Bethel Christian Academy: OPEN AT 10AM

Buncombe County Schools: TWO HOUR DELAY – NO BUSES ON ICY ROADS

Cherokee County Schools (NC): TWO HOUR DELAY

Clyde First Baptist Church Preschool: OPEN AT 8AM

Graham County Schools: CLOSED/OPTIONAL WORK DAY

Haywood Christian Academy: TWO HOUR DELAY

Haywood County Schools: TWO HOUR DELAY – NO BUSES ON ICY ROADS

Heritage Christian Acadamy - OPEN AT 10AM

Jackson Co. Schools – Blue Ridge Dist.: SCHEDULE B

Jackson Co. Schools – Smoky Mountain Dist.: TWO HOUR DELAY – NO BUSES ON ICY ROADS

Jackson Co. Transit: CLOSED

Southwestern Child Dev. – Haywood Co.: OPEN AT 9AM

Southwestern Child Dev. – Jackson Co.: OPEN AT 9AM

Southwestern Child Dev. – Qualla Boundry: OPEN AT 9AM

Southwestern Community College (Day): OPEN AT 10AM

Swain County Schools: CLOSED/ANNUAL LEAVE DAY

Swain Public Transit: TWO HOUR DELAY – NO BUSES ON ICY ROADS

Tri-County Christian School: CLOSED

Tri-County Community College – Peachtree: OPEN AT 10AM

CULLOWHEE – Visitors to the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University soon will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or mug of beer along with the venue’s arts and entertainment offerings.

The WCU Board of Trustees, as part of its quarterly meeting Friday, March 1, approved an amendment to the campus alcohol policy allowing the sale of beer and wine for selected events in the Bardo Arts Center.

The new policy is made possible by the approval of countywide alcohol sales by the voters of Jackson County in a referendum last spring. The trustees had previously approved a similar amendment in 2006 to allow sale of beer and wine in the arts building, but Jackson County’s designation as a “dry county” rendered moot the university policy change.

The campus policy change is based on an amendment made in 2005 to state alcoholic beverage laws by the N.C. General Assembly that allows constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina system to sell beer and wine at performing arts centers. The law specifically defines a performing arts center as a venue of 2,000 seats or fewer built or used primarily for performances in the arts – including music, theater, film, performance art and recitation.

Under the new policy approved by WCU’s board, the university’s food service contractor will be authorized to sell beer and wine at selected events in the Bardo Arts Center and will be required to adhere to all rules and regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages. No food or drink is permitted in the performance hall.

Aramark, WCU’s food service partner, is in the process of obtaining appropriate ABC permits, said George Little, a member of WCU’s Board of Trustees and chair of the board’s administration, governance and trusteeship committee, which recommended the policy amendment.

The production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” in April is expected to be the first event in the Bardo Arts Center at which beer and wine will be sold, Little said.   (From Bill Studenc, Senior Director of News Services, Office of Public Relations, WCU)

Antioch Baptist Church – Waynesville: NO EVENING SERVICES
Blue Ridge Christian Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Calvary Chapel – Waynesville: NO EVENING SERVICES
Calvary Road Baptist Church: Waynesville: NO EVENING SERVICES
Canton Freewill Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Central UMC – Canton: ALL PM ACTIVITIES CANCELLED
Clyde Central UMC: NO EVENING SERVICES
Dellwood Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
East Sylva Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
First Baptist Church of Sylva: NO EVENING SERVICES
Grassy Branch Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Haywood Comm. College (Day): DAY CLASSES CANCELED/CAMPUS CLOSED
Jackson Co. Transit: CLOSED
Jackson County Adult Day Care: CLOSED
Jackson County Health Department-Open except WIC and Dental clinics: CLOSED
Jackson County Meals on Wheels & Senior Cafe: CLOSED
Light House Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Life Fellowship of Bryson City: NO EVENING SERVICES
Long’s Chapel UMC: ALL PM ACTIVITIES CANCELLED
Locust Field Baptist Church Wednesday Night Services: CANCELLED
Mountaincare Urology: CLOSED
New Hope Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Ratcliffe Cove Baptist Church: NO SERVICES
Scotts Creek Baptist Church: NO EVENING SERVICES
Swain County Transit: CLOSED
Southwestern Community College (Night): CLOSED
Victory Baptist Church: Bryson City: NO EVENING SERVICES
Western Carolina University (Day): DAY CLASSES CANCELLED CHECK WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
Western Carolina University (Biltmore Park)-CLOSED
UNC-Asheville (Day): DAY CLASSES CANCELLED

WRGC Radio will be airing North Carolina High School Basketball Conference games tonight from Greensboro starting with Cherokee girls at 6:30pm followed by Smoky Mountain Boys. Listen live on your radio at 540AM or you can listen to the stream here on wrgc.com.

