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Wednesday, 22 February 2012 15:21

Decision on early voting site for Cherokee lands in Swain commissioners' laps

Swain County commissioners will have to decide in coming weeks whether to pony up $3,000 to $5,000 for an early voting site in Cherokee this election. The Swain County Board of Elections doesn't have the money in its budget this…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:16

Jackson poised to give economic commission another shot

Jackson County has been down this road before, but that isn’t stopping leaders from taking another look at forming a local economic development commission. Or, to be more precise, reconstituting the county’s current Economic Development Commission. “Because technically, there is…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:14

Sylva radio station waiting for final pieces to fall into place

It will be several more weeks at best before Sylva AM radio station WRGC gets back on the air, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission to grant the station a license. Word that the station would resume broadcasting around…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:13

County election roundup

Here’s who has filed lately for the upcoming local election. Filing continues through Feb. 29. Haywood County: Another Republican has put his foot into the county commissioner race. Tracy Kevin Coward, of Waynesville, will run against two incumbents during this…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:12

Tourism forum to focus on regional partnerships

Hoteliers, innkeepers, outfitters and other tourism-related businesses can attend the Tourism Partnership Forum, a free event that will be held at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center on from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. The registration deadline is March 1.…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:11

TDA looks to tax collector to crack down on delinquent tourism taxpayers

Delinquent payers of the tourism room tax in Haywood County will soon have the tax collector knocking on their door. County commissioners approved a resolution that will allow the tax collector to recover money from hotel and motel owners not…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:11

Applications available for scholarships

Haywood County Farm Bureau awards four scholarships each year — two for $1,000 and two for $500. The $1000 scholarships are given to students attending a four-year college and studying agriculture. The $500 scholarships will go to students attending a…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 21:10

Youth SURGE into Missions this summer

Ministries with Young People at Lake Junaluska is preparing for its summer programming, SURGE into Missions. During the SURGE into Missions program, youth will meet and work with persons in need within the surrounding communities, as well as get to…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:55

Skate park dream revived with pledge from town

Waynesville leaders have committed to foot the bill for the long-held dream of a skateboard park — and it will receive help from an unexpected place. After years of pinning their hopes on grants and private fundraising that only partially…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:52

Macon County turns out to debate planning board’s future

Macon County’s planning board lived to plan another day. Proposed retroactive term limits, which some considered punitive because they seemed to mainly target the most experienced, pro-planning of the board’s members, were rejected by commissioners. Planning Board Chairman Lewis Penland…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:49

Another Macon subdivision, more unhappy lot owners

Not long ago Kristina and Bruce Oliver invited a local couple they’d met in nearby Franklin to come play cards with them at their newly constructed house in Diamond Falls Estates. The phone rang about the time the visitors were…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:47

DSS building sits empty after senior housing project falters

Hopes of turning the abandoned Haywood County social services building into low-income senior apartments have been dashed, leaving the county in a quandary over who else might want the building and what other uses it could have. The county recently…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:44

Canton town board hopes to move away from perpetual election cycle

Canton’s elected leaders could find their two-year terms of office doubling if voters support a proposed change to give the mayor and board of aldermen four years in office. The town board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m.…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:43

Findings paint dire picture of REACH’s finances

An audit of REACH of Jackson County’s finances received by the nonprofit’s board last month show the money situation had become even more dicey than was previously made public. The agency, which worked with victims of domestic violence and sexual…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:41

County holds up approval of MedWest collateral

A $10 million line of County credit intended to bridge short-term cash flow problems at MedWest-Haywood hospital has hit a snag. A loan taken out by the hospital offers up the hospital building as collateral but legally it needs approval…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:40

Peer-to-peer recovery education program

A 10-week free educational class will be held next month in Franklin on recovery and wellness for anyone experiencing a mental disorder.   The peer-to-peer program is led by mentors (peers) who themselves are in recovery from mental illness and…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:40

Macon Republicans to host candidate forum

The Macon County Republican Party will hold a forum for candidates running for the 11th Congressional District seat on March 3. The event will start at 4 p.m. with finger foods and a meet and greet at the Community Building…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:39

