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Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:34

Canton hopes to tap potential of downtown museum, visitor center

From Staff Reports Patrick Willis is a history buff of the first order, so when he landed a part-time job staffing the front desk at the Canton Area Historical Museum while working on his masters in history from Western Carolina…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:31

Uncovering the past: UT project lets Cherokee students discover their ancestors

By Paul Clark • Contributor Long caravans of traffic streamed into Cherokee on U.S. 441 recently, but relatively few passengers cast more than a disinterested glance at the small excavation by the Oconaluftee River. There a dozen local high school…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:28

Commissioned landscape now crowns Joey’s Pancake House

Regular patrons of Joey’s Pancake House will notice a different view when they enter the restaurant that is a social center of Maggie Valley.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:27

Woman bank president to speak at Aug. 9 chamber luncheon

Suzanne DeFerie, CEO and president of Asheville Savings Bank, will be the guest speaker at the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Gateway Club. DeFerie was born, raised…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:26

Yard sale to benefit mother-baby unit at MedWest-Harris

A community yard sale held from noon to 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11, in the MedWest-Harris parking lot will benefit the Mother and Baby Unit at MedWest-Harris. People wishing to…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:24

Heirs lament loss of heritage in court-ordered sale of family land

Every year on the first weekend in August, Linda Maxwell and other heirs of patriarch H.B. Wood make a pilgrimage to family land in the rural reaches of Little Canada and gather at the Wood cemetery where so many of…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:23

Tunnel work to cause delays on I-40

The N.C. Department of Transportation will conduct inspections of three tunnels in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 in Haywood County, causing traffic delays for motorists during August. The tunnels being examined are located between the Tennessee border and…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:23

League hosts forum for senate hopefuls

The League of Women voters of Macon County will host a candidate forum at 12:15 p.m. Aug. 9 for N.C. state Senate candidates Democrat John Snow and Republican Jim Davis. Snow, a retired chief District Court Judge from Murphy, will…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:20

Waynesville playground and rec park to get much needed new restrooms

The vandalized, charred restrooms in the Waynesville Recreation Park will soon get a long-awaited facelift.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:18

Waynesville keeps tight reins on sewer lines in the name of smart growth

Waynesville has once again denied Haywood County’s proposition for extending its sewer lines several miles beyond the town limits toward Balsam along U.S. 23/74. The county has asked the town to augment its sewer lines near the rest stop a…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:17

Under-the-radar sublease of county building comes to light in convoluted civil case

The director of a mental health nonprofit falsely posed as the landlord for a building he didn’t own for nearly a decade, collecting more than $371,000 in rent on office space that in fact belonged to Haywood County, according to…
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:15

McDevitt loses CPA license

The former director of Smoky Mountain Center for Mental Health has lost his CPA license over allegations he backdated his first day of state employment to bolster his retirement benefits.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:10

Jackson physicians want out of MedWest affiliation

The medical community in Jackson and Swain counties has renewed its call to part ways with Haywood Regional Medical Center less than three years after forging an alliance under the MedWest banner.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 13:05

New Health and Human Sciences building to greet returning WCU students this fall

Western Carolina University will unveil a state-of-the art $46 million Health and Human Sciences building when students return to campus in a few weeks.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 12:47

WCU’s Millennial Campus gets its first building

The new Health and Human Sciences building is the first building to crown WCU’s Millennial Campus, and hopefully a stepping stone to help realize the initial vision for the 344-acre addition to campus.
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:00

Creative Endeavors Craft Show to feature Sir Lamps-A-Lot

The Junaluska Woman’s Club Creative Endeavors Craft Show will exhibit custom-made table lamps from Kenneth Lambert, a.k.a. Sir Lamps-A-Lot, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10-11 at Harrell Center Auditorium at Lake Junaluska.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Tourism change could cost chambers

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Macon County officials work to create a new tourism development association, the financial picture for the Franklin and Highland chambers of commerce could change drastically. Right now, the Highland’s chamber receives an estimated…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Most Waynesville candidates support Russ Avenue fix

The vast majority of candidates running for the Waynesville town board say they would support a major traffic redesign on Russ Avenue.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Ghost Town hires new general manager

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Ghost Town in the Sky has named Kevin Bailey as its new general manager effective Oct. 1.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Candidates: Review necessary to keep land use plan viable

