‘NC-11 People’s Forum’ Saturday at A-B Tech

William R. Robinson, a columnist for Newsmax, will moderate a Primary Election debate be-tween 11th Congressional District Republican candidates Christian…
Read More

Comment

 

Coming down the pipe: EPA mandate could soak local utility customers

A recent update to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule directs nearly all of the nation’s water systems…
Read More

Comment

 

WCU sees record-high interest from female job applicants

Diversity within the Western Carolina University workforce has been inching up, with the latest report showing that the last year’s…
Read More

Comment

 

SCC teams up with Franklin High School to train new EMTs

At a time when emergency services agencies across the country are facing a dire staffing shortage, here in Western North…
Read More

Comment

 

Swain secures funding for library expansion

Marianna Black Library is set for a major expansion and renovation thanks to funding from several parties, including a large…
Read More

Comment

 

Elder abuse criminal law strengthened in Cherokee

In a unanimous vote, the Cherokee Tribal Council has approved an ordinance change aimed at protecting victims of elder abuse…
Read More

Comment

 

New head coach for Pisgah football

In a rare split vote, the Haywood County School Board approved the hiring of a new head football coach for…
Read More

Comment

 

Haywood County Schools recognizes academic success

After the last school year, Haywood County Schools held onto its seventh-place ranking in the state, out of 115 school…
Read More

Comment

 

Macon firefighters battle multiple blazes in one day

Fire crews responded to three structure fires in Macon County over a 24-hour period. 
Read More

Comment

 

Ice Festival coming this weekend

Get ready to chill out at the NC Smokies Ice Festival on January 26-28 at locations throughout the county. 
Read More

Comment

 

NCDOT Provides Free Bicycle Helmets

Applications are open to receive free bicycle helmets from the N.C. Department of Transportation. 
Read More

Comment

 

Public input wanted for Bryson Park upgrades

With Allen Street now operational, the Town of Sylva is set to begin work on renovations to Bryson Park. But…
Read More

Comment

 

Edwards, Reagan trade jabs in N.C.-11 Primary Election debate

A Republican congressional primary debate hosted by the Clay County Republican Party on Jan. 13 revealed clear differences between the two…
Read More

Comment

 

Sylva considers panhandling ordinance, again

With three new members seated following November elections, the Sylva Town Council is once again considering an update to the…
Read More

Comment

 

Cherokee cannabis business shows forward movement

After months of stalemate, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians appears ready to advance its cannabis enterprise.
Read More

Comment

 

‘Devil’s in the details:' Jackson to make adjustments to FRL proposal

Jackson County will make some adjustments to Macon County’s proposed changes to the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement after the board…
Read More

Comment

 

Rezoning hearing prompts larger questions about Russ Avenue

Waynesville has amended its comprehensive plan and rezoned a portion of a parcel on the east side of Russ Avenue,…
Read More

Comment

 

East Street study tabled in Waynesville

For some time now, Waynesville’s East Street has been a bit of a goldilocks problem for the town — too…
Read More

Comment

North Carolina’s most vulnerable children need your help
 

North Carolina’s most vulnerable children need your help

Neglected or abused children who become involved with the state’s courts or social services agencies often find themselves with nowhere…
Read More

Comment

 

Federal funding cuts endanger domestic violence survivors

The effects of reduced federal funding on nonprofits that assist survivors of domestic violence continue to reverberate across the region,…
Read More

Comment

 

SBI Human Trafficking Unit receives Buffett grant

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) announced that its Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) has been awarded a $9.6…
Read More

Comment

 

Storm repairs close U.S. 64 in Cullasaja Gorge

U.S. 64 between Buck Creek Road and Brush Creek Road will remain closed for more than two weeks while a…
Read More

Comment

 

Cherokee approves application for Clingmans Dome name change

Tribal Council members stood to show their unanimous support Thursday, Jan. 4, for a resolution they hope will result in…
Read More

Comment

 

Canton's post-mill budget will be about results

The Town of Canton has been through some difficult budget discussions in the past, but this year’s effort, the first…
Read More

Comment

 

An unforeseen journey: How J.J. Singleton’s cancer battle instilled a new sense of purpose

