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Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:00

Cork and Bean expansion boosts downtown Bryson dining scene

When a building on a town’s main street sits empty, either because a business closed down or moved away, it’s usually a bad omen.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:00

Wireless internet beamed into rural areas solves high-speed service conundrum

Jackson County could be going from zero to high-speed in no time. Two internet providers are laying plans to beam wireless internet into rural and remote reaches of Jackson — areas that until now have been underserved when it comes…
Tuesday, 26 February 2013 21:18

Haywood flips for pancake day

It’s 6:15 a.m., and Woody Griffin is ready. “It’s the calm before the storm,” he chuckled.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:00

Isolated and remote, Macon spends a pretty penny to keep Nantahala School afloat

The far-flung Nantahala School in the remote reaches of Macon County is putting a financial drain on local coffers, prompting county leaders to ask the state for extra money to cover the cost of operating such an isolated school. Nantahala…
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:00

Some Maggie lodging owners get hackles up over room tax increase

The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen got an earful from hotel and motel owners Monday during a nearly three-hour meeting held specifically to hear views about a proposed increase to the overnight lodging tax. The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority…
Wednesday, 27 February 2013 00:00

Main Street Champions recall changing face of downtown Waynesville

When LeRoy Roberson and his wife, Gale, opened an optometric business on Waynesville’s Main Street 35-years-ago, about a quarter of the storefronts sat empty.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:18

Cherokee entertains idea of bear sanctuary

Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has postponed any action that would ban bear zoos from the reservation for good. A few tribal members called on Tribal Council last week to revoke the business licenses for any…
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:14

Conviction in toddler’s death just ‘one step’ on the families’ road to justice

A woman was sent to jail for nine years this week for her role in the death of toddler who likely succumbed to hypothermia on the floor of a single-wide trailer one bitterly cold night in Swain County two years…
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:12

Clear sailing ahead for Haywood room tax hike

If anyone opposes an increase in Haywood County’s overnight lodging tax, they did not make their enmity known at Monday’s board of commissioners meeting.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:08

Last week in Maggie: meeting melee, man banned from town hall and legal threats volleyed

A heated argument and near fight between two Maggie Valley residents — one of whom is banned from town hall — disrupted the town’s board of aldermen meeting last Tuesday.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:07

New logo captures essence of Haywood Chamber

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce debuted a new logo this week, showing off more than a year of work to craft a design that represents the business organization’s role in the county.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:04

Rescinded grant miffs downtown Sylva property owner

After spending $200,000 to build a new parking lot shared by five downtown Sylva businesses, the property owner lost a state grant she was initially promised to help with the cost.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:01

Counties hammered with requests for more school resource officers

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office made a pitch to commissioners this week for four additional sheriff’s deputies to be placed in four of the county’s elementary schools — Fairview, Cullowhee Valley, Scotts Creek and Smokey Mountain Elementary.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:58

From rap lyrics to bathroom graffiti, schools get tough on threats from students

In a new state of high alert, schools face tough choices when confronted by a threat from a student: is it a precursor to real violence or simply the empty words of imprudent children?
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:39

Jackson salutes its new flag

Jackson County is no longer a banner-less government. County commissioners selected an official county flag this week from a pool of a dozen designs submitted by high school, community college and university students. The chosen design is by Southwestern Community…
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:37

Sparring or fighting? Swain high schoolers suspended for unsanctioned “fight club”

Swain County School administrators began an internal investigation Friday after videos surfaced of a “fight club” among ninth grade boys in the gym locker room at Swain County High School.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:35

So long, courthouse maples

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners voted to cut down the stately maples trees that grace the grounds of the historic courthouse on Main Street in Waynesville this week, citing concerns that the trees are on their last leg.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:33

New defibrillators carry big price tag in Macon

Macon County emergency vehicles will soon be equipped with new state-of-the-art cardiac defibrillators. Commissioners voted 3 to 2 this week to spend nearly $400,000 on 12 pieces of the live saving equipment. One will be placed in each of the…
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Two Waynesville sweepstake parlors charged as industry guns for a court fight

