Franklin approves plans for new subdivision
Plans for a brand new residential subdivision in Franklin will move forward after the town board of aldermen approved a…
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Cattle-loading facility, intended for Jackson County, could come to Swain
Rob Hawk’s been trying since spring to find a landing place for the grant he’d helped get for a cattle…
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2015: News in review
Time to put a bow on 2015 and call it wrapped. But not just yet, at least not for all…
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Former Jackson commissioner booted from TWSA board
Doug Cody was quite clear in his request to the Jackson County Commissioners when he showed up at their meeting…
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Warm start to winter puts dent in ski-based tourism
The winter tourism industry in Haywood County is reeling from unseasonably warm temperatures that have shuttered Cataloochee Ski Area during…
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Possum Drop on for New Year’s
After taking a hit in court earlier this month, the folks behind the annual Clay’s Corner Possum Drop got some…
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Six candidates vie for two Macon commission posts
Six candidates have signed up to run for two commissioner seats in Macon County next year.
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Canton proposes $2 million pool project
Canton’s outdoor pool has given the community a place to gather, play, exercise and relax for more than 70 years.
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Seven in running for Swain commission
Seven candidates will be vying for two commissioner seats in Swain County next year.
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Elk hunting by permit being debated by wildlife commission
As the elk herd in Western North Carolina continues to grow, an elk-hunting season could become a possibility under a…
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Jackson hires planning director
After plugging along for seven months without one, Jackson County will welcome a new planning director when 2016 begins.
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Cashiers development gets green light for expansion
A plan to double the capacity of a planned development near Cashiers got the go-ahead from Jackson County commissioners when…
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Haywood commissioners vexed by attendance record of tax collector
Haywood County commissioners expressed concern this week over what they claim is poor work attendance of the county tax collector,…
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Uncontested primaries on tap for Jackson
Though both of the Jackson County commissioners up for re-election will have competition when November rolls around, the primary season…
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Seven seek two commissioner seats in Haywood
Two additional Republicans joined the race for Haywood County commissioner in the final days of the candidate sign-up period that…
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Swearing to God still carries political weight
Public officials aren’t required to place their hand on a Bible to be sworn into office, but a majority of…
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Separating church and state: Mayor’s oath of office sparks larger debate
In the last couple of weeks, Franklin Mayor Bob Scott has been called un-American, arrogant and an asshole, but he’s…
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Farming community rattled by prospect of indoor shooting range
Janie Higgins was crushed to learn a week before Christmas that the rolling pastures and fields her family has tilled…
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Christmas tree industry growing strong
With more than 25 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States every year, growing Christmas trees is a…
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Jackson appears set to OK development plan
After holding a public hearing last week, at its next meeting Jackson County Commissioners will likely approve an agreement allowing…
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Cashiers residents sound off on proposed cell tower
A proposed cell phone tower in Cashiers is drawing heated opinion from both sides, but it will be several weeks…
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Phone apps causing disruption in schools
New Smartphone applications are being developed every day, and many of them are helping teenagers keep secrets from their parents.
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Breedlove to resign as Webster mayor, take the helm of tourism agency
It took only minutes for the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority to approve Nick Breedlove as its new contracted director…
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Business growth in 2015 gives Dillsboro hope for brighter future
Ever since the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad left Dillsboro in 2008, the little town has been just barely chugging along.…
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Still trapped by the delicate dance of a new town manager, Waynesville’s Marcy Onieal faces a double-edged sword daily
Marcy Onieal had mighty big shoes to fill when she walked through the doors of Waynesville’s town hall four years…
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Waynesville town board divided on whether to keep town manager
A move afoot by two Waynesville aldermen to push out Town Manager Marcy Onieal might seem incongruous with their campaign…
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Local teen’s actions save a man’s life
Mary Kelly, a 16-year-old Smoky Mountain High School student, was recently recognized by Harris Regional Hospital for her quick actions…
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Five signed up to run for Macon commission
Five candidates are running for two commissioner seats in Macon County and there are still five days left to sign…
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Canton finally claims Camp Hope — for good
It has cost Canton half a million dollars to keep ownership of a piece of property it already owns.
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Christmas tree farm experience
People can buy a real Christmas tree just about anywhere these days — from the big box stores to the…
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The art of picking the perfect Christmas tree
Some like them tall and thin. Others like them shorter and thick.
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A real tree takes real work
The Christmas tree business is not a get-rich-quick kind of industry. Once a seedling is planted, it takes about eight…
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WCU chancellor pledges transparency, faculty involvement to vet controversial Koch money
Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher announced to faculty this week that he would engage their input and oversight in…
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WCU community grapples with academic pursuits in the face of politically-charged outside funding
A firestorm over the outside private funding of academia and its potential to undermine intellectual freedom has erupted in recent…
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Local steelworkers have to redo election
Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, the United Steelworkers Local 9-507 in Canton has to redo its…
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Suspects sought in Clyde stabbing incident
Two Haywood County men and a woman are being sought in the stabbing of a 33-year-old Clyde man Sunday.
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WCU leaders, faculty at odds over Koch-funded free enterprise center
Western Carolina University leaders bucked concerns of faculty when they voted last week to create a free enterprise center funded…
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Two more sign on to run for Macon commissioner
With the sign-up period for the 2016 election underway, two more candidates have tossed their hats in the ring to…
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Franklin to hire fulltime fire chief
As the demand for services continues to grow, Franklin will begin its search for a full-time fire chief to run…
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Republican candidate files for Jackson commissioner
The race for county commissioner in District 3 of Jackson County will no longer be an uncontested one following Ron…
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Mercury testing expands at Lake Glenville
After testing last year found Lake Glenville’s walleye fish to have some of the highest mercury concentrations in North Carolina,…
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County considers financing EMS headquarters
Haywood County commissioners will hold a public hearing Dec. 21 regarding the construction of a new EMS headquarters beside the…
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Ghost Town rolls out new plan for 2016 season
Alaska Presley has had plenty of good intentions and ideas for Ghost Town in the Sky since she bought the…
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Finding a new fairway for disc golf course
Plans are underway to relocate Waynesville’s disc golf course from the sprawling recreation park along Richland Creek to a more…
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Bringing back the bustle: New businesses move into downtown Sylva
Ask any Sylva long-timer, and they’ll tell you that Main Street today looks a lot different than it did ten,…
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Town deems temporary Fry Street closure a failure
While November is usually still a busy time for downtown Bryson City merchants, Paige Christie said her sales are down…
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Cherokee council vows to crack down on drug dealers
Drug addiction is perhaps the biggest crisis on the Qualla Boundary, and it’s time that tribal government got serious about…
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Cherokee chief vetoes marijuana study; council upholds veto
Just over a month after voting unanimously to study the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana on the Qualla Boundary,…
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In search of a forever home: Number of children in foster care on the rise
In a perfect world, every child would have a loving family and a safe home to return to at the…
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Cell tower companies eye Jackson
An application to build a new cell tower in Cashiers is back on the table, after the company, Crown Castle,…
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