Black Rabbit Collective

Black Rabbit Collective

We cover the stories that matter to Jackson County, North Carolina. From local government and community affairs to the heartbeat of the mountains, The Black Rabbit Collective brings you direct conversations on the issues shaping our home. Hosted by Steve. Rooted in Sylva.

  1. 3h ago

    Jackson County Live: Data Center Moratorium & $9.6M Jail Expansion

    The Jackson County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday night for a regular session. The docket features major zoning proposals and county infrastructure projects.We streamed the full meeting live. Join us as we watch your local government in action.KEY AGENDA TOPICS1-Year Data Center Moratorium (Ordinance O2026-02)Planning Director Michael Poston presents an ordinance for a full one-year development freeze on data centers. County staff will study environmental impacts and draft new development standards.$9.6M Detention Facility Expansion GMP (New Business Item 5)The Board reviews the Guaranteed Maximum Price proposal from Vannoy Construction. The package covers site work plus building construction and smoke evacuation systems. Total projected owner cost reaches $9.59M.$105M School Bond Order and Hearing Notice (Item 6 and Resolution R26-13)The Board introduces the $105M General Obligation School Bond order for district facilities. This action also schedules the official public hearing for September 1 2026 ahead of the November ballot referendum.Pine Creek Community Building Purchase Offer (New Business Item 4)The Board reviews an official purchase offer for the county facility.Youth Arts Festival Hayride Permit (Ordinance O2026-01)The Board considers temporary traffic regulations for the annual community event on September 19 2026.

  2. Jul 23

    The $105M School Bond Tax Fight & The Library Lockout: Jackson County LIVE

    The Jackson County Board of Commissioners is voting on massive structural changes tonight and The Black Rabbit Collective is tracking every second. From the final vote on the controversial library room restrictions to a public hearing setup for a $105 Million school bond referendum that carries a heavy property tax hike your public spaces and wallet are on the line.Plus we are pulling back the curtain on the performative data center moratorium hypocrisy while tracking the Sheriff's department retention crisis and exposing the backroom political theater happening this election year.Join our live watch party and drop your thoughts in the chat. Don't miss The Fourth Minute as reporter John Herrera broadcasts live with on-scene interviews from the sidewalk outside.Agenda Highlights:Public Comment: The 3-minute limit vs The Fourth Minute overtimePublic Safety: Sheriff Doug Farmer’s Pay & Retention ReportThe Moratorium: The data center ban vs AI Flock road surveillanceThe Lockdown: The final vote on the Sylva & Cashiers library room policiesThe Bond: The $105M school improvement plan and the trailer debateSubscribe and hit the notification bell to stay locked into local accountability.

  3. Jul 9

    Library Room Reservation Policy Watch Party

    It sounds like a bad joke, but the commissioners are officially moving forward with a policy to block the general public from reserving library community rooms. If this passes regular folks and local groups are completely locked out of public spaces that our tax dollars already paid for.This policy is guaranteed to turn the public comment podium into a total battleground on July 7th. Watch exactly how our elected officials try to justify closing these doors on the community.

  4. Jul 5

    Confronting Jackson County's PIO Bill Davis on Free Speech

    Celebrating freedom means upholding our right to speak. Listen to the full unedited interaction where I confronted Jackson County's Public Information Officer Bill Davis about his social media censorship.

  5. Jun 28

    Civic Friction: When Policies & Public Opinion Collide

    Welcome back to the Black Rabbit Collective. We are officially launching our brand new segment The Fourth Minute. We're checking in live with John Herrera who is already camped out outside the courthouse waiting for our big July 7th watch party. Then we’re breaking down the intense pressure from Raleigh on our local Board of Elections, the leaked GOP chair texts, and the controversial new library community room policy draft set for a vote at that July 7th meeting. We'll also unpack the messy math behind the county's million-dollar refund and the brewing Swain County lawsuit. It’s all about transparency and local accountability. Jackson County Civic Alliance: https://jccawnc.com/ Christian Hatton GFM: https://www.gofundme.com/f/would-you-help-a-good-young-man-get-through-cancer

  6. Jun 18

    Jackson County Budget Clash Live Stream Watch Party

    This episode captures the raw audio from our live community watch party as we reacted together to the intense Jackson County budget meeting. Listen in as the room handles everything from meticulous equipment audits to the final, high-stakes 3-2 split vote. It is a firsthand look at local politics with real community commentary as it happens.

  7. May 10

    Willful Ignorance: The Hooper Grievance

    The board room isn't a campaign office.I officially hand delivered a formal grievance to the Jackson County Justice Center after Commissioner Jenny Lynn Hooper used the public dais and taxpayer funded livestream to promote a partisan political group.In this episode we break down the notarized document, the specific North Carolina laws that were violated, and why this matters for the integrity of our local government. Review Files At: https://blackrabbitcollective.org/

  8. Apr 19

    Rumors on the Record: Examining Rhetoric and Accountability in Jackson County

    We review the recent Jackson County Commissioners’ meeting regarding the arrest of HERE Executive Director Greta Worley. This episode examines the unsubstantiated rumors and rhetoric used by officials when discussing our unhoused neighbors. We take a closer look at the 30-minute interaction and the behavior of our local leaders.Sources Referenced in this Episode: Making changes, but HERE is still here: https://www.thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_3ba58ad5-24ca-4182-ac6d-67461a2da0ef.htmlWorley indicted on credit card charges: https://www.thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_f40b5c68-efbe-4fdb-9df6-d73d49a5c4fd.html4/7/2026 - Regular Meeting and Work Session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFAh0bufstg&t=5636sCounty freezes HERE funding, agency’s future uncertain: https://www.thesylvaherald.com/news/article_e567352c-ce70-4a55-9bec-5859d6bad22c.htmlJackson commissioner violated state law by skipping ethics training: https://smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/39971-jackson-commissioner-violated-state-law-by-skipping-ethics-trainingMean Maple Bake Shop: https://www.instagram.com/meanmaplebakeshop/

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

We cover the stories that matter to Jackson County, North Carolina. From local government and community affairs to the heartbeat of the mountains, The Black Rabbit Collective brings you direct conversations on the issues shaping our home. Hosted by Steve. Rooted in Sylva.

Information

  • Creator
    Black Rabbit Collective
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Black Rabbit Collective
  • Show Website
    Black Rabbit Collective