Local

Speaker Megan Sutton leads a team of forest and freshwater specialists working in the Southern Blue Ridge.

Speaker Megan Sutton leads a team of forest and freshwater specialists working in the Southern Blue Ridge.

Forest resilience post hurricanes

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Megan Sutton, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Southern Blue Ridge Programs is the featured speaker for the final installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series. Her talk, titled “Southern Appalachian Forest Resilience in a Post Hurricane World,” will take place on Thursday, Aug.
Artificial intelligence, medical care and biodiversity take center stage at the Center for Life Enrichment.

Artificial intelligence, medical care and biodiversity take center stage at the Center for Life Enrichment.

Technology and biodiversity lead conversations at CLE

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
The week of Aug. 11 finds speakers at the Center for Life Enrichment presenting an array of talks on the ethics of technology, the realities of modern medicine, and the mysteries of mountain biodiversity.

Stiehler resigns, commission seat up for vote

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Long-time Commissioner Brian Stiehler resigned from the Highlands Board of Commissioners on July 31. Stiehler, who held the office for 14 years, relocated to a residence outside the town, making him ineligible to serve on the board.
Jackson Grimm and The Hidden Valley Ranchers will perform at the community barn dance on Aug. 14 at the Bascom Barn.

Jackson Grimm and The Hidden Valley Ranchers will perform at the community barn dance on Aug. 14 at the Bascom Barn.

Bascom Barn Dance

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts invites the community to an evening steeped in regional tradition at the annual Bascom Barn Dance, to be held Thursday, Aug. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
In this photo from last year’s Village Heritage Award are, from the left, Ann Mckee Austin, Philip Bradley, Helen Harmon, Chad Boswell, Travis Boswell, John Barrow, and Amelia Golcheski.

In this photo from last year’s Village Heritage Award are, from the left, Ann Mckee Austin, Philip Bradley, Helen Harmon, Chad Boswell, Travis Boswell, John Barrow, and Amelia Golcheski.

Nominations open for Village Heritage Award

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Nominations have opened for the Cashiers Historic Society’s Village Heritage Awards. Residents can submit nominations through the Cashiers Historical Society website or in person until Sept. 1. “They can visit our website, cashiershistory.
Front porch music at the Schoolhouse.

Front porch music at the Schoolhouse.

Big fun for little people

News Staff
Thursday, August 7, 2025
For the second year in a row, Blue Ridge Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) and the Cashiers Historical Society (CHS) collaborated to host the JarrettFest Summer JAM Camp on the CHS campus. Children aged seven to 17 gathered to share the joy of music, play games, and create crafts.
From the left, Katie Herz, Sara Chrestman and Ezra Herz smile for the camera before a benefit performance at Friday Night Live in Highlands.

From the left, Katie Herz, Sara Chrestman and Ezra Herz smile for the camera before a benefit performance at Friday Night Live in Highlands.

Concert helps kids

News Staff
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Music duo Katie and Ezra Herz raised over $1,300 for the Gordon Center, a nonprofit preschool in Highlands, during a Friday Night Live performance in downtown Highlands.
Free print and digital copies of guide are now available at DiscoverJacksonNC.com

Free print and digital copies of guide are now available at DiscoverJacksonNC.com

Jackson County releases new birding guide

News Staff
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) has launched its Birding in Jackson County guide—a free, full-color publication designed to help locals and visitors discover one of the most engaging outdoor activities the region has to offer.