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
 

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
 

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 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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