Jane Hipps officially kicks off Senate campaign
Jane Hipps of Waynesville will officially kick off her campaign to run against Sen. Jim Davis at an “Announcement Celebration”…
Read More
CCC gives out annual Community Pride Awards
The Commission for a Clean County (CCC) has announced the winners of its annual Community Pride Awards program, who will…
Read More
Jackson and Macon poised to lose their cash cow in wake of second-home real estate crash
When inflated real estate values in the second-home market came back down to earth, the touchdown wasn’t gentle. It was…
Read More
Steep slope redux: A pocket guide to proposed revisions in Jackson’s steep slope ordinance
Limits on mountainside development and standards for steep slope building are once again in the spotlight in Jackson County. The…
Read More
Jackson fire tax goes up in smoke
Jackson County commissioners have nixed the idea of making volunteer fire departments financially autonomous.
Read More
Farm Bill secures 2014 payments for counties home to federal land
County leaders in Western North Carolina breathed a collective sigh of relief after the 2014 Farm Bill was signed into…
Read More
Cherokee Bear Zoo fined by OSHA
Cherokee Bear Zoo has been fined by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violating worker safety regulations. Cherokee…
Read More
Wild ride with a log splitter leads to larceny arrests
Four Asheville residents were arrested after an attempt to steal a logsplitter from Lowe’s in Waynesville drew the attention of…
Read More
2014 election filing season opens
The 2014 election season officially got underway this week. Candidates could begin signing up to run for office on Monday.…
Read More
Franklin merchants want bigger voice in gazebo make-over
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent A design for a new gazebo on the town square in downtown Franklin has been…
Read More
Ghost Town gunfight negotiations finalized
A compromise has been reached between Ghost Town in the Sky and state inspectors over a violation and fine stemming…
Read More
Eighth Macon school officer position goes to Nantahala
Robert Holland has been pushing to place a resource officer in every school for years — long before the Sandy…
Read More
Districts grapple with directive to identify top 25 percent of teachers
Usually, you’d expect a school system to jump at the chance to give its teachers a raise, but superintendents statewide…
Read More
Melange of the Mountains caters to food fans with bigger lineup
Restaurants in Haywood County are being encouraged to jump on the Melange of the Mountains train, which will return this…
Read More
Canton debates alcohol policy at armory
A request to serve keg beer at an event in the Canton Armory prompted a broader discussion of the town’s…
Read More
Mixed feelings among residents on new plans for old prison
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Haywood County leaders have all but signed off on plans by a pair of faith-based…
Read More
Steep slopes on the rocks: Relaxed building rules try to strike a balance
David Brooks grew up dirt poor. His dad farmed corn, apples and tobacco, always with a plow and mule, never…
Read More
Macon election office assesses damage in emergency meeting
After discovering $50,000 worth of unauthorized checks had disappeared from its budget and placing director Kim Bishop on paid investigatory…
Read More
Moving forward: Commissioners express support for use of old prison by trio of ministries
A plan to turn the old state prison campus in Hazelwood into an epicenter for changing lives is moving forward…
Read More
Step up and be counted: Public could tip scales in steep slope rewrite
Who shows up and speaks out at a steep slope public hearing in Jackson County next week could alter what…
Read More
For some pet owners in rural west, round-the-clock vet care out of reach
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Years have passed since Jack McJunkin’s dog was struck and fatally injured by a car…
Read More
Macon County reviews policies as embezzlement investigation continues
Three weeks after the State Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into possible embezzlement at the Macon County Board of…
Read More
Finding a culprit behind parking crunch in Canton
Free parking has its drawbacks, at least for the Country Music and Dance Parlor in downtown Canton.
