The Sylva Herald

10/09/2025

Group keeps GSMNP open thru Oct. 19, at least; Panthertown Valley fully open

The nonprofit Friends of the Smokies joined Tennessee, Sevier County, Blount County, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville helped pay to fully reopen Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a week during the federal government shutdown.

The park has been fully open and operational since Saturday, Oct. 4, and will be open through Sunday, Oct. 19.

Panthertown Valley remains fully open to the public despite the current government shutdown.

PHOTO CAPTION: A park ranger and visitor look out over the Great Smoky Mountains in this image captured by Hiram Wilburn, Great Smoky Mountains National Park historian.

10/06/2025

Tomorrow's meeting (Oct. 7 at 10 a.m.) of the Jackson County Board of Elections has been cancelled.

10/06/2025

Is your church or organization hosting a trunk-or-treat or other Halloween event? Please let us know by posting below and we'll put together the roundup.

10/04/2025

Looking Back: This week in local history

70 years ago - Sept. 29, 1955
• The Sylva Volunteer Fire Department sponsored a Fire Prevention Essay Contest for all local schools.
• The Gala Pop Quartette from the Metropolitan Opera Company was set to open the Lyceum concert series at Western Carolina College.
• Superintendent Ed Hummel of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spoke of a need for the implementation of gates at the Park’s entrances to reduce traffic jams in Cherokee and Gatlinburg.

60 years ago - Sept. 30, 1965
• Sept. 25 - Oct. 2 was designated as 4-H week in North Carolina, just in time for the Sylva 4-H Club’s Achievement Day.
• NC State agriculture experts supplied information for a new publication by the NC Agricultural Extension Service on proper care of backyard rosebushes.
• Installation of new power equipment interrupted electric service in one-hour increments during early weekend mornings. The new equipment would separate the three towns on the service so that local power outages would not affect all three towns.

50 years ago - Oct. 2, 1975
• Sylva and Dillsboro received $25,025 in State Street Aid funds to put towards maintenance of state roads.
• A new lawyer, Dwight Lowrance Crowell III, was sworn in by Judge Lacy Thornburg and opened a law practice as an associate of Orman L. Hamilton in Sylva.
• Sylva-Webster High School’s marching band was set to defend their title as the winner of the Southeastern Tournament of Bands.

40 years ago - Oct. 3, 1985
• More than 35,000 visitors and 200 craftspersons were a part of Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day. The Penland School of Crafts received the Mountain Heritage Award.
• High Hampton Inn in Cashiers hosted the North Carolina State Christmas Tree Growers Association’s annual convention. Adrian Fowler, a Cashiers tree farmer, won first place in the Fraser fir category of the convention’s contest and was named the Grand Champion in the overall best tree competition.
• Roses store in Sylva completed renovations and celebrated a grand reopening with a mega sale.

30 years ago - Sept. 28, 1995
• A customer of Centura Bank in Cashiers singlehandedly stopped a bank robbery, kidnapping and possible murder by shooting the suspect during the attempted bank robbery. Both of the suspect’s arms were broken, but other than that no major damage was done by the shots.
• Cullowhee Valley School P.E. teacher Frances Mincey was named to receive the Norman Leafe Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award as North Carolina’s representative.
• An art exhibition by Sylva native Jerry Monteith was displayed at the Forum For Contemporary Art in St. Louis.

20 years ago - Sept. 29, 2005
• The Jackson County Cares initiative raised more than $30,000 to be divided between the American Red Cross, Hearts with Hands and the Salvation Army. Representatives from the event’s sponsors, local banks and agencies gathered at the Justice Center for a check presentation.
• The Dillsboro Merchants Association sponsored its third annual antiques fair on Saturday, Oct. 1. The event offered several new features, including two heritage displays, two antique vehicle shows and live entertainment.
• Members of Sylva High School’s class of 1960, the school’s last graduating class, held their 45-year reunion.

10 years ago - Oct. 1, 2015
• The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department hosted a standup paddleboard clinic on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Andrews Campground on Lake Glenville. Participants learned the basic strokes used in operating paddleboards, taught by Western Carolina University students.
• The Jackson County Justice Center installed increased security ordered by Superior Court Judge Brad Letts, who called for a single public entrance near the Register of Deeds office. The upgrades cost more than $100,000 in addition to deputy salaries.

10/01/2025

Harbinger of autumn: Rasslin' for Shop with a Cop.

10/01/2025

09/24/2025

Jackson County Public Schools is currently conducting a safety drill at Smokey Mountain Elementary School.

This drill will not expose students to active shooter scenarios other than the lockdown procedures they practice twice per year.

The drill is to practice how JCPS staff and local emergency services respond to these events. We will notify parents and families once the drill is complete.

09/22/2025

Tree of Hope gathering open to all

Harris Regional Hospital will hold its annual Tree of Hope gathering from 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 in the first-floor lobby of Harris Medical Park, located at 98 Doctors Drive in Sylva.

The gathering offers community members, patients, families, and staff a chance to honor loved ones affected by breast cancer. Attendees are invited to place a card on the Tree of Hope with the name of someone currently experiencing a breast cancer journey, or in memory of someone who has faced the disease.

