Follow the trail to the issues, conversations and information connecting the region.

Dear reader,

This week’s issue of the Trailhead is lucky number 13. Maybe that’s why we had a 2.6 magnitude earthquake between Franklin and Sylva this week. 

Mother Nature is keeping us on our toes. The fire risk is also still high, particularly in the Piedmont. Officials recommend not burning at home and taking additional precautions during this forecast. 

There were more than 30 fires contained across North Carolina over the weekend, according to the N.C. Forest Service’s Wildfire Map. 

There are two active wildfires in Western North Carolina, the Poplar fire in the Pisgah National Forest has grown to 200 acres  in Mitchell County on Monday. The cause is under investigation. The Tarkiln Ridge Fire in Clay County in the Nantahala National Forest also started on Monday and has burned 400 acres, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Forest Service.  Check out these tips on how to keep safe.

Beyond environmental topics, we're also following how North Carolina's upcoming legislative season affects the region. 

North Carolina’s legislature is about to go back into session in April, so I talked with one of our state senators, Kevin Corbin, about his priorities. Sen. Corbin represents the 50th district of the Senate which covers Cherokee, Clay, Macon, Jackson, Swain, Transylvania and Haywood counties. 

Funding the Medicaid rebase is at the top of his list of important business, but he also talked about the need for Hurricane Helene recovery. Check out what he said and let me know what questions you have for lawmakers.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Raleigh to join the NC Local team for the 5th Annual News and Information Summit where journalists and media organizations across the state and learn from each other. I can’t wait to share what I learn with you all! 

3 takeaways on top issues from WNC lawmaker ahead of session

North Carolina’s legislature is about to go back into session in April. When the doors on Jones Street open, state legislators have issues like updating the budget and the state’s Medicaid program will be on the agenda. 

I talked with N.C. Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) about his priorities this year. Sen. Corbin represents the 50th district in Cherokee, Clay, Macon, Jackson, Swain, Transylvania and Haywood counties.  

Whether Medicaid expansion will survive is a top question as we enter the legislative session. Sen. Corbin was instrumental in getting expansion passed the first time in 2023. Residents of many WNC counties benefitted from the expansion. In Swain County, for example, nearly 23% of adults enrolled in the program under the expansion- one of the highest rates in the state. 

Sen. Corbin said he doesn’t sense any move to get rid of the assistance. As a member of the legislature's health committee, he said there is a general consensus to keep coverage. 

“We just did [expansion] two years ago. So, no, I don't think so. We're just moving into the budget process, and I think we'll wind up funding Medicaid,” he told me. 

More from NC Local

Celebrate the first ever Local News Day! 

On April 9, join us for the first-ever Local News Day. Newsrooms across North Carolina are hosting NC News Cafes, where you can:

👋 Meet local journalists

💬 Share what issues matter most to you

☕ Connect over a free cup of coffee

These events are happening in communities across the state, hosted by local newsrooms in partnership with one another. 

NC Local is partnering with several Western North Carolina media outlets to celebrate Local News Day. 

Come out to City Lights Cafe (3 E Jackson St) in Sylva from 8:30a.m. - 10:30 a.m. to have coffee with local reporters from The Sylva Herald and the Smoky Mountain News. RSVP here. 

Or join us in Murphy at Crafted Dough (104 Tennessee St, Suite B) from 11a.m. - 1p.m. with staff from The Cherokee Scout, WKRK, Local TV 4, and WCNG-WCVP. Enjoy have a free cup of coffee and talk local news. RSVP here. 

Multicultural Women’s Development Conference 25th Anniversary

She said her mission of bringing together women has strengthened over the years. 

“It’s always been important, but right now, it’s even more important. What I’m looking at is folks getting together with no politics and no worry about religion, and all of those kinds of things, just loving each other, having fun together, and learning together,” Woodford said. 

Woodford joined 11 other women who made $100 contributions to found One Dozen Who Care. The organization provide services like entrepreneurship skills, small business support and more. Its newest program is a free Digital Lifestyle Literacy program that provides training on everyday technology.

