As Sylva attempts to move forward with grant application, some question value of public art

The choice by Jackson County Commissioners not to move forward with a municipal grant application from the Town of Sylva…
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Sylva Mayor Lynda Sossamon resigns

After more than 16 years of service to the Town of Sylva, Mayor Lynda Sossamon has notified town staff of…
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Local writer hosts workshop for new writers at Cashiers Library
 

Local writer hosts workshop for new writers at Cashiers Library

Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library is proud to present a new workshop series for aspiring writers. Beginning Feb. 2, the Winter…
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Haywood’s capital projects prompt report from financial advisor

With long-term debt rolling off the books and a number of high-dollar, high-profile projects on the horizon, Haywood County commissioners…
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Emergency watershed protection coming to East Fork

Asheville-based McGill Associates will begin work to provide emergency watershed protection in areas affected by Tropical Storm Fred after Haywood…
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WCU can now enroll more out-of-state students

Western Carolina University can now draw up to one-quarter of its first-year undergraduates from out of state, following a Jan.…
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Tribal Council focuses on cannabis enterprise

As the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians prepares to launch its medical marijuana program, cannabis was the main topic of…
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Town seeks JCTDA funding for Bridge Park project

Without additional funding from the Rural Transformation Grant offered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Town of Sylva…
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Webster Park project approved

Webster Park is slated for a host of upgrades and new construction, including a pavilion, after Jackson County Commissioners approved…
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More misinformation at Haywood commission meeting

It may be a new year with a new county commission, but anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists are still offering the same…
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Mountain Projects Waynesville resale store sees early success

In the two months since the Mountain Projects resale store opened in Waynesville, it’s already seen serious success in both…
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Complaints mount against internet provider Zito Media

The front door of the office for Zito Media in Haywood County has a piece of paper taped to the…
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911 call from Lambert Wilson’s death released

Swain County Emergency Management today released audio from a 911 call that sheds light on the circumstances leading up to…
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Ramey makes false statements regarding delinquent tax issues

Republican Haywood County Commissioner Terry Ramey attempted to quell the uproar over his decade-old delinquent tax bills last week, but…
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Pinning ceremony honors Human Services grads

To help address the mental health crisis facing the nation and this region, four Southwestern Community College students recently completed…
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Marked absent: From kindergarten through college, men struggle in school

Even as an elementary school kid, Chris Cable hated school. It felt pointless, and so boring that he struggled to…
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Scammers claiming to be with DOT sending emails with payment link
 

Scammers claiming to be with DOT sending emails with payment link

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles routinely receives complaints from customers who have been targeted by scammers claiming to be…
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Highlands 
Middle School renovations incoming

Whether it is routine maintenance, renovation, expansion or new construction, Macon County Schools has a long list of needed capital…
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Taylor pleads guilty, judge commends him on alcohol recovery

Bill Taylor, a former chairman and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council, pleaded guilty Monday, Jan.…
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Western legislators weigh in on upcoming General Assembly session

North Carolina’s General Assembly convened last Wednesday, beginning a new session with new dynamics that will come into play as…
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Corbin, Gillespie tapped for important leadership positions

Western North Carolina voters — and legislators — often complain about the feeling of being ignored by Raleigh, but as…
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Design alteration may come to Waynesville’s South Main Street

An awkward Hazelwood intersection could be scrapped ahead of planned North Carolina Department of Transportation improvements to South Main Street,…
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Property values on the rise in Macon

Macon County is undergoing a tax reappraisal this year, and while the numbers are jarring, they won’t be a surprise…
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Affordable housing crisis crops up in Waynesville parcel deal

A Waynesville resident who wants to buy a parcel from the town may or may not get their way after alderman…
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Haywood commissioners issue joint statement on Ramey

Republican Commissioner Terry Ramey should pay his taxes and stop threatening the media for reporting on the issue, according to…
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Now Hiring: Tuscola begins search for new football coach

In recent months Haywood County has been shaken by the suspension and eventual resignation of physical education teacher and head…
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Jackson County hits brakes on Sylva’s municipal grant request

Each year, the Jackson County Commission offers the Municipal Grant Program in which municipalities can apply for grants of up…
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Searching for a seeker: The fearless life and tragic disappearance of Melissa McDevitt

Flitting about her apartment on Vancouver Island, Melissa McDevitt had already packed her bag in preparation for the long journey…
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Appointments available for ACA health insurance
 

Appointments available for ACA health insurance

Enrollment for 2023 health insurance through the ACA Marketplace ends Jan. 15. Folks who sign up now can have quality, affordable…
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Dust complaints continue in Canton; Evergreen works to identify source

For more than a year, Canton residents have complained about a gritty white dust from the Evergreen Packaging paper mill…
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Jackson considers municipal grant applications

Jackson County is considering the latest round of municipal grant applications that arrived on commissioners desks this week. Among applications…
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Wolfetown rep faces assault charges

Wolfetown Rep. Bo Crowe spent the weekend in jail following his arrest Saturday, Jan. 7, for an alleged assault that left…
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Moody takes plea deal in phony writs case

It took more than four months, 62 federal counts and a lengthy period of pretrial detention in Buncombe County, but…
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Downtown Waynesville Commission looks forward to big year, bigger footprint

After the implosion of the 36-year-old Downtown Waynesville Association back in 2021, much of the progress made by its successor organization…
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Macon commission asks MCS to prioritize hefty capital outlay requests

Following direction from the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Macon County Board of Education met last week to prioritize…
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Tribe to conduct census

For the first time in 22 years, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will conduct a census of its tribal…
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Health Foundation awards grant to Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation (HCHF) has awarded a grant to Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau to fund a…
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Bringing hope: In Ukraine, American nonprofits stave off humanitarian catastrophe

Since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine millions of people have left the war-torn country, with millions more driven from…
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Bringing help: Western North Carolina’s connection to the war in Ukraine

Leaning against a wall in the basement of the train station right about midnight, they were cold and tired and…
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New boards could mean new 
plans for Franklin High School

When Macon County Commissioners authorized LS3P Architectural Design Services to submit plans for the new Franklin High School to local…
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Tuscola football coach, principal suspended in close succession

Both Tuscola Principal Heather Blackmon and head football coach Chris Brookshire have been suspended from their positions at the school…
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Brookshire resigns following allegations of sexual harassment

After multiple allegations of sexual harassment were made against him, Physical Education Teacher and Head Football Coach Chris Brookshire has…
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Canton water service will be restored soon

Subzero temperatures over the Christmas holiday wreaked havoc with municipal water systems across the region, leaving many customers without service.…
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2022: A Look Back

The year 2022 was no 2020. But hey, that’s a good thing. In some ways the year seems less exciting…
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Fake News Freakout! Episode 7

Lately I’ve been reading a book that came highly recommended and not a moment too soon, despite it being published…
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Two months after Lambert Wilson’s death, officials remain silent

Update: Shortly after press time Dec. 20, the Jackson County Clerk of Court released an order sealing the 911 records…
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After 33 years, Steven Lloyd steps down from HART

In the depths of the Fangmeyer Theatre, on the property of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART), just down the…
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Fire destroys Kituwah LLC building

Update: According to Interim Fire Chief Thomas Simmons, the fire's cause has been deterimined to be accidental, due to an…
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Stamper, Oocumma win Tribal Council seats

In the Dec. 15 special election filling two vacant Tribal Council seats, Cherokee voters favored candidates with careers in business…
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SCC and Mars Hill University partner on degree path

Graduates of Southwestern Community College who want to take the next step in their education by earning a bachelor’s degree…
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