The White House announced on Friday that President Obama signed a disaster declaration for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians due to the damage done by sever storms and landslides in mid January. In the press release issued by the White House, it stated, “The President today declared a major disaster exists for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and ordered Federal aid to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the area affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of January 14-17, 2013.” In response to the President’s decision, W. Craig Fugate, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), named Michael Bolch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Bolch will work extensively with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Emergency Management Coordinator, Mollie Grant, to see that Federal aid assists in the recovery efforts from the recent disaster.

Karen Polyasko from Sylva is the winner of the WRGC Radio  Dream Spring Break Vacation to Orlando  Florida. Karen registered at Hollifield Jewelers on Main Street in Sylva. Karen works at Southwestern Community College and said she is excited about being able to take her family to Orlando,  Karen said “the family has not been able to have a vacation for a while and this is really exciting for us.” The Polyasko’s will receive $700 in spending money, and four nights at the Summer Bay Resort just outside Orlando.  Roy Burnette, WRGC Owner and General Manager was really happy to see this local family win. “This is just exactly what the contest was all about, giving a local family the opportunity to take a nice vacation while out of school for spring break.”

Regional artist, Doreyl Ammons Cain, recently received a $500 grant from the Jackson County Arts Council. The grant will help Cain to continue her Dillsboro mural project entitled, “On Hallowed Ground”. She has finished the rough sketch of the mural and has applied for several other grants to reach the additional $8,500.00 needed to complete the mural. Cain says, “ With donations from the community and another grant, this wonderful mural will happen!  I’m so excited to receive this grant! I have just started painting the mural, so I’ll be posting my mural panels as the painting develops on my art blog at: colorfestartblog.com.

Cain has completed a rough sketch of the Dillsboro mural.

Cain is co-founder of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization,  whose mission is “Planting seeds of heritage through the arts.” The Dillsboro mural will be unveiled on October 5, 2013 to kick-off ColorFest, Art & Taste of Appalachia in Dillsboro, NC. Anyone interested in donating to the project can contact Doreyl Cain at 828-293-2239 for more information. Those who donate will receive a limited edition art print of the mural.

Dianne Lynch recieves the Trustees’ Award from Board Chair Joan MacNeill

Dianne G. Lynch, a member of the Western Carolina University administrative staff since 1995 and Chief of Staff for the Chancellors office since 2006, is recipient of one of the university’s highest honors. Lynch, who will be retiring from WCU at the end of May, is only the 10th person in university history selected to receive the Trustees’ Award. The Board of Trustees bestowed the award upon her as part of the board’s quarterly meeting Friday, March 1. Chair of the Board of Trustees, Joan MacNeill, said at the award ceremony, “The Trustees’ Award is presented only on rare occasions in recognition of exemplary service to the university.” “Dianne more than meets the criteria for this award,” MacNeill said. “Any time that Dianne Lynch is involved in a project, you can rest assured that it will be done to perfection. She makes it all look effortless, but we all know the large amount effort that she puts into everything she does.” As chief of staff, Lynch has overseen a variety of high-priority university events and projects, including numerous commencement ceremonies, the Chancellor’s Speaker Series, Fall Opening Assembly activities and chancellor’s installation events in March 2012. Lynch has served as a liaison between the chancellor and elected officials at the local, state and federal level and to the University of North Carolina General Administration. She also oversaw the renovation of the Chancellor’s Residence and the H.F. Robinson Administration Building lobby, and co-chaired the university’s organizational structure review process. Lynch announced in December her plans to retire in the spring after a 37-year career with the state of North Carolina, including leadership roles for nearly 20 years with the Jackson County School System. She joined the administration at WCU in 1995 as director of the university’s Equal Employment Opportunity Programs before becoming assistant to the chancellor in January 2003. Lynch was promoted to the role of chief of staff in July 2005. A seven-member committee has begun the process of searching for a successor to Lynch. Reporting directly to the chancellor, the chief of staff is a member of the university’s senior leadership team, is a member of the Executive Council and provides coordination for the achievement of strategic directions, goals and initiatives for the Chancellor’s Division. Chancellor David Belcher spoke highly of Lynch’s contributions to the University. At Friday’s ceremony he said, “Dianne has incredible institutional memory, but she also has a keen vision of where this institution can go. She has been a marvelous asset to this university, and she will be impossible to replace.”

Expect to have High Speed Internet and Wireless Internet services available soon as a result of the contract signed by Jackson County, the Town of Sylva and Balsam West.  This contract changes ownership of the assets held by the local government as collateral for the loan made to Microstat several years ago. The $25,000 the Town of Sylva and the County of Jackson will split is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the system which included miles of installed  fiber optic cable and the tower on Kings Mountain. Balsam West in cooperation with D-Net will be able to offer residential phone service, extremely high speed wireless internet, and equally fast fiber optic.  These services can cause local entrepreneurial business needing high speed internet  to simply explode.  Some local facilities have been using the tower for wireless internet through a lease agreement with the county.  The wireless operation is especially important for potential users who have no access to the fiber optic network, but who can access the tower on Kings Mountain. A similar system in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties using just five towers was designed to provide wireless internet for 85% of the residents of the three counties. After a small amount of additional technical installations the system should be ready for subscribers.

