Man dies in jail: SBI investigates Jackson’s fourth jail death since 2014
For the fourth time in eight years, a person has died while incarcerated at the Jackson County Detention Center.
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Cherokee tribes voice joint opposition to recognition for Lumbee, other tribes
During their annual Tri-Council session held Thursday, June 23, the three Cherokee tribes agreed unanimously to a resolution opposing state…
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United Christian Ministries dedicates newest pantry addition
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County held an open house on Wednesday, June 15, to formally dedicate the pantry addition…
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Distillery foreclosure auction heats up
The foreclosure auction for Maggie Valley’s beloved Elevated Mountain Distillery kicked off on May 24, and although it could have…
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Mountain Credit Union Partners with MANNA Food Bank
Earlier this month, Mountain Credit Union partnered with MANNA Food Bank to provide meals that will help end food insecurity…
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Blood and platelet donors needed around Fourth of July
As summer officially begins and people gather for holiday celebrations, the American Red Cross reminds communities that patients are counting…
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Silent no more: Native communities call for end to crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women
Maggie Calhoun Bowman’s family has spent the last 17 years making peace with the fact that they will never know…
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Tuscola student attends UT engineering program
Eireann Marcus, a rising sophomore at Tuscola High School, was one out of only 32 students selected to attend Engineering…
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Mountain Heritage Day announces music headliners
Becky Buller Band and Mountain Heart will be the headline musical acts for this year’s Mountain Heritage Day, the popular…
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Catamount Cinemas to open in former site of Quin Theater
The Quin Theater shut its doors in April, but thanks to two veterans of the industry, it will find new…
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Mountain Projects takes steps forward in Jackson County
Mountain Projects had much to celebrate last week.
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Canton braces for development with comprehensive plan
In an effort to strike a balance between development pressures and a need for growth, the Town of Canton adopted…
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As expected, Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
Almost 50 years after the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling was handed down by the United States Supreme Court,…
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Vecinos spearheads services hub for uninsured and low-income WNC residents
Vecinos, a free and charitable clinic providing bilingual primary and behavioral health care in Western North Carolina, is leading a…
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Haywood County confirms first case of monkeypox
The Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency (HCHHSA) is reporting the first case of monkeypox virus infection in a…
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Two held without bond in alleged mass shooting threat
Two men are being held without bond in the Jackson County Detention Center after allegedly threatening a mass shooting in…
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Overbooked: How Highlands is attempting to regulate its short-term rental industry
Short term rentals have existed in resort towns for decades, but as Airbnb and similar services have made them more…
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State puts the brakes on US-19 flyover project
A much-needed, much-lamented bridge replacement project planned for U.S. 74 in Haywood County will be postponed, per a June 10…
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Haywood TDA to award special project grants
The biggest knock against North Carolina’s city- and county-based Tourism Development Authority system is that while it does collect and…
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Neadeau named as interim Cherokee police chief
When Chief of Police Josh Taylor’s resignation becomes effective June 27, the Cherokee Indian Police Department’s Captain of Corrections Carla…
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Designer chosen for WCU Moore Hall renovation
In a unanimous vote Friday, June 10, the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees selected Charlotte-based Jenkins Peer Architects to…
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Tourism dollars create opportunity for Jackson
This summer, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is in the process of accepting applications for its first round of…
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Buncombe TDA bill would bolster community spending
A bipartisan Senate bill that would address persistent outcry from Asheville residents over the negative impacts of tourism could reflect…
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Clampitt bill would establish TDA for Bryson City
A long-simmering feud between city and county governments over TDA revenue will finally be settled, if a bill entered by Rep.…
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N.C. 107 section dedicated to Conrad Burrell
The stories flowed easily from friends, pastors and family members of the late Conrad Burrell on Tuesday afternoon at Southwestern…
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‘Climb Out of the Darkness’
Brit Klepac gave birth two-and-a-half years ago. Throughout her pregnancy, she was mentally and physically healthy, but almost immediately after bringing…
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WCU navigates pandemic fallout as enrollment shows signs of recovery
While nothing is certain until census day in September, transfer and full-time freshman enrollment for the upcoming fall semester at…
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N.C. House opposes Smokies parking fee
The N.C. House of Representatives last week condemned the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s controversial proposal to enact a parking…
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Substantial voter fraud alleged in Lake Santeetlah
It may look like any other rustic vacation community, but beneath the placid surface of Lake Santeetlah, division runs deep.
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Highlands Biological Foundation opens North Campus
After years of planning, fundraising, and construction, the Highlands Biological Foundation (HBF) officially dedicated the North Campus of the Highlands…
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Junaluska announces Summer Worship Series and events
Lake Junaluska will host outdoor, lakeside Sunday worship services led by inspirational visiting preachers from June 26 through Aug. 14…
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Slanted Window Tasting Station cuts the ribbon
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce was proud to welcome the Slanted Window Tasting Station to the community and the chamber…
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Bear injures campers at Elkmont
A bear has been euthanized after it broke into a tent occupied by a family of five and their dog,…
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Cherokee police chief resigns
After just shy of a year on the job, Cherokee Police Chief Josh Taylor announced June 13 that he would…
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Songs of Freedom: Local churches celebrate Juneteenth through gospel music
On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas were told of their freedom — two months after Robert E. Lee…
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Walk in their shoes: Event raises awareness for elder abuse
For the tenth year in a row, people will gather in towns across Western North Carolina on the evening of…
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Report highlights bungled aftermath of sexual abuse claims at teen rehab center
Leadership at Unity Healing Center in Cherokee failed to properly investigate or report allegations that an employee of the federally…
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NOC marks 50 years in business
In 1971, Payson and Aurelia Kennedy were living a successful, stable life in Atlanta. Payson was a librarian at Georgia…
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Ken Howle reflects on finding his path through NOC
In retrospect, it’s no surprise Ken Howle ended up at a place where lives are transformed through renewal of soul,…
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Wayne Dickert’s river life born at NOC
Wayne “Wayner” Dickert may not have started paddling until he was 18 years old, but that didn’t stop him from…
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Runoff declared for Jackson School Board
Voters in Jackson County will return to the polls July 26 to determine the winner of a runoff election for…
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Maggie distillery in foreclosure as bidders come forward
The building housing Elevated Mountain Distilling Company, a fixture in Maggie Valley for over five years, is facing foreclosure and…
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Wet Your Whiskers fundraiser
FUR’s fifth-annual Wet Your Whiskers fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Wells…
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Sylva settles on railroad depot restroom
Sylva residents and visitors to the town can expect to see a new public restroom at the old railroad depot…
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Greenway planning begins in Haywood
Haywood County is taking the first steps to establish a comprehensive greenway plan that could end up linking all the…
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At last, a UDO for Maggie Valley
After years of effort and several failed attempts by multiple town boards, Maggie Valley has successfully passed its Unified Development…
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Finally, Haywood gets an offer on a troublesome parcel
Haywood County may have found a buyer for a county-owned 22-acre plot off Jonathan Creek, as long as everything goes…
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Jackson gathers to discuss homelessness
Last Thursday evening, June 2, residents of Jackson County gathered at Sylva First United Methodist Church to discuss the issue…
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Tribe votes no on Ela Dam removal
In a narrow vote June 2, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted against a resolution to pursue purchase and removal of…
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Rep. Pless wants to strip Haywood municipalities of some regulatory powers
A COVID-era sports seating bill has now morphed into a pro-development bill that would hobble the ability of Haywood County’s municipalities…
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