×

Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 12688
Abrahams gives sermon at Mandela funeral
 

Abrahams gives sermon at Mandela funeral

Bishop Ivan Abrahams, the South African general secretary of the World Methodist Council who lives at Lake Junaluska, gave the…
Read More

Comment

Cherokee elders file suit against bear zoo
 

Cherokee elders file suit against bear zoo

Two months after sending a notice informing the Cherokee Bear Zoo of their intent to sue the roadside menagerie for…
Read More

Comment

Christmas comes early in the Valley: Massive giveaway helps hundreds of Haywood families
 

Christmas comes early in the Valley: Massive giveaway helps hundreds of Haywood families

The mother lode of charity operations was less than 24 hours away, and the daunting punch list should have had…
Read More

Comment

There’s an app for that: If not, a growing number of students are learning to create one
 

There’s an app for that: If not, a growing number of students are learning to create one

Imagine you’re a college student in the summer of 2010. One of your professors offers you a job. He has…
Read More

Comment

UPDATED: Undercover bust targets dealers in every corner of the county
 

UPDATED: Undercover bust targets dealers in every corner of the county

An undercover investigation in Haywood County targeting alleged drug dealers culminated in a sweeping roundup last month, netting 31 suspects…
Read More

Comment

Waynesville says no to blow-up gorillas: Off-the-beaten path businesses seek signage answers
 

Waynesville says no to blow-up gorillas: Off-the-beaten path businesses seek signage answers

Waynesville leaders last week voted to loosen the town’s sign rules at the behest of some business owners, but stopped…
Read More

Comment

Jury deliberating fate of jailer who helped murderer escape
 

Jury deliberating fate of jailer who helped murderer escape

The jury deciding the fate of a former Swain County jailer who helped a murderer escape and then ran away…
Read More

Comment

Cullowhee advocates seek to sharpen vision of community plan
 

Cullowhee advocates seek to sharpen vision of community plan

Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Building consensus among the increasing number of residents and business owners in Cullowhee is critical to…
Read More

Comment

Reception for Jackson Librarian Dottie Brunette
 

Reception for Jackson Librarian Dottie Brunette

Jackson County Librarian Dottie Brunette will retire at the end of the year, and the public is invited to a…
Read More

Comment

On a mission to fight drug abuse, help families
 

On a mission to fight drug abuse, help families

To Jean Parris, the drug bust in Haywood County last month wasn’t just a matter of locking up suspected drug…
Read More

Comment

Student profiles
 

Student profiles

Michael Bruce  2nd year assoc. Hometown: Waynesville Major: Web Technologies  App: Class Schedule Organizer As soon as he learned how…
Read More

Comment

Coding for the rest of us
 

Coding for the rest of us

If the very thought of trying your hand at computer programming or writing software code is intimidating, Dr. Jonathan Wade…
Read More

Comment

At WCU, an app to keep students out of the rain
 

At WCU, an app to keep students out of the rain

By Paul Clark • SMN Correspondent So, here’s the problem. It’s raining and you need to catch the CAT TRAN, one…
Read More

Comment

Tribal council names Snowbird resident a ‘beloved woman’
 

Tribal council names Snowbird resident a ‘beloved woman’

Ella Wachacha Bird has joined the ranks of a small and revered group last week after the Eastern Band of…
Read More

Comment

Lake Junaluska merger proponents preparing for round two
 

Lake Junaluska merger proponents preparing for round two

Supporters of the stalled merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville hope to get it back on the…
Read More

Comment

Elementary school’s old cafeteria helps new breed of entrepreneurs
 

Elementary school’s old cafeteria helps new breed of entrepreneurs

By Colby Dunn • Correspondent On a recent sunny afternoon, Deb Shalosky is standing in the kitchen pantry at the Fines…
Read More

Comment

Franklin pub crossroads for people, history
 

Franklin pub crossroads for people, history

By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent The legendary Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub, an institution and social mainstay in downtown Franklin,…
Read More

Comment

Dig Sylva, buy local
 

Dig Sylva, buy local

By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent A group of merchants in Sylva rallying their fellow shopkeepers and restaurateurs in the downtown…
Read More

Comment

Job of naming new town manager up to new Maggie Valley leaders
 

Job of naming new town manager up to new Maggie Valley leaders

Maggie Valley’s interim town manager has only been on the job for a few weeks, but already has been offered…
Read More

Comment

In push for Franklin hospice house, perseverance pays
 

In push for Franklin hospice house, perseverance pays

Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent A nearly decade-long dream to build an inpatient hospice house for the terminally ill and their…
Read More

Comment

Sid’s on Main makes a little history, from scratch
 

Sid’s on Main makes a little history, from scratch

By Paul Clark • Correspondent In the old Imperial Hotel in Canton, Sid’s on Main is creating a little history of…
Read More

Comment

GroWNC presents to EDC
 

GroWNC presents to EDC

In an effort to promote growth and a positive impact on Western North Carolina communities, GroWNC came in front of…
Read More

Comment

EDC board raises no objections to possible chamber partnership
 

EDC board raises no objections to possible chamber partnership

The Haywood County Economic Development Commission last week listened to a summary of task force reports on how it and…
Read More

Comment

Fire at WCU damages three businesses; no injuries reported
 

Fire at WCU damages three businesses; no injuries reported

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of a fire that broke out Nov. 21 in the commercial strip…
Read More

Comment

The how-to of a jail break
 

The how-to of a jail break

It was a fairly simple inside job in the end, one easily borrowed from the playbook of any Hollywood jailbreak.…
Read More