All the candidates running for Waynesville town board and mayor seem to agree on one thing when it comes to the land-use plan: that a comprehensive review of how it’s working can’t hurt.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Candidates reveal their take on land use plan

Four years ago, the Waynesville town board passed a revolutionary land-use plan that elevated Waynesville to a state example of smart growth principles. Few could disagree the town’s commercial districts are already looking better as a result: landscaped parking lots,…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Growth a major concern for Highlands hopefuls

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Six candidates are vying for three spots on the Highland’s Town Board of Commissioners.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Growth roundtable has guidelines, but now must decide how to use them

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer What to do with advice to give, but no audience to receive it? That’s the dilemma facing participants of the Haywood County Growth Readiness Roundtable. The diverse group of Haywood County representatives — including…
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Canton banks, businesses prepare for buyout infusion

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The town of Canton will experience an infusion of dollars Oct. 12 when Blue Ridge Paper workers get their cash payouts from the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

New owners cut 150 jobs at paper mill

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A round of layoffs struck Evergreen Packaging (formerly Blue Ridge Paper) last week when officials cut the positions of 28 salaried employees outright and decided to eliminate 122 hourly positions through attrition.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:00

Crowded field seeks Canton seats

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Five candidates are stepping up to challenge the four incumbents on Canton’s town board, who are all running for re-election. For the past several election cycles, the board has gone unopposed. Two major issues…
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

The BCCCP Program: As women struggle to pay for cancer treatment, the funds to help them are drying up

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A mammogram costs $200 out of pocket. A round of radiation is close to $40,000. And so far, this bill doesn’t include chemotherapy, a mastectomy, or hospital stays.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Two more seek 11th District GOP nomination

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Spence Campbell, chair of the Henderson County Republican Club, declared his intentions two weeks ago to run for the 11th Congressional District seat against Rep. Heath Shuler.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Two more seek 11th District GOP nomination

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Last week, John Armor, a Highlands attorney, became the third candidate to declare his bid for the 11th District Congressional seat.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Chief’s newspaper decree leads to free speech debate

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer The removal of an anonymous opinion column in the Cherokee One Feather has sparked a heated freedom of speech debate among Cherokee leaders.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Railsback retraces ride to commemorate Honors College anniversary at WCU

The dean of Western Carolina University’s Honors College hopes to replicate a successful fundraiser from a decade ago when he begins a three-day bicycle ride to Mount Mitchell to raise scholarship money for the college’s students.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Jackson library group needs to raise up to $1 million

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Now that a site has been chosen for the new Jackson County library, the Friends of the Library have a huge undertaking — raising up to $1 million for furnishing the interior of the…
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 00:00

Tax opponents organize in Macon, Swain

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A property transfer tax that could potentially bring nearly a million dollars a year to county coffers is meeting fierce opposition in two Western North Carolina counties where the tax will appear on the…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Residents debate motives behind proposed road

Some Macon County residents are questioning the need for a proposed $11.5 million road project billed by the N.C. Department of Transportation as vital to assist development.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Watershed logging remains election issue

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer An issue that caused a firestorm of controversy for Waynesville’s current town board is rearing its head in this election cycle — and may prove to be a defining factor in how voters cast…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Four options considered for the new road

The N.C. Department of Transportation is mulling four options for a new road in Macon County that would facilitate future development, but some members of the community wonder why a fifth option — simply improving the existing road — isn’t…
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Siler Road timeline

The benefits to private development of the Siler Road project in Macon County figured prominently in early planning documents and meetings, but were later toned down. Here’s a time line.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007 00:00

Elections board investigates school bond activities

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer A complaint filed against the Macon County School Board over questionable campaign actions has the school district in hot water with the North Carolina Board of Elections.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Transfer tax would help Swain schools

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer After several years of trying to secure funding for school improvements, Swain County officials say that money generated by a land transfer tax may be the answer they’ve been looking for.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Who’ll pay the price?