02/15/13 The Radio Advertising Bureau reported on Friday that radio advertising revenues grew by the largest amount in several years. Part of the growth was because of the expenditures for political advertising. But that was not the total reason. Radio stations are beginning to capture more of the “off the air” market through what is called non-traditional advertising.

Because radio stations are able to air news in an instant and many stations are all news, and others report news every half hour citizens are finding that radio keeps them informed without having to forgo the entertainment and music which is what happens when the listener has to lock in an all talk radio station. The same applies for the  twenty minute repetition cycle for the cable news channels.

02/15/2013 An abrupt change in the weather forecast got road crews busy Friday afternoon.  While Saturday was predicted to be cold with blowing snow and temperatures stuck in the mid thirties,  there was no predicted accumulation of snow.  However late Friday the forecasters began noticing a change in the predicted conditions that caused concern that the snow could actually accumulate and other  weather conditions could cause the roads to become hazardous. So crews went to work dumping thousands of gallons of salt brine on the major traffic arteries. the brine had proven to be effective in delaying the accumulation of the snow on the roads so work crews can keep the snow pushed out of the way. WRGC will keep you posted on the weather conditions Saturday and Sunday.

The Smoky Mountain Mustang Boys take round one of the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference tournament. The game was played Friday night at Smoky Mountain High School. The Mustangs cruised to a 78 to 62 win  over East Henderson. The game was stopped for a moment in the fourth period to recognize on of the East Henderson players who scored his 1000th point. Brandon Dorn finished his career with 1003 points by sinking three free shots after the record tying shot.

The Mustangs will now move on to the second round of the tournament which will be played Tuesday Night at Tuscola, probably against Pisgah.  The game was originally scheduled for Smoky Mountain High School but the schools swapped the tournament schedule this year with the anticipation that the new gymnasium at Smoky Mountain High School will be completed by tournament time next season.

The tournament games are not being broadcast on WRGC.  Once the state playoff brackets are determined then WRGC will broadcast the games of that series. Should the Smoky Mountain Mustangs get upset in the conference tournament then the ranking for the state playoff tournament could be affected.  But short of a major upset the Mustangs should be one of the top seeds in the first round anyway and likely play a home game.

The Spring Break Dream Vacation is March 30th through April 2nd.  The winner gets four nights and five days at the Summer Bay Resort.  This is a top of the line resort about fifteen minutes away from Disney World.  We are also giving away a total of $700.00 with the package.  You do have to take the trip to get the money,  this is not a take the money and run deal.

Register at the following sponsors; Hollifield Jewelers downtown, The Design Center across from Jackson Paper, Liberty Tax Service on the Asheville Highway, Tim’s Auto Parts on the Asheville Highway, Ray’s Florist and Greenhouse in the Dillsboro Court, and the Carpet Barn in the Thad Woods Business Center on the Haywood County Side of Balsam.

Good Luck

WRGC radio will have  tickets to the February 20th game between the Cats and the College of Charleston and the ESPN Bracket Buster Set for February 23rd at 2:00 p-m.

More weather trouble predicted for Tuesday Morning

It only takes a few drops of rain on a cold morning to create nightmares in the mountains.  Weather forecasters are predicting a weak system to move through the area overnight which could produce just enough little raindrops to crease massive headaches from schools and drivers.  The rain is expected to start about three a-m and last three of four hours before the temperature climbs back above freezing.  Stay tunes,  the Ray and Roy Radio Morning Show will have the latest on Tuesday Morning.

Winter weather puts a damper on dreams of an early Spring.

Winter weather in Western North Carolina has put a halt to the predictions of an early Spring.  Pucksatony Phil emerged from his home at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania to predict an early Spring yesterday. Following the recent stretch of winter weather in the mountains that has caused many accidents, power outages and  freezing temperatures it’s hard to imagine Spring is right around the corner. Haywood, Swain and Jackson County are under a Winter Weather Warning until 1p.m.  on Sunday afternoon and a Wind Advisory until Noon today.  With more snow accumulation expected through tout the day, citizens are encouraged to stay home and if travel is a must allow yourself extra time and take it slow.  Many area churches and business are closed today due to the inclement weather.

All Jackson County Offices are closing at 4:00 today

The Seventh Grade Fundraiser featuring Hoss Howard  at Cullowhee Valley School scheduled for Friday night has been postponed

The WCU Women’s Basketball team has several home games this weekend and next week.  WRGC has numerous tickets to give away.  So be listening Thursday and Friday for your chance to win tickets to see the Lady Cats and Lindsey Simpson light up the scoreboard.

WRGC Radio has received notification that Swain County Schools will be on a two hour delay Thursday.  That might change if conditions change early Thursday.  WRGC will announce the weather closings when they are received.