Guiney joins Sylva board with a coin flip

For the second time in three election cycles, a coin flip decided the outcome of a Sylva town board race. 
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Mau to challenge Queen in 2020

Jackson County Commissioner Ron Mau hopes to unseat Rep. Joe Sam Queen in the 2020 election, announcing before a gathering…
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BBB Warning: ‘Secret Sister’ gift exchange is illegal

Better Business Bureau is reminding consumers that the online “Secret Sister” gift exchange and similar invitations are illegal and should…
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Four uncounted ballots could break Sylva election tie

Unofficial tallies show a total of four uncounted ballots at play in the Sylva town elections going into the final…
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Donations needed for Cops for Kids

Martin M. Sohovich, financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial, will once again be helping children in Haywood County at Christmas time. 
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Mountain Projects tackles housing crisis

Social services Agency Mountain Projects continues to be at the forefront of solving the affordable housing crisis in Haywood and…
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Mudslides prompt concern over construction

The mud problems at Catamount Homes began early on Thursday, Oct. 31. 
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Housing project moving ahead in Sylva

Five working families in Jackson County will have the chance to move into brand new homes once a project currently…
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Public, private projects needed to improve housing shortage

The issue of homelessness has been a growing concern among Haywood County residents, businesses, law enforcement and government officials for…
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Rep. Queen announces reelection bid

For the tenth time in his long history of public service, Waynesville Democrat Joe Sam Queen announced his intent to…
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Macon commissioner hopes to succeed Rep. Corbin

Although Franklin Republican Rep. Kevin Corbin has decided to run for the state Senate in 2020, Western North Carolina Republicans…
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Cherokee considers Tennessee resort investment

Cherokee leaders are hoping to establish a lucrative business on a portion of the 300-plus acres of Interstate 40 frontage…
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Eveland, both Wights win in Maggie Valley

Although the race between two incumbent alderman for the Maggie Valley mayor’s gavel was an important one, the bigger story…
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Waynesville mayor, board reshuffled

On Election Day, Waynesville voters could have chosen to send almost every single incumbent back to their seats, but when…
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No surprises in Bryson City election

The town of Bryson City didn’t have any contested races this year, which means no big surprises on election night. 
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Voter turnout doubles in Franklin

The town of Franklin will keep its incumbent mayor while welcoming two new faces to the town board.
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Sylva election results up in the air

The General Election has been over for a week, but in Sylva the results won’t be certain until provisional ballots…
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Abundant Labs now operating in Canton

Abundant Labs CEO Chip Miller looked like a college chemistry professor as he started drawing diagrams and compound percentages on…
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Scott wins Franklin mayoral election

Incumbent Mayor Bob Scott has won his fourth term in office against challenger Barbara McRae.
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Legislature to ban smokable hemp in N.C.

Hemp has only been legal in North Carolina for a couple of years, but already the plant is presenting an…
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Contract awarded includes I-40 West closure

SYLVA – N.C. Department of Transportation officials have awarded an emergency repair contract to Buckeye Bridge to repair a bridge…
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High stakes in municipal elections

Voters across Western North Carolina will be making important local decisions at the polls this election season, including choosing who…
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N.C. Chief Justice Beasley speaks in Haywood

The small room of the Democratic headquarters for Haywood County was packed Oct. 31 for a speech by the Chief…
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Republican seeks N.C. Chief Justice seat

His name is Newby, but he’s far from new — Justice Paul Newby was first elected to the North Carolina…
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Animal shelter estimates within budget

It could cost less than originally anticipated to build a new 10,000-square-foot animal shelter facility in Jackson County, according to…
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Security upgrades underway at Jackson Schools

After 2018’s deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, county and school system officials in Jackson County put their heads together…
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Annual Council focuses on language preservation

In the wake of a June 27 joint resolution from the three Cherokee tribes that declared the native language to…
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Shining Rock demands illegal payment for public records

Editor’s note: This is the ninth in a series of stories on Haywood County’s public charter school, Shining Rock Classical Academy,…
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Community searches for homelessness solutions

A wide-ranging forum held last week at Frog Level Brewing to discuss Haywood’s homeless population revealed deep divisions about how…
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It's Eveland in Maggie, both Wights win alderman seats

Alderman Mike Eveland will be Maggie Valley's next mayor, after a convincing 191-145 victory over Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem…
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Caldwell cruises, Dickson, Sutton join Waynesville board, Feichter, Freeman return

With all eight Waynesville precincts reporting, it appears as though there will be some major changes in the Town of…
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Sylva board race ends in a tie

Sylva residents gave incumbent commissioners David Nestler and Greg McPherson a vote of confidence by granting them another four years…
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Early voting results released

Just after the polls close but before Election Day results are compiled, candidate totals from North Carolina’s early voting period…
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Waynesville vote totals suggest sluggish morning

It’s still early, but judging by Election Day vote totals at Waynesville’s four largest precincts, it’s going to be a…
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Sylva to revisit food truck rules

With two years elapsed since Sylva passed its first-ever food truck ordinance in July 2017, the town board is circling…
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Waynesville aldermen candidates step up

Like much of the United States in 2015, the Town of Waynesville was still straining to stand up straight after…
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High winds cause Smokies road closures

High winds ahead of a cold front expected to move in later today have caused the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Second Dem hopes to oppose Meadows

The landscape of the 11th Congressional District is about to change literally and figuratively — a ruling in a gerrymandering…
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Community searches for homelessness solutions

Frog Level Brewing Co. was packed to capacity Tuesday night as community members came together for some good old tavern…
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Homeless in Haywood: Facts, fantasies, half-truths and hogwash

When she showed up at Haywood Pathways Center, the woman and her young daughter had been homeless for three years.…
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Cherokee to revisit election ordinance

With a new Tribal Council seated and a year of reprieve in place before the election cycle begins again, the…
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Dillsboro opposes recycling relocation

In August, Jackson County commissioners voted unanimously to buy 3.67 acres along Haywood Road in Dillsboro to use as the…
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NC’s 2020 Congressional Districts thrown out

One month and one day after a lawsuit was filed alleging partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina’s congressional districts, a three-judge…
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Wozniak no longer Pisgah District Ranger

After filling the position for nearly a year and a half without the ability to perform law enforcement duties, Greg…
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McRae challenges Scott for Franklin mayor

After running unopposed for his last two terms in office, Franklin Mayor Bob Scott is being challenged for his seat…
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Next Maggie Valley mayor must manage growth

Maggie Valley may be a small town, but its economic impact on and importance to Haywood County can’t be understated. …
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Waynesville mayoral candidates speak on the issues

They’re both longtime board members — one’s a longtime mayor and the other a longtime mayor pro tem.  One of…
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Commissioner’s absence prompts questions about residency, ability to hold office

Commissioner Mickey Luker’s lack of attendance at county board meetings in recent months has spurred southern Jackson County residents to…
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Cherokee passes new budget

After a narrow vote and a delayed ratification, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has a new budget for the…
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Eight candidates run for Franklin board

Voters will be faced with a long list of candidates when they go to vote in the Franklin Town Council…
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