Comment

Awaiting her fate: Jailer helped murder suspect escape jail, fled with him to California
 

Awaiting her fate: Jailer helped murder suspect escape jail, fled with him to California

The jury trial of a Swain County jailer accused of springing a murderer from jail more than four years ago…
Read More

Comment

Human interaction can be fatal to elk
 

Human interaction can be fatal to elk

A young male elk in Cataloochee Valley was put down by park rangers last week for repeatedly rushing and taunting…
Read More

Comment

Jackson leaders search for equity in fire tax debate
 

Jackson leaders search for equity in fire tax debate

Some Jackson County commissioners expressed trepidation this week over changing the way the county’s seven volunteer fire departments are funded.
Read More

Comment

Education changes, woes discussed at forum
 

Education changes, woes discussed at forum

What was billed to be a town hall style education forum for the Macon County School System, filled with parents…
Read More

Comment

Waynesville listens to plan for reconfiguring N. Main, Walnut
 

Waynesville listens to plan for reconfiguring N. Main, Walnut

Waynesville leaders haven’t decided whether they will back a plan to reconfigure the intersection of North Main and Walnut streets,…
Read More

Comment

Haywood to embrace dual chamber-economic development model
 

Haywood to embrace dual chamber-economic development model

A plan to move the Haywood County Economic Development Commission under the umbrella of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce…
Read More

Comment

State reverses itself, gives Swain North Shore interest
 

State reverses itself, gives Swain North Shore interest

Swain County leaders were relieved this month when the state gave them the go ahead to tap $382,000 in interest…
Read More

Comment

SCC schedules pair of table gaming information sessions
 

SCC schedules pair of table gaming information sessions

Over the next few weeks, Southwestern Community College will host a pair of information sessions for anyone interested in pursuing…
Read More

Comment

Applicants sought for Haywood boards
 

Applicants sought for Haywood boards

The Board of County Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill three vacancies on the Haywood County Agriculture Advisory Board (Farmland…
Read More

Comment

Library branches collecting food for holidays
 

Library branches collecting food for holidays

All branches of the Haywood County Public Library are currently collecting food to help meet the needs of local residents…
Read More

Comment

New Tribal Council chair is first woman to hold position
 

New Tribal Council chair is first woman to hold position

Terri Henry has been elected as the first female Tribal Council chair of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, some six…
Read More

Comment

The Whopper survives DOT project near Clyde
 

The Whopper survives DOT project near Clyde

Haywood County residents won’t be down a Burger King when the state Department of Transportation starts its major reconstruction of…
Read More

Comment

Maggie man pleads to reduced charges in dispute with town
 

Maggie man pleads to reduced charges in dispute with town

After getting caught up in the politics of Maggie Valley and facing felony forgery charges, Joseph Maniscalco Thursday pleaded guilty…
Read More

Comment

Sylva getting pretty good at filling empty town board seats
 

Sylva getting pretty good at filling empty town board seats

The Sylva town board will appoint a new leader to an empty seat on the board in coming weeks —…
Read More

Comment

Tasing threat against 14-year-old mascot investigated by Swain
 

Tasing threat against 14-year-old mascot investigated by Swain

A man threatened to tase a young Cherokee girl at a football game last month, but it is unclear just…
Read More

Comment

Tribal Council OKs plans for rehab facility — again
 

Tribal Council OKs plans for rehab facility — again

For years, enrolled members and leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have called for the tribe to open…
Read More

Comment

Campus visits ‘vital’ to Western Carolina recruiting efforts
 

Campus visits ‘vital’ to Western Carolina recruiting efforts

Jacob Flannick • SMN Correspondent Hundreds of high school students from across the state and beyond toured the campus of Western…
Read More

Comment

Cullowhee planning initiative out of the gate at last
 

Cullowhee planning initiative out of the gate at last

People who live and work in Cullowhee are being invited to share their opinions on growth and planning with a…
Read More

Comment

Ghost Town gunfighter says shooting injury was no accident
 

Ghost Town gunfighter says shooting injury was no accident

Four months after he was injured in a staged Old West gunshow, a former Ghost Town in the Sky gunfighter…
Read More

Comment

Sign kitsch to be debated at Waynesville hearing
 

Sign kitsch to be debated at Waynesville hearing

Business owners and merchants in Waynesville angling for bigger, flashier attention-grabbing devices have piloted a rewrite of the town’s sign…
Read More

Comment

Sylva town board welcomes new member, new mayor
 

Sylva town board welcomes new member, new mayor

The race for Sylva town board was won by only a hair on Election Day. The results show Mary Kelley…
Read More

Comment

Waynesville wants input on plan for North Main, Walnut streets
 

Waynesville wants input on plan for North Main, Walnut streets

As Waynesville pedestrians mosey down North Main Street toward Walnut Street on their way home or to one of the…
Read More

Comment

Sylva leaders adopt streetscape plan for Main Street, N.C. 107
 

Sylva leaders adopt streetscape plan for Main Street, N.C. 107

The Sylva town board has unanimously approved a streetscape plan for N.C. 107 from the Ingles grocery store to Dillsboro.…
Read More

Comment

New checkpoint procedures implemented in Jackson
 

New checkpoint procedures implemented in Jackson

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have reached an amicable settlement…
Read More

Comment

Haywood considers integration of county departments
 

Haywood considers integration of county departments

Haywood County is moving slowly towards consolidating its Department of Social Services and Health Department to save money and become…
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.