A Waynesville sweepstakes operator was charged with a criminal misdemeanor last weekend when she refused to shut down her machines, considered a form of illegal gambling under state law.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Haywood wants to hike tourist tax to fund ballparks

Haywood County tourism leaders want to increase the tax on overnight lodging to fund special tourism-related capital projects, including a Jonathan Creek sports complex — a proposal that seems to have traction with county commissioners as well.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Brewery trademark battle may have bittersweet ending

Two breweries that nearly found themselves pitted against each other in a trademark lawsuit may soon make amends in the spirit of brotherly beermaker love, but also out of mutual gain.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Swain County hits the jackpot with Golden LEAF grants

Swain County could receive as much as $2 million in , one-time grant funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation for community betterment projects.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Cherokee ups the ante for early landslide repairs to Smokies road

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the National Park Service are offering up to a $500,000 incentive for early completion of landslide repairs to U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — indicating both entities’ concerns about the…
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

WCU hastens Millennial build-out

In an effort to speed development of its Millennial Campus, Western Carolina University plans to lease the 344-acre tract to a nonprofit endowment — streamlining regulations and eliminating some of red tape the institution must otherwise cut through as a…
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Growth prompts call for Cullowhee land-use plan

Cullowhee community members have been making their case for nearly a year now that this pseudo-college town needs land-use planning to guide the growth that’s come knocking.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

River park could catapult Old Cullowhee revitalization

Champions of Cullowhee revitalization are chipping away at a lofty plan to create a vibrant college downtown centered on the banks of the Tuckasegee River in Old Cullowhee.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Waynesville resident celebrates life after transplant

Life Share of the Carolina’s and a local organ donation recipient are hosting a Transplant Party to celebrate the lives saved through organ donation from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 16, at Main Street Perks in downtown Waynesville. Waynesville…
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

Stellar lumberjack team carves out a niche at HCC

Haywood Community College leaders are collecting donations to give its lumberjack club a facility worthy of its prestige.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 00:00

A mixed bag of home building signals hope for 2013

It may still be too soon to declare an economic rebound, but recent construction data may point toward a housing sector comeback led by high-end, new home building in Jackson County.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Moratorium opponents suffer setback

A group of Realtors and developers challenging the legality of Jackson County’s five-month moratorium on new subdivisions lost the first round in court Thursday (May 24.)
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Jackson planners propose exempting existing lots from steep slope rules

For the second week in a row, the Jackson County planning board watered down proposed development regulations following rounds of public comment.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Ressurecting the Ghost of Maggie past

Bob Cordier likes a challenge. So, when the 25-year veteran of the amusement park industry decided he was bored with building houses and was ready to get back into the business, Ghost Town in the Sky seemed a natural fit.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Sky-high hopes: Maggie Valley’s theme park destination looks to the future with an eye on the past

After they opened Joey’s Pancake House in 1966, Brenda O’Keefe and her late husband would calculate how much pancake batter they’d need based on the number of cars they saw at local hotels on their way to work. Brenda and…
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

A new park opens

“Ghost Town is one of the biggest things that has happened to the western end of North Carolina in many a day. It has proven a giant boost to the economy of a people long hampered by a natural terrain…
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Election probe likely to swing on interpretation

A state election investigator is trying to determine whether a Swain County voting drive targeting the poor and elderly crossed the line from exceptionally ambitious to improper.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Open space requirement set at 25 percent

How much open space should be required in new developments? That question has caused the most contention among Jackson County planning board members over the past four months as they have hammered out a revolutionary array of new development regulations.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Proposed election law change follows Swain nursing home irregularities

The General Assembly is considering a bill that could solve a Catch 22 in election law: how to legitimately help nursing home patients vote without creating a climate ripe for abuse.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Ghost Town re-opens

After being closed for five years, a North Carolina icon, Ghost Town In The Sky, is re-opening on May 25.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Fun Facts about Ghost Town