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s lunchtime in downtown Hazelwood, and the small area’s only parking lot of roughly 30 spaces is jam-packed. People jump out of their cars to grab a bite to eat, a haircut, medications, or…
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Decision expected soon on quarry permit

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Tuckasegee community members will learn next week if a rock quarry gets state approval to be placed in their neighborhood.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Ample options, no decision yet on Franklin Town Hall relocation

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer The possibility of relocating Franklin’s town hall has been a topic of debate among town board members and residents for some time now.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:00

Shelter plan irks Hall Top residents

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s a typical neighborhood with houses, trees, bikes in the yard, a basketball goal and — an animal shelter?
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Smart Roads Alliance seeks answers on Southern Loop

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer In their fight to stop progress to the proposed Southern Loop, members of the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance filed a public records request last week with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to…
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Martin removed as editor in Cherokee

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Last week Eastern Band of Cherokee officials made the decision to remove The Cherokee One Feather Editor Joe Martin from his newspaper position.
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Sex offenders and civil liberties: Ordinance sparks debate over whether the two go hand and hand

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Convicted sex offenders don’t have many advocates, but a recent rush of laws banning them from public parks has called into question just how many civil liberties these people should have to give up.
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Incumbent Moody, newcomer Graham win in Sylva: Allen, Lewis tie will go to elections board

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Building a strong downtown district will be a top priority of the new Sylva Town Board of Commissioners.
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Brown unseats Foy in mayor’s race: Incumbents Feichter, Caldwell, Moore win; Roberson also in

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Former alderman Gavin Brown is now the new mayor of Waynesville, unseating 16-year incumbent Henry Foy. The two candidates were aligned on almost all issues but one — Brown has promised to make a…
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Jackson Airport study OK’d

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County commissioners have decided to invest money in the county’s airport. Commissioners voted 4-1 on Monday (Nov. 5) to award $65,000 to the airport authority to conduct a feasibility study of the mountaintop…
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Transfer tax goes down in Swain, Macon: Macon school bond, others all defeated

Voters in Swain and Macon counties soundly defeated land-transfer tax ballot initiatives Tuesday, dashing hopes that the newly approved measures would provide a new revenue source.
Wednesday, 07 November 2007 00:00

Franklin takes steps to fix sewage woes

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Franklin town leaders are in the process of fixing some of the sewage spills throughout town, Franklin Town Manager Mike Decker said.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Tuckasegee quarry permit denied

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Tuckasegee community members are at ease now that the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources denied a quarry permit to Carolina Boulder and Stone.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Highlands prepares for mixed drinks, beer

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Restaurant patrons in Highlands will soon be able to sip on rum and coke while eating a steak or order a pitcher of beer while eating pizza now that citizens voted “yes” to an…
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Haywood TDA shakeup underway

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Legislation passed in the most recent session of the General Assembly calls for the restructuring of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority Board.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

Courthouse on track for bicentennial festivities

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The renovation of Haywood County’s historic courthouse is halfway complete, and things continue to move along smoothly — for the most part.
Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:00

New mayor embraces new face of Bryson City

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The election of Brad Walker, Bryson City’s new mayor, is more than just a changing of the guard — it’s representative of how the tiny Swain County town has transformed in recent years from…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Huge development planned for Haywood County: Developers say things are a go, although local residents and officials wonder

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer If all goes as planned, Haywood County will one day be home to a 4,500-acre mega-resort that could drastically change the face of tourism in Western North Carolina — and what it means to…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Macon looks for alternative funding for school projects

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Voters in Macon County rejected a $42.1 million bond that would have provided new funding to build new schools, leaving county officials no choice but to seek out alternative funding.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Drought devastates local farmers, businesses: With no relief in sight, those who depend on rain for their livelihood are increasingly desperate

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s been more than a week since Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue raised some eyebrows with his atypical approach to getting rain to fall in the drought-ravaged state. With no rainfall in site and the…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Cherokee asks for input into corridor planning

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Jackson County officials work to develop a plan to regulate commercial growth along U.S. 441, officials from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians say a partnership needs to be formed to ensure that…
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Horton returns to WNC as Macon county manager

By Jennifer Garlesky & Becky Johnson • Staff Writers An influential yet controversial figure in public policy is reclaiming a leadership post in the mountains three years after his forced departure as Haywood County’s manager.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Businessman’s past local projects failed to materialize

By Julia Merchant and Becky Johnson • Staff Writers One of the consultants involved in pulling off Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts — a 4,500 acre development supposedly coming to Haywood County — has raised some eyebrows in the community.
Wednesday, 21 November 2007 00:00