Learn about foster care

Those interested in being a foster parent can learn what it takes from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. the fourth Sunday of each month at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Read popular novels, memoirs and biographies that explore the world…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:39

Clergy offered slate of resources

Community Resource Connections of Haywood Community Connections is sponsoring a third session of “Building Bridges in Haywood County.” This program will help local clergy have a better understanding of resources available to those in need. This session will focus on…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:38

National speaker to talk about school bullying

Jim Williams, a nationally renowned speaker from Nashville, is coming to Swain County Feb. 27 to speak to parents, teachers and students about bully prevention. He is scheduled speak to parents at the Swain County Fine Arts Center from 6…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:37

Sponsor a painted cat

Harold Sims, aka The Catman, is looking for sponsors, artists and other people participate in a painted cat project. Similar to the brightly colored bears in Cherokee, Sims hopes to feature the life-size cats in shops around Western North Carolina.…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:36

Students launch voter education, participation effort in Jackson

Western Carolina University students will kick off the Cullowhee Voter Initiative, a nonpartisan effort to improve voter education and participation in Jackson County, with a voter registration drive and student debate on campus Thursday, Feb. 23. A second event, a…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:35

Chefs will tee up their best for the Masters

Like most great tales, it began like any other day. Sous Chef Alex Tinsley, 24, was working his usual day in The Gateway Club’s kitchen — chopping veggies, toasting buns, helping to ensure that any food that left the kitchen…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:34

Principles aside, Waynesville looks to tap a piece of sweepstakes action through hefty fees

If you can’t beat ‘em, then you can at least benefit from ‘em. Waynesville officials are considering joining the growing ranks of towns that impose fees on businesses that operate sweepstakes machines, a recent reincarnation of the previously outlawed video…
Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:32

Eichenbaum bows out of GOP congressional race

The crowded Republican field vying for Heath Shuler’s former seat in Congress thinned out by one this week. Dan Eichenbaum, an eye doctor from Murphy, rode onto the political scene in Western North Carolina in 2010 with the Tea Party…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:44

Competition scant so far in Haywood commissioner race

Two seats are up for election on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners this year, and both Mark Swanger and Kevin Ensley are looking to retain their seats. Both incumbents seemed relatively unconcerned about this year’s election. “I’m optimistic,” Swanger…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:43

Planning brouhaha likely to dominate Macon commission election

Land planning, that perennial lightening-rod topic in Macon County, will likely shape if not outright dominate the upcoming campaign for three of the five county commissioner seats. Up for election in Macon this year are Republicans Kevin Corbin, Jimmy Tate…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:42

GOP absent in Jackson commission race

News that Jackson County Commissioner Joe Cowan won’t run for re-election this year has set the stage for a high-profile Democratic primary showdown between two well-known Democrats, Vicki Greene and former board Chairman Stacy Buchanan. Greene had let her intentions…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:39

Filling Shuler’s shoes: Democrats round out the ranks of those vying for Congress

Outgoing Congressman Heath Shuler hopes to pass the torch to his own chief of staff, a like-minded, conservative Democrat who is rapidly being embraced by the party establishment as a replacement for Shuler on the ballot come November. Hayden Rogers,…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:36

Crowded field shows no signs of thinning out in GOP race for Congress

Republicans seeking the 11th District congressional seat are trying to find ways before May’s primary to stand out and attract voters amid a crowded field of nine candidates. Candidates began actively campaign toward the end of last year, traveling from…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:34

Tourists caught in the middle not amused by tit-for-tat Cherokee sign debate

Pity the poor visitors trying to find their ways to Cherokee if the N.C. Department of Transportation heeds requests of local leaders in Haywood and Jackson counties when it comes to directional signs. First, Jackson County wanted a “This way…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:32

Jackson tourism task force weighted

A group tasked with helping Jackson County leaders decide whether to merge two separate tourism entities or possibly hike the room tax is dominated by people who work in the lodging industry. Four out of the six members currently appointed…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:31

Has Maggie found its heroine?

