North Carolina’s First Lady Kristin Cooper visited Clay County on the 93rd stop of her 100-county tour, stopping by Rob Withrow’s Smoke in the Mountains Pottery in Brasstown on May 17. Withrow, who has been creating his pottery for nearly three decades and teaches his art at the John C. Campbell Folk School, estimates he can turn out 100 of his specialized face mugs in about five hours. Cooper left with an armful of flowers from Withrow and her staff with a box of his mugs. While in Brasstown also visited the Folk School campus. See story B4