Getting funds to get online in WNC

A state grant program awarded $26 million to provide high-speed internet infrastructure throughout North Carolina, and the funds will help hundreds of people in WNC access internet. 

The Stop-Gap Solutions program will connect more than 5,000 rural North Carolina homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions in 66 counties to high-speed internet infrastructure by the end of the year, according to a press release from Gov. Josh Stein. 

Here are the companies receiving awards in WNC: 

• Cherokee Cablevision, Inc. ($533,581): 75 locations in Jackson and Swain counties 
• Citizens Telephone Company/Comporium Communications ($4,017,302): 344 locations in Transylvania County 
• ERC Broadband, LLC ($1,261,581.35): 118 locations in Buncombe and Henderson counties 
• Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC ($3,524,952): 147 locations in Buncombe, Durham, and Macon counties 
• Skyrunner, Inc. ($788,500): 78 locations in Jackson County 

"These projects will make a real difference for families and businesses who have gone too long without dependable internet access," Sen. Kevin Corbin said in a Facebook post about the program.

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My open tabs

• Mission Hospital to evaluate leadership’s “capacity and competency,” hires consultant in wake of Immediate Jeopardy (Asheville Watchdog) 

• In N.C., Stokes County Approves a Data Center Rezoning, Triggering a Citizens’ Lawsuit (Inside Climate News) Note: While Stokes County isn't WNC, this article discusses a lawsuit involving Indigenous burial grounds and data centers- two topics of importance to WNC.

• Ingles power shift? Sackler family-owned company seeks board seat (Asheville Citizen-Times) 

• Graham County Sheriff's removal case in court this week. (WLOS) Follow The Graham Star and the Smoky Mountain News for trial coverage. 

• Cherokee County GOP Special meeting (The Cherokee Scout) The Cherokee County Republican Party Executive Committee held a special meeting on Monday night to select commissioners to fill vacancies left by the resignations of Dan Eichenbaum and Cal Stiles. There were two applicants and both were chosen: Sue Lynn Ledford for Eichenbaum’s seat and Jeana Conley for Stiles’ seat. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a special meeting for Monday, March 30 to appoint and potentially swear-in the new commissioners. 

• FEMA 2.0 — what the leaked draft of the FEMA Review Council report really means (The Smoky Mountain News) 

• We Asked Every UNC System School For a Simple Record. Here’s What Happened. (The Assembly) 

My Favorite Trail: 

Dave Russell is the Editor and Reporter at The Sylva Herald 

Welcome to a regular feature of The Trailhead: My Favorite Trail. Each installment will feature a WNC trail. This week, Dave shared his favorite spot. Want to share your favorite trail for a future newsletter? Email me! 

The secret waterfall on Dave's favorite hike. (Photo courtesy of Dave Russell)  

His favorite trail: Shining Creek - Old Butt Knob Loop

Dave  recommends this trail because he likes loop trails. To take this loop start at N.C. 276 at the Shining Creek Trailhead, then wind up to the Shining Rock and return on the Old Butt Knob Trail.  Dave provided the below map of the loop. 

The 9-mile walk starts out paralleling an attractive and rocky stretch of the East Fork of the Pigeon River. The Shining Creek Trail turns north and after climbing a saddle parallels Shining Creek, Dave explained. 

"Both of those waterways are glorious," he said. "Shining Creek tumbles down the mountainside with some good force and wonderful scenery. That's my favorite part of my favorite hike."

About two miles in is a secret waterfall (unnamed as far as Dave knows). 

"The going gets tough as you head up to the Art Loeb Trail and the Shining Rock itself," he said. 

Dave said that once, during a full moon, he camped near the Shining Rock and enjoyed a night of glowing stones scattered along the mountainside.

"During the day, I didn't really notice how much of that pure white rock was scattered around, but in the moonlight it lit up all around us," he said. After lunch on the rock, Russell said he likes to come back down the Old Butt Knob Trail. 

"It's not as nice as the Shining Creek Trail, but I like to come back a different way when I hike," he said.