Holland, Jenkins to face off in November for sheriff
Former North Carolina Highway Patrolman C.D. Jenkins emerged from a field of three Democrats to win the Macon County Sheriff’s…
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Incumbents hold ground in Swain commissioner race
Despite a slate of challengers campaigning for change in the Swain County commissioners race, all but one incumbent running for…
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Sylva voters pass liquor by the drink
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Sylva residents have decided — it’s time for a good stiff drink. Voters approved…
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Newcomer, incumbent win in Macon
Political newcomer Ronnie Beale and incumbent Bob Simpson beat two other Democrats in Tuesday’s primary and will move on to…
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Pro-planning group wins in Jackson
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Jackson County will usher in a new board of commissioners committed to addressing the…
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Swanger upset; Kirkpatrick, Curtis top vote getters
By Michael Beadle Incumbent Kirk Kirkpatrick and newcomers Charles “Skeeter” Curtis and Bill Upton have won the top three slots…
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Tips for B&B guests
• Costs — Before you book a reservation at a B&B, be sure you check the fine print and know…
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A Quiet Industry: The quaint charm of Victorian bed and breakfast inns have captivated generations of tourists
By Michael Beadle Western North Carolina prides itself as a tourist destination — the mountain getaway where you can hike…
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Breaking the code: Merchants hope study provides reliable data about customers
For two and a half years, David Erikson at Twigs and Leaves has offered a monthly drawing for a gift…
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One for the books: Steep slope hearing encapsulated in print
The public hearing on Jackson County’s steep slope regulations struck Dave Waldrop as special. “It was so unbelievable,” Waldrop said.
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Waynesville’s slow march to a better South Main
A group of vacant, ramshackle buildings at an anchor intersection on South Main Street in Waynesville has been purchased, signaling…
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Front row seat to history
Randall E. Murff remembers the guns shooting at him. “The Germans really could shoot those guns, they were good,” he…
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Franklin passes property tax hike
Franklin residents will be paying a bit more on their property taxes next year following a unanimous decision by the…
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The good ole days: Former Macon commissioners draw lessons from the past
A group of past Macon County Commissioners spent an hour reminiscing about their triumphs and reflecting on lessons learned in…
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Tribal board eliminates Murphy construction management position
Two months after a management shake-up in which the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise removed construction manager Sneed, Robertson and Associates…
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WCU awaits state budget, bemoans staff retention
Western Carolina University is sweating out the North Carolina General Assembly’s budgetary process, but perhaps not as much as some…
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Tax trade-off: New tax law brings bevy of sales tax expansions, eliminates business fees
Consumers will start seeing some extras added to their subtotals as a result of a state law adding sales tax…
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Haywood business community rallies around new economic development model
A cross-section of Haywood County business leaders took over the reins of economic development this month, with county government passing…
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Commissioners field trip to Haywood justice center
Sitting in the judge’s seat, Jackson County Commissioners Chairman Jack Debnam took a look around. He absorbed the courtroom, glanced…
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Petition drive steers toward education funding
Advocates calling for increased state education funding made a stop in Haywood County Monday as part of a statewide tour…
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Alaska’s dream: Ghost Town in the Sky opens for the season
“See that up there?” asked Alaska Presley as she piloted her Mercedes up a back road to the top of…
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Prison conversion project needs votes
Haywood Pathways Center, the working title for the trio of Christian ministries working to make the old prison in Hazelwood…
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Another Swain sheriff candidate joins race
A new candidate has joined the field of potentials for the Swain County sheriff’s race. In addition to Republican Sheriff…
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Folkmoot USA holds June 26 open house
Folkmoot USA will host an Open House from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, to celebrate Haywood County’s…
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Festival funding models vary among WNC counties
As Haywood struggles with the best use of room tax money collected from tourists to fund tourism promotion, one area…
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Delving into dialect
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Gary Carden was in fifth grade when he learned to be ashamed of his…
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One-liners and the warpath: State Republicans relax, ready for revolution at Cherokee convention
Thom Tillis has a recurring daydream. The Republican Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and candidate for the…
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Sylva mother questions park ban
After her teenage daughter was banned from Poteet Park for a year, a Sylva mother sought an audience with the…
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Wal-Mart rolls out unique design
The controversy over a proposed Super Wal-Mart complex in Waynesville took a turn at a town planning board meeting this…
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WCU gets grant for engineering education project
The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of more than $625,000 to Western Carolina University for a project designed…
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Canton paper mill seeks state aid in costly air pollution upgrades
Evergreen Packaging paper mill in Canton could get $12 million in state assistance to offset the cost of converting from…
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State law eliminates business license fees
Business license fees will disappear in North Carolina following the recent passage of the Omnibus Tax Law Changes. Currently, towns…
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Raleigh boots midterm members off Pigeon River Fund board
It’s been more than a month since seven of the Pigeon River Fund Board’s nine members learned that a dictum…
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Jackson assesses cell tower regulations
A conversation has begun in Jackson County regarding the revision of the county’s regulations pertaining to cell phone towers. “We’re…
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Schoolhouse standoff: Macon County teachers sound off to Sen. Davis
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, faced a group of 50 Macon County teachers and staff last Tuesday in the library of…
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Haywood GOP faction loses bid to oust chair
An ongoing tug-of-war for control of the Haywood County Republican Party reached a finale last week. A faction of conservative…
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Budget dilemma forces time of reckoning for Waynesville
Waynesville leaders will face a tough choice in coming weeks: either raise the property tax rate by 3 cents or…
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Tourism task force rolls up its sleeves
A task force charged with inspecting the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is attempting to reshape the county’s approach to…
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Drilling, fracking bill speeds through legislature
Natural gas drilling is one step closer to becoming reality after the North Carolina General Assembly delivered a newly ratified…
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Craigslist alligator finds a home
A young alligator is on its way to a new life after the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission discovered it being…
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Haywood jail inmates rack up big medical bills
A rash of medical complications hit inmates in the Haywood County jail over the past year, socking the county with…
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Riding to remember: Cherokee cyclists retrace tribe’s forced removal
On a muddy Friday afternoon they gathered at Kituwah Mound, the Mother Town. Preparing for the journey. Offering up…
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Jackson tourism board weighing executive director option
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is still in the early stages of determining whether to hire an executive director.…
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Macon County tightens retirement benefits
In its quest to cut the fat ahead of the looming county revaluation, Macon County is turning to its retirement…
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Rep. Presnell sponsors de-annexation bill
It’s only eight lines long, but a de-annexation bill Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, has filed with the General Assembly’s Government…
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GOP to get relaxing respite from Raleigh rallies
When North Carolina Republicans arrive at Harrah’s in Cherokee the first week of June for their annual convention, they will…
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Drexel site master plan in the works
The former Drexel manufacturing plant site in Whittier is a step closer to its future. Jackson County was recently awarded…
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Strength in numbers: WNC environmental groups plan merger
Economy of scale tends to lean toward effectiveness of action, and that’s a fact that three environmental advocacy organizations in…
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Haywood commissioners, schools stick to funding formula
Haywood County Schools will see a slight budget increase from county commissioners next year, although it will fall far short…
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Cracking the room-tax nut
Critics of tourism-related economic development in Haywood County have joined forces with a conservative think tank from Raleigh to question…
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