By Staff Report Mountain Buzz Residents looking for unique holiday gifts while supporting local history and artisans won't want to miss the upcoming "Shop Local" event at the Old Jail Museum. Hosted on Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the fair will feature handmade crafts donated by vendors from The Festival on The Square. All items will be offered at reasonable prices, making it easy to find the perfect gift. Proceeds from the sale wil

By: Staff Report Mountain Buzz Andrews High School is celebrating a group of outstanding students who recently received recognition from the Pre-ACT for their exceptional academic achievements. The Pre-ACT, a preparatory exam that helps students gauge college readiness, highlights top performers in several achievement categories. Andrews High School proudly announced the following students who earned honors for their impressive results: Early Scholars (Top 35% of High-Scoring

By: Staff Report Mountain Buzz As the crisp mountain air of Union County turns festive with the first hints of snow, the community is gearing up for a heartwarming kickoff to the holiday season. Mark your calendars for December 6, when the Union County Community Center transforms into a winter wonderland for the annual Holly Jolly Christmas & Breakfast with Santa. This free, family-friendly extravaganza, hosted by the Blairsville Union County Chamber of Commerce and United Co

Photo from the John C. Campbell Facebook page. The John C. Campbell Folk School held its Forging for the Future Live Auction  on Saturday, November 8, bringing together artists, supporters, and craft enthusiasts for a night celebrating community and creativity. The event, held in the Keith House Community Room, featured one-of-a-kind works from the Folk School’s Centennial Artists Collection. Attendees had the opportunity to bid on a variety of handcrafted pieces, with procee

The Union County Fire Department (UCFD) recently received a generous donation of 48 smoke alarms from City Plumbing and Electric Supply Company. The donation was made by Chris Britton, the local Branch Manager, and Todd Alexander, the company’s Purchasing Manager, as part of the department’s ongoing Smoke Alarm Program. Through this program, UCFD offers free smoke alarm installations to homeowners throughout the county. The program is designed to ensure that every household i

By: Staff Report Mountain Buzz After two decades of vacancy, the long-abandoned building at 12 Herbert Street will soon be demolished and rebuilt as a boutique hotel and retail hub, the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) announced in a letter to the editor published today. The nonprofit purchased the property with the original intent of renovating the 1940s-era structure to fit its mission of spurring economic growth in downtown Hayesville. However, ex

Press Release During the month of October through the first weeks of November, a stint of thefts occurred in numerous parts of the county. This incident included a stolen ATV, Trailer, Lawnmowers, and then a work Truck that included numerous tools, drilling locators and other tools which were offloaded to be sold. But during the first week of November, it came to an end. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) through extensive investigations were able to locate the off

By: Staff Report The Mountain Buzz According to a report from WJRB Radio , the Blairsville man severely beaten in an attack last week is showing signs of recovery. Devon Davenport , who was airlifted to a Gainesville hospital after the incident, is now reportedly off life support and able to follow commands. Davenport’s sister, Dawn Marie Davenport-Davis , shared an update on social media saying her brother faces a long road to recovery. She wrote that he will need “ at minim

Press Release On 11/07/25 at 4:06 PM, Clay County Investigator Brandon Coker responded to Turkey Cove Subdivision in response to Destiny Paige Swenson, 35 years of age from Hayesville, believed to be trespassing. Officers had responded to this location on prior occasions concerning other individuals seen trespassing. Once at the scene, Investigator Coker found Swenson present standing on a pile of debris with rocks in her hand. As Swenson began walking toward Investigator Co

Photo via the Union County High School Facebook page. By: Staff Report The Mountain Buzz Union County High School is celebrating a major boost for its students and workforce development programs thanks to a generous $30,000 donation from River City Bank . The contribution was made to the Union County College & Career Academy  through the Georgia PEACH Education Tax Credit initiative , a program that allows individuals and businesses to direct a portion of their state tax doll

