Mayor on Duty

My heart almost stopped when Josh Ward told me that the public hearing concerning STR amendments had not been properly advertised as a legal notice in the Highlander. That oversight invalidated the subsequent actions of […]

Tonight is the May meeting of the Town of Highlands Board of Commissioners. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Highlands Community Center next to the ball field. Prior to this meeting, the […]

Last Friday afternoon the weather was warm. Sallie was on the front porch listening to the birds. She asked me to join her. We began to hear voices talking over the Billy Ray Cyrus 1992 […]

We are getting close to the end of school and the graduation season. Highlands School usually has a senior graduation class of about 25 to 30 students. Being one of only three K through 12 […]

I attended the recent broadband meeting that Senator Corbin and Representative Gillespie hosted two weeks ago. There was a strong turnout of people throughout Western Carolina where broadband accessibility is a vital issue. Just in […]

I want to thank everyone for a very successful and civil public hearing last Thursday night that addressed the Highlands Planning Board’s recommendations concerning short term rental amendments to the UDO. Over thirty people spoke […]

This afternoon the public hearing concerning the Highlands Planning Board STR recommendations will begin at 5 p.m. at the Highlands Community Center. A signup list will be at the door for folks wishing to speak. […]

As of this past Tuesday the Highlands Town Board began a review of STR ordinance recommendations from the Highlands Planning Board. The members of the Highlands Planning Board met a number of times to review […]

On Monday night, the Highlands Planning Board completed a review of the draft proposal for amending town ordinances related to short-term rentals. Their recommendations have now been sent to the Highlands Town Board for review. […]

Let me cover several current items. Some of this information comes from questions folks have sent to my website in recent days. First, Optimum is continuing COVID testing at the Highlands Community Building next to […]

We are about to see 2021 fade away and 2022 rise before us. Looking back, even though it had some challenging moments, 2021 was much better than the COVID dominated 2020. Looks like the Omicron […]

I loved the Highlands Christmas Parade this year. I am always honored as mayor to lead the parade just behind the color guard. Sallie, our grandchildren and Lucy, our dog, had a great time walking […]

American Legion Post 370 will be holding their Veterans Day Ceremony today at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Plaza in front of the police station. After the ceremony, veterans can go to the Blue […]

This time of year, there is a slow period downtown between the end of August where kids return to school and before the leaf season begins. This past Sunday afternoon the Center for Life Enrichment […]

Saturday will be the 20th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers, September 11, 2001. Hope everyone will take a moment as we usher in a beautiful fall weekend to and remember those innocent […]