VAWA reauthorization expands tribe’s ability to hold abusers accountable
On July 21, 2015, Cherokee resident John Michael Arkansas was convicted of violating a domestic violence protective order. He received…
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Up to the fight: Cherokee’s new police chief aims for big changes
Josh Taylor is seven months into his job as chief of the Cherokee Indian Police Department. Asked how it’s going,…
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Maggie board denies slew of rezoning requests
“The motion passes, three to two,” is becoming an ever more common phrase during Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen meetings.…
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Controversy over food trucks continues in Maggie
The issue of Food Trucks has come up once again for the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen. This latest discussion…
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WCU trustees promise sunset for athletic fee increase
A requested athletic fee increase at Western Carolina University met approval from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors at…
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Waynesville begins research on social districts
After Alderman Anthony Sutton floated the idea near the end of a Jan. 11 meeting, the Town of Waynesville will…
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ABC store opens in Cherokee
Just six months after Cherokee voters said yes in a referendum election , a liquor store is open on the…
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Sylva Fire requests funding for more paid staff
Sylva Fire Department is requesting funding from Jackson County for the salary of additional paid personnel in the split paid,…
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Gov. Cooper returns to Haywood, checks in on flood recovery
On March 15, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper made several stops in Western North Carolina, including one in Waynesville, where…
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Jackson County man pleads guilty to six felonies after impregnating minor
A man who had sex multiple times with an underage teen, impregnating her, will spend at least the next two…
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P.A.W.S. rehouses dogs from Feb. puppy mill rescue
On Feb. 11, 2022, P.A.W.S. traveled to Pickens, South Carolina to provide assistance in a large-scale puppy mill of 166…
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Cherokee exploring dorm housing for casino workers
As the labor shortage at Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos continues to worsen, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is considering dormitory-style…
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WCU lifts mask mandate
In a campuswide email sent this afternoon, Western Carolina University announced that its mask mandate will expire on Saturday, Feb.…
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Remembering Lake Logan
One of the most beautiful settings in Western North Carolina is Lake Logan, a sizable body of water captured between…
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Lake Logan addresses challenges, looks toward future
Lake Logan has come a long way since the Episcopal Church purchased the property in 2000.
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Swimmer sentenced for 2018 murder
A Cherokee man was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder by…
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Cherokee man faces homicide charge
A Cherokee man is being held without bond after allegedly shooting two people outside McDonald’s in Cherokee on Friday, Feb.…
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Needs-based capital fund grants expanded for schools
The Needs-Based Public Schools Capital Fund Grant Program was established as part of the education lottery in the 2017-18 state…
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Temporary home for Central Haywood High School
Due to the flooding that ravaged the Canton, Cruso and Clyde areas in the wake of Tropical Storm Fred last…
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Commissioners will expand EMS staffing in Haywood
A month ago, Haywood Emergency Medical Services Director Travis Donaldson pleaded with Haywood County commissioners to adjust schedules and raise…
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DWAC will hold downtown Waynesville events – except for one
A subcommittee of the new Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee (DWAC) met last week to kick-start a full slate of summer,…
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WCU sets new legislative goals
Following November’s passage of the “best budget in a decade” for the University of North Carolina System, Western Carolina University…
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Ballot challenge to Cawthorn candidacy fails
With a troublesome lawsuit challenge to his candidacy finally out of the way, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) can now focus…
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Candidate filing period ends with some surprises
While much of the field has been set for weeks in many of the races that will appear on Western…
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Cherokee man receives 30 years for 2018 murder
A Cherokee man was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder by…
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Remillard will run for Haywood’s House seat
In a viral video he released last fall, Army veteran Josh Remillard explained the concept of a “ruck” as carrying…
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Gash drops NC-11 congressional bid
After spending nearly a year campaigning for the Democratic nomination in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, Hendersonville educator Eric Gash…
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Rooted in home: Cherokee’s newest Beloved Woman reflects on life of service, learning and tribal identity
Carmaleta Littlejohn Monteith has taken countless flights to innumerable destinations during her 86 years on Earth, so she no longer…
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DOR begins mailing recovery checks
The N.C. Department of Revenue today began mailing one-time Business Recovery Grant payments to approved North Carolina businesses that applied to…
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Man dead, second injured in Cherokee shooting
One man died and another was critically injured during a shooting that occurred at 11:22 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, in…
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A labor of love: After 20 years, Petty walks away from MDCS
Mountain Discovery Charter School in Swain County is celebrating its 20th year serving students in Western North Carolina. The school…
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Maps set, candidates file, Cawthorn returns
After months of back-and-forth between the General Assembly, the Wake County Superior Court and the North Carolina Supreme Court, state…
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Jackson begins budget talks with education capital needs
Jackson County Commissioners began the process of hammering out a budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year during a work session…
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Advisory panel offers direction for growth in Cashiers
After a week of research and interviews with over 100 stakeholders in Cashiers, the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel…
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Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee holds first meeting
With festival season rapidly approaching and a long list of items needing attention, members of the new Downtown Waynesville Advisory…
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Jackson TDA hires digital media specialist
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) has hired Jon Moore as its new social media and digital content specialist.
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Press release says Cawthorn’s made his decision on where to run
Rep. Madison Cawthorn drew mixed reactions when he announced on Nov. 11, 2021 that he’d run in the newly drawn…
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A shift for sanctuaries: Wildlife Commission considers opening new areas to bear hunting
With already record-high bear populations continuing robust growth in Western North Carolina, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing a…
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The Creative Thought Center: For many, the final step on a spiritual journey
On Sunday morning, silence falls in the Creative Thought Center, save the voice of Kim May as she leads her…
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Keeping the faith: Religious diversity flourishes in the mountains
One need look only to the hundreds of churches in Western North Carolina to see that the people of Southern…
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‘One brotherhood’: Asheville mosque offers rare prayer center for mountain Muslims
In the Muslim faith, corporate prayer is a pillar of the practice — and in Western North Carolina, there’s only…
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East meets west at the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church
In a small room tucked away in the corner of a nondescript strip mall in the heart of Waynesville, spindly…
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Mountain Synagogue: Jewish community growing in WNC
There aren’t many synagogues in Western North Carolina, just one west of Asheville. Mountain Synagogue in Franklin is a community…
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WNC schools repeal mask mandates
School systems in all four counties of The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area are no longer requiring masks in schools.…
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Cooper urges mask mandate end as Omicron subsides
Case numbers continue to decline in Western North Carolina and statewide as the Omicron surge subsides.
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Haywood commissioners evaluate fiscal health, budget requests
Debt is rolling off the books and sales tax revenue is still through the roof, but because Haywood County will…
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BLM marchers again take to Maggie Valley under increased security
The Aug. 1 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Maggie Valley may have been bigger and louder than its predecessor on…
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Little free pantry ‘fills in the cracks’
You may be familiar with the concept of the “little free library” — those small outdoor cabinets stuffed with donated…
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Some details emerge, but questions remain in Maggie Valley motel death
More than a week after an unattended death was reported at Maggie Valley’s Our Place Inn, law enforcement officials still…
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French theme park company in talks with EBCI for Exit 407 project
Representatives of a world-renowned French theme park company met with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council this week…
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