• Ghost Town in the Sky first opened its doors to the public in June 1961. Construction began in September 1960, with the extensive removal of 70 feet from the mountain top for the western townsite. Thousands of yards of…
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

History of Ghost Town in the Sky

Businessman R. B. Coburn, who was inspired to build a park with a western theme after visiting several ghost towns in the American West, conceived Ghost Town in the Sky.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 00:00

Ghost Town goes silver screen

Dean Teaster’s Ghost Town “The Movie” will premiere at the Eaglenest Entertainment Center in Maggie Valley at 7 p.m. on June 2.
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 00:00

What they’re saying

“It’s well past time to bury this boondoggle and resolve the issue in this positive way for the park and the people. The ‘Road to Nowhere’ has been a dark cloud over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the…
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 00:00

Judge rules Realtors’ loss is not irreparable

A group of Realtors and developers challenging the legality of Jackson County’s five-month moratorium on new subdivisions lost the first round in court Thursday (May 24).
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 00:00

The end of the road? Park Service recommends cash instead of road

The National Park Service has finally chosen sides in the long-standing debate over whether to build a 30-mile road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park backcountry outside Bryson City.
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 00:00

Cherokee dedicates first section of downtown greenway

A long-range plan to make Cherokee a friendlier place to walk, visit and shop moved forward last week with the dedication of a quarter-mile section of a proposed three-mile greenway.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:14

Jackson County asks towns to dissolve economic development commission

Before a crowded room of town officials this week, Jackson County Commissioner Jack Debnam announced, in so many words, what many already knew: the county’s economic development committee in its previous form was dead and never coming back.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:12

State torn on driver’s licenses for children of illegal immigrants

It’s a right of passage for teens, the Holy Grail of high school, an iconic symbol of young adulthood freedom — that tiny piece of plastic called a driver’s license.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:10

Paddlers hit the river in wake of torrential downpours

The recurring deluge of heavy rains has brought paddlers out of hibernation and onto Western North Carolina rivers over the past few weeks.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:08

HCC plans Entrepreneurship Week activities

Haywood Community College will celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week Feb. 16-23 with a week-long schedule of events. The events will allow HCC to highlight the college’s strengths in the areas of entrepreneurship, sustainability and creativity. The following events are planned: •…
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:07

Cherokee bear zoo fined and suspended over violations

Federal regulators temporarily suspended operations at Cherokee bear zoo and fined its owners $5,000 for repeated animal welfare violations.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:03

Batter up: Macon weighs costs and benefits of proposed recreation complex

A Macon County commissioner, who prides himself on fiscal conservatism, has been staking out his positions lately. After questioning the virtue of pay raises for Macon County workers two weeks ago, Commissioner Ron Haven has turned his attention to another…
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:02

Sylva teacher wins statewide teaching award

Deanne Oppermann, a chemistry instructor at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, is the recipient of the R.J. Reynolds Excellence in Teaching Award for 2012-2013 by the North Carolina Community College System. Oppermann is known at SCC for embracing multiple teaching…
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 14:01

Blue Ridge Heritage signage to make its debut

Ten years after the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area won federal designation, themed signs tying together 65 attractions throughout the mountains will finally be installed this year.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 13:57

Cherokee leaders make their case for a indoor adventure park

A $93 million family adventure park in Cherokee would likely turn a profit during its first year of operation, according to early projections from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ finance department.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

More money allocated to help the hungry in Jackson

Increased demand for Meals on Wheels services and daily meals for low-income seniors in Jackson County have led to a budget shortfall for the programs.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Angel Medical eyes adjacent town property for memorial garden

Whether it’s a new dad catching a breather after his wife’s marathon labor or a grief-stricken daughter who just watched her mother slip away in her arms, overwhelmed hospital visitors sometimes need to escape.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Quaint new lampposts now grace Frog Level sidewalks

Nightlife in Waynesville’s downtown Frog Level district is brighter thanks to the addition of new lampposts along its two main streets.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Tourism branding to create slogan for Jackson County

The newly formed Jackson County Tourism Development Authority voted last week to enter into a $50,000 contract with a nationally renowned branding and marketing company out of Virginia.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Haywood Public Transit on the move

