The mechanics behind the Lake J petition

Lake Junaluska residents spearheading the annexation effort realized they needed more and better ammunition to prove their case and sway holdouts in the General Assembly to let the community merge with next-door Waynesville.

Lake Junaluska petition could move the ball in Raleigh on merger

fr lakejThe large majority of Lake Junaluska property owners and registered voters want to join the town of Waynesville, according to a volunteer petition drive carried out over the last six months.

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 docket of the N.C. General Assembly in the spring.

Turning around community hospitals is what MedWest’s prospective buyer does best

coverWhen a “for sale” sign went up on the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties earlier this year, it was chalked up as inevitable, a sad but unavoidable trajectory faced by small, independent hospitals everywhere.

SEE ALSO: HRMC votes ‘yes’ to Duke LifePoint, outpouring of public support

At best, the safe harbor of a big hospital network would bring practical perks — be it regulatory expertise, doctor recruiting prowess, leverage haggling with insurance companies or buying power for medical supplies. 

No bailout for Lake Junaluska

fr lakejfeesLake Junaluska community leaders gave residents a first look at how its service fees will increase since its merger with Waynesville was thwarted, at least temporarily.

Lake Junaluska navigates choppy political waters

Ron Clauser never saw himself as a lobbyist. He’s an accountant by trade, a world where logic and rationale rule the day. The same could be said of Ed LaFountaine, a career military man and retired major general in the airforce.

Lake Junaluska merger bill off the table indefinitely

A state bill that would have merged Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville is dead for now.

With merger in limbo, Waynesville budget sent back to the drawing board

The Waynesville Board of Aldermen rubberstamped a $31.8 million budget Monday, but it may just have to turn right around and approve a new one.

Ballot referendum likely in Lake Junaluska merger with Waynesville

A compromise has been floated in Raleigh that could break the political impasse over the proposed merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville.

Lake Junaluska merger temporarily stymied by Raleigh politics

fr lakejThe merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville has yet to get the blessing of state legislators in Raleigh, and time is now running out.

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