Community Almanac

HCC holds law enforcement training graduation

Haywood Community College recently held a graduation ceremony for the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. Guest speakers were HCC President Dr. Shelley White, Interim Canton Chief of Police Scott Sluder and BLET Class Sgt. Kayleigh Silvers.

The BLET course is designed to equip each student with the basic skills, knowledge and ability to function as a law enforcement officer in the State of North Carolina. This class is a prerequisite for Law Enforcement Officer Certification in this State. Of the students who graduated from this class, 90% were employed in law enforcement at graduation. Cody Tiger received the top academic honors. Patrick Smith was the outstanding cadet.

Graduates of this class include Justin William Deane, Brent Zane Gunter, Richard Patrick Johnson, Jr., Cameron Edward Jones, Chandler Douglas Norton, Benjamin Eion Riggs, Liza Heisman Rosencranz, Michael Andrew Ryan, Kaylom Morris Saylor, Kayleigh Louise Silvers, Patrick Wayne Smith, Andrew Jay Dillon Tabor, Cody Hansen Tiger and Austin Tyler Whitehead. The next BLET class offering will be May 2022. For more information, call 828.627.4548 or email flclontz@haywood.edu. Patrick Smith was the outstanding cadet of this year’s graduating class. Donated photo

WNC youth leaders honored

The inaugural WNC Communities’ Youth Leadership Award was presented to Ryleigh Stevens of the Caney Fork Community Development Council of Jackson County at the 72nd WNC Honors Awards Ceremony on Dec. 2.

WNC Communities is offering a youth leadership award based upon the annual WNC Honors Awards application for a youth-initiated and youth-led project or program that contributed in a meaningful way to one of their active community clubs. Annually, up to three youths between the ages of 14-18 may be awarded a tuition-free North Carolina Outward Bound School scholarship.

North Carolina Outward Bound School will provide scholarships for wilderness courses for recipients of the WNC Communities youth award. For more than 50 years, North Carolina Outward Bound School has delivered challenging outdoor adventure programs based in experiential education to people of all ages and walks of life.

Dogwood pledges $2 million to increase digital literacy

The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at NC State University recently announced it has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Dogwood Health Trust in support of the Building a New Digital Economy in NC (BAND-NC) program.

The grant will support community-based efforts to increase the number of people with the internet in their homes in North Carolina’s 18 westernmost counties and the Qualla Boundary.

“Ensuring that communities across the state have proper access to broadband and have a deeper understanding of the benefits of adopting digital technologies are essential components of our economic vitality,” said Chancellor Randy Woodson.

Working closely with the NC Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, BAND-NC provides mini-grants to communities across the state that are implementing digital inclusion plans, beginning a digital inclusion planning process, or are looking to meet immediate digital needs. BAND-NC has supported 61 $5,000 “rapid response” and “digital inclusion planning and implementation” grants covering 62 counties since the program’s inception and has helped develop digital inclusion plans in 18 North Carolina counties.

To learn more and apply, visit iei.ncsu.edu/band-nc.

Food giveaway in Sylva

The next food giveaway from Live Forgiven Church will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, until everyone is served.

Groceries and coats will be available and the bag theme is Italian this month. Eggs and produce will be available. Simply drive up to the building at 45 Crown Ridge Road in Sylva and the items are made available to anyone who can use a little extra help. For questions, email FoodMinistry@LiveForgiven.Life.

Get your taxes done for free

County Library.

Masks are required. Appointments can be made online at wnctaxaide.as.me, by calling 828.524.3600 or by visiting the library located at 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin.

After making an appointment, taxpayers are to stop by the library to pick up a packet of material to complete prior to their appointment. The packet also contains a list of items the taxpayer must bring with them to the appointment.

Taxpayers do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree. Tax-Aide serves taxpayers of all ages.

Health foundations award grants

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation and Nantahala Health Foundation recently announced that five regional nonprofit agencies and one county government unit have been awarded grant funds to aid in their efforts to address the home repair needs for low-income homeowners throughout the far Western North Carolina region.

Agencies selected to receive Healthy Homes Initiative funding are Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville; Macon County Housing Department in Franklin; Macon Program for Progress in Franklin; Mountain Projects in Waynesville; Rotary Club of Highlands and Restoration House in Bryson City.

The collaborative Healthy Homes Initiative is a targeted effort designed to assist individuals at or below 60% of the area median income with home repair needs that directly impact their health and safety. In addition to affordability, multiple factors can align to create barriers for low-income homeowners to undertake repairs necessary to maintain the safety and health of their home’s occupants.

Dogwood Health Trust lent its support to the Healthy Homes Initiative by working closely with both HCHF and NHF to launch this targeted approach designed to aid those most in need. Their support also included a total investment of $400,000 in grant funds to be administered equally by both local health foundations.

Homeowners in need of home repair and/or modification services are encouraged to directly contact any one of these agencies to begin the process of determining eligibility and repair assessment. Contact information for each agency recipient is available on both HCHF and NHF’s websites.

Motorcycle club donates to toy run

Hell On Wheels Motorcycle Club, a nonprofit organization, raised over $10,500 and donated over 270 toys at the 7th Annual Jackson County Toy Run on Saturday, Dec. 4, in Sylva.

The proceeds, which almost doubled last year’s $6,000 total, benefited the Christmas Connection of Jackson County, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering toys to children at Christmas.

Created in 1989 and transitioning to new ownership in 2014, Christmas Connection of Jackson County “seeks to provide Christmas to local children in need through the donation of presents.”

Christmas Connection is completely volunteerrun, and 100 percent of cash and toy donations go directly to children across Jackson County, from Cashiers to Cherokee. Nearly one in every four Jackson County children fall under the poverty line, making the work of Christmas Connection and Hell On Wheels MC that much more important.

Sot, local chapter president, said Hell On Wheels MC is a family-oriented club, so “helping children is something important to us.”

Grant to assist child mentoring program

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County recently received a $5,000 Grant from the Hunter Hometown Foundation at a reception for honorees at the Stone Ashe Vineyard’s tasting room in Hendersonville.

Through the foundation’s philanthropy, it supports BBBS youth and their growth as the next generation of leaders.

The foundation particularly wanted to reach out to Haywood County and chose Big Brothers Big Sisters as one of the 13 nonprofits honored throughout Buncombe, Henderson and Haywood counties. BBBS has been on the front line helping children in Haywood County reach their potential through one-on-one mentoring.

This grant will help the organization continue to mentor children through the match of a ‘big’ with a “little.”

BBBS currently has 34 active matches.

“I am extremely grateful to Hunter Hometown Foundation for awarding Haywood BBBS this grant. The money we received came at a great time, at the end of the year when we need it the most,” said Program Coordinator Martha Barksdale. “This will definitely help support oneon-one mentoring in Haywood County and strengthen our program.”