Haywood Public Transit will hold a ribbon cutting for a new transit shelter at 1 p.m. Feb. 12, in Clyde. Haywood Public Transit offers free rides to anyone in the county, and the central location of the new transit facility…
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Haywood Democrats won’t consider Republican for sheriff replacement

One of three candidates vying to be Haywood County’s next sheriff was eliminated from the competition in a preliminary round last week.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Roughest, Toughest Brawl takes the ring in Haywood

Amateur boxers will square off at the Haywood County Fairgrounds to vie in the Roughest and Toughest Brawl this weekend, pitting off-the-street fighters against each other for a chance to win $600 in each of the three weight classes. There…
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Merger input sought in countdown to decision

Waynesville residents will get their first chance to weigh in on the possibility of adding Lake Junaluska to the town limits with two public hearings this month.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Mom-owned business takes monogramming to a new level

Customers have asked Katie Seymour to monogram just about everything — from the typical towels or cloth purses to the completely abstruse car mats or sports bras.
Wednesday, 06 February 2013 00:00

Gripped by history: A one-woman mission to trace Waynesville’s early roots takes on a life of its own

Lately, it seems Ann Melton was born in the wrong century. During the past two years, Melton has spent more time living in the late 1800s — the days when boarding houses and hitching posts lined Waynesville’s Main Street, when…
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Bryson City seeks citizen input in land-use plan

Want to build anything you want in a downtown location that receives a ton of visitors each summer? Then Bryson City, with its total lack of rules governing development, is just the place for you.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Consultant recommends Jackson library site

Where to put a new Jackson County library is no closer to a resolution following a $20,000 study by a consultant intended to lay the groundwork for building a library.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

County OKs $3 million for immediate HCC needs

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Haywood Community College is finally on track to receive some much needed funding after county commissioners announced plans this week to allocate $3 million to the school.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Haywood bids for recreation tract in Jonathan Creek

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Haywood County officials are jumping at the chance to purchase 22 acres of land for recreational space that will help make the county’s master recreation plan a reality.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Haywood leaders voice support for test farm

The region might be at risk of losing an important agricultural research station in Haywood County if a proposed state cost-cutting measure goes through.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Macon planning efforts gaining momentum

Susan Ervin has served on Macon County’s Planning Board for so long she can’t actually remember how many years it’s been.
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 00:00

Victim’s family sues REACH for negligence

REACH of Jackson County, a non-profit that aids victims of domestic violence, is being sued by the family of a woman shot and killed at a domestic violence shelter last September by her deranged husband.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Western counties to share land-use ideas

County commissioners, planners and planning board members from the state’s seven westernmost counties will meet this month in a first-of-its-kind attempt to discuss land management on a regional level.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Activists demand a cleaner Pigeon from Blue Ridge

By Julia Mrchant • Staff Writer A decades-long battle between advocates for a clean Pigeon River and the Canton-based company Blue Ridge Paper Products reared its head last week at a rally where several groups called for further clean-up of…
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Desire for regulation may boil down to personal philosophy

Ray Trine eased past the gatehouse guarding the entrance of a Cashiers development and turned up a gentle road landscaped with boulders, ferns and rhododendrons that give way to the forest.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Library a go, probably at Jackson Plaza site

After years of the public waiting for a new library in Jackson County, county commissioners last week pledged to set aside $4.2 million to start construction in 2008.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Library, senior complex win budget approval

Jackson County commissioners whittled down three construction projects on their wish list to two last week.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Maggie Valley unveils new land-use plan

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer After months of rigorous planning sessions, Maggie Valley town officials are finally ready to reveal to the public a new land-use plan they hope will help the town deal with anticipated growth.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

The public weighs in Jackson residents speak out on proposed development regulations

A procession of impassioned speakers pleaded with Jackson County commissioners to slow the rapid pace of development on mountainsides during a public hearing Monday (June 11).
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

REACH funding called into question by commissioners

A non-profit that helps abused women escape domestic violence could be facing a budget cut by Jackson County commissioners this year.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00

