Bryson man pleads to lesser charge in assault case
A mentally ill man allegedly beat by a Bryson City policeman will not be charged with assaulting the officer involved…
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Dillsboro quietly assessing merger with Sylva
It appears Dillsboro has launched an official study into the pros and cons of merging with neighboring Sylva, although the…
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The view from the bench
For 25 years, Superior Court Judge Marlene Hyatt has often worked as much as 12 hours a day, five days…
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Merger prospect talk of the town
While Dillsboro leaders claim the idea of merging Sylva is in its mere infancy, opinions on the issue are already…
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Franklin seeks AT town designation
Franklin’s role on the Appalachian Trail Franklin is an important town on the Appalachian Trail because it is one of…
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Casino job losses first since Cherokee opening
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is cutting 100 jobs because of the national economic downturn. The cuts represent about 5 percent of…
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WNC continues to captivate
There’s something about Haywood County. In recent years, the small Western North Carolina community has found itself as the setting…
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Searching for clarity after muddy disaster
It was around 1:30 a.m. on an exceptionally rainy Wednesday that Bruce and Lorraine Donin’s world came crashing down. One…
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Macon leaders struggle with budget shortfall
K-4 school on hold due to economy Due to the national economic downturn the Macon County commissioners have decided not…
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Macon pulls out of fight with Duke over dam mitigation
It appears a piece of property in Nantahala had something to do with Macon County pulling out of a fight…
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The view from the bench: From terrible to touching, retiring judge reflects on years spent in court
For 25 years, Superior Court Judge Marlene Hyatt has often worked as much as 12 hours a day, five days…
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Old Swain courthouse holds promise as museum, visitor center
A visitor center that would showcase the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a local heritage museum could one day…
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Duke sues Jackson County for holding permits hostage
Duke Energy filed a lawsuit against Jackson County and county Planning Director Linda Cable on Monday (Jan. 5) for failing…
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Smart Roads calls on county to step up in 107 planning
A member of the Jackson County Smart Roads group told county commissioners on Monday (Jan. 5) that there needs to…
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Therapists: Hard times test marriages
The national economic downturn is taking its toll on married couples dealing with financial stress, according to area marriage counselors.…
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Superior Court Judge Hyatt to step down
Superior Court Judge J. Marlene Hyatt, whose district stretches across the western part of the state, will retire from her…
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Who is Ayn Rand?
In 1957, a Russian immigrant burst onto the scene with a novel and philosophy that today remains one of the…
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End in sight for cost overruns on Haywood courthouse
As renovation of Haywood County’s historic courthouse drags on, the county continues to tack on tens of thousands of dollars…
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Who controls what’s taught? Donation sparks debate over academic integrity
Western Carolina University’s College of Business recently secured a $1 million donation from BB&T — but not before discerning faculty…
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The best of 2008
Every year about this time, reporters dig out their old files and back editions and start cruising the headlines for…
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Nurse shortage forces closure of mental health facility
The extraordinarily difficult struggle to find nurses licensed in psychiatric care has forced the state agency that oversees mental health…
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Motive behind Cherokee fire remains mystery
An apparent arson fire that burned the Tribal Operations Program building in Cherokee in the early morning hours of Dec.…
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Jackson board sets sights on historic property
The Jackson County Planning Board is considering establishing a historic preservation commission to help maintain significant landmarks and districts. Such…
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Voters to decide on alcohol sales at Harrah’s
Voters in Cherokee will decide whether alcohol should be sold at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino now that enough signatures have been…
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Dissatisfied, HRMC once more on the hunt for ER docs
Haywood Regional Medical Center will terminate its contract with the corporate physician staffing outfit that supplies doctors for the hospital’s…
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Land use plan review ‘back on track’
Waynesville leaders vowed to speed up a review of the town’s land use plan after an article in The Smoky…
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Chili’s scouts Waynesville as possible location
Even as one national retailer — Home Depot — is pulling its plans for a Waynesville store, the national restaurant…
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Macon, Franklin tourism boards take helm during tough climate
Two recently created tourism boards in Macon County met last week to begin discussing how they can make the area…
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Swanger back in the game with EDC seat
Haywood County Commissioner Mark Swanger is back on the county’s Economic Development Commission five years after he played a critical…
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Holiday transcends economic classes: Family, religion are unifying themes to the season
Charles Phillips of Waynesville may be monetarily poor, but he is rich in the Christmas spirit. Each Christmas Phillips covers…
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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 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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
The Macon County commissioners on Monday voted to start having two regularly scheduled meetings a month, rather than just one…
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