Council delays Indiana casino decision
Tribal Council voted 10-1 today to table a resolution that would have allowed the tribe to move forward with a…
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New virus outbreak reported in Sylva
A total of 37 people at Morningstar Assisted Living in Sylva have tested positive for COVID-19, making the facility the…
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Seven more nursing home residents die in Haywood
Between Dec. 8 and Dec. 10, Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 107 new cases of COVID-19 and…
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Moss pleads guilty to embezzling charges
A would-be lawyer found herself in handcuffs and headed to prison Thursday after pleading guilty in Jackson County Superior Court…
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With sales tax strong, Jackson considers budget increase
The 2020-2021 budget Jackson County passed in June was a slimmed-down plan adopted in reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis…
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Whittier man dead following shooting incident
A Whittier man is dead due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a 911 call that the Jackson County Sheriff’s…
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Graham County Clerk of Court closed due to COVID
The Graham County Clerk of Superior Court’s office will be closed through Friday, Dec. 18, due to COVID-19 exposure.
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Haywood Republicans fill commission vacancy
After several public meetings where intensive questions were posed by the Haywood County Republican Party to seven candidates, the party…
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Greening Up the Mountains moved to summer
The beloved Greening Up The Mountains Festival will once again be absent from its traditional date of the last Saturday…
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Mountain Projects seeks emergency fund donations
Mountain Projects 31 Days of Giving Campaign is seeking holiday contributions to support the well-being of families experiencing poverty in…
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Nonprofit Mission Made Lots of Profits — Especially for Bosses
Pay for top executives rose faster than for doctors, nurses By Peter H. Lewis and Barbara Durr, Asheville Watchdog For…
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WCU will require students to take COVID-19 test
Western Carolina University students living in residence halls will be asked to submit documentation of a negative COVID-19 test result…
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Jerry Wolfe Highway nears approval
UPDATE: The N.C. Board of Transportation unanimously approved the renaming during its Dec. 2 meeting. The 4.2-mile stretch of U.S.…
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COVID-19 vaccine begins to roll out
The first COVID-19 vaccines have already been administered overseas as FDA approval is still underway in the U.S.
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COVID-19, a difficult problem for nursing homes
As the holiday season progresses, Western North Carolina has seen a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases. This rising spread has…
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People urged to comply with contact tracing efforts
County health officials are urging residents to comply with COVID-19 contact tracing efforts if contacted by the health department.
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Forest Hills supports Jackson County namesake change
While the issue has not yet come before county commissioners, the Village of Forest Hills has passed a resolution supporting…
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Tribal Council removes casino board chairman
In a closely divided vote following an at-times tense discussion Thursday, Dec. 3, the Cherokee Tribal Council removed Tribal Casino…
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NPS investigates sexual assault case
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch continues to seek information related to sexual assaults that may have occurred within…
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New members join Macon County School Board
Macon County School Board has two new members following the 2020 election and a special appointment to fill a recent…
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Haywood Schools central office relocates
Haywood County Schools Central Office began the process of relocating to Central Elementary last week.
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Female farmers survive a challenging year
By Laura Lauffer • Contributing writer | During the holiday season, we often recognize and appreciate the farmers in our community for…
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Gov. Cooper presents grim coronavirus numbers, new restrictions
Calling the stakes dire and the situation “a matter of life and death,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a…
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Conspiracy theorists continue to spread misinformation in Haywood
Weeks after controversy erupted due to a mischaracterization of a routine local government housekeeping measure in Waynesville, conspiracy theorists continue…
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Haywood Regional Medical Center Suspends Visitation
Haywood County is currently experiencing a rapid increase in positive cases of COVID-19, indicating unchecked community spread. Thus, with the…
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Contact tracing crucial as COVID case spike
Between Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, Haywood County Public Health received notice of 79 new cases of COVID-19. As of…
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Governor, tribe approve sports betting agreement
After a yearlong delay, the effort to bring sports betting to Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos is finally moving forward following Gov.…
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Trio of Paving Contracts Awarded in WNC counties
N.C. Department of Transportation officials recently awarded three separate contracts totaling more than $6.7 million to resurface more than 26.2…
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Hernandez pleads guilty in motorcycle death
Jorge Hernandez, arrested last year after crashing into a motorcyclist on N.C. 107 near Glenville, killing him, pleaded guilty Tuesday…
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Jackson says goodbye to Mau and Luker
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners said goodbye to outgoing Commissioners Ron Mau and Mickey Luker on Tuesday, Dec. 1,…
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Two COVID-19 deaths reported in Haywood nursing home
Two people have died related to a COVID-19 outbreak at Maggie Valley Nursing Home and Rehabilitation, bringing Haywood County’s total…
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COVID-19 spikes force WCU to cancel in-person commencements
In response to concerns about the surge of COVID-19 cases across North Carolina and the U.S. and in consultation with…
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DA undergoes breast cancer treatment
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced that she has breast cancer and is undergoing medical treatment.
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HCC students guaranteed admission to Lees-McRae
Haywood Community College (HCC) and Lees-McRae College (LMC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Guaranteed Admission Program…
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Mayflower anniversary celebrated
Families observing Thanksgiving this month will be following a tradition that arose several hundred years ago from events in Plymouth,…
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State releases new economic ranking for counties
The North Carolina Department of Commerce released the county tier designations for 2021, showing that Haywood moved to a more…
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Coronavirus creeps into WNC nursing homes
COVID-19 is surging in Western North Carolina counties, and eight nursing homes in Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties are currently…
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Shining Rock ends partnership with TeamCFA
Shining Rock Classical Academy’s Board of Directors recently voted to terminate its long-time partnership with TeamCFA, a national network of…
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F*ckface and Other Stories by Leah Hampton: the real stories of modern Appalachia
The name of Leah Hampton’s new book will likely grab your attention. If it does, let it pull you in.…
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Few differences apparent in Haywood commission candidates
Round two of the Haywood County Republican Party’s candidate screening process is now complete, and after fielding more than two…
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Timeline announced for indoor pool project
After Jackson County voters narrowly approved a Nov. 4 referendum to bring an indoor pool to Cullowhee, the lanes are…
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Sylva grapples with slope failure fix
A 150-foot section of Allen Street in Sylva has been closed since April as the town board decides what to…
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COVID-19 cluster found at Hermitage Care
Four people at Hermitage Assisted Living and Memory Care in Sylva have tested positive for COVID-19, constituting a new outbreak.
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Jackson NAACP Awarded $25K Grant
The Jackson County Branch of the North Carolina Conference of the NAACP was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the…
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COVID-19 outbreaks at three Haywood living facilities
The Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency has identified COVID-19 outbreaks at Autumn Care of Waynesville, Maggie Valley Nursing…
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COVID-19 deaths in Jackson reach 10
During the month of November thus far, three people diagnosed with COVID-19 have died in Jackson County, bringing the county’s…
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Macon reports ninth COVID-related death
A Macon County resident diagnosed with COVID-19 passed away Sunday. The person was over the age of 65 and had…
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Haywood reports 40th COVID-19 death
Haywood County Health and Human Services has reported three more COVID-19 related deaths as of Nov. 24, bringing the county’s…
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‘They deserve the best’: Culture is key to care for Cherokee geriatrician
Blythe Winchester has known since a young age that she wanted to be a doctor. She remembers “doctoring” her dolls…
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Shop Local Saturday: Support local businesses onsite and online
By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | This year’s post-Thanksgiving weekend of shopping holidays will be unlike any other. This…
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