News

Hurricane Ian, a category four storm as of Wednesday, is expected to hit Florida directly before turning north and potentially impacting Western North Carolina over the coming weekend.

Hurricane Ian, a category four storm as of Wednesday, is expected to hit Florida directly before turning north and potentially impacting Western North Carolina over the coming weekend.

All eyes on Hurricane Ian

Ryan Hanchett
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Agencies from Florida to Virginia are bracing for the impacts of Hurricane Ian, a category four hurricane, that was closing in on the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday. Models of the storm’s projected path show possible impacts from East Tennessee to the Atlantic coast over the next 4-5 days.
Organizers of the 2022 Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Highlands Food Pantry hope the crowd rivals those prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizers of the 2022 Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Highlands Food Pantry hope the crowd rivals those prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Empty Bowls set for Sunday

News Staff
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Fall is officially here and perhaps one of the best ways to stay warm as temperatures begin to drop is by eating some delicious soup, and the International Friendship Center and the First Presbyterian Church of Highlands is offering a way for people to warm both their bodies and their hearts with...
The new Highlands Performing Arts Center opened to the public on Sunday with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and reception.

The new Highlands Performing Arts Center opened to the public on Sunday with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and reception.

PAC celebrates grand opening

Ryan Hanchett
Thursday, September 22, 2022
A new era began at the Highlands Performing Arts Center on Sunday. As a red ribbon floated to the ground, the PAC officially opened its new and improved facility on Chestnut Street.
Highlands commissioners approved an amendment to the UDO that stops new short-term rentals from opening.

Highlands commissioners approved an amendment to the UDO that stops new short-term rentals from opening.

Town ordinance stops new STRs

News Staff
Thursday, September 22, 2022
The Highlands Board of Commissioners voted to approve an amendment to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance related to short-term rentals within Highlands town limits Thursday. The draft proposal had been reviewed and amended during a special work session on Aug. 25.
Dr. Joanne Roesner will teach a pet CPR and first aid class at the Sky Valley-Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Dr. Joanne Roesner will teach a pet CPR and first aid class at the Sky Valley-Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Pet CPR class coming to Scaly Mountain

News Staff
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Pet owners in the Highlands area will have an opportunity to participate in a free pet CPR and first aid class at the Sky Valley-Scaly Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, located at 169 Hale Ridge Road in Scaly Mountain, on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. The class, which will be taught by Dr.
The second annual Porchfest, presented by the Center for Life Enrichment in Highlands, brought out musicians and music lovers for a day filled with tunes from multiple genres at 12 locations around town.

The second annual Porchfest, presented by the Center for Life Enrichment in Highlands, brought out musicians and music lovers for a day filled with tunes from multiple genres at 12 locations around town.

Porchfest packs people in

News Staff
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Music filled the air and audiences filled the streets for Porchfest on Sunday. Porchfest is a walk-around community music festival, where over 30 musicians from every genre perform across town at 12 hosting venues.
Dr. James McClintock will present his lecture “From Penguins to Plankton - The Dramatic Impacts of Climate Change in Antarctica” at 5 p.m. on Sept. 23, with a reception to follow in the HBS Nature Center

Dr. James McClintock will present his lecture “From Penguins to Plankton - The Dramatic Impacts of Climate Change in Antarctica” at 5 p.m. on Sept. 23, with a reception to follow in the HBS Nature Center

HBF to present Antarctica lecture

News Staff
Thursday, September 22, 2022
The Highlands Biological Foundation will welcome award-winning author, endowed professor of polar and marine biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and leading expert on the ecological impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on marine life of the Antarctic Peninsula, Dr.
The Highlands Biological Station will host a Native Plant Symposium on Sept. 16-17, featuring a plant auction, lectures and garden tours.

The Highlands Biological Station will host a Native Plant Symposium on Sept. 16-17, featuring a plant auction, lectures and garden tours.

Native plant symposium returns after hiatus

News Staff
Thursday, September 15, 2022
The Highlands Biological Station is gearing up to host the return of its Native Plant Symposium, on Sept. 16-17. The symposium is a two-day event that will feature garden tours, a live plant auction and a series of lectures given by experts in a range of topics regarding conservation and nature.
Highlands commissioners continue to make revisions to a proposed STR ordinance.

Highlands commissioners continue to make revisions to a proposed STR ordinance.

Board considers additional changes to STR proposal

News Staff
Thursday, September 15, 2022
The definition of a homestay, parking requirements, and the number of bedrooms allowed in short term rentals were among the items discussed related to a draft ordinance by the Highlands Board of Commissioners during a special work session on Thursday.

Rain doesn't slow down Dahlia festival

News Staff
Thursday, September 15, 2022
What a weekend it was as Highlands was draped in dahlias from The Bascom to the Historical Village, and everywhere in between. There were dahlias as paintings, dahlia trees, and dahlia brides. The 37 interpretations on “The Gilded Age” were as varied as the groups that presented them.