Haywood to spend $49K on jail space study
Haywood County Commissioners approved spending $49,000 to fund a space needs study at the detention center.
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Envision Pain Management opens in Clyde
For years opioids were overprescribed by physicians and overused by patients, leading to skyrocketing rates of addiction, overdoses and drug-related…
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The next challenge: Hatton takes the reins at Sylva Police Department
Sylva’s newest police chief was looking for the little town in Jackson County before he knew it existed. “I didn’t…
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Waynesville hires Franklin police chief
Franklin Police Chief David Adams will have some big shoes to fill when he becomes Waynesville’s new police chief, but…
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Design services approved for animal shelter
Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 21 to approve a design services contract for the animal shelter project planned for…
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Shooting victim’s mother opposes gun resolution
The debate over whether or not Haywood County should declare itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary” entered a new phase Tuesday…
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Court dismisses majority of Mystic Lands claims
This story was updated Jan. 22, 2020. Mystic Lands property owners may have prevailed in court over one issue —…
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Nantahala developer, paddlers at odds – again
Updated 1/22/20: The lawsuits between Mystic Lands landowners and developer Ami Shinitzky have since been resolved. Progess had been made…
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Landowners sue Nantahala River developer
Updated 1/22/20: The lawsuits between Mystic Lands landowners and developer Ami Shinitzky have since been resolved. Progess had been made…
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You can’t stop me from dreaming: Bluegrass banjo legend Marc Pruett releases memoir
It’s just after lunchtime at the Haywood County Health Department on a recent chilly afternoon in Clyde. And standing in…
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Tribal Council approves $4 million Balsam West loan
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians hopes to earn more than $1 million over 10 years by extending a $4…
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Sports betting implementation longer than expected
When Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill last July legalizing sports betting on Cherokee land, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos expected to…
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Waynesville’s cemetery policy revamp begins
Proposed changes to and clarifications of cemetery ordinances prompted by public outcry in Waynesville will soon undergo a period of…
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Waynesville board to review homelessness task force applications
The town of Waynesville’s homelessness task force has gotten off to a slow start, but things should start to move…
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Pigeon community revitalization gaining steam
Longstanding plans for a park near the Pigeon Street corridor are about to move forward, as are other plans designed…
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Baseball field improvements move forward at SMHS
It will cost nearly half a million dollars to upgrade facilities at the Smoky Mountain High School baseball fields to…
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Cherokee retail project moves forward
A new retail complex featuring a mix of local and national chains is expected to break ground in Cherokee this…
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Twinkle Patel appointed as Maggie alderman
After interviewing five applicants that applied to serve out an unexpired term on the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen, the…
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Retired teachers ask state for a raise
When teachers were starting their careers in North Carolina some 30 years ago, they did so with the understanding that…
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Macon considers Second Amendment proposal
On Monday, Jan. 20, as many people were off work to honor the memory of the late Martin Luther King…
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Runaway teen sought in Jackson County
UPDATE: Ward was found in Tennessee Jan. 18 thanks to help from a citizen and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.…
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Maggie Chamber honors dedicated volunteers
The Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized the hard work of its many volunteers Tuesday night during its annual banquet…
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Waynesville’s cemetery policy revamp begins
Proposed changes to and clarifications of cemetery ordinances prompted by public outcry in Waynesville will undergo a period of public…
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Catholic church identifies 'credibly accused' in WNC
On Monday, Dec. 30, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte published a list of several clergy the diocese found to…
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Committed to the slopes: Waynesville snowboarder to appear in international competition
Zeb Powell was 7 years old the first time he tried a snowboard. That initial ride wasn’t great — Powell, a…
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Duke Energy asks for rate increase
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, filed an application with the North Carolina Utilities Commission Sept. 30, 2019, requesting authority to increase…
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Following the gleam: Gilchrist named Regional Teacher of the Year
Something Dawn Gilchrist’s father-in-law, a retired Methodist minister, once said has stuck with her throughout her career as an educator…
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Tribal Council passes term limits for casino board members
After nearly an hour of debate, Tribal Council voted unanimously last week to place term limits on members of the…
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Regional hospitals look back on 2019 growth
Western North Carolina hospitals under the Duke LifePoint umbrella are celebrating several milestones in making communities healthier as a new…
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Sylva planning board gets two new members
The Town of Sylva has two new members on its planning board following a pair of unanimous votes from town…
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Search for new Waynesville police chief nears end
Almost seven months after the retirement of its longtime police chief, the Town of Waynesville is getting closer to naming…
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Waynesville homelessness task force takes shape
Despite the urgency of the area’s homelessness problem and the cacophony of citizens clamoring for a task force to begin…
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Cherokee angles for Virginia casino project
Casino gaming is under serious discussion in the Virginia legislature this year, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is…
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Pisgah teacher under investigation resigns
A Pisgah High School teacher who had been under investigation by Haywood County Schools since late last year is no…
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House approves bill to grant Cherokee land in Tennessee
For the second year running, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would return 76 culturally significant…
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Lake Junaluska to draw down water levels
Lake Junaluska to draw down water levelsLake Junaluska has opened its dam to draw down the lake. The lake drawdown,…
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Trend in party registration could sink Democrats
Only twice since 1972 has the state of North Carolina supported a Democratic candidate for president. But if a years-long…
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Jackson County to purchase fire training trailer
Fire education in Jackson County will soon get a leg up following county commissioners’ vote Dec. 17 to appropriate $169,434…
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2A or not 2A? Counties mull gun sanctuary resolutions
The vigorous debate over the necessity of “Second Amendment sanctuary” resolutions has finally begun to trickle into North Carolina, and…
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Court: No ID at NC polls in 2020
Although voters approved a 2018 ballot measure requiring photo identification at North Carolina polls, voters won’t have to produce IDs…
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Cherokee chief testifies against Lumbee recognition
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is the only federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina, but that could…
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‘Mountain Murders’ podcast celebrates one year
There’s just something so mysterious about Southern crime stories. Small towns with big characters and dark family secrets. People taking…
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Deaths, possibly from flu, shock Haywood County
A pair of deaths from what’s being called a “flu-like illness” rocked Haywood County last week, underscoring the importance both…
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No cop impersonator located in Haywood
The search for the driver of a silver/grey Dodge Charger with white strobe lights who allegedly held a woman at…
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2019: What just happened?
As we ring in the New Year, The Smoky Mountain News likes to look back and reflect on the last…
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Fake News Freakout!!!!!! Four
By Cory Vaillancourt • Fake News Editor | It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, it’s time…
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Cashiers rep fails to attend local meeting
The Jackson County Commissioners traveled to Cashiers for their Dec. 12 meeting, but Commissioner Mickey Luker — who was elected…
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Generosity Feeds Haywood: Volunteers package 11,000 meals for homeless students
It was a sight to behold — more than 200 volunteers of all ages coming together on a cold Saturday morning…
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Rep. Meadows retires from congress
As first reported by Politico earlier this morning, Western North Carolina’s four-term Republican congressman Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, will not…
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SCC’s new Health Sciences building on track
Southwestern Community College’s new $21 million Health Sciences Building is starting to take shape on the west side of the…
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