Study puts values on working easements

A recent study in the Bethel Community revealed that “working land conservation easements” would be valued as high as $7,900 to $9,400 per acre for flat or rolling land outside the floodway of the Pigeon River or other streams.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Blue Ridge workers hopeful after buyout

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer In the end, the acquisition of Blue Ridge Paper Products by the New Zealand-based Rank Group for $338 million last week may have been the result of the purchase of a single factory in…
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Chief’s race pits incumbent against gaming official

A tight race could be in store for the two candidates vying for principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians between now and the final election in September.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Dam Break: Scale of disaster leaves community reeling

A dam broke on an irrigation pond at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County two weeks ago unleashing hundreds of tons of mud downstream.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Franklin studies upgrades to 1950s zoning laws

Unlike most town and county governments in Western North Carolina, Franklin’s elected leaders had the foresight more than five decades ago to pass zoning regulations.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Gauging the fallout: Opinions vary on effect of Jackson’s proposed development rules

As Chuck Bennett rang up a sale at his electrical supply store in Cashiers, he showed no fear of the business slowdown some predict as fallout from a slate of development regulations coming down the pipe in Jackson County.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Ghost Town’s economic ripple has hopes high

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It appears that the re-opening of Ghost Town in the Sky on Memorial Day weekend has made the town of Maggie Valley anything but.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

A great look, but too expensive

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Architects last week unveiled plans for a new three-level building that will house the Waynesville Police Department and town planning offices.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Parking downtown: Tickets cause controversy in Waynesville

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Parking for free Public parking for as long as you want in downtown Waynesville:
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 00:00

Rash of private dams altering WNC landscape

The damming of creeks and streams by private developments is on the rise in Western North Carolina — so much so that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has voiced concern over the cumulative impacts.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

Bryson City touted as third best ‘Outdoor Town’ in America

Bryson City’s tourism leaders have long touted this Swain County town as the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Great Smoky Mountains, and a book now available in stores nationwide helps undergird their claim.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

Unrealized dreams: Much heralded 1999 agreement fails to deliver for workers

When Howard Taylor heard what workers at Blue Ridge Paper Products were being offered as part of a pending buyout of the mill in April, he realized his work was cut out for him.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

Rise in dog bites sparks concerns

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Walking his dog in a Waynesville neighborhood one summer evening several weeks ago, fear was the farthest thing from Dan Elliott’s mind. So when a pit bull came charging after Elliott and his 80-pound…
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

The mysterious art of dowsing

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Searching for the term “dowsing” on the Internet will bring up all kinds of Web sites related to the paranormal. But to many who practice the craft, including Alvin Fradey, dowsing is simply an…
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

New life for an old Sylva graveyard

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer After decades of neglect, an overgrown hill in Jackson County holding the remains of residents of the old Jackson County Home was nearly forgotten. Thanks to the determination of one man, however, the old…
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 00:00

Whittier golf course to re-open

Following months of course reconstruction, Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier will re-open 9 holes of golf this weekend.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 13:58

Upcoming improvement projects on I-40

Tunnel projects to delay work on I-40 The N.C. Department of Transportation will perform work on three tunnels in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 in Haywood County during a two-week period starting Monday, Feb. 4. • Traffic reduced…
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 13:56

Medical foundation appoints new chairman

The Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees recently appointed Laura Leatherwood as the new chairman of the board. Leatherwood is the vice president of Student and Workforce Development at Haywood Community College, where she has worked since 2000.…
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 13:54

Hope on the horizon: Hung up by park service, Swain’s cash settlement has been in limbo

A long overdue $4 million payment may finally make its way to Swain County after languishing for the past year in the budget dungeons of the National Park Service. The payment is part of a larger $52 million cash settlement…
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 13:48

The biggest little show in Haywood

Editor’s Note: Given the national debate over gun legislation and controversy swirling around gun shows in particular, The Smoky Mountain News was curious to see just what goes on at a gun show. Join our reporter on a stroll through…
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