News

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.

Two more Covid deaths, community spread still high

Swain County’s death toll from COVID-19 is now at 21 people, including two additional deaths this past week. Like much of the United States and particularly the South, community spread is high in Swain County as the Delta variant continues to spread among the unvaccinated.

Covid disrupts sports schedules, community events

Given the past year and a half, every  student athlete and fan is having to be adaptable as the pandemic has wrought havoc on scheduling.

TDA pays tribute to fallen soldiers

The Swain County Visitor Center and Heritage Museum set up a touching tribute this week for the 13 soldiers killed at the Kabul Airport attack in Afghanistan on August 26. The display included the photo and name of each servicemember with a candle lit in their honor.