By: Staff Reports Mountain Buzz Firefighters from Union County’s Stations 4 (Ivylog), 5 (Suches), and 13 (Hidden Harbor) took part in a specialized training on lithium-ion battery fires in Cleveland, Georgia, on Friday, November 7. The class, hosted by White County Fire Services, Habersham EMC, and Command and Control, LLC, was led by Command and Control Founder Webster Marshall, IV. The training brought together around 100 firefighters from across North Georgia for a day of

A coalition of environmental organizations has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop what they describe as an “illegal logging project” in the Nolichucky River Gorge, a scenic section of Pisgah National Forest. MountainTrue, in partnership with the Center for Biological Diversity and represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, announced Monday that it is suing the U.S. Forest Service over logging operations the group says violate federal environmental laws and the

By Staff Report The Mountain Buzz Jason Simmons, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, will visit Clay County on Monday, November 10, 2025, for a special luncheon with the Clay County GOP. The event will take place at 1:00 p.m. at West Tubing Company, located at 6175 Old Highway 64 West in Warne. Simmons’ visit is part of the North Carolina GOP’s “Red State Tour,” a statewide effort to engage with local conservative communities, register new voters, and encourage g

By: Staff The Mountain Buzz Over the past ten years, crime in Western North Carolina has shifted in ways that defy simple headlines. While some communities have seen notable spikes in violent incidents, others have experienced steady declines, resulting in a complex picture of public safety across the mountains. According to data from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, there is no consistent, region-wide in

The holiday season will officially get underway in Hayesville with the WNC Festival of Trees Sip & Stroll on Thursday, November 13 at The Beal Center, 25 Herbert Street. The festive evening will begin with a sponsor-only preview from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by public admission from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There will be a $5 entry fee for non-sponsors. Guests can enjoy a cozy and cheerful atmosphere with a selection of wine by the glass, mulled wine, and hot chocolate provided by E

Press Release On October 10, 2025, Clay County entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management to facilitate expedited assistance with debris removal resulting from Tropical Storm Helene. Tropical Storm Helene caused unprecedented damage and debris in Western North Carolina. Accumulated debris in our waterways creates emergencies and urgent conditions that require timely removal to protect health and safety and avert additional

Press Release Dr. Brian Mitchell, a beloved physician whose decades of service helped shape the landscape of healthcare in Western North Carolina, is the subject of a newly-released mini-documentary by local filmmaker Harrison Keely. Titled “Brian Mitchell – The small-town doctor who changed everything,” the film follows Mitchell’s journey from his childhood in Boston to his pivotal era at Murphy Medical Center, now known as Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital. “Dr. Mitchell’s

Voters in the Town of Hayesville made their choices Tuesday, November 4, in a local election that decided the mayor’s office and seats on the town council. Benita C. England won the race for mayor with a commanding 71.74% of the vote, earning 66 ballots in her favor. Michael R. Castellano received 26 votes, or 28.26%. No write-in votes were recorded in the contest. In the race for Hayesville Town Council, where voters could select up to three candidates, Vanessa Lauren Tiger

Newly re-elected Mayor James Reid shared this photo on social media of his celebration with his family. ANDREWS, N.C. –  Voters in the Town of Andrews made their choices Tuesday night, electing mayor and two members to the Board of Aldermen in a pair of tightly contested races. James D. Reid kept the mayor’s seat with 51.75% of the vote, narrowly defeating Brandi Smith, who received 47.66%. Two write-in votes accounted for 0.58% of the total. In the Board of Aldermen race, wh

Voter support for a proposed new penny sales tax in Union County came up short in Tuesday’s election. The controversial Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) was voted down by a margin of roughly 700 votes, with 55.85% voting “no” and 44.15% voting “yes” out of approximately 5,900 total ballots cast. Supporters of FLOST promoted the measure as a way to lower property taxes by shifting some of the revenue burden to a higher consumer sales tax. The county’s sales tax rate cur