Brewery trademark battle may have bittersweet ending
Two breweries that nearly found themselves pitted against each other in a trademark lawsuit may soon make amends in the…
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Haywood wants to hike tourist tax to fund ballparks
Haywood County tourism leaders want to increase the tax on overnight lodging to fund special tourism-related capital projects, including a…
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Two Waynesville sweepstake parlors charged as industry guns for a court fight
A Waynesville sweepstakes operator was charged with a criminal misdemeanor last weekend when she refused to shut down her machines,…
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WCU hastens Millennial build-out
In an effort to speed development of its Millennial Campus, Western Carolina University plans to lease the 344-acre tract to…
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The end of the road? Park Service recommends cash instead of road
The National Park Service has finally chosen sides in the long-standing debate over whether to build a 30-mile road through…
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Cherokee dedicates first section of downtown greenway
A long-range plan to make Cherokee a friendlier place to walk, visit and shop moved forward last week with the…
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Library, senior complex win budget approval
Jackson County commissioners whittled down three construction projects on their wish list to two last week.
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Merger input sought in countdown to decision
Waynesville residents will get their first chance to weigh in on the possibility of adding Lake Junaluska to the town…
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Haywood Democrats won’t consider Republican for sheriff replacement
One of three candidates vying to be Haywood County’s next sheriff was eliminated from the competition in a preliminary round…
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Angel Medical eyes adjacent town property for memorial garden
Whether it’s a new dad catching a breather after his wife’s marathon labor or a grief-stricken daughter who just watched…
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Tourism branding to create slogan for Jackson County
The newly formed Jackson County Tourism Development Authority voted last week to enter into a $50,000 contract with a nationally…
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Batter up: Macon weighs costs and benefits of proposed recreation complex
A Macon County commissioner, who prides himself on fiscal conservatism, has been staking out his positions lately. After questioning the…
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Blue Ridge Heritage signage to make its debut
Ten years after the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area won federal designation, themed signs tying together 65 attractions throughout the…
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More money allocated to help the hungry in Jackson
Increased demand for Meals on Wheels services and daily meals for low-income seniors in Jackson County have led to a…
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Mom-owned business takes monogramming to a new level
Customers have asked Katie Seymour to monogram just about everything — from the typical towels or cloth purses to the…
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Jackson County asks towns to dissolve economic development commission
Before a crowded room of town officials this week, Jackson County Commissioner Jack Debnam announced, in so many words, what…
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State torn on driver’s licenses for children of illegal immigrants
It’s a right of passage for teens, the Holy Grail of high school, an iconic symbol of young adulthood freedom…
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Roughest, Toughest Brawl takes the ring in Haywood
Amateur boxers will square off at the Haywood County Fairgrounds to vie in the Roughest and Toughest Brawl this weekend,…
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Paddlers hit the river in wake of torrential downpours
The recurring deluge of heavy rains has brought paddlers out of hibernation and onto Western North Carolina rivers over the…
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Gripped by history: A one-woman mission to trace Waynesville’s early roots takes on a life of its own
Lately, it seems Ann Melton was born in the wrong century. During the past two years, Melton has spent more…
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Quaint new lampposts now grace Frog Level sidewalks
Nightlife in Waynesville’s downtown Frog Level district is brighter thanks to the addition of new lampposts along its two main…
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Cherokee bear zoo fined and suspended over violations
Federal regulators temporarily suspended operations at Cherokee bear zoo and fined its owners $5,000 for repeated animal welfare violations.
