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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’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
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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Rice resigns, cites need to move forward
David Rice, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center for 15 years, resigned Monday in the wake of a financial crisis…
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Crisis brewing at HRMC
Doctors, patients, nurses, ambulance drivers — even hospital board members — were unaware of a crisis brewing at Haywood Regional…
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Swain's drug problem worries officials
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The beautiful mountain scenery that covers Swain County hides an ugly truth — the…
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WCU enjoys a surge in popularity
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer When Callie LaDue started shopping for a college, there was only one school that…
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Researchers use interviews to develop preservation tools
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Sometimes, amid the focus on such divisive issues as growth regulations or steep slope…
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Macon group vows to fight proposed school consolidation
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Macon County officials move forward with plans to build two new schools, community…
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DOT accused of convoluted planning
Opponents to the Southern Loop again urged the N.C. Department of Transportation to halt planning for the new highway last…
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Is feeding the hungry bad for business?
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s lunchtime at the Open Door, a 12-year-old soup kitchen in the Frog Level…
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Franklin leaders mull downtown options
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sandi Dotherow loves the town of Franklin so much that she spends all her…
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Room tax plan would split Macon into three districts
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer A plan to distribute Macon County’s occupancy tax has been formulated, leaving the final…
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As Cowan ponders whether to run, a rematch in the making
Voters in Jackson County could have a rematch in the May primary between two candidates who ran against each other…
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Development regs at issue in Jackson election
When Jackson County commissioners passed strict mountainside development regulations last year, opponents pledged to get even come election time.
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Local and regional agencies are making strides in the fight against online predators, but much work remains to be done
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s a scenario that plays out every day: A bored 12-year-old girl named Crystal…
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Gems from the used bin
By Chris Cooper Ah, the joy of finding good stuff in the “undeservedly discarded disc” section of any music store.…
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Sylva wants to diversify Pinnacle Park usage
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva Town Board members want to see hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers sharing…
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Franklin adopts new rules for floodplain construction
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County’s eight-month moratorium on the permitting of recreational vehicles in the floodplain will…
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Swain chooses negotiators for North Shore settlement
By Jennifer Garlesky & Julia Merchant • Staff Writers Two Swain County employees will join representatives from the Department of…
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Business owners and their trash
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County solid waste officials are cracking down on how businesses dispose of their…
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Mountain roads cited as among the state’s most dangerous
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Driving a tractor-trailer in Haywood County or a motorcycle in Swain? Use caution. Both…
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Living with a green state of mind: Western North Carolina residents take steps to reduce their carbon footprint
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Living “green” is a way of life for Mark and Darcia Bondurant. The Haywood…
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