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Daniel “Danny” Steven Lucas will spend a minimum of almost 19 years in prison for operating a substantial opiate and marijuana operation in Macon Coun...

SCC launches Heritage Arts Endowed Fund Jeff Marley. Over the past decade at Southwestern Community College, serving as Heritage Arts Department Chair has become much more than a fun job for Jeff Marley — it’s a passion. Marley’s desire to see the program continue to flourish is the main reason he recently took steps to create the Heritage Arts Endowed Fund through the SCC Foundation. The scholarship will be used to financially support visiting artists, equipment, travel and salaries associated with the Heritage Arts program, which is housed at the SCC Swain Center. “Unli...

Defer to sheriff on need for jail To the Editor:  There has been a bit of discussion and controversy over the proposal for Haywood County to spend in the neighborhood of $15 million to build a new jail. One of the arguments is that there are other needs that could be addressed for that amount of money. The problem is that some of the arguments don’t address the issue for the need of a new detention facility. Some groups and individuals have correctly pointed out that mental health and substance use disorders appear to contribute to criminal behavior and recidivism. This is partia...

NAACP task force to mentor teachers on equity work NAACP chapters in Jackson and Haywood counties have created a joint task force to help mentor public school teachers who want to learn about racial equity work. The project is possible thanks to a $25,000 grant awarded to the Jackson County branch of the NAACP.  This pilot program grew out of a one-day workshop for Haywood County teachers in November 2019 and a community-based workshop in Jackson County in December 2019 that focused on identifying strategies to achieve racial and ethnic equity in Western North Carolina. Among 25 ke...

Macon Leaders Encourage Vaccine Registration The supply of COVID-19 vaccine from N.C. DHHS to Macon County remains limited at this time and a waitlist was established in late January. Currently, only individuals in Group 1 (Health Care Workers with in- person Patient Contact) and Group 2 (Individuals age 65 and over) are eligible to receive the vaccine at this time according to the NC DHHS schedule. However, Macon County leaders urge residents to register to receive the vaccine regardless of eligibility criteria.   A description of the groups is listed below. In preparation for the...