Allen ends bid for re-election

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva town board member Danny Allen conceded his race against fellow board member Ray Lewis on Monday, settling the tie between the two candidates following the Nov. 6 election.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Burrell, Setzer plug plan for Southern Loop

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Members of Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance are sifting through paperwork at the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 14 office in Webster to find out how the Southern Loop road project suddenly appeared…
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

WNC job outlook: Manufacturing out, entrepreneurship in

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Looking to start your own business? You should do well in Western North Carolina. Seeking a job in traditional manufacturing? Good luck, experts say — it won’t be easy to find.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Bear Care

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Kathy Sherrard and Anne Allison have dedicated their lives to educating the public about black bears.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Finding his calling: Dr. Carlos Vargas seeks to provide perpetual health to the uninsured of Macon County

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Imagine having the flu and sitting in a folding chair in a crowded waiting room for five hours just to see a doctor. For those with no health insurance this is probably the best…
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Macon likely to approve $40 million in school projects

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County commissioners spoke in favor of committing nearly $40 million to fund school construction at their meeting Nov. 26 but stopped short of taking any formal vote on the projects.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 00:00

Sarge’s scraps plans for Hall Top shelter

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Sarge’s Animal Rescue has scrapped its plans to build a no-kill animal shelter in a location that was fiercely opposed by nearby residents. The Haywood County non-profit originally won approval to build the shelter…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:27

Expanded therapy services now open at MedWest Outpatient Care Center

MedWest Health System has opened its expanded Orthopaedic Therapy Services and Occupational Therapy/Hand Therapy Services in the MedWest Outpatient Care Center in Clyde. Expanded services include general physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. Specialized services include orthopedic-sports rehabilitation, spine…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:26

MedWest-Haywood opens psychiatric evaluation area

MedWest-Haywood recently opened a psychiatric evaluation area in the hospital’s emergency department to reduce the time patients may spend waiting in examination rooms prior to being transferred to mental health facilities. Generous grant funding from The Evergreen Foundation, the Rural…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:26

WCU receives funding for economic development

Western Carolina University will receive a $642,960, five-year investment award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to continue operation of the EDA University Center for Rapid Product Realization, which works to accelerate job creation and retention among existing businesses and…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:25

HCC to open Student Business Center

Haywood Community College will partner with The Center for New and Expanding Business to open the HCC Student Business Center, which will provide rising or recent graduates with the opportunity to start a business in a supportive, rent-free environment. The…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:25

Business notes

MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain volunteers gave more than 28,000 hours of service this past year with collectively more than 150 years of service and were recognized for their efforts at a Volunteer Appreciation Celebration at MedWest-Harris. 828.586.7405 ••• The Animal House…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:23

HCC’s electric vehicle charging station part of a growing network

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent North Carolina is in the process of “paving” the electric vehicle highway and Western North Carolina is well on its way to being an important spoke in that wheel. Haywood Community College has the only…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:21

Maggie poised to loosen tight sweepstakes cap after all

Maggie Valley town leaders plan to relax the town’s strict limits on video sweepstakes machines despite the town planning board’s recommendation to maintain the status quo.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:19

Some say good riddance as sweepstakes machines pull out of Dillsboro

Business in Dillsboro has continued to slow during the past few years, to the point that even the cash cow of video sweepstakes parlors pulled out after a brief run. A couple of businesses have closed this year, including the…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:19

New MedWest center hosts open house

MedWest-Haywood is hosting an open house Thursday, Aug. 2 to celebrate the opening of its new Outpatient Care Center, which is helping better serve healthcare needs in Haywood County by housing multiple services and being conveniently located on the MedWest-Haywood…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:18

REACH fundraiser at Highlands home

REACH of Macon County will stage a fundraiser July 29 at the home of prominent Highlands and Houston interior designer Tony Raffa and his partner Scott Allbee. REACH provides counseling, shelter, and life-skills training for victims of domestic and sexual…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:18

Popular Grace Church Fair is July 28

The Annual Grace Church Parish Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 28 at the church grounds at 394 N. Haywood Street in Waynesville. Highlights of the fair include the ever-popular flea market as well…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:16

