Maggie Valley incumbents win; one newcomer joins board

Maggie Valley will retain two of its incumbents, including its mayor, for the next two years.
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New mayor, council members for Sylva

Unofficial votes are in, and Sylva voters have selected not only a new mayor, but two new council members as…
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Sewage plant claims heat up Waynesville election

Despite largely refusing to show up for forums or interviews, a slate of far-right candidates has tried multiple times to…
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New ‘innovation hub’ headquartered at WCU

Western Carolina University has been chosen as one of four universities leading an effort to bolster research innovation in North…
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Police shooting case could test limits of sovereign immunity

As police shooting victim Jason Harley Kloepfer’s sprawling federal lawsuit  makes its way through court, where he’s seeking millions of…
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Women’s History Trail takes steps to complete sculpture project

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 27 after completing a five-year grassroots…
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Jackson will grant Summit loan request

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners decided it intends to grant the loan request from Summit Charter School in the…
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Jackson County manager steps down

After more than seven years as county manager, Don Adams will leave the post by the end of the year. 
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Team Waynesville supporter appears to violate federal law

With early voting underway and municipal election races heating up, a supporter of the far-right nativist faction running for various…
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Cannabis funding decision expected soon

Cherokee issues first medical ID cards; tribe continues to work on product transport plan 
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Woman arrested after allegedly abducting her children in Haywood

A former Haywood Country resident who now lives in Virginia was arrested after she allegedly kidnapped three of her children…
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Trusting the numbers: Stats show drop in WNC crime, but can the figures be trusted?

There’s an old mantra in law enforcement: don’t take credit for the good times unless you’re willing to take equal…
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For Canton, challenges are opportunities

Despite all the important elections taking place in Western North Carolina this fall, there’s probably no other town with more…
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Honor flight brings hope, healing to veterans

For nearly two decades, a unique nonprofit with roots in Western North Carolina has helped to recognize veterans for their…
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Private school to open in Sylva

A new independent private school is set to open in Sylva by fall of 2025, with a focus on serving gifted…
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Huge grant for affordable housing coming to Haywood

Haywood County Commissioners got some great news Oct. 16 that will help the community ameliorate the effects of a red-hot…
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Whittier man charged with attempted kidnapping

A Whittier man could spend the rest of his life in prison after he allegedly threatened a woman at gunpoint in…
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Tribal Council approves first Constitution Convention delegates

Tribal Council has unanimously approved a resolution naming the first designated delegates to a planned Constitution Convention and expanding the…
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Rotary clubs collect food for children in need

Haywood County’s three Rotary Clubs collected non-perishable food on Sept. 30 at the Canton and Waynesville Ingles locations.
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Seven childcare centers to close in WNC
 

Seven childcare centers to close in WNC

A slew of childcare centers in the region will be closing by the end of the month, leaving the families of…
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Jackson County teams up to curb drunk driving
 

Jackson County teams up to curb drunk driving

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program identified the seven western counties as a pilot region to test new strategies to curb…
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Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation awards grants
 

Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation awards grants

The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling over $1.4 million in the 2023 grant cycle.
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Vaya partners with DSS to provide overview of child welfare system
 

Vaya partners with DSS to provide overview of child welfare system

Vaya Health unveiled the latest addition to its “Pathways to Permanency” program.
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Blackburn on Israel: ‘whatever they need’

Although she hails from Mississippi, Marsha Blackburn has become a powerful force in Tennessee politics over the past 25 years,…
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New NC electoral maps just more of the same for the west

Newly empowered General Assembly Republicans aren’t even trying to hide the fact that the congressional and legislative maps they drew…
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Clyde Street waterline work set to begin

The Town of Franklin has contracted with Buckeye Bridge, LLC to replace approximately 3,630 linear feet of waterline on Clyde…
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Maggie Valley candidates talk growth, leadership

With more contentious development on the horizon, residents of the small town of Maggie Valley have plenty to consider at…
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Home at last, Capt. Fred Hall is now at rest

The four of them lumbered along the logging road until finally reaching the old fox hunting cabin about a mile…
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Pivotal election in Waynesville this year

Voters in Waynesville are preparing for a contentious election that offers very different visions for the future of the town…
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Five compete for Highlands Commission

Highlands will have at least one new member on its Board of Commissioners after Election Day this November. 
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Jackson joins Foster Care Reinvestment program

Jackson County will soon join four other North Carolina counties taking part in a pilot program that aims to support…
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Summit Charter School asks county for loan

This year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that allows charter schools to request capital funding from their local…
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Former Tribal Council candidate seeks compensation for 2017 election outcome

A former Tribal Council candidate is seeking $800,000 from the tribe in compensation for “physical, mental and financial despair” allegedly inflicted…
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Incident at Shining Rock results in student injury

A disciplinary incident at Shining Rock Classical Academy last month resulted in a fractured wrist for one student. 
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WCU to honor individuals as part of Homecoming

Members of the Western Carolina University family will come together to recognize three prominent alumni for their career accomplishments and…
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HRMC announces Lunch and Learn for October

Join Haywood Regional Medical Center for a Lunch and Learn this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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I-40 lane closing for repair in Buncombe County
 

I-40 lane closing for repair in Buncombe County

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation began a project to repair the left lane of I-40 West between…
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Great Smokies Health Foundation Announces 2023 Grants
 

Great Smokies Health Foundation Announces 2023 Grants

The Board of Directors of the Great Smokies Health Foundation has awarded $539,235 to 24 organizations for a variety of…
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Jackson continues consolidation conversation

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing over the possible consolidation of the Department of Health and…
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Three seats up for Sylva Town Council

Three seats are up for election this November on the Sylva Town Council, and six candidates are competing for those…
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Hemmed in and busting out: The town of Clyde faces challenges alongside opportunity

Things are changing in Haywood County’s smallest incorporated municipality. Although there are only 754 registered voters in Clyde, the town…
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Hicks proposes loan to fund cannabis enterprise

In one of the first pieces of legislation of his new term, on Monday, Oct. 9, Principal Chief Michell Hicks…
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Documents reveal how Waynesville woman allegedly embezzled $1.6 million

A week after Amy Elizabeth Curry was charged in federal court with wire fraud and money laundering, search warrants reveal how…
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Reclaiming the name: Cherokee museum chooses new name, branding

When Shana Condill  stepped in as Cherokee’s new museum director, she expected questions about the museum’s name — and her…
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‘We never leave anybody behind:’ Vietnam veteran’s remains returned to Waynesville

For the first time in nearly 55 years, a Waynesville native and Air Force captain who didn’t return from his…
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Tickets available for forum with Pulitzer winning author

Macon County residents will not have to travel far to attend Pisgah Legal Services’ 13th Annual Justice Forum. A special…
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Waynesville resident receives statewide award

The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina has named Waynesville resident Kathleen “Merritt” Tongen of L.N. Davis Insurance Agency in…
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Medicaid expansion passes

More than half a million low-income, uninured North Carolinians will gain access to comprehensive health coverage when Medicaid expansion launches…
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Waynesville proclaims 'Fred Hall Week'

Days before the remains of Capt. Fred Hall are to be returned to Waynesville for burial after he went missing…
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Jackson continues consolidation conversation

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing over the possible consolidation of the Department of Health and…
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