Challenges and trauma impact people in different ways. For Haywood County native J.J. Singleton, who has battled cancer for about…
Read More

Comment

 

Landfill pond overflow, failed water quality test prompt new violations at Canton mill

While mountain residents were busy preparing for Christmas, the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in Canton that until May 2023 employed…
Read More

Comment

 

Franklin approves social district

The Town of Franklin will be the latest municipality in North Carolina to implement a social district after the town…
Read More

Comment

 

License plate recognition cameras coming to Jackson

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is poised to deploy several cameras around the county with automatic license plate readers in…
Read More

Comment

 

Finance award casts further doubt on corruption claims in Haywood

Haywood County’s Finance Department has a long history of stellar performance, but a national award for excellence in financial reporting…
Read More

Comment

 

MLK celebration at WCU

Western Carolina University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will begin Monday, Jan. 15, with its annual Unity March. 
Read More

Comment

 

Tribal Council disciplines former cannabis board member

A former Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians official and cannabis board member accused of soliciting favors  from a contractor that was…
Read More

Comment

 

Haywood nurses completes five-week intensive course

Sarah Banks, Emily Jenkins, Kelly Martin-Hicks, Abigail Clark, Heather Koonce and Sarah Keener at Haywood County Health and Human Services…
Read More

Comment

 

Registration trends show deepening dissatisfaction with major parties

As North Carolina prepares for federal, state and local elections in 2024, emerging trends in partisan registration that began in…
Read More

Comment

 

Some minority voters gain ground, others don’t

It’s no secret that North Carolina is growing, but as its population grows, the composition of its electorate is changing…
Read More

Comment

 

Leading N.C. attorney general candidates speak out on Canton mill issues

Two congressmen, both hoping to become North Carolina’s next attorney general, with be faced with a host of official duties…
Read More

Comment

 

Engineering and athletics team up with Penn State on head impact research at WCU

Clayton Bardall, a graduate student in Western Carolina University’s Engineering Technology program and tight end for WCU’s football team, recently…
Read More

Comment

 

Conviction overturned in cyberattack case

The Cherokee Supreme Court has vacated the conviction of a man who was prosecuted for his alleged role in a…
Read More

Comment

 

Athletics upgrades on the way at WCU: University to ask legislature for help with $130 million to-do list

Western Carolina University is gearing up to take its first bite out of an estimated $130 million in needed upgrades…
Read More

Comment

 

Consider becoming a Big Brother

January is National Mentoring Month, a great start to 2024 and an opportunity to give a young person a great…
Read More

Comment

 

Deitz leaves behind a legacy in WNC

Boyce Deitz’s influence on Swain County athletics was rich and storied, but the program to which he dedicated two decades…
Read More

Comment

 

Mountain Projects helps local family during increasingly common struggle

Donna Milsaps, of Jackson County, has encountered struggles that are hard to comprehend for some, but all too familiar for…
Read More

Comment

 

Motley named CFO of Haywood Regional Medical Center

Haywood Regional Medical Center has named Amanda Pruitt Motley as its new chief financial officer, effective Jan. 8, 2024. With…
Read More

Comment

 

A courageous tale comes to an end: Baby with rare genetic disorder passes away close to Christmas

Most people don’t contribute to the world over a lifetime what Charlotte Joy Norris did in just two short years.…
Read More

Comment

 

Swain Genealogical and Historical Society to explore Chambers family history

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, in Bryson City, Frank March and Henry Chambers will present “The Lamon Chambers Map”…
Read More

Comment

 

Jackson to move school board race to November

The race for Board of Education in Jackson County is one step closer to being moved to November elections after…
Read More

Comment

 

New Parks and Rec Director for Jackson

There is a new director at the head of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, after commissioners made their…
Read More

Comment

 

2023 A Look Back: Grinch Award

The Grinch who Stole Christmas and Pactiv Evergreen have a lot more in common than just a shared color scheme…
Read More

Comment

 

2023 A Look Back: Not on my Watch Award

Newly elected Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke stepped into some big shoes following the retirement of longtime Sheriff Greg Christopher,…
Read More

Comment

 

2023 A Look Back: Homer Simpson Award

We can’t say for certain whether Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith backed into a literal bush as the events of…
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.