Latest prayer case rekindles controversy
A federal magistrate’s recommendation that limits prayer before government meetings in Forsyth County has touched off a fiery debate across…
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Christians cling to one of last vestiges of prayer in public life
They haven’t gone quietly, and they haven’t gone quickly, but Christians are losing the battle over prayer in public life.…
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More than population stats hinge on accurate census
The census has been part of government since Roman times and it has the baggage to prove it. As the…
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Undaunted, elected leaders vow to keep praying as they please
Threat of a federal lawsuit won’t be enough to stop some county commissioners in Western North Carolina from praying in…
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Database breach raises concerns over Web security
In August a computer hacker broke into a North Carolina Community College System server and potentially gained access to the…
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Jackson airport to get repairs, new level of attention
The Jackson County commissioners have breathed new life into the county’s airport authority by taking it over. After appointing themselves…
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Foreclosure barrels down on Balsam Mountain Preserve
Foreclosure against Balsam Mountain Preserve could happen by month’s end barring a last-ditch financing deal by developers in the next…
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Macon residents still waiting on McCoy Bridge plan
A year ago, state officials promised a group of Macon County residents that they would get a cost estimate for…
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Nonprofits struggle in adverse fundraising climate
It has been a difficult year for environmental nonprofits. State budget cuts have meant fewer grants and philanthropic endowments have…
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Decision pending soon in Jackson’s last chance to save the Dillsboro dam
After years of battling Duke Energy in nearly every legal arena it could scout out, Jackson County was dealt a…
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Folkmoot, Evergreen Packaging form multiyear partnership
Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s Official International Festival, has locked down its first presenting sponsor. Evergreen Packaging has partnered with the…
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2009: Looking back at the newsmakers
The Smoky Mountain News is paying homage this week to some of the newsmakers of 2009 by dishing out our…
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New festival director seeks a larger audience for Maggie Valley
The hunt for a festival director for Maggie Valley is officially over. Beating out 22 other applicants, Audrey Hager took…
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Fund for Haywood County announces $16,000 in grants for recession relief
The Fund for Haywood County recently handed out $16,000 in grants to county nonprofits providing services for recession relief. The…
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Outrage erupts over Sylva teen club
A little-known teen club shook the Town of Sylva out of a slumber last week and shone a bright light…
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Jackson commissioners take over airport authority
Facing a moribund governing body and a facility once again in need of expensive repairs, the Jackson County board of…
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Striking while the iron’s hot
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has found a silver lining in the Interstate 40 closure following a massive rockslide…
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Safeguarding the settlement
A cash settlement with the federal government in lieu of the long-promised North Shore Road will reap annual dividends for…
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EDC audit out of reach due to spotty records
Jackson County commissioners closed the book on a painful chapter in the county’s history on Monday, announcing they would give…
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Sylva bypass makes the cut
Jackson County commissioners were split over whether to endorse the construction of a controversial new highway outside of Sylva when…
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Haywood tourism leaders critical of state’s response to rockslide
State officials have not turned a blind eye to the economic pain caused by the rockslide in Western North Carolina,…
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Snowstorm puts damper on critical shopping weekend
Business owners in Western North Carolina are wrapping up an absurdly challenging year. On top of dealing with a lingering…
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Tuscola produces two division I quarterbacks in five years
In the space of five years Tuscola High School’s football program has produced two big-time college quarterback prospects. While Friday…
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Locals do what it takes for fresh tracks
For seasoned Smoky Mountain outdoor enthusiasts, snow in the forecast means the chance to indulge suppressed fantasies. Whether its getting…
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Tourism turnaround set back by rockslide
After a slight increase in overnight visitors this fall following a dismal summer, Haywood County tourism officials are dreading November…
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Shuler scores millions for Swain in North Shore Road debate
Claude Douthit has spent half his life fighting the federal government over the North Shore Road. The decades-old debate dates…
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Slump in construction leads Maggie to can building inspector
The Town of Maggie Valley decided Monday to lay off its building inspector after already trimming 10 hours off his…
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Road failures cast uncertainty on Wildflower’s future
In 2005, two investment partners from Atlanta broke ground on a massive project on the slopes of Cowee Mountain in…
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Health care facilities to create new jobs
After successfully enlisting the help of local government, Haywood Regional Medical Center and Maggie Valley Health Investors are chasing state…
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Waynesville gets on board rail movement for passengers and freight
Last week, Waynesville’s town board linked up with a growing grassroots movement that is calling for increased rail capacity. The…
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State snuffs out smoking in bars and restaurants
Promptly after ringing in the new year, North Carolina will usher in a smoking ban in restaurant and bars on…
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Towns use fees, restrictions to push back against video gambling look alike
Local governments have begun the process of regulating cyber sweepstakes machines, which are multiplying rapidly across Western North Carolina. The…
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Campaign reminds shoppers to spend where they live
When store owners pack up their holiday decorations next month, there’s one thing Karen Wilmot hopes they will leave up…
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Franklin could reap windfall from sale of property
Franklin’s leaders are trying to decide what to do about a valuable piece of property on the outskirts of downtown,…
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Sylva borrows mantra of national buy local movement
As the holiday shopping season nears its final frenzy, Sylva’s business community is stressing the importance of buying local. The…
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One dollar reaps rewards seven times over
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business Directory. With the final throes…
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Waynesville panel may recommend rolling back rear parking mandate
A movement is afoot to roll back some of the smart growth principles of Waynesville’s land-use plan by loosening commercial…
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Swain settles lawsuit over sewer line cost overruns
Swain County commissioners have settled a ten-month long lawsuit with Buckeye Construction for $30,000, far less than the $127,000 originally…
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Defective slot machine zaps gambler
A slot machine at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino malfunctioned, delivering a shock that floored a gambler, according to a lawsuit brought…
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Steady stream of businesses look for federal help after rockslide
Small businesses struggling to pay bills after a rockslide shut down Interstate 40 now have the option of applying for…
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Haywood’s lower classification pleases economic official
Haywood County was more economically distressed this year, according to state rankings that essentially classify the counties from wealthiest to…
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Bell ringers cope with corporate regulations, recession
Around Thanksgiving, they begin showing up outside stores with a red kettle, a jingling bell and a smile. In many…
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Unpaid Ghost Town workers were warned pay might not come
Ghost Town in the Sky, an amusement park in Maggie Valley, failed to pay employees for their final two weeks…
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Tribal casino gets OK for gaming floor alcohol
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino may soon serve alcohol on the gaming floor, after receiving an unofficial go-ahead from a state attorney.…
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Malicious prosecution lawsuit unfounded, magistrate rules
A malicious prosecution lawsuit by a woman accused of misappropriating flood relief donations should be dropped, according to the recommendation…
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WCU trustees adopt tuition increase
Western Carolina University’s board of trustees voted to increase the school’s tuition by 6.5 percent next year. The vote to…
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Expense keeps most undocumented immigrants out of community college
North Carolina’s community colleges may have flung open their doors to illegal immigrants once again, but only a handful of…
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Rockslide cleanup could last through spring
The Interstate 40 rockslide cleanup could now take until May, according to Joel Setzer, head of the N.C. Department of…
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Big Ridge mortgage holders say their loans being investigated
Editor’s note: These articles first appeared in the St. Petersburg Times and are reprinted with permission of the writer. Lawyers…
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Undocumented students receive helping hand from Franklin principal
Despite the daunting road ahead, Franklin High School principal Gary Shields is steering his undocumented students toward the naturalization process.…
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