SCC recognized for performance
 

SCC recognized for performance

Southwestern Community College was one of only 11 colleges to earn an exceptional rating in the annual performance measures report…
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Martial arts master leads small-town team to unlikely victory on the mat
 

Martial arts master leads small-town team to unlikely victory on the mat

Armando Basulto had his opponent’s arm sandwiched between his legs. He leaned forward, putting pressure on the man’s shoulder. The…
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Sediment foils irrigation systems at worst possible time
 

Sediment foils irrigation systems at worst possible time

For farmers who rely on the Tuckasegee River to irrigate their crops, a brutal summer heat wave and dry spell…
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Evergreen holds assets too tightly, officials say
 

Evergreen holds assets too tightly, officials say

Board members of Smoky Mountain Center, a state mental health agency for the 15 western counties, have questioned whether its…
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Smoky Mountain, Evergreen lock horns over foundation assets
 

Smoky Mountain, Evergreen lock horns over foundation assets

A state mental health agency and its sister nonprofit are locked in a debate over whether the nonprofit should continue…
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Growth of dog bakeries tempt owners to indulge their canine companions
 

Growth of dog bakeries tempt owners to indulge their canine companions

At the end of a rough week, your dog might consider stopping in at Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery in Dillsboro…
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HRMC uses garden therapy
 

HRMC uses garden therapy

The engineering, grounds and Behavioral Health Unit at Haywood Regional Medical worked together to brighten the hospital community by planting…
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Builders fear slope rules aimed at safety could drive up costs
 

Builders fear slope rules aimed at safety could drive up costs

As Macon County closes in on a steep slope ordinance, some members of the building and real estate industry fear…
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New pavilion shapes Cashiers’ Village Green into high-caliber venue
 

New pavilion shapes Cashiers’ Village Green into high-caliber venue

When the Summit Charter School found a new home last year, it left behind an empty space in the heart…
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Franklin to decide whether to allow Super Wal-Mart to proceed
 

Franklin to decide whether to allow Super Wal-Mart to proceed

Franklin Alderman Bob Scott wants to know what people think about a proposed Super Wal-Mart on the edge of town.…
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Haywood Market hits full stride this weekend
 

Haywood Market hits full stride this weekend

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market will have a festival in conjunction with the long-awaited arrival of summer corn and tomatoes from…
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Scam targets hotel owners
 

Scam targets hotel owners

When a $4,000 payment showed up in the mail to cover a $1,195 bill, Jim Freeman knew something was up.…
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Swain leaders take back raise amidst quagmire over policy
 

Swain leaders take back raise amidst quagmire over policy

After violating their own policy, Swain County commissioners convened a special meeting Wednesday (June 23) for a do-over on a…
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Memorial garden marks a lasting love
 

Memorial garden marks a lasting love

With the single-mindedness of Ahab and the devotion of a wounded heart, Phil Schmidt is building a monument for his…
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Who’s visiting the Smokies?
 

Who’s visiting the Smokies?

While conducting a research study a few years ago, tourism official David Huskins came across an Atlanta resident who thought…
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Home Depot site for sale — for $4 million
 

Home Depot site for sale — for $4 million

Home Depot is still trying to unload a 12-acre tract in Waynesville after sidelining plans for its first store west…
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One-legged soccer coach inspires young players
 

One-legged soccer coach inspires young players

At 9 years old, Italian Joseph Di Lillo lost his leg as a civilian casualty in World War II. He…
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WNC tourism trends
 

WNC tourism trends

Motorcyclists Maggie Valley business owners have seen an uptick in motorcycle enthusiasts with the opening of the Wheels through Time…
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Testing points to potential sediment runoff issues at quarry
 

Testing points to potential sediment runoff issues at quarry

Water pollution stemming from a Waynesville rock quarry is 100 times higher than that allowed under state standards, according to…
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Franklin, Waynesville downtown organizations thriving
 

Franklin, Waynesville downtown organizations thriving

While Sylva’s downtown organization struggles for stable financial footing, similar programs in Waynesville and Franklin are seeing the results that…
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DSA’s future tenuous without more money
 

DSA’s future tenuous without more money

Recently, the town of Sylva passed a $1.6 million budget on a 3 to 2 vote. The most contentious line…
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Sylva town board to appoint Graham’s replacement
 

Sylva town board to appoint Graham’s replacement

The Sylva town board is in for another shakeup. The board will vote at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 1,…
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Replacement to Sylva town board sets stage for new voting majority
 

Replacement to Sylva town board sets stage for new voting majority

The make-up of Sylva’s town board shifted this week when board members voted 3-1 to replace outgoing board member Sarah…
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Runoff election for Swain sheriff sets stage for brisk competition come fall
 

Runoff election for Swain sheriff sets stage for brisk competition come fall

Swain County residents overwhelmingly chose John Ensley in Tuesday’s Democratic primary runoff for sheriff — those who voted anyway. Ensley,…
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Cashing in the cash settlement for property tax holiday lacks traction among Swain leaders
 

Cashing in the cash settlement for property tax holiday lacks traction among Swain leaders

