Local

SMT photo/ Sara Eisinger. Jamie Bagley and Billy Bagley aka Billy Knight ‘Dixie Dynamite’ hang Wrestling in the Smokies Fest banner at the corner of Everett and Main Street April 5. Great Smoky Mountains Event Park will host professional wrestlers from around the world.

SMT photo/ Sara Eisinger. Jamie Bagley and Billy Bagley aka Billy Knight ‘Dixie Dynamite’ hang Wrestling in the Smokies Fest banner at the corner of Everett and Main Street April 5. Great Smoky Mountains Event Park will host professional wrestlers from around the world.

Wrestling in the Smokies Fest brings pros to the event park

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Former UIW Cruiserweight and UIW Tag Team Champion Billy Bagley aka Billy Knight “Dixie Dynamite” is about to roll 32 years of professional wrestling experience into 11 matches at the Great Smoky Mountains Event Park for the first-ever Wrestling in the Smokies Fest Saturday night.
Submitted photo. Mountain Discovery Charter School seventh grade students Rain (front, left to right), Mia, Maisy, Stella, Gaia and Alaina; (back, left to right) Aaliyah, Sara, Ryver, Trent, Novi, Nasseem, Miracle, Olivia, Vanessa, Olivia and Charlie take to the woods Wednesday, April 2, ending their excursion Friday, April 4. Approximately 150 field trips take place per year.

Submitted photo. Mountain Discovery Charter School seventh grade students Rain (front, left to right), Mia, Maisy, Stella, Gaia and Alaina; (back, left to right) Aaliyah, Sara, Ryver, Trent, Novi, Nasseem, Miracle, Olivia, Vanessa, Olivia and Charlie take to the woods Wednesday, April 2, ending their excursion Friday, April 4. Approximately 150 field trips take place per year.

Camping out

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Seventh grade students at Mountain Discovery Charter School took to the woods Wednesday, April 2, ending their excursion Friday, April 4. As part of the school’s curriculum, students began their three-day, two-night journey on Kuwohi Road and finished at Noland Creek.
Submitted photo. City employees Travis McCall (left to right) and Robbie Holloway install a water meter at Deep Creek last week. The town is currently seeking loans from the Local Government Commission to upgrade its meters.

Submitted photo. City employees Travis McCall (left to right) and Robbie Holloway install a water meter at Deep Creek last week. The town is currently seeking loans from the Local Government Commission to upgrade its meters.

Early design phase begins on Main Street renovation

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Town of Bryson City Mayor Tom Sutton said while Easter weekend traffic in town was a little quite, there is a lot happening in town. “We had a pretty quiet weekend,” said Sutton. “I was a little disappointed by the number of people we have had in town.
Photo/Doug Cochran. Helicopters take off from West Swain Elementary School to fight the Sam Davis Fire Monday, April 21. The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.

Photo/Doug Cochran. Helicopters take off from West Swain Elementary School to fight the Sam Davis Fire Monday, April 21. The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.

Sam Davis fire contained

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
As of Wednesday morning, the Sam Davis Fire is approximately 559 acres and 100% contained. It is four miles from Bryson City. The North Carolina Forest Service assumed management of the Sam Davis Road Fire with Benji Reece as incident commander Friday, April 18.
Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., greets Pope Francis among 300 other newly ordained bishops in Rome last September. Pope Francis, 88, died Monday.

Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., greets Pope Francis among 300 other newly ordained bishops in Rome last September. Pope Francis, 88, died Monday.

Catholics mourn Pope Francis

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Nearly 600,000 Roman Catholic parishioners throughout the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte woke up Easter Monday to learn that Pope Francis, 88, had died. Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., held a press conference Monday morning in response to the news.
SMT photo/Sara Eisinger. Demonstrator hides behind ‘GOOD DOGE, BAD DOGE’ sign during a Swain County Democratic Party rally at the corner of Everett and Main Street Saturday, April 5. The party will hold another public rally on International Workers Day, May 1.

SMT photo/Sara Eisinger. Demonstrator hides behind ‘GOOD DOGE, BAD DOGE’ sign during a Swain County Democratic Party rally at the corner of Everett and Main Street Saturday, April 5. The party will hold another public rally on International Workers Day, May 1.

Rally for Democracy

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Approximately 30 members of Swain County Democratic Party rallied and held a community forum to hear from area business owners at the corner of Everett and Main Street Saturday afternoon. This came just five days after its Rally for Swain Schools event Tuesday, April 15.
Submitted photo. Swain County East Elementary Teacher of the Year Rachael Lewis stands in front of her classroom bulletin board Friday, April 11. Lewis started teaching at Swain County Schools in 2006.

Submitted photo. Swain County East Elementary Teacher of the Year Rachael Lewis stands in front of her classroom bulletin board Friday, April 11. Lewis started teaching at Swain County Schools in 2006.

Rachael Lewis selected as Swain East Elementary Teacher of the Year

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Rachael Lewis was selected Swain County East Elementary Teacher of the Year by a highly secretive write-in ballot process. “I have heard, firsthand, from teachers over multiple years and I think one of the reasons that I was chosen is that I do actually love to teach the students,” said Lewis.
Submitted photo. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women bracelets beaded for Atlanta Braves players by Appalachian Beader David Green at his Bryson City home April 3. Richard Sneed and Gracie Bird were also commissioned to bead bracelets for the Braves team to wear when they face off against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park May 5.

Submitted photo. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women bracelets beaded for Atlanta Braves players by Appalachian Beader David Green at his Bryson City home April 3. Richard Sneed and Gracie Bird were also commissioned to bead bracelets for the Braves team to wear when they face off against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park May 5.

EBCI artists bead bracelets for the Braves

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
When the Atlanta Braves face off against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park May 5, Braves players will sport Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women bracelets beaded by three Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artists —David Green, Richard Sneed and Gracie Bird.
Submitted photo. Swain Middle School Teacher of the Year Heather Herron.

Submitted photo. Swain Middle School Teacher of the Year Heather Herron.

Swain Middle School Teacher of the Year

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
This year’s Swain Middle School Teacher of the Year is none other than eighth grade math teacher Heather Herron. Herron was nominated and voted on by fellow teachers and staff members. “I hope my peers selected me because they see I give my all to our students, school and faculty,” said Herron.
Submitted photo. Ava Albright, Swain High senior, won first place in poetry at Western North Carolina’s 2025 High School Creative Writing contest Tuesday, April 8. Albright’s award-winning poem is called “Where I’m From.”

Submitted photo. Ava Albright, Swain High senior, won first place in poetry at Western North Carolina’s 2025 High School Creative Writing contest Tuesday, April 8. Albright’s award-winning poem is called “Where I’m From.”

Ava Albright wins in poetry

Sara Eisinger
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Ava Albright, Swain High senior, won first place in poetry at Western North Carolina’s 2025 High School Creative Writing contest Tuesday, April 8. Albright’s award-winning poem is called “Where I’m From,” which she wrote for Mr. Cutler’s Creative Writing class.