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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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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