Read More
Private schools, public money, heated discourse: School stakeholders debate new N.C. voucher program
It’s been six months since the N.C. General Assembly passed a budget earmarking $10 million for school vouchers to low-income…
Read More
SBI probes embezzlement allegations at Macon County Board of Elections
By Holly Kays & Becky Johnson • Staff writers An embezzlement investigation at the Macon County Board of Elections locked down…
Read More
The Kudzu Cocktail, Cat Catch and other bright ideas from WCU students
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent For as long as he can remember, Austin Brown’s fascination with plants has remained rooted in…
Read More
Waynesville lands free property for new in-town greenway section
Waynesville will soon have a new section of walking path along Richland Creek and, if all goes as planned, public…
Read More
County mulls best way to dispose of old DSS building
Haywood County leaders have substantially lowered the asking price for the empty, run-down, old hospital — it’s now free.
Read More
Maggie leaders debate how much to underwrite festival grounds event
Maggie Valley town leaders are questioning the amount of money the town plows into its festival grounds each year and…
Read More
What to do when winning means closing: Parent wants discussion about football-related school closure in Swain
Swain County students may have been cheering when the high school football team’s trip to the state semifinals meant everyone…
Read More
Sales of Smokies plates increased in fourth quarter
Sales of the Friends of the Smokies specialty license plate in North Carolina increased in the fourth quarter, benefiting priority…
Read More
Elected leaders to push again for room tax hike in Haywood
Haywood’s elected leaders plan to invite their three General Assembly representatives to a March meeting in hopes of reviving a…
Read More
Neediest waiting more than three months for benefits: N.C. food stamp delays ‘alarm’ feds
Time has nearly run out for the beleaguered N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to fix the systemic problems…
Read More
Attorney with strong GOP ties to seek judge’s seat
A fifth attorney has added his name to the list of possible nominees for an open District Court judge position…
Read More
Computing for the future
Waynesville residents will soon be reaping the benefits of an information technology makeover at town hall. While town employees will…
Read More
Reforming lives on a wing and a prayer
A proposal to convert a closed-down state prison into a halfway house and homeless shelter in Haywood County is gaining…
Read More
Changing of the guard in store for Haywood tourism board
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will see unprecedented turnover on its board this month, with five of the 12…
Read More
Local churches lift the lives of homeless, incarcerated
On Sept. 12, Jeff Clontz walked out of Haywood County Jail a free man. It wasn’t his first time, though.…
Read More
Grant to bring advanced manufacturing training to Swain
The Golden LEAF Foundation and Duke Energy recently funded a trio of advanced manufacturing training grants, totaling $1.3 million, to…
Read More
HRMC labor and delivery unit to be remodeled
The Haywood Regional Medical Foundation has donated $400,000 to MedWest Haywood for a remodel of the fourth floor, which includes…
Read More
Stepping down: Aumen’s departure marks end of an era for Haywood TDA
Editor’s note: Alice Aumen has been a major voice in Haywood’s tourism landscape for more than half a century —…
Read More
Jackson TDA hires trio of marketing firms for trial period
After a split vote that followed nearly an hour of discussion, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority hired three different…
Read More
Hunters upset about ‘Something Bruin’ tactics
Hunters from all over the mountains came together last weekend to speak out against the tactics used by undercover wildlife…
Read More
In Waynesville, meter readers going the way of milkmen
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Some homeowners in Waynesville might have started wondering why a certain visitor who had routinely appeared…
Read More
McCrory to appoint Holt’s successor, but could ignore bar’s counsel
Attorneys in the seven western counties will to be called on in the coming weeks to weigh in on their…
Read More
And, goal: WNC soccer players train with Olympics in mind
Jacob Flannick & Holly Kays • Correspondent/Staff writer When Scott Cline graduated from Swain High School in the mid-1990s, the community…
Read More
Forum aims to create new vision for Canton
When Heidi Dunkelberg first entered the town of Canton, she couldn’t imagine ever living there.
Read More
A winter rescue: Rangers trek into frigid, snowy darkness to save hikers
By 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, the sky had long gone dark and rain was turning to snow. It was…
Read More
Hipps brings work ethic to race
When Jane Hipps began toying with the idea of running for state Senate as a Democratic challenger, a wave of…
Read More
Robinson says WNC voters need representation in Raleigh
Ron Robinson thinks a state senator should represent all of his constituents.
Read More
