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Swain County marching band heading to D.C.
 

Swain County marching band heading to D.C.

Swain High School’s Marching Maroon Devils have officially been accepted to march in the National Independence Day Parade on July…
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State refuses to give North Shore interest money to Swain
 

State refuses to give North Shore interest money to Swain

The N.C. Department of Revenue is holding money belonging to Swain County captive, according to county officials.
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King leads group saying revaluation was off the mark
 

King leads group saying revaluation was off the mark

The Haywood County Republican Party, siding with a two-time county commission candidate, has submitted a resolution to the county saying…
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Case against alleged cross burner dismissed
 

Case against alleged cross burner dismissed

The case against a Haywood County teenager charged with felony cross burning was dismissed two weeks ago.
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Bryson wants to get rid of unsightly signs
 

Bryson wants to get rid of unsightly signs

For years Bryson City has battled gaudy signs, decrepit signs and too many signs, particularly along U.S. 19 coming into…
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Jackson trades fines for new program to get kids in car seats
 

Jackson trades fines for new program to get kids in car seats

Where heavy-handed fines fail, the Jackson County Health Department is pushing a program to urge negligent drivers to put their…
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Haywood will pay to upgrade jail rather than use more deputies
 

Haywood will pay to upgrade jail rather than use more deputies

Haywood County will pay more than it anticipated on state-mandated renovations to its jail annex. The county will pay $91,314…
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Room tax revenues rise, though not necessarily number of travelers
 

Room tax revenues rise, though not necessarily number of travelers

Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties all reported an increase in lodging tax revenue last fiscal year, compared to the…
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Maggie boasts crowded field for town elections
 

Maggie boasts crowded field for town elections

Finances and the future of the festival grounds were front and center at a Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen candidate…
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Maggie town manager, festival director both lose jobs over concert deal
 

Maggie town manager, festival director both lose jobs over concert deal

After a week of paid suspension, Maggie Valley’s town manager and festival director are gone.
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Guardian Ad Litems try to be a voice for children
 

Guardian Ad Litems try to be a voice for children

Talking to kids is hard enough when life is going fine, but when their parents are going through a divorce…
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Turned Away: Visitors, residents barred from national park
 

Turned Away: Visitors, residents barred from national park

When Joe and Dolly Parker approached the entrance of the Deep Creek campground Tuesday morning, the sign read “Office Closed.”…
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Green Energy Park at a crossroads: Jackson commissioners ponder future of venture
 

Green Energy Park at a crossroads: Jackson commissioners ponder future of venture

The future of Jackson County’s Green Energy Park may depend on county commissioners doubling down.
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Cherokee Bear Zoo in legal crosshairs
 

Cherokee Bear Zoo in legal crosshairs

Two enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians plan to sue the owners of the Cherokee Bear Zoo…
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At long last, skate park vision now a concrete reality
 

At long last, skate park vision now a concrete reality

Waynesville Alderman Gary Caldwell was the man of the hour, or perhaps the man of the decade, during the official…
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Swain school officials take swift action against football player for racial insults on Facebook
 

Swain school officials take swift action against football player for racial insults on Facebook

A Swain County High School junior varsity football player was suspended from school for 10 days and kicked off the…
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Maggie town manager, festival director suspended over concert debacle
 

Maggie town manager, festival director suspended over concert debacle

The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen voted unanimously last week to suspend Town Manager Tim Barth and Festival Director Audrey…
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Meet the candidates for Bryson town board
 

Meet the candidates for Bryson town board

Candidates have lined up to run for the town board in Bryson City this November after two current aldermen have…
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A dozen candidates gunning for just four seats in Franklin town election
 

A dozen candidates gunning for just four seats in Franklin town election

This year’s election in Franklin is shaping up to be one of the most interesting — and crowded — the…
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Smokies and Parkway open to windshield tourists only
 

Smokies and Parkway open to windshield tourists only

The impasse at the federal level will touch all areas of operation at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and…
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Shutdown irks tourism industry on the eve of leaf season
 

Shutdown irks tourism industry on the eve of leaf season

The tourism industry in Western North Carolina is not letting the shut down of visitor facilities on the Blue Ridge…
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College students must jump through new hoops to vote where they go to school
 

College students must jump through new hoops to vote where they go to school

The new voter identification requirement won’t likely affect North Carolinians who have put down roots, but more transient populations including…
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Every good slogan needs a logo
 

Every good slogan needs a logo

The Jackson County tourism industry adopted a new logo last week to go with their new slogan: “Play On.”
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Sylva’s beloved Lulu’s under new ownership
 

Sylva’s beloved Lulu’s under new ownership

The new owners of the iconic Lulu’s on Main restaurant in downtown Sylva are dedicated to keeping around the diner’s…
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New brewery to round out Jackson’s craft beer scene
 

New brewery to round out Jackson’s craft beer scene

Nicole Dexter and Chip Owen might be the only brewmasters in Western North Carolina who left Asheville — the Mecca…
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Sweepstakes to cops: your move
 

