2023 Sylva Pride sets up for success

The 2023 Sylva Pride festival is again here. Hosted by Sylva and WCU’s own Beulah Land, this year Pride on Sept. 9 looks to be even bigger and better than last year.   Travis Roundtree, head of the Sylva Pride board, says he expects around 300 attendees this year. Though the anticipated rain may dampen […]

WCU Spring Commencement highlights student achievement

WCU Ramsey Center was full with happy audience holding signs, flowers and balloons while the graduating class of 2023 walked the stage. And it was a big class. According to WCU site, in three ceremonies WCU awarded 2108 degrees of which 1517 were undergraduate degrees. There were 842 first generation students who walked the stage […]

“A place at the table for everyone”

Beulah Land, a local drag queen, artist and advocate for social change talks about what it’s like being a drag queen.  She begins her day as any of us. Her daily job is working as a barista in downtown Sylva. But when the day draws to a close, Land gets to a different type of werk. […]

Cullowhee Dam will have a facelift

Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, May 10 edition Repair or remove … that’s the decision facing local leaders about the Cullowhee Dam, owned and operated by Western Carolina University. WCU is waiting on an assessment and plan allowing consulting firm McGill & Associates to proceed in designing and bidding for repairs to the Cullowhee […]

The library within: Hunter Library’s “special collections”

Have you paid a visit to Western Carolina University’s “restricted section” in Hunter Library? If not, you’re not alone. Most students haven’t and few actually know where it’s located. According to the website, Hunter Library houses over 620,000 volumes in print, nearly 18,000 media items, and over 1.5 million items on microform. What many don’t […]

Local mill closure sparks fear into employees and residents alike

Canton is known for its iconic paper mill and even though the odor emitting from the stacks may seem foul to some, most Canton folks would agree it’s a familiar smell that reminds them of home. However, the reminiscent scent is slated to disappear in the coming months. According to an Asheville Citizens Times article, […]