Shannon Ballard

Shannon Ballard is a features reporter for 828newsNOW.com. She is also a Southern storyteller and the creator and host of Southern Mysteries, a podcast that explores the history and true crime of the South. Her work focuses on the people, places and events that shaped the region and the moments that continue to influence it. Each episode blends vivid storytelling with careful research to highlight both well-known and overlooked stories from the past. Southern Mysteries is available on all podcast platforms. More information is at southernmysteries.com.

Asheville History
18 hours ago
Historic Churches of WNC: St. John in the Wilderness, Flat Rock

The oldest Episcopal church in Western North Carolina stands as both a mountain refuge and a reminder of the people who built and worshipped here nearly two centuries ago.

Asheville History
3 days ago
Tombstone Tales: Riverside grave with bold confession

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Riverside Cemetery is known for its monuments, the Southern writers who […]

Asheville History
4 days ago
Strangeville: What haunts Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery?

Uncover the secrets of Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery, where famous graves, Civil War history and haunting tales converge.

Asheville History
1 week ago
Historic Churches of WNC: St. Mary’s Episcopal

Inside the history of a rural church whose sanctuary holds three of the most influential frescoes in Western North Carolina.

Asheville History
1 week ago
Strangeville: The Enduring Mystery of the Wampus Cat

The Wampus Cat legend has long prowled across North Carolina – part myth, part reflection of the people who told it.

Asheville History
2 weeks ago
Strangeville: The legend of Boojum and Hootin’ Annie

A mountain legend tells of Boojum, a lonely giant who fell in love with a woman named Annie and vanished with her into the misty woods of Haywood County.

Asheville History
3 weeks ago
Strangeville: The ghost lore of Asheville’s Thomas Wolfe Memorial

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial in Asheville stands as both a historic landmark and the setting for lingering stories of love, loss, and memory.

Asheville History
1 month ago
Strangeville: The Haunted Legend Behind Asheville’s Historic Catholic Basilica

Some believe Rafael Guastavino never truly left the Basilica he built, a masterpiece in life and possibly his haunt in death.

Asheville History
1 month ago
Strangeville: The Legend of Curtis Logan and the Car in the Grave

Waynesville’s Green Hill Cemetery is home to a long-running legend that auto dealer Curtis G. Logan was buried in his car.

Asheville History
1 month ago
Strangeville: The legend of Spearfinger, the Stone Witch of Appalachia

The Cherokee legend of Spearfinger, a witch born of stone and shadow, endures as one of Appalachia’s oldest and most haunting stories.

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