New drought maps are released every Thursday at ncdrought.org. N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council map
 

Burn ban issued amid ongoing drought

A burn ban has been issued for 14 Western North Carolina counties in the face of expanding drought following the…
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The tiny — but important — town of Clyde is situated near the center of Haywood County.
 

Russell, Jesse prevail in Clyde

Incumbent Alderman Dann Jesse will return to the Town of Clyde Board of Aldermen, along with a new face, Amy…
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Weller joins Highlands Board of Commissioners
 

Weller joins Highlands Board of Commissioners

With unofficial results in, Highlands has elected one newcomer, Jeff Weller, to its Board of Commissioners.
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It's back to business for the Waynesville governing board.
 

Incumbents roll, ‘Team Waynesville’ falls flat

They ran a noisy campaign, filled with distortions, misinformation and outright fabrication, but in the end, that’s all it was…
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Voters rewarded incumbents in Canton.
 

Longtime Canton board members reelected

The Town of Canton’s governing board has been through a lot in the last four years — with the 2021…
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New mayor, council members for Sylva
 

New mayor, council members for Sylva

Unofficial votes are in, and Sylva voters have selected not only a new mayor, but two new council members as…
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In Maggie Valley, the incumbent candidates won, and there will be one newcomer.
 

Maggie Valley incumbents win; one newcomer joins board

Maggie Valley will retain two of its incumbents, including its mayor, for the next two years.
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Smoke fills the valleys surrounding the Collett Ridge Fire. USFS photo
 

Wildfires burn across region

The Collett Ridge Fire south of Andrews swelled over the weekend, growing from 110 acres Nov. 3 to 2,919 acres…
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New drought maps are released every Thursday at ncdrought.org. N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council map
 

Burn ban issued amid ongoing drought

A burn ban has been issued for 14 Western North Carolina counties in the face of expanding drought following the…
Read More

Comment

Jason Harley Kloepfer’s case is being handed by the U.S. District Court in Asheville. . Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress photo
 

Police shooting case could test limits of sovereign immunity

As police shooting victim Jason Harley Kloepfer’s sprawling federal lawsuit  makes its way through court, where he’s seeking millions of…
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The FHAMC/WHT Leadership Team and Town of Franklin representatives, held a groundbreaking event on Oct. 27 to officially mark the beginning of installation work at the sculpture site located near the bridges on Franklin’s East Main Street. Donated photo
 

Women’s History Trail takes steps to complete sculpture project

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 27 after completing a five-year grassroots…
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WCU currently enrolls 11,628 students.  Allen Newland/A Shot Above photo
 

New ‘innovation hub’ headquartered at WCU

Western Carolina University has been chosen as one of four universities leading an effort to bolster research innovation in North…
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The Historic Jackson County Courthouse. File photo
 

Jackson will grant Summit loan request

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners decided it intends to grant the loan request from Summit Charter School in the…
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Don Adams. File photo
 

Jackson County manager steps down

After more than seven years as county manager, Don Adams will leave the post by the end of the year. 
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Chestnut Mountain’s trail hub offers a variety of options. Holly Kays photo
 

To the top: Trail network matures at Canton's Chestnut Mountain

In a sunny clearing 350 feet above U.S. 23, the choose-your-own-adventure portion of Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park  begins. 
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Visitors crowd the viewing area at Laurel Falls. NPS photo
 

Laurel Falls closure planned for construction of trail, improvements

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moving ahead with significant changes to the Laurel Falls Trail intended to improve…
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Franklin brownfield cleanup gets grant funding
 

Franklin brownfield cleanup gets grant funding

Mainspring Conservation Trust has received $175,000 to clean up and restore a brownfield site near Nikwasi Mound in Franklin. The…
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Prescribed burns planned in Cherokee National Forest
 

Prescribed burns planned in Cherokee National Forest

Residents in the furthest west counties may see smoke over the coming months as the Cherokee National Forest carries out…
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Members of Waynesville’s Town Council discuss issues during a recent retreat.
 

Sewage plant claims heat up Waynesville election

Despite largely refusing to show up for forums or interviews, a slate of far-right candidates has tried multiple times to…
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Craggy Gardens
 

Parkway section closed after visitors feed young bear

Eight miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craggy Gardens is closed after multiple visitors were reported feeding and attempting…
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Sherry Morgan distributes campaign literature at the Waynesville Post office on the afternoon of Oct. 27
 

Team Waynesville supporter appears to violate federal law

With early voting underway and municipal election races heating up, a supporter of the far-right nativist faction running for various…
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Tendrils of smoke rise through trees on Collett Ridge. USFS photo
 

Wildfire burns near Andrews

A fire ignited by lightning Oct. 23 near Andrews has grown to 90 acres with 0% containment due to rugged…
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Woman arrested after allegedly abducting her children in Haywood
 

Woman arrested after allegedly abducting her children in Haywood

A former Haywood Country resident who now lives in Virginia was arrested after she allegedly kidnapped three of her children…
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Severe drought arrives in the mountains
 

Severe drought arrives in the mountains

Much of the western region is now in drought, with severe drought entering the state for the first time since…
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Haywood County saw a massive drop in crime of over 38% between 2021 and 2022.  File photo
 

Trusting the numbers: Stats show drop in WNC crime, but can the figures be trusted?