Longtime Maggie Valley resident Alaska Presley has seen it all when it comes to Ghost Town in the Sky’s ups and downs. Presley, now 88, and her late husband Hugh met R.B. Coburn, founder of Ghost Town, more than 50…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:28

Resurrecting a ghost town: Alaska Presley hopes to revive Maggie Valley by reopening the once-popular Ghost Town amusement park

Tears gathered in Alaska Presley’s eyes as she moved one step closer to attaining a Maggie Valley icon that has remained close to her heart but out of her possession for more than 50 years. Surrounded by supporters, former Ghost…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:26

Heatherly wastes no time in meeting with Harris employees

Steve Heatherly made sure there were plenty of Diet Cokes queued up in the office mini-fridge before work Monday morning — he would need at least a dozen, probably more, to get through the next 24 hours. Heatherly faced hundreds…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:24

Shared finances complicate MedWest partnership

Some within the Jackson County medical community are wondering whether their hospital has gotten a fair shake in the partnership forged with neighbor Haywood County under the MedWest umbrella two years ago. When the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:24

Haywood schools score major grant

The Haywood County School District has landed a $1 million grant to fight childhood obesity by encouraging an active, healthy lifestyle through the Carol M. White P.E. program. Haywood County Schools was one of only 76 successful applications selected from…
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:21

Domestic violence agency shuts without warning amid irregularities

A domestic violence and sexual assault agency serving victims of abuse in Jackson County abruptly shut its doors last week after more than three decades in operation. REACH of Jackson County has been plagued for two years by an on-going…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:15

Candidate forum to be held in Bryson City

Several Republican candidates for the 11th Congressional District will participate in a Feb. 17 forum sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Republican Women. The forum will be held at 7 p.m. at the Swain County Community Services Facility on Brendle Street…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:14

Girl Scouts seeking new troop leaders

In an effort to recruit new Troop Leaders and volunteers, Girl Scouts will host “Information Hours” from 1 to 6 p.m., Feb. 15, at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville. Current Troop Leaders, parents and Girl Scouts are also welcome…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:13

Class on self-defense for women Feb. 16

Western Carolina University is offering a self-defense class for women Thursday, Feb. 16. The class, sponsored by WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach, will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Room 143 of the Cordelia Camp Building. The class will focus…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:12

Build it and they still didn’t come: Wastewater plant pumps more money in than treated waste out

Whittier’s $5 million wastewater treatment plant could be facing eventual financial insolvency, saddled with too much overhead and too few customers to make operation viable. The sewer plant, in hindsight, was overbuilt for growth and development that failed to materialize…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:11

Haywood commissioners join fray over Cherokee signage

The Haywood Board of Commissioners agreed to put its John Hancock on a letter asking the N.C. Department of Transportation to post an additional “This way to Cherokee” sign near Dillsboro. The letter is a classic case of turn-about being…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:09

Gender equality on pay under the magnifying glass

Western Carolina University has launched a pay study to determine whether male employees are paid more than their female counterparts when doing the same jobs. The study is expected to take up to two years to complete. It has been…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:06

Lack of funds could hinder accessibility of early voting

Swain County’s Board of Elections will decide this month whether it is worth several thousand dollars to operate an early voting site in Cherokee again this election year. The three-member election board all agreed the county might not be able…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:05

Cherokee Bear Zoo cited for Animal Welfare Act violations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited the Cherokee Bear Zoo for violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. During the agency’s Jan. 5 inspection, the officials found that the Cherokee Bear Zoo was failing to provide adequate veterinary care…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:05

Cherokee alcohol vote tailored to give communities more say so

Cherokee tribal council last week decided to change the format for an upcoming vote on alcohol sales, a move that will give individual communities more autonomy on the controversial issue. When members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians go…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:03

Motives questioned in term limit proposal for Macon board

If Macon County commissioners decide to impose term limits for the planning board, beleaguered planning members could become the only ones out of dozens serving on various county boards who are subject to limits on how many years they can…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:02

Corndogs on the go: Couple brings mobile street food to Franklin

Street food vendors aren’t welcome everywhere in Western North Carolina, but Andy and Pamela Fife haven’t found that to be true in Franklin. They are now setup in this Macon County town as the only fulltime mobile food vendors west…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:00

The Shuler effect: Democrats face uphill battle to hang on to seat

The race for the Congressional seat representing Western North Carolina was flipped on its head last week when incumbent U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, announced he would not seek re-election this year — leaving no heir apparent within his party.…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 20:56

Family first: As Shuler steps down to spend time with family, finding a Shuler-esque candidate to fill the void has Democrats scrambling.

