Duke begins prepping for dam removal
Despite the looming threat by Jackson County to win control of the Dillsboro Dam using eminent domain, Duke Energy announced…
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Jackson uses eminent domain to take dam
Jackson County played the ultimate trump card in the drawn-out fight against Duke Energy over the Dillsboro dam this week.…
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Commissioners' viewpoints
Chairman Brian McMahan “I believe that river belongs to the people of the United States of America. That’s our river.…
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Frequently asked questions
Why does Duke want to tear down the dam? Dam removal is tied to the larger issue of mitigation for…
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Cherokee casino to be dry no more
When Beverly Easton came to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino for the first time and realized there was no drinking, she wondered…
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Jackson takes on Duke Energy
Jackson County’s decision to take the Dillsboro dam through eminent domain is a bold next step in the relicensing saga…
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Deal over Dillsboro dam could be afoot
Five years into a bitter fight over the fate of the Dillsboro Dam, Duke Energy showed its first sign of…
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Creation of the park was marked by triumph and tragedy
The creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75 years ago was nothing short of a miracle. The pitfalls…
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New landfill proves money pit for Haywood
Haywood County commissioners grappling with the $4.4 million price tag of a landfill expansion briefly eyed the steep engineering costs…
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Creating the park: the early years
1900s Logging and lumber companies built railroads, camp towns and timber camps, slashing across the landscape while fueling an economic…
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New hospital structure could dilute autonomy
Although the board of Haywood Regional Medical Center could lose much of its control following its affiliation with WestCare, it…
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Rates jump prior to signing of library loan
Hints of an up tick in the economy are good news to say the least, but a resulting rise in…
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River park concept centers on dam, throws Duke for a loop
Jackson County commissioners got their first look last week at a master plan for a Dillsboro river park — a…
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NOC to launch major new presence in Gatlinburg
Nantahala Outdoor Center is planning a major new outfitters store in Gatlinburg, tapping into the hub of one of the…
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Macon, Rabun leaders eye future of water
Would a water-starved Atlanta ever come after the Little Tennessee River? While it may be a long shot, the prospect…
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Ghost Town seeks ride inspections
A team of state inspectors will arrive at Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park on Monday, May 18, in…
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Local farmers markets
Haywood Waynesville Tailgate Market 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and Saturdays at American Legion parking lot near downtown Waynesville. Haywood…
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Erosion laws put to the test
Haywood County’s sediment and erosion control policies are the subject of a bitter legal battle poised to set statewide precedent.…
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Street vendors, store owners reach compromise
A potential clash between downtown Franklin merchants and street vendors was headed off the pass this week. For years, street…
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Haywood County nixes old Wal-Mart purchase
It looks like the Department of Social Services in Haywood County won’t be getting a new home after all. Haywood…
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Kephart proved to be a key figure in shepherding idea of a national park
With massive logging operations running full tilt in the Smokies in the 1920s, the sanctity of what once seemed like…
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Carden’s views on Kephart have softened
As a struggling albeit brilliant writer, Gary Carden never turns down money. So when an out-of-town man in a rental…
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Ellison came to WNC as a ‘Kephart pilgrim’
While George and Elizabeth Ellison are fixtures in Bryson City today — Elizabeth as a renowned artist and George as…
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Ghost Town files financial statements with bankruptcy court
Ghost Town in the Sky owners paid themselves nearly $25,000 over two weeks in March despite the company being in…
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Jackson reluctant to turn over Duke dredging permits
An attorney for Duke Energy gave Jackson County commissioners a “friendly reminder” this week to stop dragging their feet on…
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New bypass alone can’t fix N.C. 107 traffic
A fix for impending traffic congestion on N.C. 107 in Sylva doesn’t lie solely with a new bypass but will…
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Library bids come in well under budget
The bad economy has finally reaped some dividends for Jackson County taxpayers. Construction of the new Jackson County library and…
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Ghost Town and alderman at loggerheads
Ghost Town CEO Steve Shiver threatened to sue Maggie Valley Alderman Colin Edwards during a town meeting this week. Edwards…
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Judging Kephart: Legacy of author, outdoorsman still debated
George Ellison never knows when a Horace Kephart pilgrim will come calling. But invariably, they will come — creaking up…
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A chat with Carolinas Healthcare president
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The Smoky Mountain News caught up with Carolinas Healthcare System Chief Operating Officer and…
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Maggie to hold public hearing on Ghost Town loan
Officials at Ghost Town in the Sky continued to pressure Maggie Valley leaders this week to pony up a $200,000…
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Ghost Town didn’t withhold sales tax
Among Ghost Town’s debts is $136,000 in back sales taxes owed to the state of North Carolina. It was previously…
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Ghost Town appears in bankruptcy court
Ghost Town in the Sky revealed last week that it was driven into bankruptcy by the threat of foreclosure from…
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Grandview Lodge
When Terry Ferguson and his wife Nancy bought the Grandview Lodge in 2008, they knew they were taking on a…
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HRMC, WestCare to join forces with Carolinas HealthCare
By Becky Johnson & Julia Merchant • Staff writer Haywood Regional Medical Center and WestCare announced plans to join forces…
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Funding for festivals and visitor centers hinges on tourism board decisions
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will weigh the merits of grant applications from tourism groups over the coming week.…
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New library complex will honor courthouse heritage
In Massachusetts, a vacant textile mill is now an art museum. An old city hall became a restaurant. In California,…
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Ghost Town partners establish own credit line
Owners of Ghost Town in the Sky hope to funnel up to $500,000 into the amusement park in order to…
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From South America to the Appalachians
Alpacas herald from South America, but are increasingly being found on farms in the Southern Appalachians. Alpacas are in the…
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Jackson Paper adding 61 jobs in Sylva
Stonewall Packaging LLC, a joint venture of Jackson Paper Manufacturing Co., announced today that it will invest more than $17…
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Park starts lengthy reorganization process
Despite the daunting hurdles faced by Ghost Town in the Sky to get the Maggie Valley amusement park open by…
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Ghost Town’s struggles challenge community
As Ghost Town continues to struggle, many are finally coming to grips with the reality that the Old West theme…
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Ghost Town faces huge challenges as it tries to restructure debt, open park
The business partners behind Ghost Town in the Sky are facing significant logistical and financial challenges as they pursue their…
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Debts mount at theme park
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley has left a wake of unpaid bills with local companies…
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Ghost Town responds
The following comment was provided by Steve Shiver, Ghost Town CEO and president, in response to questions about the challenges…
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Cherokee voters to decide on alcohol sales at casino
After years of grappling with the controversial issue of alcohol sales on tribal land, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…
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Grants benefit Cherokee arts
Cherokee Preservation Foundation recently awarded 25 new grants totaling nearly $3.2 million. Here are a few targeting the arts: •…
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What is the Evergreen Foundation?
The Evergreen Foundation was formed by the Smoky Mountain Center for Mental Health in 1977. At that time, state mental…
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Task force aims to fix future traffic snarls
A Jackson County task force has entered the nitty-gritty stage in its quest to fix traffic congestion on N.C. 107…
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Missed deadline costs HRMC potential revenue
Haywood Regional Medical Center could miss out on as much as $750,000 in revenue over the course of a year…
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