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Cherokee leaders make their case for a indoor adventure park
A $93 million family adventure park in Cherokee would likely turn a profit during its first year of operation, according…
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HCC plans Entrepreneurship Week activities
Haywood Community College will celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week Feb. 16-23 with a week-long schedule of events. The events will allow…
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Sylva teacher wins statewide teaching award
Deanne Oppermann, a chemistry instructor at Southwestern Community College in Sylva, is the recipient of the R.J. Reynolds Excellence in…
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Haywood Public Transit on the move
Haywood Public Transit will hold a ribbon cutting for a new transit shelter at 1 p.m. Feb. 12, in Clyde.…
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The public weighs in Jackson residents speak out on proposed development regulations
A procession of impassioned speakers pleaded with Jackson County commissioners to slow the rapid pace of development on mountainsides during…
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Audit finds vacation rentals dodging the lodging tax
A company hired by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has found a dozen businesses that have been evading a…
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Can the digital age save the Cherokee language? The halls of Facebook, Google and texting
Susan Gathers was kicked back in the student union one afternoon, her thumbs poised over her smart phone, simultaneously bantering…
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Descendents rekindle Civil War tale of sheriff shot 150 years ago
The death of Haywood County Sheriff John Phillip Noland — a murder story set against the backdrop of the American Civil…
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Time to fish or cut bait in Canton swimming pool dilemma
The decrepit state of Canton’s aging outdoor swimming pool has left town leaders with two options — bulldoze it and build…
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Macon leaders ponder new method for parceling up commissioner voting districts
Macon County commissioners are analyzing the geographic system of electing county leaders after two commissioners from outlying communities questioned whether…
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Upcoming improvement projects on I-40
Tunnel projects to delay work on I-40 The N.C. Department of Transportation will perform work on three tunnels in the…
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Medical foundation appoints new chairman
The Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees recently appointed Laura Leatherwood as the new chairman of the board.…
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Hope on the horizon: Hung up by park service, Swain’s cash settlement has been in limbo
A long overdue $4 million payment may finally make its way to Swain County after languishing for the past year…
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The biggest little show in Haywood
Editor’s Note: Given the national debate over gun legislation and controversy swirling around gun shows in particular, The Smoky Mountain…
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Wait for it…a tourism tagline coming soon for Jackson County
The newly formed Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is taking on the task of “branding,” an important first step for…
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Smokies landslide could deal crushing blow to tourism if road repairs drag on
A rain-induced landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park left a gaping hole in U.S. 441, but its impact…
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Macon ponders raises and salary realignments for county workers
Proposed pay raises for county workers in Macon has prompted skepticism from at least two of the five county commissioners,…
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Lake Junaluska winnows options as merger window narrows
Lake Junaluskans got their first glimpse this weekend at what it would take for the community to become its own…
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Is Cashiers ABC store a sure bet? Sylva weighs whether to cast its lot with county’s new liquor store endeavors
As Jackson County officials craft plans to open a liquor store in Cashiers, possibly as soon this summer, they must…
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County likely to take over reins of new Jackson economic commission
Although Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission has not met in several years, all its board members’ terms have expired and…
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Haywood TDA introduces site tailored to lodging owners
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has launched a new website with information specifically for lodging owners.
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Muddy waters: WNC feels the blues following unrelenting rainstorms
A four-day stretch of heavy rains fell on Western North Carolina, leaving residents wondering if it would ever end. Some…
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Theories swirl around perplexing mountain lights
Ghosts, spirits, swamp gas, gnomes and car headlights — there’s no shortage of hyphotheses behind the mysterious phenomenon along the…
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WCU casts wide net to reel back freshmen dropouts
With more than 15,000 applications for just 1,500 freshman spots last year, Western Carolina University has no difficulty attracting students.…
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Jackson commissioners hold final say on looser steep slope rules
A rewrite of Jackson County’s development regulations are well underway by the Jackson County Planning Board. It will be several…
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New concert venue in the making for Maggie Valley
Carolina Nights, a closed-down dinner theater in Maggie Valley, could make a comeback as an entertainment venue under new owners.…
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Contenders line up to be next Haywood Sheriff
Three men, all with impressive law enforcement backgrounds, are vying to be Haywood County’s next sheriff. The current Sheriff, Bobby…
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Farewell, Mayor Phyllis Waynesville’s longtime town clerk retires
The longest-serving town clerk in Waynesville’s written history will retire next week, taking with her a vast store of institutional…
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