There’s an old mantra in law enforcement: don’t take credit for the good times unless you’re willing to take equal…
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Canton will soon hold its first municipal election ever without the iconic paper mill in operation. Max Cooper photo
 

For Canton, challenges are opportunities

Despite all the important elections taking place in Western North Carolina this fall, there’s probably no other town with more…
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Julia Hall Coffey, widow of recently identified MIA Capt. Fred Hall, locates his name on the Vietnam Veterans memorial for the very first time.  Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Honor flight brings hope, healing to veterans

For nearly two decades, a unique nonprofit with roots in Western North Carolina has helped to recognize veterans for their…
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Journeys School for the Gifted and Talented, located on Skyland Drive,  is set to open in the Fall of 2025. Journeys photo
 

Private school to open in Sylva

A new independent private school is set to open in Sylva by fall of 2025, with a focus on serving gifted…
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Huge grant for affordable housing coming to Haywood
 

Huge grant for affordable housing coming to Haywood

Haywood County Commissioners got some great news Oct. 16 that will help the community ameliorate the effects of a red-hot…
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Whittier man charged with attempted kidnapping
 

Whittier man charged with attempted kidnapping

A Whittier man could spend the rest of his life in prison after he allegedly threatened a woman at gunpoint in…
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Tribal Council approves first Constitution Convention delegates
 

Tribal Council approves first Constitution Convention delegates

Tribal Council has unanimously approved a resolution naming the first designated delegates to a planned Constitution Convention and expanding the…
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Members of the three rotary clubs in Haywood County partnered with Ingles and Haywood Schools Foundation to collect nonperishable goods for food-insecure children. Donated photo
 

Rotary clubs collect food for children in need

Haywood County’s three Rotary Clubs collected non-perishable food on Sept. 30 at the Canton and Waynesville Ingles locations.
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Seven childcare centers to close in WNC
 

Seven childcare centers to close in WNC

A slew of childcare centers in the region will be closing by the end of the month, leaving the families of…
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Jackson County teams up to curb drunk driving
 

Jackson County teams up to curb drunk driving

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program identified the seven western counties as a pilot region to test new strategies to curb…
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Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation awards grants
 

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation awards grants

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling over $1.4 million in the 2023 grant cycle.
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Vaya partners with DSS to provide overview of child welfare system
 

Vaya partners with DSS to provide overview of child welfare system

Vaya Health unveiled the latest addition to its “Pathways to Permanency” program.
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Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers leads  University of North Carolina Chapel Hill faculty and administrators on a tour of Canton Oct. 19.  Holly Kays photo
 

Research to test for contamination near Canton mill property

A research project aiming to understand contamination levels outside the fence line of the now-shuttered Canton paper mill is likely to…
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The Foothills Parkway is one of the most-used areas of the park. Joye Ardyn Durham photo
 

Smokies proposes new Foothills Parkway section

Through Nov. 18, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is accepting comments on a proposal to add 9 new miles…
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Mount Pisgah  viewing platform.  Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation photo
 

Mount Pisgah platform under construction

Crews are now working to reconstruct the viewing platform atop Mount Pisgah in the Pisgah National Forest, a project that…
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Hikers walk the  Waynesville Watershed. HWA photo
 

Visit the Waynesville Watershed

A 4-mile hike exploring the Waynesville Watershed will embark at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7.
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Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn speaks at a fundraiser in Henderson County on Saturday, Oct. 21.
 

Blackburn on Israel: ‘whatever they need’

Although she hails from Mississippi, Marsha Blackburn has become a powerful force in Tennessee politics over the past 25 years,…
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Panther Top Tower stands sentinel against a golden sunset. U.S. Forest Service photo
 

Panther Top Tower open for fall leaf views

The Panther Top Tower in the Nantahala National Forest near Murphy will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct.…
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Explore Haywood
 

Explore Haywood

Spend November exploring some of the region’s most beautiful hikes with a slate of excursions offered through Haywood County Recreation…
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Hike among hemlocks
 

Hike among hemlocks

Experience the hemlock trees growing at the historic Cradle of Forestry in America during a hike starting at 10 a.m.…
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Join Blue Ridge Rising
 

Join Blue Ridge Rising

Help shape a strategic action plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor during the Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit Dec.…
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French Broad River gets the spotlight
 

French Broad River gets the spotlight

Learn about the historic threats facing the French Broad River and an ongoing effort to secure the designation of Wild…
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One of two proposed congressional maps will probably be enacted by the General Assembly next week.
 

New NC electoral maps just more of the same for the west

Newly empowered General Assembly Republicans aren’t even trying to hide the fact that the congressional and legislative maps they drew…
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Clyde Street waterline work set to begin
 

Clyde Street waterline work set to begin

The Town of Franklin has contracted with Buckeye Bridge, LLC to replace approximately 3,630 linear feet of waterline on Clyde…
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Development pressures in Waynesville are a cause of concern for some. Allen Newland photo
 

Pivotal election in Waynesville this year

Voters in Waynesville are preparing for a contentious election that offers very different visions for the future of the town…
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Maggie Valley candidates talk growth, leadership
 

Maggie Valley candidates talk growth, leadership

With more contentious development on the horizon, residents of the small town of Maggie Valley have plenty to consider at…
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