Ghost Town liability insurance lapsed prior to Feb. 5 mudslide
Ghost Town in the Sky failed to make timely payments on its liability insurance policy, and as a result it…
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$7 million investment rescues Ghost Town from bankruptcy
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley will emerge from bankruptcy under a new corporate structure. One…
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Low voter turnout in primary elections
Mid-term election primaries are normally characterized by poor voter turnout, and that held true this year as only 14 percent…
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Macon primary shows strength of incumbents
Going into the primary elections in Macon County, every candidate stressed the need for a fiscally conservative mindset as the…
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Republicans suit up for race against Shuler
Republicans faced a major decision in the primary election: who is the best man to go head to head with…
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Cochran hammers Dover in sheriff race
Despite widespread criticism of the job he’s done, Swain Sheriff Curtis Cochran proved unstoppable in this year’s Republican primary. Cochran…
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Sylva cleans up town one property at a time
For the past year or so, Sylva Mayor Maurice Moody has been focused on cleaning up his town. “We’ve been…
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Ashe holds on in Democratic primary
Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe proved he could survive a tough race during the Democratic primary, defeating challenger Robin Gunnels…
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No Wal-Mart for Cherokee
Wal-Mart will not build a new Supercenter in Cherokee. After months of speculation that the deal between the tribe and…
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Lake Logan dredging could reduce flood danger
Removing sediment from Lake Logan would not only benefit its owner, Evergreen Packaging, it could potentially save homes and businesses…
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Peace for the World’s Children: 2010 Lake Junaluska Peace Conference
Join children’s advocates from across the United States at the third annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference September 18-21, 2010, as…
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Queen to face new challenger
After three straight match-ups with the same Republican challenger, Sen. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, will face a new opponent on…
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Neighbors draw the line over latest rock quarry expansion
A grassroots effort to halt a mine expansion in west Waynesville jumped its first hurdle last week. Citizens have convinced…
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Crowded judge field narrowed
District Court judge candidates who made it past the primary hope the race will become more digestible to voters now…
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Shelton beats Brown in Jackson primary
Incumbent William Shelton beat challenger James Bo Brown by almost a two-to-one margin to win the Democratic spot on the…
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Haywood challenger emerges as top vote-getter
With the county budget on everyone’s mind, two Haywood commissioners received a vote of confidence on the job they’ve done…
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Debate over Duke power lines shifts to second front
Imagine buying an idyllic piece of land in the mountains only to learn you’ll be living under a giant, humming…
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A huge pile of good intentions
Haywood County Solid Waste Director Stephen King did not spend his interview with The Smoky Mountain News sitting at an…
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Rallying around a historic tree
Against all odds, a 250-year-old scarlet oak tree still stands on N.C. 110 south of Canton, despite being struck by…
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Ambitious development going nowhere
All visible signs of the grandiose megadevelopment known as Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts have vanished from public view in Haywood County.…
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WCU students teach business owners to use social media
When John Miele, co-owner of the Golden Carp, left a social media class recently taught by Western Carolina University students,…
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Key candidates missing at Swain forum
Swain County citizens might have been more thrilled about a candidate forum that was held Thursday, April 22, than the…
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Enrollment audit a slow, uneasy process for Cherokee
In a 2002 referendum, the members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voted to authorize an audit of the…
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Haywood schools, HCC struggle to meet needs as revenues plummet
With Haywood County’s revenues down by 4 percent, schools are looking at another year of disappointing budget allocations at the…
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I-40 opens at last
Interstate 40, closed since October due to a massive rockslide, reopened with little fanfare on Sunday evening. For the people…
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Grassroots effort aims to make Jackson County greenest
What if the driveway to the county’s administration building were lined with blueberries? It was January, and Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin and…
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Jackson County schools hope for no more job cuts
On Monday evening, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners met with leaders from Jackson County Schools to talk about next…
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Politicking illegal at county meetings
At the last Haywood commissioners meeting, a citizen asked Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick and Commissioner Bill Upton to answer a political…
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Meet the candidates
Three District Court judge seats are up for election in the seven western counties. The race for judge isn’t partisan,…
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Early voting off to slow start
Early voting began last Thursday, April 15, and runs through noon on Saturday, May 1. As of press time Tuesday,…
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Demand for referendums impractical, says county attorney
Haywood County Attorney Chip Killian had his response ready for the citizen activists who have incessantly demanded referendums on a…
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Jackson EDC debate is over, again
Anyone who thought the discussion over the Jackson County Economic Development Commission’s missing audits was over when the board closed…
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Swain manager’s decision-making under fire as campaign heats up
In the lead-up to the primary elections on May 4, criticism of the current administration is stewing underground in Swain…
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N.C. 50th Senate
The 50th Senate seat represents Jackson, Macon, Swain, Clay, Graham, and Cherokee counties, along with a portion of Haywood. Republican…
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Ghost Town charts course to walk away from debt
A primary owner of Ghost Town in the Sky wants to buy the amusement park out of bankruptcy. But there’s…
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Sylva board elects to pay music licensing
With Sylva’s annual street festival Greening Up the Mountains right around the corner, town commissioners had a somewhat unusual decision…
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Evergreen Foundation needs to be reined in
It is past time someone looked closely at just what is going on with the Evergreen Foundation, because apparently those…
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Candidates weigh in
Democrats Donnie Dixon: “I can’t rightfully say he’s done a bad job. It could reflect the commissioners’ doings...I have nothing…
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Jackson Sheriff’s race reveals rift in county
The Jackson County Sheriff’s race is hot and getting hotter. While a controversial pay raise and allegations of questionable financial…
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N.C. 47th Senate
North Carolina’s 47th District Senate seat represents Haywood, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Avery and McDowell counties. Republican voters will choose between…
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Swain candidates address task of pulling county out of the red
Nine Democrats and four Republicans have set their sights on four open commissioner seats in Swain County. A primary on…
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Swain and Graham strike deal over ambulance service to motorcycle Mecca
Swain County is nearing the end of an ongoing saga with neighboring Graham County over who will provide emergency services…
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Oversight of mental health foundation called into question
Western North Carolina’s mental health agency may be headed for a civil war with its partner foundation. Smoky Mountain Center,…
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Cherokee casino renovation halfway home
Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians celebrated the topping off of their new 21-story hotel tower, the centerpiece…
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Haywood commissioner candidates
Democrat candidates, pick three Raymond L. Brooks, 59, owner of trucking company Brooks has worked with citizens for more than…
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Fiscal responsibility resounding theme in Macon election
This year in Macon County, three seats on the board are up for election. Each commissioner represents a geographic district…
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Swain commissioner candidates
Democratic candidates, pick four Steve Moon, 59, owner of a tire shop, incumbent Moon is finishing up his first term…
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Scant primary in Jackson commissioner race
While three of five seats are up for election on the Jackson County board of commissioners, there is primary competition…
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Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues
Six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for three seats on the Haywood County board of commissioners. Only three from…
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Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues
Six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for three seats on the Haywood County board of commissioners. Only three from…
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