The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has awarded the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) with a $30,000 12-month planning grant. Funding will initiate the development of a dedicated microsite on BlueRidgeHeritage.com to support and celebrate the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) cultural heritage throughout Western North Carolina and to highlight EBCI artisans.
The planning grant centers on a collaborative dialogue among BRNHA, the EBCI community, and regional tourism and cultural partners. This project marks an intentional shift in how Cherokee heritage is presented on BRNHA’s site. Currently, the website segments heritage into five distinct categories: craft, music, natural resources, agriculture, and Cherokee heritage. Through this grant, the BRNHA will work under the guidance of the EBCI community to better present the Cherokee’s holistic view of heritage.
“We are grateful to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation for supporting this essential planning period,” said Angie Chandler, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. “Our goal is to listen first. By receiving guidance directly from the EBCI community, we can ensure this digital space authentically reflects what is most important to them, while providing artists and tradition bearers with the recognition and digital coverage they deserve.”
Over the next year, the BRNHA will facilitate community listening sessions and partner meetings in the seven westernmost counties within the Cherokee Preservation Foundation’s footprint. This includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties. Conversations will help define the site’s scope, content, and design, ensuring the final product is a respectful reflection of past and present Cherokee traditions in Western North Carolina. A final report will include guidance on how regional tourism and cultural partners can more proactively collaborate with EBCI cultural partners.

About the Cherokee Preservation Foundation
The Cherokee Preservation Foundation is a 501(C)(3) charitable organization that provides grant funding in the areas of cultural preservation, economic development and environmental preservation to the seven westernmost counties of North Carolina and on the Cherokee Qualla Boundary. Learn more at cherokeepreservation.org.
About the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area:
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates, and promotes the natural and cultural heritage of 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary to benefit current and future generations.
To learn more visit www.blueridgeheritage.com.

Maggie Valley United Methodist Church is happy to announce our new membership in the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.  We are a small, friendly, and serving church at 4192 Soco Road in Maggie Valley.  Our church has been around for over 150 years serving the Maggie Valley Community.

We have several ministries serving the food needs of Maggie Valley.  We have a food pantry that provides food to those in need in a supermarket type format.  The clients choose their food from shelves but there is no checkout register!   We provide a wide variety of food and necessities, such as canned goods, meats, milk, and eggs.  We also provide necessities such as dishwashing soaps and personal needs such as toothpaste and toothbrushes.  We also provide clothing to those in need during the winter months, all free of charge.  Our Food Pantry is open from 9 AM-Noon on Monday and Wednesday.

We also have what we call Shepard’s Table, which is a ministry to provide hot meals delivered to those in need.  Our volunteers prepare the food fresh in our kitchen each Monday morning and deliver to the homes to those who have applied and been approved for the service on Monday afternoon.  We presently deliver about 125 meals each week.

Other activities and missions include a hiking group, and the Maggie Valley Quilters, previously housed in the Maggie Valley Town Hall, are now housed at the church.  They meet each Wednesday morning.  We supply transportation and a driver for Camp Ability’s summer camp for children with special needs for two weeks in the summer.

It is our pleasure to be a new member of the Chamber of Commerce. We hope to meet many of the members over time through various activities.  Come see us, we have services each week at 10:30 AM, or come during the week and let us show you around.

Country Vittles Extends Hours

Country Vittles Restaurant has announced that they will be staying open on Friday and Saturday until 8:00 p.m.

Stop in and have dinner with Ms. Judy and the Vittles crew!

Attention Lodging Partners!

Effective July 1, 2025

Under North Carolina General Statues 130A-511 and North Carolina General Statutes 42A-39, certain employees and contractors involved in vacation rentals or lodging establishments must complete approved human trafficking awareness training. Below is a list of training programs currently approved by the North Carolina Department of Labor.

Available Training Options (choose one)

• PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking)
• BEST (Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking)
• Unbound Now – Human Trafficking Foundations
• Marriot International (For information on accessing Marriott’s human trafficking awareness training, contact Abbe Horswill at abbe.horswill@marriott.com)

Let me know if you have additional questions.

Thank you!

Kisha Scotton, Administrator
NC Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Bureau

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road and Trail Updates

This link gives good detail about road and trail closures in NC.

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm