Haywood County, North Carolina

Haywood County, North Carolina voters choose a new sheriff on Nov. 3, with Democrat Tyler Howell facing Republican Mark Mease after both won March primaries; Mease ousted incumbent Sheriff Bill Wilke in the GOP contest. Howell rose from police dispatcher to patrol officer and has spent years in community policing with the Waynesville Police Department. Mease built his career at the Haywood County Sheriff's Office, from narcotics investigator to captain, before joining Cherokee Tribal Police.

Both candidates emphasize rebuilding community trust, improving rural deputy presence, and addressing mental health and addiction in sentencing. They differ slightly on Flock surveillance cameras, with both backing the tool but citing privacy and oversight concerns. Early voting ended Oct. 31.

Repair work on nine aging bridges in Haywood County, North Carolina, is progressing toward a 2027 completion target, the North Carolina Department of Transportation says, though drivers should expect continued disruptions along Interstate 40 near Canton. The bridge overhaul, funded through the 2021 American Infrastructure and Reinvestment Act and announced in 2024, addresses structures identified in earlier assessments as needing replacement due to age and maintenance demands.

Civil engineering firm KCI is managing seven of the nine projects, including four along I-40 and two on US-74. A new lane closure began Monday, Sept. 14 near Exit 31, affecting the I-40 westbound right lane near Incinerator Road for paving and barrier work through Thursday, Sept. 17, with possible night closures afterward. Officials say most projects remain on schedule for completion by summer or late fall of 2027, though a later-started project on Thickety Road will take longer. NCDOT says the replacements should ultimately reduce maintenance-related closures and traffic impacts once complete.