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Maggie Valley’s Collins picked again to lead TDA
 

Maggie Valley’s Collins picked again to lead TDA

Lynn Collins, the director of Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce, was unanimously appointed as the new director of the Haywood…
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Brought on in crisis, extra ambulance shows it’s mettle
 

Brought on in crisis, extra ambulance shows it’s mettle

When Haywood Regional Medical Center suspended its care of Medicare and Medicaid patients last February, Jim Pressley realized there was…
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Sylva domestic violence shelter not to blame in murder
 

Sylva domestic violence shelter not to blame in murder

The North Carolina Court of Appeals has dismissed a lawsuit filed against a domestic violence shelter by the family of…
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Franklin development pushes village-style design
 

Franklin development pushes village-style design

The days of suburban sprawl could be coming to an end as a new type of development — mixed use…
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School air data suspect, officials say
 

School air data suspect, officials say

Officials from Haywood County and the state Division of Air Quality are disputing a recently released report by USA Today…
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WestCare, Haywood hospitals hunt for partner
 

WestCare, Haywood hospitals hunt for partner

The boards of Haywood Regional Medical Center and WestCare Health System are officially seeking proposals from three hospital systems that…
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Verizon cell tower violates county ordinance
 

Verizon cell tower violates county ordinance

A cell tower company jumped the gun by building onto its tower without the necessary permits from Haywood County. Verizon…
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Auto dealers lament Shuler’s ‘no’ vote on bailout
 

Auto dealers lament Shuler’s ‘no’ vote on bailout

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, voted against the proposed bailout of the auto industry last week. Gary Tallent, manager of…
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Home Depot scraps Waynesville plans
 

Home Depot scraps Waynesville plans

Home Depot has officially yanked plans to build a store in Waynesville next to the town’s new Super Wal-Mart. The…
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There ain’t no shelter here
 

There ain’t no shelter here

There aren’t many options for those without a home in Western North Carolina. Sleeping outside is one, but winter nights…
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Trapping rainwater could solve airport slope problems
 

Trapping rainwater could solve airport slope problems

Although Jackson County and the Airport Authority prevailed in a lawsuit this month blaming them for slope failure at the…
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Macon may be out of money for K-4 school
 

Macon may be out of money for K-4 school

There may not be enough money to build a new K-4 school in Macon County because of the economic downturn,…
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Lending a hand
 

Lending a hand

Recently, more than 50 members of the Haywood County community gathered in a church fellowship hall to brainstorm ways to…
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The economic downturn hits home — hard
 

The economic downturn hits home — hard

The trickle down effect from the national economic downturn is starting to feel more like a flood to agencies in…
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Cherokee petition closes in on alcohol vote
 

Cherokee petition closes in on alcohol vote

Organizers of a petition drive in Cherokee believe they have enough signatures to force a referendum by voters on whether…
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 	Officials stay away from private DOT meeting, stay within bounds of law
 

Officials stay away from private DOT meeting, stay within bounds of law

It appears local government officials obeyed the Open Meetings Law when they attended a private N.C. Department of Transportation meeting…
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DOT gets earful from public on Southern Loop
 

DOT gets earful from public on Southern Loop

Jackson County resident Susan Leveille opposes the construction of a N.C. 107 bypass. “I am very hopeful DOT and all…
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Traffic simulations for 2035 takes leap of faith
 

Traffic simulations for 2035 takes leap of faith

As the debate over the Southern Loop rages on, a faceless cadre of number crunchers have been assigned a seemingly…
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Tough times strike dealerships
 

Tough times strike dealerships

Scott Rodes’ first job in the automobile industry was 30 years ago washing and selling cars for his grandfather in…
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Commissioners make extra meetings official
 

Commissioners make extra meetings official

The Macon County commissioners on Monday voted to start having two regularly scheduled meetings a month, rather than just one…
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Swain hunts for inmates to fill overbuilt jail
 

Swain hunts for inmates to fill overbuilt jail

When 400 people poured in to Swain County’s jail one day in late September, Sheriff Curtis Cochran was thrilled. And…
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Slow to start, Waynesville moves on land use plan review
 

Slow to start, Waynesville moves on land use plan review

The town of Waynesville has done little to jumpstart a promised review of its land use plan, and critics say…
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Task force seeks answers to water shortages
 

Task force seeks answers to water shortages

The newly formed Jackson County Water Study Task Force met for the first time Thursday (Dec. 4) to begin discussing…
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Not a fan of bailouts, Shuler drives a hard bargain
 

Not a fan of bailouts, Shuler drives a hard bargain

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, said he is unsure if he will support a bailout of the auto industry. The…
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Town settles disagreement over pilfered stone
 

Town settles disagreement over pilfered stone

The town of Franklin has settled a disagreement with a man who took slate and doors that belonged to the…
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Sales down, service up: Mechanics in demand to keep old cars running
 

Sales down, service up: Mechanics in demand to keep old cars running

While sales of new vehicles have plummeted, the service side of the automotive industry is holding steady as people opt…
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Prime time pushes trend in crime forensics
 

Prime time pushes trend in crime forensics

Waynesville defense attorney Don Patten has noticed an interesting trend among jurors in recent years. They are hungry for hard…
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Commissioners select Haywood’s top leader
 

Commissioners select Haywood’s top leader

Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick took the helm as the new chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners this week. Every…
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Haywood proud winner of 22 acres, but what now?
 

