District attorney race pits colleagues against each other
Jim Moore and Ashley Welch have been on the same team for years, working side-by-side in the district attorney’s office…
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Old paper mill landfills mostly go unnoticed, un-monitored
More than 200 acres of scattered tracts along the meandering Pigeon River Valley in Haywood County are quiet sentries to…
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Industrial landfills: A better way
The dangers of coal ash have taken center stage in North Carolina in the wake of the Dan River disaster,…
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Wrestling with window dressing: Sylva holds off on plywood-window decree
Manufactured homes, metal siding and unfinished concrete blocks are no longer allowed in downtown Sylva. The plywood coverings blocking out…
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The good, the bad and the silver lining
The Canton paper mill has been an economic anchor in Haywood County since 1908, providing livelihoods for tens of thousands…
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Haywood Habitat welcomes new director
Jamye Cooper will be taking the reins of Haywood Habitat for Humanity, bringing with her 25 years of professional experience…
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Swain graduate serves on Navy ship
Petty Officer 1st Class Chavella Bailey, a 1994 Swain County High School graduate and native of Cherokee, is serving aboard…
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Swan Man Ken Zulla wins Chief Junaluska award
Ken Zulla was called a lot of things during his 30 years as an auditor for the United States government,…
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Some Swain candidates talk change, some want more of the same
Come November, voters will be selecting candidates to fill all four seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners. They…
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Jackson works to shore up security at judicial center
Late last month, Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts wrote a letter. “He kind of drew a line in the sand,” said…
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Campaign aims to reduce amount of prescription meds in Haywood
There’s a good amount of opioids in Haywood County, more than twice the national average. And apparently there’s a good…
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Macon considers drafting noise ordinance
Noise was the main topic of conversation at the Sept. 18 meeting of the Macon County Planning Board. The county’s…
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Racing towards the sheriff’s seat
The retirement of Jackson County’s current sheriff — and widespread dissatisfaction with the way Jimmy Ashe ran his office —…
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Tribe bans fracking
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has joined a growing number of local governments opposing the state legislature’s decision to…
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Osborne Farms closes: Embattled dairy sells off livestock
Osborne Farms is no longer in the dairy business, according to Joe Reardon, assistant commissioner for consumer protection in the…
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Haywood Pathways prepares for building bonanza, Ty Pennington
It’s going to be an eventful next few days in Waynesville. Haywood Pathways Center is in the final stretch of…
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Mountain Senate race once more in the state political spotlight
Two candidates battling for the state Senate seat representing the seven western counties are heading into the homestretch of what…
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Jackson’s cell tower ordinance revision softens up
Wireless communications companies could ultimately find Jackson County’s revised cell phone tower ordinance considerably more palatable than the stricter version…
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Fracking opponents sweep public hearing
It didn’t take but a glance around the lawn of the Liston B. Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University to…
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Fracking opponents: What they said
“We want unannounced reviews and inspections by DENR. It’s like a drug test. You tell them they’re going to be…
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Fracking opponents question show of fracking support at hearing
Attendees at Cullowhee’s hearing on the proposed oil and gas rules Sept. 12 were overwhelmingly anti-fracking, but a small contingent…
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Fretting the PILT jilt: WNC counties could lose out if formula is altered
It’s about that time. Time to worry about PILT money. After seeing the federal payment in lieu of taxes…
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New playground will round out Lake Junaluska’s family appeal
A new park and playground under construction at Lake Junaluska carries a price tag of more than $200,000.
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Sewage standoff lands offender in jail
The owner of a rental trailer in the Cruso community of Haywood County will be locked up until he complies…
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Haywood Schools to end cheap childcare incentives for teachers
An innovative tool to help recruit the best and brightest teachers to Haywood County has become too costly for the…
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Theft, vandalism spur Forest Service to build gate
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to install a gate on Wine Spring Road near Franklin after communications equipment housed…
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Hospital sale over, but when can we get our money?
Although the ink is dry on the sale of Haywood Regional Medical Center, how much the county will get for…
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NCCAT leaders breathing easier: Cullowhee teaching center to get recurring funding
Dr. Richard Thompson is breathing a bit easier this semester. He’s not worrying about funding. Not wondering if the North…
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UNC board meeting draws governor, congressman to WCU
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ three-day visit on the Western Carolina University campus came to a close…
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Town of Sylva makes history
The Sylva Downtown Historic District was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is administered…
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Jackson dodges fracking, sans resolution
Jackson County officials were recently set to discuss the possibility of joining other local governments in the region and consider…
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Haywood leaders weigh in on fracking fray
Haywood County commissioners have joined the growing ranks of local elected leaders to take a stand on fracking.
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Peeling back the layers: A closer look at proposed fracking regulations
Anyone who’s read a newspaper, turned on a TV or listened to chitchat in a grocery store sometime over the…
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WNC shale gas study cancelled
Western North Carolina is no longer on State Geologist Ken Taylor’s schedule for this fall’s tour de hydrocarbons in North…
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Fracking opponents prepare for battle
It was back to school for a group of staunch fracking opponents on Friday, Sept. 5. The corner conference room…
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District Attorney race: No rest for the weary
Few put as much thought into their to-go morning coffee as Jim Moore. Most of us grab whatever’s on the…
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Pisgah Inn contract renewed
Bruce O’Connell was pretty surprised to see Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods appear at his door Sept. 8. The…
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Interim CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center shares take-away impression after first few weeks
It hasn’t take long for the interim CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center to pick up on the hospital’s biggest…
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Cash mobs Sylva
More than 100 shoppers flocked to downtown Sylva on Sept. 5, dollars in hand, to flood the fire-damaged district with…
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Haywood candidates take sides on emergency management ordinance
Six candidates are vying for three seats in the Haywood County commissioners race. They fall in two tidy camps when…
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Sylva extends reach, approves ETJ expansion
In an effort to assure aesthetic uniformity beyond town borders, Sylva’s commissioners have begun expanding the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The…
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Clash of the titans: The race for Jackson’s big chair
This year’s race for Jackson County commissioner chairman is a rematch between two familiar figures. Each have claimed the title…
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New HCC complex to offer a gamut of response training
A $4 million public safety facility will be constructed at Haywood Community College over the next two years, providing police,…
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Fracking panel draws crowd in Franklin
A walk through the parking lot was all that was necessary to see that a diverse crowd had gathered to…
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U.S. House candidates square off at WCU
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, went head-to-head with Tom Hill, D-Zirconia, his challenger for the 11th District Congressional seat, in a…
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Cherokee wants Franklin leaders to turn over historic site
Cherokee leaders have formally asked the town of Franklin to turn over Nikwasi Mound, the latest turn of events in…
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Rooted in history, growing into the future: Dillsboro celebrates its past while working toward a better future
Dillsboro sits at the crossroads of U.S. 441 and N.C. 23. Nestled between the past and future, it is a…
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Sylva ETJ public hearing tomorrow
Sylva commissioners will hold a public hearing tomorrow, Sept. 4, on expanding its extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. An expanded ETJ…
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Date set for prison renovation weekend
After winning a nationwide voting contest to land a $50,000 prize, Haywood Pathways Center is looking for volunteers to pitch…
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Celebration of women in Methodism at Lake J
A Celebration of Women in Methodism will begin at the World Methodist Museum at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at…
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