At a special session of the Swain County board last week, Commissioner David Monteith stood up and stunned the crowd…
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Quarry neighbors square off against workers at public hearing
 

Quarry neighbors square off against workers at public hearing

A packed public hearing last week over a Waynesville rock quarry pitted neighbors opposing an expansion of the mine against…
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Building boom underway in medical field
 

Building boom underway in medical field

Every hospital in the MedWest Health System — which covers Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties — will see new construction…
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Tribe moves to implement DNA testing for new applicants to Cherokee rolls
 

Tribe moves to implement DNA testing for new applicants to Cherokee rolls

The Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has passed a new enrollment ordinance that requires DNA testing…
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Quarry regulations fall between the cracks
 

Quarry regulations fall between the cracks

A Waynesville rock quarry where a major slide occurred last year was operating without rules governing the stability or safety…
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Sylva budget passes on split vote
 

Sylva budget passes on split vote

Funding for the Downtown Sylva Association has caused a rift in the Sylva town board for the fifth year running.…
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Trooper honored with bridge naming
 

Trooper honored with bridge naming

The N.C. Department of Transportation dedicated the bridge at Exit 31 of Interstate 40 in Haywood County in honor of…
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Runoff election for Swain sheriff sets stage for brisk competition come fall
 

Runoff election for Swain sheriff sets stage for brisk competition come fall

Swain County residents overwhelmingly chose John Ensley in Tuesday’s Democratic primary runoff for sheriff — those who voted anyway. Ensley,…
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Franklin clinic demonstrates V.A.’s great leap forward
 

Franklin clinic demonstrates V.A.’s great leap forward

The Veterans Administration’s community-based outpatient clinic in Franklin will be just two years old in August, but it’s already operating…
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Sylva aims to ban downtown workers from parking on main shopping drag
 

Sylva aims to ban downtown workers from parking on main shopping drag

The town of Sylva plans to impose a new parking law to stop shop owners and employees from taking up…
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Swain to hire animal control officer, yet still lacks vehicle and shelter
 

Swain to hire animal control officer, yet still lacks vehicle and shelter

Long-awaited relief for Swain County’s dire animal control problem has finally arrived. For years, residents had no recourse if a…
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Can’t pop the top
 

Can’t pop the top

As part of the major renovation of the historic Jackson County Courthouse, workers from Brantley Construction were set to remove…
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Summer poses challenge for feeding low-income kids
 

Summer poses challenge for feeding low-income kids

Thousands of poor and low-income children across Western North Carolina rely on schools to get least at one square meal…
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Quarry expansion plan fuels residents’ complaints
 

Quarry expansion plan fuels residents’ complaints

Jackie Shuler has lived in the shadow of the Waynesville rock quarry most of her life. But as blasts have…
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Longtime legal counsel receives WCU Trustees’ Award
 

Longtime legal counsel receives WCU Trustees’ Award

Rich Kucharski, chief legal counsel for Western Carolina University, became the seventh person in university history to receive one of…
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Quarry plays vital role in economy
 

Quarry plays vital role in economy

Harrison Construction’s rock quarry on Allens Creek in Waynesville mines granite for building roads, driveways and concrete house pads. The…
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Employee pay at center of Jackson County budget debate
 

Employee pay at center of Jackson County budget debate

With the Jackson County budget a few short weeks from completion, a split emerged among commissioners concerning raises for county…
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Democrats in Swain Sheriff race prepare for runoff
 

Democrats in Swain Sheriff race prepare for runoff

On Tuesday (June 22), Swain County voters will decide which Democrat will face Republican Curtis Cochran in the hotly contested…
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Schools watch, wait and plan as Raleigh budget debate plays out
 

Schools watch, wait and plan as Raleigh budget debate plays out

While university leaders are nervously hoping state lawmakers will pass a budget that looks something like the Senate version, many…
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New SCC president had former career at WCU
 

New SCC president had former career at WCU

The Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees has settled on a replacement for outgoing President Cecil Groves. Last week, the…
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Budget crunch deals blow to WCU
 

Budget crunch deals blow to WCU

Western Carolina University Chancellor John Bardo fears the budget passed by the General Assembly this year might cast a shadow…
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Macon commissioners whittle away at budget, but tax hike stays
 

Macon commissioners whittle away at budget, but tax hike stays

Having already committed to a 1.5 cent tax rate increase to pay for building a new school in the north…
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At long last, Cherokee telling their own story
 

At long last, Cherokee telling their own story

For decades the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wasn’t their own. Tourists flocked to see Cherokee men…
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Downtown Sylva to get more free parking
 

Downtown Sylva to get more free parking

Years of complaining by Sylva merchants that there isn’t enough parking downtown has spurred the Sylva town board to lease…
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Public outcry pushes Duke to consider new substation site
 

Public outcry pushes Duke to consider new substation site

Duke Energy wants an option to buy land at the Swain County Industrial Park with the intention of using it…
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WCU grad drowns during tubing trip
 

WCU grad drowns during tubing trip

A river tubing trip on a sunny day ended in tragedy last week when a recent Western Carolina University grad…
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