When Coach Boyce Dietz got a call from his former standout quarterback Heath Shuler asking him to meet for breakfast at Clyde’s Restaurant one morning several years ago, Dietz dutifully got in the car and headed toward Waynesville to hear…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 20:54

Family welcomes charges in baby’s death

Caron Swayney knew better than to torture herself, but still she occasionally found herself drawn to the trailer park where the cold, limp body of her 15-month-old niece was discovered dead in the middle of the night last January. “I…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 20:53

How much is a cell tower worth? Counties could be getting short end of the stick

Haywood County might not be getting a fair shake from cell tower companies on their property taxes. County commissioners learned this week that cell tower companies might be underestimating the value of their towers and equipment, and as a result,…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 20:51

I-40 cleared of rock-slide debris and open to motorists

Interstate 40 near the Tennessee line in Haywood County reopened early Sunday morning following two rockslides in as many weeks. Only one lane of the Interstate is open through the Pigeon River Gorge near the state line, however. Following the…
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 20:44

Battle over public protests at Jackson meetings continue

Jackson County commissioners this week formally attempted to put the kibosh on 83-year-old Marie Leatherwood’s pattern of outbursts, picketing and general garrulity during meetings. During a meeting last month, Leatherwood was told she could no longer display signs during county…
Thursday, 02 February 2012 18:14

I-40 West expected to be open by Monday, Feb. 6

The Tennessee Department of Transportation anticipates the re-opening of Interstate 40's westbound lanes by Monday Feb. 6. TDOT has awarded an emergency contract to remove debris and unstable rock near the North Carolina border. Currently, the westbound lanes of the…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:35

‘Fight Like A Girl’ offered

Southwestern Community College will once again offer the popular Fight Like A Girl course from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 11. This module is especially effective for dealing with attacks in parking lots and garages where victims could…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:35

REACH Volunteer Training Day

REACH of Haywood will hold its annual Volunteer Training Day on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Waynesville. Anyone who would like to offer volunteer services for the nonprofit agency, especially in the area of Helpline phone volunteers, shelter helpers and office…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:34

Sylva foot cop takes to patrol car to put the brakes on speeders

Sylva speeders beware: at downtown business owners’ requests, Sylva is tapping the full array of skills that newly hired downtown foot-patrol officer J.P. Gallardo brings to the job. As of last week, the retired state Highway Patrol trooper of 30…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:32

Education cuts likely to steal the stage in elections

N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, spent much of his two-hour town hall in Haywood County last week addressing the topic of education. Davis spoke to a crowd of more than 50 people in the historic courthouse in Waynesville. He didn’t…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:04

Bothwell goes on the stump in primary race for Congress

An Asheville Democrat going up against Congressman Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, in the May primary held his first town hall meeting in Waynesville at the library last Thursday. Hoping to gather more name recognition and answer voter questions, Cecil Bothwell led…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:03

The difference between us and them

To the Editor: I wish to address the controversy surrounding the Macon County Planning Board. Maybe, just maybe you’ll understand our fight against you and your quest to control our property and lives. The word “you” applies to all who…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:02

Macon’s Ron Haven is making a difference

To the Editor: Macon County Commissioner Ron Haven is a man of character, courage and conviction. He is knowledgeable of and responsive to the beliefs, feelings and opinions of the people he represents. He is keen on liberty, individual rights…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:02

Haven keeps promises, makes enemies

To the Editor: Macon County should be proud to have a politician who makes promises to voters and then works to try to keep them. I’m referring to Commissioner Ron Haven. He received significantly more votes than his opponents in…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:01

Program was a unique, moving experience

To the Editor: My wife and I were richly blessed at a recent presentation of a unique ministry called “Let Heaven and Nature Sing” before a packed auditorium at the Music Road Hotel in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. This one-of-a-kind ministry…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:01

We must fix election spending fiasco

To the Editor: There are two ways to look at the Supreme Court decision that enables corporations to spend what they wish to influence elections to public office. It will come to be known either as the death knell of…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:00

