Local

Anna Ferguson, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sworn in as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives during a session in Raleigh, on Tuesday, April 21. She will represent District 119 and serve out the term of the late Rep. Mike Clampitt.

Anna Ferguson, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was sworn in as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives during a session in Raleigh, on Tuesday, April 21. She will represent District 119 and serve out the term of the late Rep. Mike Clampitt.

HISTORY MADE IN DISTRICT 119

News Staff
Thursday, April 30, 2026
"Local Republican leaders chose Anna Ferguson, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee (EBCI) and Jackson County resident, to finish the remainder of the late N.C. Rep. Mike Clampitt’s term in the General Assembly.
Sgt. Mark Leamon and law enforcement officers with a Special Olympian. | Photo courtesy of Bill Davis/Jackson County

Sgt. Mark Leamon and law enforcement officers with a Special Olympian. | Photo courtesy of Bill Davis/Jackson County

Torch Run unites Jackson County police, Special Olympics

News Staff
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Two dozen law enforcement officers from seven different agencies in Jackson County participated in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to signify the opening of the Special Olympic games in the county on April 19.
Wavra enjoys the scenery on the boat of the eXXpedition voyage from the Galapagos Islands to Easter Island in 2020. | Photo courtesy of Lynsi Wavra

Wavra enjoys the scenery on the boat of the eXXpedition voyage from the Galapagos Islands to Easter Island in 2020. | Photo courtesy of Lynsi Wavra

PROTECTING PLACES, INSPIRING CHANGE

News Staff
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Whether she’s testing microplastics on Easter Island or working in the field with the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Lynsi Wavra has built a career dedicated to preserving the places she calls home.
"Shrek: The Musical" cast members practice at the PAC ahead of their opening weekend beginning April 24. | Photo courtesy of Lee Trevathan

"Shrek: The Musical" cast members practice at the PAC ahead of their opening weekend beginning April 24. | Photo courtesy of Lee Trevathan

Ogre the Top

News Staff
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The Highlands Performing Arts Center’s Educational Theatre will present its third all-community production, Shrek: The Musical, from April 24 to April 26, featuring performers of all ages and a story centered on friendship and selfacceptance.
de Graffenried takes a break to catch a view on a hike to Tugela Falls in Royal Natal National Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on Dec. 24, 2024. | Photo courtesy of Jeff de Graffenried

de Graffenried takes a break to catch a view on a hike to Tugela Falls in Royal Natal National Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on Dec. 24, 2024. | Photo courtesy of Jeff de Graffenried

CONSERVATION AT HEART

News Staff
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Plateau resident Jeff de Graffenried is preparing to traverse one of America’s most challenging hikes, the Continental Divide Trail, spanning 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada, to raise funds for the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.
Oak Steakhouse’s Restaurant Week special menu offered mushroom toast, crab chips, 100 oz cab hanger steak and pavlova. | Photo courtesy of Oak Steakhouse

Oak Steakhouse’s Restaurant Week special menu offered mushroom toast, crab chips, 100 oz cab hanger steak and pavlova. | Photo courtesy of Oak Steakhouse

Highlands Restaurant Week debut boosts foot traffic

News Staff
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The first annual Highlands Restaurant Week, hosted by Stubborn Seeds Hospitality Group and The Laurel Magazine, ran April 6-12, featuring special menus, new dishes, and multi-course experiences at 21 participating venues throughout Highlands.
Newly-elected commissioner Bill Grubb is sworn in by Town Clerk Gibby Shaheen during the April 9 budget workshop.

Newly-elected commissioner Bill Grubb is sworn in by Town Clerk Gibby Shaheen during the April 9 budget workshop.

Grubb sworn in, fire tax increase approved

News Staff
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The Town of Highlands Board of Commissioners approved a fire tax increase and reached a consensus on several requests and proposals during its first budget workshop of the month on April 9.
“Realism Succumbing to Abstraction, or Is It the Other Way Around?” by photography resident Dean Kessmann opens this Saturday.

“Realism Succumbing to Abstraction, or Is It the Other Way Around?” by photography resident Dean Kessmann opens this Saturday.

Real or abstract?

News Staff
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts will open a new exhibition by photography resident Dean Kessmann on Saturday, April 18, in the Joel Gallery. A free public artist talk is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Terra String Quartet will be featured in the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival’s 2026 Spring Residency. | Photo courtesy of Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival

The Terra String Quartet will be featured in the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival’s 2026 Spring Residency. | Photo courtesy of Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival

Strings Echo on the Plateau

News Staff
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
For more than four decades, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival has transformed a small mountain community into a place where world-class musicians regularly arrive, unpack their instruments and perform as if Carnegie Hall were just down the road.
From left: Caitlyn Muniz, Lota Womack, Andrea Hamilton, Susan Sapienza and Heather Dalton enjoy food, drinks and live music at Happ’s Place during the 2025 Cashiers Burger Week Wrap Up Party. | Photo by Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce

From left: Caitlyn Muniz, Lota Womack, Andrea Hamilton, Susan Sapienza and Heather Dalton enjoy food, drinks and live music at Happ’s Place during the 2025 Cashiers Burger Week Wrap Up Party. | Photo by Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce

GET YOUR BURGER ON

News Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Cashiers Burger Week, “The Extended Cut”, has expanded to two weeks and 13 restaurants this year, growing from a one-week event that previously featured 10. The event, scheduled for April 24 through May 9, was created to support local businesses and the economy during the spring shoulder season.