United Way of North Carolina COVID-19 survey...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
Blue Ridge Public Radio, by Lilly Knopp Catamount Athletics says that seven people who have been back on campus for sports training have tested positive for COVID-19. In total 145 people were tested – all student-athletes in sports with permitted summer access...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Carey Phillips Part of Smoky Mountain’s men’s soccer workouts were shut down last week after a player tested positive for COVID-19. Athletic Director Adam Phillips said one pod of 10 players was shut down for two weeks. N.C. High School Athletic...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Kelly Morgan Jackson County’s long-standing food bank and soup kitchen, the Community Table, has faced unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. In an email brief last week, the organization described the adjustments it has made to cope with the...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates, Uncategorized
The Sylva Herald, By Kelly Morgan Face masks, this year’s most notable fashion statement, have been a mandatory part of North Carolina’s dress code for more than a month. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order June 24 stating that retail businesses must have all...
by DJ | Aug 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Updates
The Sylva Herald, By Dave Russell Jackson County COVID-19 cases rose by 22.1 percent over the last week. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Jackson County Department of Public Health reported 376 cases of full-time residents and 8,203 tests reported to the agency. The county...
by DJ | Jul 28, 2020 | 2020 Elections, Blog, Election Central, Legislative Watch
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