Waynesville’s mayoral race heats up with inclusion of Reece
Waynesville native, retired DEA agent and unsuccessful 2019 Waynesville aldermanic candidate Joey Reece will run for mayor of Waynesville, Reece…
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Pactiv Evergreen accused of illegally dumping chemicals during shutdown
In a notice of violation issued Monday, July 10, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has accused Pactiv Evergreen of…
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Vacation rentals: Explosive growth brings jobs, money, but some say it contributes to housing shortage
In a neighborhood along Asheville’s French Broad River and abutting a residential street that includes young families, Upstream Way stands…
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Parties prep for voter ID requirements
The issue of requiring voters to present identification at the polls before casting a ballot has been contentious in North…
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EBCI census will impact Tribal Council outcomes
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is trying for the first true census of its citizens in more than 20…
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EBCI welcomes new sports wagering law: Law will increase competition, but allow mobile betting
When sports wagering started in Cherokee two years ago, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ two casinos were the only…
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No phase two for Shining Rock Classical Academy, for now
Shining Rock Classical Academy is hitting pause on plans for expansion of its school building — now untenable due to…
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Another step toward a middle school
Jackson County Schools recently approved an agreement to undergo a master planning process that will move the school system one…
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Fee increase for Macon County solid waste
After some pushback from Commissioner John Shearl, Macon County has approved three changes to the solid waste fee structure for…
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United Christian Ministries welcomes new director
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director.
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Jackson Health Department announces wellness program
The Jackson County Health Department announced a new wellness program, Elevate828.
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Cherokee constitution debate continues: Ballot deadline approaching
Over nearly three hours Wednesday, June 21, Tribal Council heard from attorneys offering dire warnings about the unintended consequences that…
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Anti-social: Social district proposal unlikely to reemerge after Waynesville tables it
Waynesville’s consideration of a social district in its downtown core took an interesting turn on June 27, when members of…
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Rep. Pless aims to punish Maggie: Tries to limit town’s zoning authority, offers de-annexation for some residents
Mark Pless has escalated his war against three of the five Maggie Valley aldermen.
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Pless continues push for partisan elections in Haywood, Madison
What does a Senate bill giving the Apex Town Council the power to hire the town’s clerk have to do…
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MCS moves to consolidate FHS and Union Academy
If Macon County succeeds in constructing a new high school, which could be contingent on receiving a Needs-Based Public School…
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Jackson addresses foster care needs
Jackson County has approved a plan to pay employees for assisting with the “unprecedented rate” of residential foster care services…
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Healthcare Foundation aims to fight food insecurity
As residents in counties across Western North Carolina continue to face food insecurity issues, the Haywood Health Care Foundation is…
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More WNC students to receive free school meals
More students in Macon, Jackson and Haywood counties will receive free breakfast and lunch in the coming school year thanks…
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Waynesville man sentenced for illegal machine guns
Jacob Ryan McClure, 25, of Waynesville. was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised released…
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Employee retention improving at WCU
The massive employee turnover Western Carolina University has seen over the past two years is now trending downward, but the…
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Former WCU player’s gift supports athletics facilities improvements
A former two-time Western Carolina University Academic All-American football player wants to help ensure that future Catamount student-athletes have similar experiences.
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United Christian Ministries welcomes new director
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director. Ann Selby replaced retiring Director, Karen Johnson.
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Credit Union named to list of Great Employers
Champion Credit Union announced it has been named to the Great Employers to Work for in North Carolina 2023 list…
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SCC lands Dogwood Health Trust grant
To help create a pipeline of future health care workers for the region, Dogwood Health Trust has awarded a $500,000…
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Community Foundation awards scholarships
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) recently approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools…
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Human Services grads honored in SCC pinning ceremony
Five new graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Human Services Technology (HST) program are ready to help address the opioid and…
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School implements recycling program
A recent collaboration between Junaluska Elementary fifth graders, Haywood Community College students and Haywood County Solid Waste and Recycling will…
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WCU collaborates with Cherokee on exhibit planning project
A campuswide and community driven project will soon be underway to recenter Cherokee history and culture on Western Carolina University’s…
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What’s left behind: Canton mill closure leaves complex environmental footprint
The paper mill has been closed for years now, but the cleanup is ongoing.
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Waynesville company sues Labor Department
Waynesville’s USA Farm Labor is suing the federal government in hopes of changing a new rule it claims will cost…
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Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners
The Macon County GOP is poised to take action against one of its precinct chairs, Rob Tolp, after he sent…
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School board approves property acquisition
The Haywood County School Board has approved the acquisition of a parcel of land off Ratcliff Cove Road for the…
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Macon leaders sign agreement on high school
The Macon County Commission unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Macon County School Board this month concerning the…
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Jackson accepts grants to fund substance abuse recovery planning
Jackson County has received a grant from Dogwood Health Trust to create a substance abuse recovery planning program over a…
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WCU’s educator receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo and Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received…
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Red Cross announces summer blood drive
The American Red Cross will host its 36th annual Operation Blood Drive on Thursday, June 29, in Asheville, Hendersonville and Waynesville.
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Jackson reworks plans for domestic violence shelter
Jackson County has had to rework the design for its domestic violence shelter after cost estimates came in well over…
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Harris and Swain Hospital names 2023 Mercy Award winner
Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospital recently announced that Missi Bowman has been recognized as the facility’s 2023 Mercy Award…
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Haywood County Ambulance wrecked in rollover accident
Around 6:30 a.m. June 22, a Haywood County ambulance based out of Bethel lost control on a curve in a…
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EXCLUSIVE: Potential property shuffle puts Haywood County Schools in a pickle
A relatively routine rezoning request for a parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road has inadvertently revealed multi-million dollar plans by Haywood…
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Public hearing set for school board rezoning request
As first reported in The Smoky Mountain News, Haywood County Schools has proposed a multi-million dollar consolidation of several auxiliary…
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Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners
The Macon County GOP is poised to take action against one of its precinct chairs, Rob Tolp, after he sent…
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Macon imposes penalty for camping on greenway
There will be legal penalties for camping on the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Macon County after the County Commission…
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Macon passes budget, maintains lowest tax rate in state
After weeks of heated discussion and back and forth over both revenue and expenditures, the Macon County Commission approved the…
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Supreme Court's Indian Child Welfare Act ruling preserves tribal sovereignty
Native American tribes across the country are celebrating after a June 15 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court struck down…
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Cherokee Schools water damage repair to total ‘many millions’
T The Cherokee Tribal Council has approved $7.6 million for water damage repairs at Cherokee Central Schools, but that’s expected…
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Canton logs eighth recent earthquake
Another earthquake shook the Canton area last week, bringing the count to eight quakes since May 23.
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Police shooting victim alleges attempted murder, seeks millions in damages
In an explosive federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina, the victim of a…
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Sneed calls for forensic audit on cannabis LLC; Qualla Enterprises defends its record
Principal Chief Richard Sneed renewed his concerns about the tribe’s medical cannabis company Qualla Enterprises LLC before Tribal Council this…
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