State workers group chastises Shuler for health care opposition
Health insurance reform has garnered a seemingly incongruous ally: the already well-insured workers of the State Employees Association of North…
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Free clinics feel recession’s pinch
Amy Street thought she could finally afford health insurance this year. But that was before Street’s employer slashed 25 hours…
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Spinning tales, weaving dreams: Storyteller hopes to preserve craft and WNC history under one roof
By Julia Merchant • Contributing writer As a professional storyteller, Tim Hall is no stranger to spinning yarns — but…
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Graham jerks the rug out from Swain County in Deal’s Gap
Graham County has thrown a curve ball in an ongoing debate with Swain County over ambulance service in Deal’s Gap,…
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Niche tourism strategy debuts ‘micro’ Web sites
Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is employing an ambitious new marketing strategy to lure tourists, and their dollars, to the…
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Pooches pose problem in Sylva
A debate has erupted in Sylva over whether dogs should be allowed in the town’s new Bridge Park, a small…
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Cell company dashes hopes new tower will mimic pine tree
A new cell phone tower has been proposed on the south-facing side of Utah Mountain above Lake Junaluska. It would…
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Woman claims officers denied her medication during DWI incident
An epileptic woman in Macon County is alleging that she did not receive proper medical attention after being arrested for…
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Old timers recall Roosevelt’s trip to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park staged a reenactment this week of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s dedication of the newly…
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Junaluska deals with same dog issue
Sylva isn’t the first place to wrestle with the not-so-pleasant by-product of dogs in public areas. The wildly popular two-mile…
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Library supporters close to $1.6 million fundraising goal
Fundraising for the new Jackson County library may have entered the home stretch, but is far from home free. Friends…
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Graham, Swain still squabbling over emergency coverage in isolated area
Swain and Graham county commissioners agreed Monday to let their respective county managers look at solid numbers before deciding on…
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Land sales challenge basis for vested rights, some argue
When the 3,500-acre Legasus development won exemptions from Jackson County’s development regulations two years ago, it raised the hackles of…
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WCU welcomes freshman class
Probably very little about freshmen move-in day at Western Carolina University has changed over the years: the “nervous but excited”…
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A popular road reveals a dark side
An inspiration for songs, poems, and pilgrimages by motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world, the challengingly curvy stretch of U.S.…
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Coalition builds momentum for Nikwasi park
A proposed park at the site of the Nikwasi mound in Franklin would provide a quiet place for residents to…
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Big decisions ahead in debate over land-use plan
A steering committee tasked with examining and recommending possible changes to Waynesville’s land-use plan is finally getting down to brass…
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Ghost Town still in the red despite $1.53 million in revenue
Ghost Town in the Sky did not bring in enough revenue from its amusement park operations during the months of…
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Jackson EDC says new direction key to future
A comprehensive economic development strategy would go a long way toward solving the quagmire that is holding back progress on…
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Forest Hills mayor misses deadline, will run write-in campaign
Jackson County poll workers will contend with write-in ballots from at least two towns on election night this fall. One…
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WCU ranks highly among master’s degree universities
The latest U.S. News & World Report guide to “America’s Best Colleges” ranks Western Carolina University 10th among public universities…
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Bulb crusher helps recycling efforts
The state will ban plastic bottles, motor oil filters, and wooden pallets from landfills starting this October. The ban aims…
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Maggie board OKs assisted living facility in town limits
The Maggie Valley Zoning Board of Adjustments approved a special zoning exception to make way for a 114-bed assisted living…
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Q&A with Congressman Shuler
SMN: What did you learn from the teletown meeting? Anything new? Heath Shuler: “The meeting reinforced my belief that most…
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Healthcare debate civil at tele-town meeting
Against the backdrop of a nation embroiled in an emotional, high-stakes debate on health care reform, the voices of Western…
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Proposed apartments denied tax breaks
Neighbors of a proposed 64-unit apartment building to serve low-income seniors in Waynesville have renewed hope that their fight to…
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The long fight: Road debate nears final chapter
Since its creation, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has loomed over Swain County. Its massive peaks flank life itself:…
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Queen gets early challenger for state Senate seat
A competitive state Senate race appears to be on the horizon once again for Sen. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville. Andy…
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Town helps HVO seek state grant
The Town of Waynesville plans to step in for Haywood Vocational Opportunities in procuring state money to help with an…
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Cash settlement amount proves a sticking point
Negotiations over a cash settlement for Swain County have been stalled for more than a year as opposing sides argue…
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Jackson EDC still taking old board’s heat
Old records of the Jackson County Economic Development Commission are likely too spotty to complete missing audits from the years…
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9-12 group is voice for those dissatisfied with government
Haywood County commissioners have seen their share of hot-button issues this year. First came the proposed nuisance ordinance, with angry…
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Macon group finishes study of living history farm
A Macon County group is one step closer to its dream of establishing a Living History Farm, a working replica…
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Waynesville looks at ways to cut energy use
Energy efficiency dominated the agenda at Waynesville’s last town meeting, with the passage of a strategic energy management plan and…
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The road to a cash settlement
1920s Forney Creek Township wants a road leading from Bryson City to Deals Gap on the Tennessee state line. It…
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McLean and Mathis part of Richland project
The Richland Hills low-income senior housing development was touted publicly as being under the auspice of the Asheville-based nonprofit Mountain…
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Prison to remain open, but future not rosy
By Julia Merchant • Correspondent The minimum-security Hazelwood Prison in Waynesville is the only correctional facility of its kind to…
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Pointing kids toward a love of the park
Eric Sink, a teacher at Summit Charter School in Cashiers, N.C., looks forward to loading his fifth-graders up on a…
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More than a number With teacher layoffs, impact of school budget cuts hits home
It’s not an uncommon scene: people rattling a tin can outside Wal-Mart to raise money, whether it’s a cheerleading squad…
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Lake island dwellers lobby for fire protection
Homeowners on Buck Knob Island in the middle of Lake Glenville say they are owed fire protection by local volunteer…
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Megow-Dowling announces resignation
Jackson County’s economic development director Dorothea Megow-Dowling had been on the job for less than a year when she announced…
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Cherokee school bridges tradition and the future
While some students dread returning to the classroom this time of year, children in Cherokee have been asking for weeks…
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Land swap integral to Cherokee school
The Cherokee faced a long, uphill battle spanning decades to secure the idyllic tract of land now housing a brand…
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A dollar here, a paintbrush there: Community rallies to save teachers, support schools
They came. They saw. And this past Saturday, they — nearly 1,000 volunteers from almost 50 churches — painted, scraped,…
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Homeschooled students on the rise
More parents in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties opted to teach their children at home this year, concurring with…
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Departing director recommends dissolving Jackson EDC board
Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission has again been thrust into turmoil, a near constant state of affairs for the entity…
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New economic development coordinator learns the ropes
Trevor Dalton, Macon County’s first paid economic development coordinator, is back on his home turf. Dalton, 24, grew up in…
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County ensnared in lawsuit over historic courthouse renovations
Haywood County is being sued for $2 million by the contractor in charge of renovations to the newly restored historic…
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Scenic beauty, yes, but what about things to do?
By Andre A. Rodriguez • Special to the Smoky Mountain News A new travel study revealed potential visitors lack awareness…
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Jackson County offers incentives to land new manufacturing jobs
Jackson County leaders are considering an economic development incentive that will provide property tax credits to Stonewall Packaging in exchange…
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