News

Local hospital system averaging 12-15 Covid patients

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com   Clinical Hospital Pharmacist Kayla Mullinax works at Swain Community and Harris Regional Hospital.

Tensions high at September Board of Education meeting

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com   Swain County Board of Education met for a regular meeting Monday, Sept. 13. Among decisions were a minor mask mandate change and $1,000 bonuses for school employees.

Council keeps status quo on same sex marriage ban

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com   Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council voted to keep a 2014 same sex marriage ban on its books during its meeting held last Thursday, Sept. 9.

Swain EMS responding to about 3 Covid calls a day

Editor’s note: This is the first story of a series interviewing those on the front lines of the pandemic.   Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.

Federal jury finds Swimmer guilty of second degree murder

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville convicted Shane McKinley Swimmer,            21, of Cherokee, N.C., of second degree murder late yesterday, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Chief U.S.

Housing developments being impacted by moratorium

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com   Given Bryson City’s sewer system is now on a extension moratorium, it leaves any developments that haven’t already been engineered and approved in limbo.

Heavily armed felon arrested

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com   This past Saturday, Swain County Sheriff’s Office deputies performed a license check on Highway 19 in Ela, when a vehicle approached the check, quickly turned and sped away.

Overlooks looking overgrown

Jessica Webb editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com   There is nothing quite like a view of the Appalachian Mountains in autumn; surely it is a driving factor for tens of thousands of visitors to WNC every year.

University professor makes annual fall color prediction

Cullowhee – Beverly Collins, Western Carolina University’s fall color forecaster, announced her bold predictions this week that leaf looking season this year will be pleasant and reasonably colorful in the region.

Local businesses contend with inventory shortages

Hannah Styles hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com   Local businesses are feeling the continued effects of the pandemic with inventory shortages.