Sweepstakes to cops: your move

A woman charged with illegally operating sweepstakes-style video gambling machines got off in court this week after prosecutors dismissed the…
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In with greenways and yoga, out with ball field sports
 

In with greenways and yoga, out with ball field sports

An indoor swimming pool, a river park in Dillsboro and more greenways emerged as top priorities in a 10-year master…
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Replacing power poles a never-ending job
 

Replacing power poles a never-ending job

If you come across men in bright orange vests directing traffic around crews handling a towering power pole into the…
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Macon on the prowl for a new county manager
 

Macon on the prowl for a new county manager

Macon County closed the application window last week and will soon begin paring down applicants in search of its next…
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Franklin unable to shake Nikwasi Mound missteps
 

Franklin unable to shake Nikwasi Mound missteps

The saga of Nikwasi Mound in Franklin being sprayed with potent weed killer more than a year ago continues to…
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Business leaders to educators: strong math skills a must
 

Business leaders to educators: strong math skills a must

Western North Carolina’s educational institutions must re-emphasize the importance of mathematical skills at all levels — from basic addition and…
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State voting changes dissected, debated at political forum
 

State voting changes dissected, debated at political forum

Changes to the voting laws in North Carolina will have only a small effect on voter turnout, according to a…
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From the great outdoors to musical theater, WCU’s drawing cards are all over the map
 

From the great outdoors to musical theater, WCU’s drawing cards are all over the map

After a surge in the freshmen retention rate at Western Carolina University, school administrators are trying to get a feel…
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WCU makes big strides in freshmen retention rate
 

WCU makes big strides in freshmen retention rate

They made it a top priority, but Western Carolina University administrators were still a bit surprised when they learned they…
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New sewer line could unbottle commercial growth in Canton
 

New sewer line could unbottle commercial growth in Canton

The commercial corridor of the Canton exit off Interstate 40 has been in a vice grip for several years due…
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Use it or lose it: Canton acts quick to spend outstanding grant money from Rural Center
 

Use it or lose it: Canton acts quick to spend outstanding grant money from Rural Center

The clock is ticking for Canton to spend $25,000 in remaining grant money from the N.C. Rural Center.
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Swain deputies rack up 13 wrecks in three years
 

Swain deputies rack up 13 wrecks in three years

A Swain County deputy totaled his patrol car earlier this month after hitting a parked car while going more than…
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Business calendar
 

Business calendar

• Western Carolina University will host information sessions on a new part-time MBA program starting in January and held in…
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District elections could be a partisan game changer in Jackson
 

District elections could be a partisan game changer in Jackson

In what he characterized as simply starting the discussion, Jackson County Commission Chairman Jack Debnam broached the idea of changing…
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Deserted factory to morph into agriculture venture
 

Deserted factory to morph into agriculture venture

An abandoned, county-owned furniture factory in Whittier could transform into a center for agritourism in Jackson County, or it could…
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National Guard Unit from Haywood to deploy to Afghanistan
 

National Guard Unit from Haywood to deploy to Afghanistan

The National Guard’s 211th Military Police Company based in Haywood County is deploying to Afghanistan.
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Model plane club allows members to take the pilot seat
 

Model plane club allows members to take the pilot seat

The Macon Aero Modelers Club members are not afraid to fly much of anything. Large, wooden aircraft churning through the…
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Macon County ponies up for airport upgrades, again
 

Macon County ponies up for airport upgrades, again

The Macon County Commission last week narrowly approved funding for upgrades and an expansion of the runway at the county…
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Maggie bites off more than it can chew in Stillwell concert
 

Maggie bites off more than it can chew in Stillwell concert

Maggie Valley residents and leaders are questioning how and why town taxpayers ended up footing the bill for a Country…
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Experts educate residents on cumbersome healthcare reform
 

Experts educate residents on cumbersome healthcare reform

Thousands of uninsured Western North Carolina residents will soon benefit from the Affordable Care Act, despite most people still being…
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Appointment signals Meadow’s rising clout in Washington
 

Appointment signals Meadow’s rising clout in Washington

U.S. Congressman Mark Meadows was appointed as one of the country’ two representatives to the United Nation’s General Assembly last…
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A moving target: Small-towns’ eternal chase for doctors
 

A moving target: Small-towns’ eternal chase for doctors

Five full-time doctors practicing at Swain County Medical Center have left during the past year. The departures account for half…
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Bryson City: just what the doctor ordered
 

Bryson City: just what the doctor ordered

As Dr. Randall Castor stared down the final weeks of his residency, it was clear those long, grueling years of…
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How a tiny bracelet saved the life of a man with dementia
 

How a tiny bracelet saved the life of a man with dementia

During rehearsal for her church’s band one Monday night, Paula McElroy called home to check on her 82-year-old husband who…
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Canton factory revs up production of big-rig cab parts
 

Canton factory revs up production of big-rig cab parts

A manufacturing plant that makes parts for big-rig cab interiors has broken ground on a $5.9 million expansion in Canton…
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