One year later, Canton displays remarkable progress

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep. 

— Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” 

HCC Foundation Professional Crafts fundraiser

The Haywood Community College Foundation inaugural “Evening of Art” event to support the needs of HCC’s Professional Crafts program will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Sycamore building located on the main campus of HCC in Clyde. 

Legal Action sought for injuries in Haywood explosive fire safety drill

Conrad & Scherer, a litigation firm with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has filed a lawsuit against Fireblast Global, Inc., James R. Nelson, and Steve Sposato, on behalf of Demetrius Massey, who suffered serious injuries due to a massive explosion during a fire safety training exercise. 

Folded: chronicling the closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill

History will whisper through the mountain mists that once upon a time, Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill in Canton stood as a symbol of industry and economic prosperity for generations. But behind its towering façade, the specter of mismanagement and malfeasance eventually led to a botched closing announcement, a health care coverage crisis and more than a thousand workers helplessly watching their good-paying jobs evaporate like morning dew in the midday summer sun.

Shifting seasons: Hunters weigh in on proposed bear, deer rule changes

More than 100 people came to a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 11, at Haywood Community College in Clyde, that took input on what would be the first changes to black bear hunting season dates since the 1970s — and opinions were mixed.

Ringing out the Year of the Trail: A highlight reel of trail news in 2023

Declared to be the Year of the Trail more than a year before it even began, 2023 had a lot to live up to.

HCC’s first class of truck drivers looks down the road

Six months ago, the eight men gathered on the auditorium stage at Haywood Community College’s Regional High Technology Center were working at Pactiv Evergreen’s century-old paper mill in Canton, looking forward to long and financially rewarding careers there. 

HCC hosts hunter safety classes

Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences, and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a variety of hunter safety courses this fall.

School implements recycling program

A recent collaboration between Junaluska Elementary fifth graders, Haywood Community College students and Haywood County Solid Waste and Recycling will keep about 90,000 juice and milk cartons out of the county landfill each school year.

Smathers: ‘We will fight’ Pactiv’s tax break request

Officials on both the local and the state level have been adamant in demanding Pactiv Evergreen be held accountable for a number of unresolved issues since shortly after the company announced it would halt operations in Canton. But now, a week after the mill’s final whistle blew, they’re adopting a more forceful tone.

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