News Headlines
Canton sex offender sentenced to 31 years
The U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina’s office announced that a Canton man, Michael Worley, 51, has been sentenced to over three decades in prison for traveling to Fort Mill, South Carolina, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor while being a registered sex offender.
Macon County to receive expanded high-speed internet
Efforts are continuing to bring high-speed internet access to communities across North Carolina.
Georgia meth trafficker sentenced to over 15 years in prison
Larry Edward Wood, 62, of Mount Airy, Georgia, was sentenced to 188 months in prison late last week for trafficking methamphetamine, including in Western North Carolina.
Balancing act: Robinson, Stein offer competing visions of the future in North Carolina
They couldn’t be more different. But it’s not about race, religion or party affiliation.
Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, and Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, a Republican, present strikingly different views not only on their priorities if elected governor but also on the 30,000-foot view of what North Carolina is and will be.
Highway marker, exhibit to honor victims of incarcerated labor
Two projects will come to fruition this month that honor the lives of those who were victims of incarcerated labor in Western North Carolina during the Jim Crow era — a highway marker in Dillsboro, and an exhibit at the Mountain Heritage Center in Cullowhee.
Sylva extends term limits on local boards
Sylva Town Council voted last week to extend term limits on local boards, allowing for the renewal of veteran members on the ABC board. “The only two boards we have that this affects is the ABC board and the planning board,” said Mayor Johnny Phillips.
WNC gets new public defender office
Western North Carolina courts were saddled with a sizable backlog of cases following the shutdowns related to the COVID pandemic, and while much of the overload has abated, especially in Haywood and Jackson counties, there have still been problems.
Macon still waiting on NCHSAA decision
Macon County Schools may have to wait until the end of the summer for a decision on the athletic division restructuring coming down the pipe from the North Carolina High School Association. In the meantime, the board continues to hear from Macon Early College families who want to remain a part of high school sports in the county.
Jackson County man sentenced on drug and gun charges
U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced John Allen Wise, 45, of Cashiers, to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.