Soon, we may all be working in our 70s

To the Editor: Last year I watched news coverage of the Occupy movement as it took root in cities around the globe, but I didn’t imagine it would reach Main Street in Bryson City. But there we were — about…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:58

McCrae’s new book a must have for local historians

Macon County residents, indeed all local history buffs, are about to receive a great gift from Barbara McRae, editor of The Franklin Press. Barbara is a noted regional historian with unmatched knowledge, in particular but not exclusively, of Macon County.…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:57

Shame on you, Smoky Mountain News, for poking fun

Shame on you, Smoky Mountain News, for making fun of my attempts at public service and, in so doing, potentially deterring other qualified individuals from running for public office. We need more interested young people to run for elected office,…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:55

Celebrating our little corner of the world

“[I] discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it …. — Novelist William Faulkner What makes a good newspaper? That’s a complicated and…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:23

MedWest leadership shuffle gives hospitals more autonomy

Concerns among Jackson County doctors that Harris Regional Hospital is not thriving as it should under a partnership with Haywood Regional Medical Center has prompted a change in top leadership. Harris once more has its own CEO, and Haywood will…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:20

Jobs at what price? Jackson has long history of extending questionable loans

Supporters of Jackson County’s revolving loan program describe the financial give-outs as a tool in the county’s economic toolbelt, a boost to deserving businesses that can’t receive critical, even lifesaving, financial help through banks. But five defaults since 1993 when…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:19

Sagging roof trusses on Waynesville fire station prompt lawsuit

The town of Waynesville is suing a Hendersonville contractor for negligence in the construction of its new fire station on the outskirts of downtown. In its complaint, the town alleges that Construction Logic’s work was defective and did not follow…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:16

Just ask this therapist: laughter is definitely the best medicine

Teeheeheehee, yuk yuk yuk, ho ho ho, BAHAHAHA — no matter how you do it, laughter can boost your mood, lower your blood pressure and help prolong your life. “It’s spontaneous; it’s contagious; it’s incredibly powerful,” said Cindy Miles, a certified…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:15

Waynesville leaders caught between salt factory and irked neighbors

Giles Chemical pledged last week to do what it could to appease neighbors fed up with intrusive truck traffic on their town streets, but residents maintain the small industry has outgrown its location. Throughout the day, trucks traveling to and…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:12

Financial series for women planned

Mountain BizWorks will host a free, women only three-part series on increasing your financial independence. The series is sponsored by OnTrack Women’s Financial Empowerment Center, and starts Thursday, Feb. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. at City Lights Cafe located in downtown…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:12

Lighten Up 4 Life seeks participants

Angel Medical Center and Macon County Public Health will kick-of Lighten Up 4 Life, a community wide weight loss challenge, at 9 a.m., Feb. 4 at Franklin High School’s Fine Arts Center The purpose of the challenge is to help…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:10

Local students compete in science fair at WCU

Students from across Western North Carolina will participate in the 2012 Western Regional Science Fair at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and Wednesday, Feb. 8. More than 600 students attend the fair each year,…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:08

Human billboard gets his groove on to the delight of passing motorists

It ain’t easy be green. Nor is it particularly easy for a full-grown man to position himself beside a busy highway and gyrate wildly for hours on end, day after day, in a Statue of Liberty costume. Bryan Pixa is…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:08

Cleanup leaders in Haywood County recognized

Winners of “Community Pride” awards through Haywood County’s Commission for a Clean County will gather at noon, Feb. 15, at the Waynesville Inn. The award winners demonstrated exceptional environmental stewardship in the county during the past year. Being recognized are…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:07

Shuler confirms that he won’t run for governor

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) on Tuesday ended speculation that he was considering a run for governor. “I will not be running for governor of North Carolina in 2012,” Shuler announced in a statement distributed to media outlets. “It is…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:06

Tombstone buyers in grave situation with Moody Funeral Home

It’s been nearly a year-and-a-half since Edna Queen lost her son, and despite forking over $1,100 for a headstone to mark his gravesite in Fairview Memorial Gardens in Sylva, there’s nothing but a patch of grass where his body lies.…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:03

Sylva funeral home directors swindled pre-payers, investigators say

A former Jackson County funeral director has been charged with fraud for swindling people who paid for their own funerals in advance. Ronnie and Thomasine Riddle, 55 and 56, of Sylva systematically defrauded as many as three dozen funeral customers…
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 20:03

Macon planning board on the chopping block?