This year’s event will include remarks from breast cancer survivors, physicians and members of the Harris medical community, creating a meaningful time of reflection and support.

The Tree of Hope will remain on display throughout October, and anyone is welcome to place a card on the tree at any time during the month.

“The Tree of Hope gathering is a meaningful tradition for our hospital and community,” said Ashley Hindman, CEO of Harris Regional Hospital. “It gives us a time to come together, reflect, and honor the individuals and families impacted by breast cancer while also reminding us of the importance of regular screening.”

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, with one in eight expected to be diagnosed in her lifetime.

Early detection through screening remains the most effective tool for improving outcomes. Harris Regional Hospital provides screening and diagnostic mammography services locally, making it easier for patients to access care close to home.

For more information about breast care services offered at Harris Regional Hospital, visit MyHarrisRegional.com/breast-health or call 631-8100. The Tree of Hope event is free and open to the public. Follow Harris Regional Hospital on Facebook for event details and reminders.

The Harris Breast Center program offers a multidisciplinary approach to care and will help coordinate your treatment and provide support.

09/20/2025

Looking Back: This week in local history

70 years ago - Sept. 15, 1955
• Western Carolina College was set to begin classes with record enrollment numbers. It was estimated that over a thousand students were enrolled, with four hundred of those being freshmen.
• Two new church buildings in the county were under construction – a brick chapel for both Shoal Creek Baptist Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church of Sylva.
• North Carolina farms matched their record high for egg production in August, with an estimated 105 million eggs laid by N.C. hens.

60 years ago - Sept. 16, 1965
• Several events were planned to benefit and raise awareness for the local Cancer Crusade.
• Circles Two and Three of the Beta Community Council, along with other members, took a trip to the Toxaway Fire Tower. Several members returned with rattles from rattlesnakes that rangers had killed.
• Scotts Creek Woman’s Missionary Union celebrated its 50th anniversary.

50 years ago - Sept. 18, 1975
• It was announced that around 20 Jackson County families would have the chance to host English teens for three weeks in 1976. In exchange, the same number of Jackson County teens would spend three weeks in England.
• Two local couples, Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Sherrill of Waynesville and Mr. and Mrs. Milas Ward of Sylva, were preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversaries.
• The schedule and list of events were released for the annual Cherokee Fall Festival.

40 years ago - Sept. 19, 1985
• The East LaPorte River Recreation and Access Area officially opened, named in honor of the historic East LaPorte Community.
• Two Sylva-Webster High School seniors were named National Merit semifinalists. National Merit is a scholarship organization that publicly recognizes exceptional students and their academic talents, as well as creating more opportunities for higher education.
• A gallon of whole milk was just $1.99 at Harold’s Galaxy Food Center.

30 years ago - Sept. 14, 1995
• Joyce Conseen Dugan was elected as the first female chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
• Cashiers artist Steve Daniels began working on his mural on the wall of the Cashiers Exxon at the crossroads.
• Stephanie Deitz and Todd Raleigh, the future parents of MLB catcher Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners), were married at First Baptist Church in Sylva.

20 years ago - Sept. 15, 2005
• The Rev. Jeff Powell stirred apple butter while Conrad Brown, a member of Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church, added wood during the church’s annual fundraiser. Funds raised supported the church’s fellowship hall, with last year’s proceeds going to the Canada Fire Department. Profits aided Scott Ashe, a church member battling cancer that year.
• WestCare Health System officials and volunteers broke ground on a new location for the Harris Regional Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store off Skyland Drive.
• “La Hora Latina,” a program broadcast entirely in Spanish, aired on Western Carolina University’s FM station, WWCU-FM (90.5), on Sunday afternoons from 3-4 p.m.

10 years ago - Sept. 17, 2015
• The N.C. 116 roundabout, part of the R-5000 project, took shape when curbs were poured, with a completion projected for the first week of October.
• Western Carolina University’s Art Education Club hosted “Art Days for Kids” that coincided with Jackson County public school holidays.
• The Confederate monument on the old Sylva courthouse steps, dedicated in 1915 by Jackson County’s Civil War veterans, held its 100th anniversary.

PHOTO CAPTION: The N.C. 116 roundabout, part of the R-5000 project, takes shape in Sept. 2015. The roundabout sends traffic to/from Sylva and Webster, Bonnie Lane and the Southwestern Community College campus.

09/17/2025

First Baptist offers program on conflict

The program ”When We Disagree” is planned for 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, in the Mission and Fellowship Center of First Baptist Church of Sylva.

“This is a two-hour interactive time to learn and grow in healthy responses to the conflicts each of us encounter,” said the Rev. Joe Yelton, church pastor.

John Ritchie is the facilitator. Ritchie spent 45 years in the mental health field, which includes serving as director of Western Carolina University’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Additionally, he served as a PhD. psychologist in private practice in Sylva for more than 35 years.

“There are skills that, once embraced, help navigate the troubling times we all encounter,” Yelton said. “Learning and deepening tried and true formulas can reduce the sting of conflict, potentially preserving meaningful relationships.”