Early birds to line up for first grabs at Haywood book sale

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent Dave and Judy Russell pride themselves on being among the first in line at the annual book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library in Waynesville.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:14

Waynesville reclaims its gateway glory

A dedication ceremony for Waynesville’s latest art installation will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 27.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:14

Top female office holders to attend Democratic rally

Some of the top Democratic women office holders in the state will appear at a rally in Sylva at the historic courthouse on Saturday, Aug. 11. State Democratic women coming to the event include Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, State…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:13

Rug yanked out from Franklin ABC store move

Franklin’s plans to buy a new ABC storefront were dashed this week after the town was denied a bank loan. The town makes ample profits on its liquor store, with more than enough to cover the monthly mortgage payments of…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:06

Haywood commissioners ride herd on HCC for building cost overruns

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners and Haywood Community College continue to butt heads about the school’s new creative arts building, a year after the controversial project was approved.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:06

Annual school supply drive is Aug. 4

Haywood County’s annual School Supply Drive will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Walmart on Aug. 4. Donations of school supplies brought to Walmart that day will be distributed to needy students throughout Haywood County. Needed supplies include single…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:06

Free backpacks, fun offered at Vineival

The 6th-annual Vineival will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Vine of the Mountains Church building in Frog Level next to the Armory. Sponsored by Vine of the Mountains, the event features a wide variety…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 13:05

Reappointments made to SCC board

Two longtime Board of Trustee members at Southwestern Community College, Conrad Burrell and Paul Holt, were recently reappointed to their posts. Burrell has served on SCC’s board for 16 years, eight of those as chairman. He lives in Sylva. He…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 12:59

How Galloway’s guiding hand set the stage for Waynesville’s success

To some, it might seem like luck. But Waynesville’s rise as one of the state’s preeminent small towns has been anything but. The quality-of-life magnetism Waynesville has become known for during the past two decades is instead largely owed to…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 12:57

Sylva loses its corner on the college bar market

Despite rumors to the contrary, Sylva’s bars are not abandoning the town for the student-laden pastures of Cullowhee. Area residents have heard whispers that the Bone Shack and O’Malley’s Pub and Grill — two bars that count college students among…
Wednesday, 25 July 2012 12:54

Macon Bank under watchful eye of FDIC as it tries to rebound from real estate bust

Fallout from the real estate bubble in Western North Carolina has landed Macon Bank on the watch list of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a federal banking oversight arm. Macon Bank has been operating under the scrutiny of the FDIC…
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

With an influx of younger residents seeking small-town charm and affordable housing, Haywood’s mill town is poised for the beginning of a new chapter

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer When Wilbur Davis looked out his storefront in downtown Canton recently and saw three young moms pushing babies in strollers, he paused to watch. It’s not that women with babies are a particularly unusual…
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

With formulation of advisory committee, efforts to regulate growth along Hwy. 441 are well underway

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer At speeds faster than 50 mph, drivers zoom down U.S. 441 into Cherokee’s business district, passing mostly billboards, a couple of gas stations and a few small businesses. The two-mile stretch of roadway is…
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Haywood County Arts Council celebrates 30

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer When Paula McElroy is asked about the art scene in Haywood County when she moved here in 1966, she chuckles.
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Vandals strike Macon greenway

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Vandals have been wreaking havoc at Macon County Recreation Park and the Little Tennessee River Greenway by burning picnic tables, destroying park benches, and breaking into concession stands, according to county recreation leaders.
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Jackson may put an end to Wal-Mart dog mart

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County residents will have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the county’s revisions to its animal control ordinance at a public hearing on Dec. 17.
Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00

Grant should help Bridge Park get framed up in summer 2008

A foundation started by a deceased Cherokee County native has provided a large boost to Sylva’s Bridge Park Project.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007 00:00

Canary Coalition aims for the airwaves

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer A Sylva-based environmental organization may be sending its message out over the airwaves. For 60 days the Federal Communications Commission opened a window to allow organizations across the county to submit an application for…
Wednesday, 12 December 2007 00:00

Taylor makes it official: He’s not running

After months of keeping his fellow Western North Carolina Republicans guessing, former U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) has decided not to run for the seat he lost to Democratic rookie Heath Shuler in the 2006 elections. Taylor made the announcement…
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