Local

Candidate filing set to resume Feb. 24

News Staff

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Staff Reports Candidate filing for North Carolina’s 2022 primary elections, as well as rescheduled municipal elections, will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and end at noon on Friday, March 4, under an order issued Tuesday by the Superior Court of Wake County.

Covid numbers still high in Swain County

News Staff

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com Covid-19 is still heavily present in Swain County between the post-holidays surge and the spread of the omicron variant, which is far more contagious.

Workers with WNC Roofing began work on the roof at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre on Monday. The work is anticipated to be completed in two weeks.

Roof is leaking but sky’s not falling

News Staff

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.

Neil Blankenship

Coach Blankenship hangs up his hat

News Staff

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Staff Reports At noon on Tuesday, Swain County Schools announced that Swain County High School Head Football Coach Neil Blankenship is stepping down. In the statement, Blankenship cited wanting to spend more time with his family, as well as feeling it was time for a change.

Shannon Royce, center, thanked her daughter Kenzie and husband Chris for all their help with opening her personal training studio, Live Life Healthy TOA, during a ribbon cutting ceremony held Dec. 10.

Training for the Older Adult studio opens in town

News Staff

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com Shannon Royce celebrated the opening of her own personal training studio, Live.

Wayne Dickert reads to students during the 2019 summer reading camp. The theme was “Reading Is Out of This World.”

C4C helping Swain students read, succeed

News Staff

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com Any child of 1980s remembers Reading Rainbow, the television program that was all about the wonder of books.

Omicron explodes number of those testing positive for virus

News Staff

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com Like combining baking soda and vinegar for a homemade volcano, the combination of Christmas gatherings and the far more contagious Covid-19 variant omicron, have caused an eruption in positive Covid cases. On Tuesday, Dec.

Businesses in 2021 have struggled with fewer staff people

2021: Top news stories in Swain County

News Staff

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com Real Estate/lack of housing Swain County became a sanctuary in 2020 for those wanting to escape the city during the pandemic but the real estate market just kept booming throughout 2021.

One of the most impressive displays at the Swain County Heritage Museum is the historic log cabin upstairs, which is currently decorated for the Christmas season.

Swain County Heritage Museum and Visitor Center is sharing the county’s rich history

News Staff

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com The Swain County Heritage Museum was the brainchild of former Swain County Commissioner David Monteith who had the vision to build a museum showcasing the county and its people, according to Visitor Center Manager, Rita Jones.

Incoming NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley speaks at the press briefing.

Vaccines, booster shots stressed with arrival of omicron

News Staff

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com Omicron is here, and North Carolina leaders stress caution this holiday season. The latest widespread variant of the Covid-19 respiratory virus, omicron, is making its way into North Carolina. On Monday, ahead of the Christmas holiday, Gov.