Jackson elects new school board members
This election cycle there were 10 candidates running for three seats on the Jackson County Schools Board of Education. The…
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Voters pick Bryson, Wilke for November sheriff race in Haywood
Haywood County residents are a step closer to learning who will replace a longtime lawman in December, after convincing Primary…
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Farmer, Buchanan win Jackson Sheriff primaries
Republican Doug Farmer and Democrat Rick Buchanan will compete to hold the office of Sheriff in Jackson County this fall…
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Incumbents top vote getters in Haywood Commission Republican primary
November’s field for the Haywood County Commission is set as three Republicans and two Democrats will compete for three seats…
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Familiar faces advance in Haywood commission GOP primary
Opting for experience over upstarts , Haywood County residents gave incumbent commissioners Jennifer Best and Tommy Long a vote of…
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Negotiations continue on Ela Dam removal
According to public documents filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a decision on whether to pursue removal of the…
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When the levee breaks: A perfect storm steers WNC toward a judicial crisis
Some catastrophes happen in the blink of an eye, while others develop so slowly they’re imperceptible, like a crack in…
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Crisis pregnancy center opens in Waynesville
Just three days after protesters gathered on the courthouse lawn in Waynesville to demonstrate their support for legal abortion, a…
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Maggie board approves food trucks
After months of contentious back and forth over the subject of food trucks, an ordinance allowing the mobile vendors in…
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Maggie board accused of favoritism
After the Maggie Valley Town Board of Aldermen removed a zoning board member with little discussion, two residents spoke during…
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COVID cases rising again
Haywood County Medical Director Dr. Mark Jaben is sounding the alarm that COVID-19 case counts are increasing again, and people…
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Again, Cooper’s budget proposal includes Medicaid expansion
Saying that it invests in North Carolina’s “families, businesses and communities,” Gov. Roy Cooper presented his proposed 2022-23 budget, full…
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Sylva nears final budget
The Sylva Board of Commissioners is one step closer to accepting its budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. However, the…
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Location for public bathrooms still up in the air
Several Sylva residents came out Thursday night to express their opposition to the closure of Spring Street to construct public…
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UNC building renamed for Cherokee trailblazer
Henry Owl was the first person of color, and the first Native American, to attend the University of North Carolina…
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Waynesville rally for Roe is a sign of things to come
As it often does, the Historic Haywood Courthouse played host to a rally on May 14 that drew about 50…
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Madison Cawthorn’s brief political career is over, at least for now
Less than 17 months after being sworn into office, Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn has been voted out of office by…
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Dems pick Beach-Ferrara for NC-11
Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara delivered on expectations, running away with the Democratic nomination in the 11th Congressional District.
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An overview of Tuesday's WNC sheriff's primary elections
Among all the primary races decided Tuesday, some of the most important in Western North Carolina were to determine which…
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Jackson County Commission primary results are in
Three seats are up for grabs this November on the Jackson County Commission — Commission Chairman, District One and District…
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Hise prevails in inter-party contest
Voters in Senate District 47 won’t have to wait until November to find out who their next senator will be,…
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Macon County Commission Republican primary results in
The voters of Macon County have spoken, and two of the seven Republicans running — Danny Antoine and Gary Shields…
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What it means for NC if Roe v. Wade is overturned
When President Donald Trump appointed conservative jurist Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court, there was an outcry…
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MDMA as medicine: Stemming the tide of veteran suicides in Western North Carolina
Around midnight on Christmas Eve in 2006, Jonathan Lubecky found himself alone in a Raleigh tavern listening to church bells…
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Haywood tourism boom continues
When Haywood TDA Executive Director Lynn Collins showed up to the Haywood County Board of Commissioners meeting to deliver her…
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Drake Software Appoints New President and CEO
Drake Software announced today the appointment of Dominic (Dom) Morea as President and CEO. Interim CEO Euan Menzies will continue…
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Sylva temporarily closes Spring Street
The Town of Sylva closed Spring Street, between Mill Street and Main Street beginning May 6. The closure will last…
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Sylva contemplates buying temporary half-pipe
Community support is emerging for a skatepark in Sylva. In the meantime, will the town purchase a temporary half-pipe? This…
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Equinox Ranch is up and running
Not long after pulling off the busy NC 107 onto the small, single-lane road leading to Equinox Ranch, leafy green…
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Graphic video shows Rep. Cawthorn in compromising scene
Yet another video that depicts embattled Western North Carolina Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn in a compromising situation has surfaced, according…
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Web host yanks Cawthorn video, PAC hacked
Just 24 hours after posting a graphic video of controversial congressman Madison Cawthorn, the web host of the site where…
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Tribal Council approves $75 million for ‘themed spectacle,’ site development at Exit 407
One of the world’s top amusement park companies, France-based Puy du Fou, is partnering with the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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Tribe buys land for housing, cannabis production
Tribal Council voted last week to spend $15 million for the tribal government to acquire 95 acres of trust land…
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Tribe to invest $75 million in Sevier County ‘themed spectacle’
One of the world’s top amusement park companies will partner with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to create a…
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Bridge to clean energy: Leaders mull WNC’s energy future
When the first transmission lines began popping up in the mountains 100 years ago, only one type of power provided…
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Legislators, governor usher in new age of clean energy
As more states have pledged their commitment to reducing carbon emissions over the last decade, North Carolina has begun to…
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Waynesville hopes to spark residential solar generation
Unlike most North Carolina municipalities, the Town of Waynesville operates its own electric service, giving it greater local control over…
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Mold halts construction at Cherokee schools
Cherokee Central School was in the home stretch of a $22 million construction and renovation project on the 13-year-old campus…
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Bear sanctuary hunting rule now up to legislators
Following an April 21 vote from the N.C. Rules Review Commission, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission might not be allowed…
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Taxes, fees may go up in new Waynesville budget
Declining revenues and a growing list of capital improvements are both putting the squeeze on Waynesville’s finances, but a proposed…
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Waynesville approves housing development
A 59-unit townhome development on 7.7 acres just off East Street in Waynesville has been approved over opposition from neighbors, several…
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The race is on for Macon clerk of court
The clerk of court is a humble albeit crucial office, an elected position filled by someone willing to ensure the…
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Haywood budget shows staffing needs, rising costs
As the completion of Haywood County’s 2022-23 budget draws near, it’s becoming apparent that inflation, the tight labor market and…
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Waynesville takes a look at board meeting procedures
Governing a small municipality is work enough, but add in unprecedented amounts of federal recovery funds that need to be…
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Jackson faces safety funding requests
The Jackson County Commission is faced with several requests to fund safety operations throughout the county, totaling over $1.5 million.…
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Allen street repairs will likely begin this summer
Funding for Allen Street repairs in Sylva has seen several boosts over the last several months. These funding opportunities have…
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Macon commissioner candidates discuss education, broadband
Several problems and opportunities await Macon County’s next board of commissioners.
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Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee
A parking fee proposed for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has earned support from organizations ranging from the National…
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Sheriffs in Western North Carolina face challenges, change
The job of the county sheriff is important even though the county sheriff’s job is widely misunderstood.
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In-person early voting begins April 28
Primary Elections in Western North Carolina will be held on Tuesday, May 17, but in-person early voting will get underway…
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