Threats force Waynesville to consider meeting security measures
The Town of Waynesville may soon start subjecting public meeting attendees to metal detectors in some form or fashion, Town…
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Pisgah Legal Services offers free help during September tax clinics
If you haven’t received your tax refund, it’s not too late. Families who make less than $58,000 per year can…
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An illuminating panorama of Three Forks
A few months after a devastating Pigeon River flood in 2021, some friends of the Canton Area Historical Museum gathered…
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No search, no problem: Putnam named superintendent
Just over a month after Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte announced his impending retirement, the Haywood County School Board has chosen…
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Payment Hours Changing at Franklin Town Hall
The Town of Franklin Town Hall payment hours are changing effective Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.
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Make a plan during Fire Prevention Week
The Cullowhee Fire Department is teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this…
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Hearing date set for Lake Santeetlah voter fraud charges
Weeks after a hearing by the Graham County Board of Elections found probable cause to suspect that eight individuals had…
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Book reading, film screening to commemorate Popcorn Sutton
Filmed in one week in June, 2002, less than seven years before infamous moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton committed suicide to…
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Sylva extends social district hours
When the Town of Sylva instituted its social district earlier this year, it planned to revisit the ordinance six months later…
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Free on bond, Moody will face federal charges after FBI arrest
A Haywood County woman who admitted to serving phony writs that offered bounties on public officials will face federal charges…
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After removing sensitive objects, Cherokee museum fills empty cases with artistic responses
Navigating the darkened exhibit halls at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian is slow work on Wednesday evening, Sept. 7.…
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WNC residents pave a ‘trail of truth’ to Washington for drug deaths
As a stark reminder of the toll that substance abuse has taken on families across the country and across Western…
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Council approves $732.5 million budget
On Oct. 1, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will start a new fiscal year with $732.5 million in the…
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WCU celebrates opening of its newest residence halls
When Western Carolina University officials held a ribbon-cutting event to officially open “The Rocks” freshman residence halls on Sept. 2,…
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Macon County Board of Education vice chairman dead at 79
Tommy Cabe, Macon County resident and Board of Education vice chairman, died Thursday, Sept. 1, after undergoing heart surgery in…
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FBI makes arrest in phony writs case
A Haywood County woman who admitted to sending threatening letters that offered bounties on public officials will face felony federal…
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Author of threatening writs revealed, but still no action from law enforcement
She’s “served” threatening letters on elected officials offering bounties for their capture, she has plans to serve more and she’s…
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WNC schools still recovering from Covid-era learning
New state testing results reveal that schools in Western North Carolina are in the process of a mixed recovery from…
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September is National Preparedness Month
There’s no such thing as a calm season when it comes to natural disasters.
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More money for affordable housing flows into the region
A $542,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, matched by more than $200,000 from the Dogwood Health…
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Commissioners may seek to regulate syringe service programs in Haywood
Two weeks after rejecting misinformation from the public about Haywood County’s non-existent syringe exchange services, commissioners began their Sept. 6…
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Recovery court coming to Haywood County
Haywood County will administer state funds to establish an Adult Accountability and Recovery Court meant to help people experiencing substance…
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Sylva gets temporary skate park
Over the next month, the Town of Sylva will be constructing a temporary skatepark in the lot behind Motion Makers,…
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Council overrides golf course project veto
A $39 million hotel project at the Sequoyah National Golf Course in Cherokee will move forward after Tribal Council overrode…
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Experience on the ballot for Swain Commission chairman
The issues facing Swain County are similar to those in other Western North Carolina communities — an affordable housing shortage,…
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Man pleads guilty in chase leading to fatal car wreck
A Jackson County man pleaded guilty Thursday in Haywood County Superior Court to killing one person and injuring two others…
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Enrollment falls again at WCU, but freshman class size increases
For the second year straight , enrollment is down at Western Carolina University — but an uptick in freshman class size…
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Cherokee to expand prosecution authority
A unanimous vote from the Cherokee Tribal Council puts the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on track to start prosecuting…
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Tribe swears in police chief, adds new positions
Less than three months after being named interim chief of police, Carla Neadeau has been sworn in as the first…
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Western counties receive ‘GREAT’ news on broadband
The latest round of state grants for broadband infrastructure have landed, and represent a big win for six Western North…
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Haywood Regional Medical Center CEO to step down
Haywood County Regional Medical Center CEO Greg Caples has informed hospital staff that he is stepping down.
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SMN wins prestigious honors at Press Association conference
The Smoky Mountain News won 16 advertising awards and 20 editorial awards from the N.C. Press Association in a ceremony…
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Haywood man admits to infant death
A Haywood County man confirmed on the record in Superior Court that he killed his girlfriend’s 9-month-old daughter.
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The circle of life in a new apartment
The ‘circle of life’ philosophy is not only about procreation and ensuring the long-term existence of a species. It’s also…
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No coincidence: good local newspapers = good place to live
There’s a basic human longing for a sense of place, some part of the world that’s home, a place where…
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Booming Times, Busted Budgets: Growing visitation strains resources in and around the GSMNP
Christine Cole Proctor was home alone with her big sister at the family cabin on Forney Creek when she heard…
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Who works for the general good?
To the Editor: Republicans like to talk about how Democrats are ruining the country without being specific on how that…
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Cherokee County man found guilty of drug trafficking
A Cherokee County man who sold large quantities of illegal drugs out of a Canton hotel room will spend, at…
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Child molester gets 50-70 years
Following two weeks of evidence and testimony, jury members needed only 29 minutes of deliberations to convict a Jackson County…
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Red Cross urges blood donations
A strong blood supply is key to preparedness for disasters and medical emergencies, and donors can ensure blood is on…
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Amid shortage, Macon schools passes bus driver retention bonus
Bus drivers in Macon County will receive a retention bonus totaling $500 this year as part of the school system’s…
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Highlands shreds more than 2 tons
More than two tons of paper were collected for shredding and recycling recently at the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands,…
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Canton announces plans for new town hall, police department
Almost immediately after deadly flooding swamped downtown Canton for the second time in less than 20 years, town officials began…
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Sylva reins in short-term rentals
New short-term rentals in Sylva will only be allowed as an accessory use to an existing dwelling, not the only…
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Tribe prepares to rent new Whittier housing
New housing will soon be available for Cherokee tribal members in Whittier following a unanimous vote from Tribal Council Aug.…
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Buyers gaining more power as market shifts
Home sales in the Western North Carolina region continued to slow in July, mirroring broader housing trends and declining affordability…
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WCU opens ‘Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories’ exhibit
Beginning in the 1870s, the U.S. government attempted to educate and assimilate American Indians into “civilized” society by placing children…
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Haywood commissioners reject misinformation at meeting
When a small group of concerned citizens turned up to the most recent Haywood County Board of Commissioners meeting, it…
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Street Food Institute event to help local food businesses
N.C. State Cooperative Extension, Eastern Band of Cherokee Commerce Department and EmPOWERING Mountain Food Systems are hosting the Street Food…
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