Haywood proud winner of 22 acres, but what now?

After a 15-month legal battle, Haywood County can finally claim ownership free and clear over a 22-acre tract in the…
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Senior center left in lurch as grant pipeline runs dry
 

Senior center left in lurch as grant pipeline runs dry

Construction of a new center for seniors in Swain County has ground to a halt because the project has run…
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Duke accuses Jackson of illegally withholding dam permits
 

Duke accuses Jackson of illegally withholding dam permits

A lawyer for Duke Energy told the Jackson County commissioners on Monday that if the county continues to hold up…
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New Folkmoot director takes helm
 

New Folkmoot director takes helm

The new executive director of Folkmoot USA, Haywood County’s famed international dance festival, is perfectly poised to help the event’s…
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Schools struggle with state budget recall
 

Schools struggle with state budget recall

By Josh Mitchell & Julia Merchant • Staff Writers The downturn in the economy is forcing schools to send back…
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Unearthing clues: Future crime solvers get hands-on training at Western
 

Unearthing clues: Future crime solvers get hands-on training at Western

When a hunter discovered human skeletal remains in the woods in Macon County last winter, investigators didn’t know who the…
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Haywood doctors open for business
 

Haywood doctors open for business

The first stop for sick people in Haywood County should still be their local doctor.
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Marchers protest Canton mill’s discharges
 

Marchers protest Canton mill’s discharges

“Keep it clean! We’re downstream!” was the rallying cry for protesters at a demonstration held Saturday (March 1) demanding that…
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Nurses at HRMC caught in downward spiral
 

Nurses at HRMC caught in downward spiral

Over-worked and underpaid. It’s a complaint most in America could wage against their boss. But at Haywood Regional Medical Center,…
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DOT takes input on N.C. 107 project
 

DOT takes input on N.C. 107 project

Jackson County residents weighed in on proposed road improvements for N.C. 107 at a citizens informational workshop Feb. 25 at…
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Haywood hospital begins recertification process
 

Haywood hospital begins recertification process

By Julia Merchant With its CEO gone and a new consulting group on board, Haywood Regional Medical Center is working…
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Situation changes daily at medical facility
 

Situation changes daily at medical facility

Anyone following the saga of Haywood Regional Medical Center has to feel like their head is spinning. So much has…
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The changing face of Cherokee: Renaissance continues on the Qualla Boundary
 

The changing face of Cherokee: Renaissance continues on the Qualla Boundary

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Next year Eastern Band of Cherokee tribal members will be able to watch the…
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Drakes to build 1,500-seat auditorium in Franklin
 

Drakes to build 1,500-seat auditorium in Franklin

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Musicians will soon be able add another venue to their tour list next year.
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Outpouring of support for HRMC
 

Outpouring of support for HRMC

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Donning purple ribbons of support, members of the community came together Monday in a…
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Bryson City adopts first land use plan
 

Bryson City adopts first land use plan

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Bryson City Alderman have adopted the town’s first land development plan.
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Fallout from funding crisis still unfolding
 

Fallout from funding crisis still unfolding

The future of Haywood Regional Medical Center could be in jeopardy following the termination of the hospital’s Medicare and Medicaid…
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Issues flare up at Jackson Green Energy Park
 

Issues flare up at Jackson Green Energy Park

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County officials say its high-profile tenant at the Green Energy Park is in…
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Many say Medicare action too heavy-handed
 

Many say Medicare action too heavy-handed

Doctors and officials at Haywood Regional Medical Center are accusing state inspectors of being heavy-handed, draconian, unprecedented, dangerous and unfair…
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Timeline of a crisis
 

Timeline of a crisis

June 9, 2006 Haywood Regional Medical Center receives a visit from the Department of Health and Human Services Division of…
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Westcare prepares for patient load
 

Westcare prepares for patient load

WestCare’s Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva will be filling a major void in the region’s health care in the wake…
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Board surprised by HRMC situation
 

Board surprised by HRMC situation

The resignation on Feb. 25 of Haywood Regional Medical Center CEO David Rice was preceded by a tense, hour-long public…
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