The fate of Macon County’s planning board and whether it will exist in a meaningful form will be decided at next week’s commissioners’ meeting. At stake are the implementation of term limits, and whether those term limits should be retroactively…
Tuesday, 31 January 2012 14:12

Slide closes westbound I-40

A rockslide has shut down a portion of Interstate 40 in Haywood County for up to two weeks. In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, a rockslide occurred near mile marker 451 in Tennessee, about one mile from the North…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:35

Business notes

Mountain BizWorks will offer Foundations, an eight-week planning course starting  Feb. 1 at the Oak Park Inn Conference Center in Waynesville. Anyone interested in starting a business, improving their existing business and those in agricultural-based businesses are encouraged to attend.…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:35

Job help streamlined by SCC and JobLink

Southwestern Community College and Macon County JobLink Career Center have joined forces to provide a “one-stop shop” for people looking for a job and want to enhance their career skills. The new initiative will enhance the region’s ability to develop…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:34

New accounting firm opens in Franklin

The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Carla L. Haire, a certified public accountant who has opened a tax and accounting firm. Haire’s business is located at 17 Smoky Mountain Drive and shares the building…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:33

Haywood chamber to host elected officials reception

The Greater Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual elected officials reception from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. This is a chamber-member exclusive event. State senators, state…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:31

Free speech or rude disruption? Jackson County bans woman from holding signs during meetings

In town and county governments there are those dedicated members of the public who speak out and stand up to help hold elected officials accountable … and then there are gadflies. Marie Leatherwood, with a history of flinging wild accusations…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:29

Sales tax hike for education faces uphill battle

Gov. Beverly Perdue laid out a proposal last week to increase the state’s sales tax by three-quarters of a cent to fund education. The move would generate an estimated $850 million for the state’s public schools, community colleges and universities…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:27

Sullied by sewer back-ups, Cherokee resident files suit against tribe

A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is suing the tribe over sewage overflows onto her property, which she says poses a health threat to her family. Linda Lambert filed a suit against the tribe in May 2011…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:27

Occupy protesters rally in Bryson City

Western North Carolina occupiers “took possession” last week of the Federal Building in Bryson City where federal court is held to protest a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that declared corporations are people. “I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:26

Police look for high-tech help tracking stolen goods

Sylva will likely hire a private company in Texas to process daily pawnshop and second-hand dealers’ receipts instead of those tasks being handled in-house by town police. Police Chief Davis Woodard has recommended the shift to LeadsOnline, which would cost…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:25

Conrad Burrell steps down as SCC leader

Macon County resident and longtime educator Terry Bell will take over as chairman of Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees. He replaces Conrad Burrell, who served as the board’s chair for 11 years. “That’s a long time,” said Burrell, the…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:25

Smoky Mountain Living seeks spring photos

Smoky Mountain Living magazine prominently features images from across the southern Appalachians in each edition. Photo essays adhere to the issue’s overall theme. The next issue of Smoky Mountain Living will focus on all things green. Whether it is youth…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:24

Franklin walk benefits Cystic Fibrosis

A “Great Strides” walk will take place in Franklin, with a kickoff party and information session at 6 p.m., Feb. 3, at the Fun Factory. The walk is part of a national effort that generates funding to support lifesaving cystic…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:23

Sustainable tourism subject of seminar

A seminar on sustainable tourism is set for 2 p.m., Jan. 31, at the First Presbyterian Church in Highlands, in Coleman Hall. Alex Naar, director of outreach at the Center for Sustainable Tourism at East Carolina University will lead the…
Thursday, 26 January 2012 01:22

Folkmoot sculpture must be moved, but to where?

Finding a new home for the Folkmoot sculpture in downtown Waynesville has taken a new turn. The Waynesville public art commission initially proposed moving the art piece across the street — from its current spot in front of the new…
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