Sylva may be stuck with cell tower
The Sylva Town Board opposes the construction of a 195-foot-high cellular communications tower on the main commercial drag of N.C.…
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Beating bugs the natural way
It all started with a stranger’s death. At the time, Carl Hughes was working as a construction supervisor for the…
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Budget cuts put fairgrounds in a bind, forcing county back to the table
With a large loan payment looming and not enough money to pay it, the fairgrounds turned to Haywood commissioners this…
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Swain County moratorium could stop Duke substation
Swain County has entered the fight over Duke Energy’s proposed electrical substation that would mar views in a rural farming…
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Tapping the power of the sun
Progress Energy customers can now claim a fraction of their power comes from the sun. A new solar farm is…
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Family hopes elder abuse case will help future victims
The conviction of former Jackson County employee Marc Hawk on elder abuse charges last month closed the book on a…
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Delays in rock slide cleanup push back I-40 opening
Harsh winter weather has delayed the reopening of Interstate 40 until late April, according to the North Carolina Department of…
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DOT plans ahead to stave off slides
Rather than continuing a reactive approach to rockslides on Interstate 40, the DOT is making a widespread effort to prevent…
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Rickman Store celebrates 85 years
A community-wide open house celebration featuring a full day of entertainment and cultural events will mark the 85th anniversary of…
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EPA takes aim at Canton paper mill
A water pollution permit for the Canton paper mill has come under fire by the Environmental Protection Agency. The pollution…
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Macon Airport runway extension faces more questions
Macon County Airport Authority members are confident their application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward, but…
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Maggie debates how steep is too steep for cyber sweepstakes fees
Business owners with cyber sweepstakes machines in Maggie Valley received both good and bad news last week. Luckily for them,…
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Sylva market changes local foodscape
Armed with an e-newsletter and an indefatigable entrepreneurial spirit, Eric Hendrix is determined to bring the fruits of the ocean…
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Rare confluence of events sets the stage for courtroom shake up
It’s a watershed year for the legal community in Western North Carolina as attorneys gear up for a hotly contested…
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County and architect cross wires on library fee
Last week a confused set of Jackson County commissioners learned their new library may cost more money than they thought,…
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Trash down, recycling up
The recession has been good news for landfills. Due to the economic downturn, less trash was thrown in landfills in…
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Landfills hustle to catch tainted rain water before it seeps away
When it comes to landfills, rain isn’t just inconvenient — it’s dangerous. In 2009, the White Oak landfill in Haywood…
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Duke, Cherokee meeting opens dialogue over Kituwah site
After a day of discussions between the leadership of Duke Energy and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the dispute…
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Report shows Duke considered impact on Kituwah
In the wake of the controversy surrounding the company’s proposed substation, Duke Energy representatives claimed they were unaware of the…
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Landslide damages financially-strapped Jackson development
A landslide at the Waterdance development in the Tuckasegee area of Jackson County washed out a road and dumped a…
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Macon slope committee hands off proposed building regulations
After months of hard work, Macon County’s steep slope committee shared its recommendations with the county’s planning board last week.Now…
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Swain starts to budge on Deal’s Gap debate
Despite Graham County pledging to end all emergency services to Deal’s Gap starting Jan. 1, its EMS director has already…
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The nuts and bolts of the bench
The starting salary for a judge is $109,000, but can climb much higher for judges with a long tenure thanks…
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Judicial candidates
There are three district court judge seats up for election this year. Candidates must designate which seat they are running…
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Bench holds tradition of balanced temperament
Steve Bryant was fresh out of law school and just learning his way around the courtroom when the judge hearing…
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Free wireless in downtown Waynesville a hit or miss affair
There’s free wireless up for grabs to anyone ambling down Main Street in Waynesville, but it’s so obscure that even…
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Duke Energy president agrees to meet with Cherokee chief
A disagreement over Duke Energy’s placement of a power substation near Cherokee’s most significant cultural site has instigated a meeting…
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Haywood acquires fiberoptic line
Haywood County recently dropped a lawsuit against Wynncom, after the telecommunications company agreed to hand over its fiberoptic network to…
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Ghost Town pays liability insurance bill after slide
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park was behind on its general liability insurance payments in the months leading up…
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Jackson sheriff sparks controversy, policy change with expenditures
Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe may not have done anything illegal, but he’s stepped into the middle of a controversy…
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Nuts and bolts of landslide mapping
Macon County was the first to be targeted under a statewide initiative launched in 2006 to map areas prone to…
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Geologists: Maggie landslide still unstable
While residents wait for answers and 16,000 tons of debris hangs precariously over the Rich Cove community, an army of…
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Creditors to vote on whether Ghost Town reorganizes or liquidates
Dozens of local businesses owed money by Ghost Town are mulling over ballots this week that will ultimately decide the…
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Haywood commissioners urged to stick by Christian prayers despite court ruling
A group of Christians paid a visit to Haywood County commissioners Monday night to urge them to pray to Jesus…
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Macon fly-over shows what’s at stake
There’s no way to prevent landslides in the mountains, but there is a way to make their impact on humans…
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Swain jail may finally see return of federal prisoners to help offset costs
In rare good news for Swain County’s jail, a new agreement will soon usher federal prisoners into the often half-empty…
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Void of state and federal aid prompts community to step up in landslide disaster
The threat of another landslide isn’t stopping volunteers from facing the mudslide head-on and helping wherever they can. Local volunteers…
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Local fishermen sad to see the dam go
The first day of demolition on the Dillsboro Dam attracted hundreds of spectators last Wednesday. A roadside pull-off overlooking the…
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A time for healing
The signing of a cash settlement deal for Swain County last week was a heartbreaking end to a lifelong struggle…
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Safeguards in place, but cracks remain
While buckling and cracks were readily visible in old retaining walls built out of railroad ties at Ghost Town in…
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What is Kituwah?
Kituwah is a concept much larger than the mound site proper, which is recorded with the state register of historic…
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Waynesville moves on skate park
Skateboard enthusiasts in Waynesville will be happy to hear the town has been busily preparing for a long-awaited skate park…
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Duke project threatens sacred character of Kituwah site
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians may pursue legal action against Duke Energy after learning about the utility company’s plans…
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After scare of slide wears off, residents want answers
Betty Miner was standing in her kitchen getting ready to fix supper last Friday when the pictures on her walls…
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Going, going, gone
When Duke first broached the idea of tearing down the Dillsboro dam eight years ago, Mark Singleton thought he would…
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Corridor K sent back to drawing board
A proposed four-lane highway through a mountainous region of Graham County has suffered a setback. The N.C. Department of Transportation…
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Messy lawsuits likely left in landslide’s wake
It could take months or even years for lawsuits over a massive landslide in Maggie Valley to be resolved, leaving…
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Cash settlement here at last
Swain County officially signed a cash settlement with the federal government in a moving and historic ceremony Saturday, ending a…
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Rescue workers act fast in landslide disaster despite threat of more to fall
Chris Carver found himself in the unusual position of being both rescuer and evacuee when a massive mudslide struck Rich…
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Haywood Waterways applauds water guardians
Haywood Waterways Association recently gave out 2009 stewardship awards to several people and organizations that have worked to protect and…
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