Incident at Shining Rock results in student injury

A disciplinary incident at Shining Rock Classical Academy last month resulted in a fractured wrist for one student. 
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WCU to honor individuals as part of Homecoming

Members of the Western Carolina University family will come together to recognize three prominent alumni for their career accomplishments and…
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HRMC announces Lunch and Learn for October

Join Haywood Regional Medical Center for a Lunch and Learn this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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I-40 lane closing for repair in Buncombe County
 

I-40 lane closing for repair in Buncombe County

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation began a project to repair the left lane of I-40 West between…
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Great Smokies Health Foundation Announces 2023 Grants
 

Great Smokies Health Foundation Announces 2023 Grants

The Board of Directors of the Great Smokies Health Foundation has awarded $539,235 to 24 organizations for a variety of…
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Jackson continues consolidation conversation

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing over the possible consolidation of the Department of Health and…
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Three seats up for Sylva Town Council

Three seats are up for election this November on the Sylva Town Council, and six candidates are competing for those…
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Hemmed in and busting out: The town of Clyde faces challenges alongside opportunity

Things are changing in Haywood County’s smallest incorporated municipality. Although there are only 754 registered voters in Clyde, the town…
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Hicks proposes loan to fund cannabis enterprise

In one of the first pieces of legislation of his new term, on Monday, Oct. 9, Principal Chief Michell Hicks…
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Documents reveal how Waynesville woman allegedly embezzled $1.6 million

A week after Amy Elizabeth Curry was charged in federal court with wire fraud and money laundering, search warrants reveal how…
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Reclaiming the name: Cherokee museum chooses new name, branding

When Shana Condill  stepped in as Cherokee’s new museum director, she expected questions about the museum’s name — and her…
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‘We never leave anybody behind:’ Vietnam veteran’s remains returned to Waynesville

For the first time in nearly 55 years, a Waynesville native and Air Force captain who didn’t return from his…
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Tickets available for forum with Pulitzer winning author

Macon County residents will not have to travel far to attend Pisgah Legal Services’ 13th Annual Justice Forum. A special…
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Waynesville resident receives statewide award

The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina has named Waynesville resident Kathleen “Merritt” Tongen of L.N. Davis Insurance Agency in…
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Medicaid expansion passes

More than half a million low-income, uninured North Carolinians will gain access to comprehensive health coverage when Medicaid expansion launches…
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Waynesville proclaims 'Fred Hall Week'

Days before the remains of Capt. Fred Hall are to be returned to Waynesville for burial after he went missing…
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Jackson continues consolidation conversation

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing over the possible consolidation of the Department of Health and…
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Lake Santeetlah voter fraud allegations remain at a standstill

It’s been more than a year since residency challenges were filed against six Democrats who registered to vote at a…
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Assistance available for dislocated workers

A substantial grant from the U.S. Department of Labor has already provided help for more than 50 dislocated workers in Western…
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Medicaid expansion for North Carolina will go into effect on Dec. 1

For North Carolina Health News  After being held up for months by the General Assembly’s protracted dispute over a state…
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Newman, Phillips vie for Mayor of Sylva

When Sylva residents go to the polls, they will be choosing a mayor to lead the town through several big…
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Several towns to have uncontested elections

Franklin, Webster, Bryson City and the Village of Forest Hills all have multiple seats up for election this year on…
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State budget delivers wins for WCU

The newly adopted state budget is good news for Western Carolina University, according to Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Mike…
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Cherokee inaugurates new leaders

More than 700 people filled the Cherokee High School basketball arena to celebrate the inauguration of new tribal leaders Monday,…
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Bathrooms finally coming to Obama-King Park

After years of delay, the tiny half-acre park off Pigeon Street in the heart of Waynesville’s Black community should soon…
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Paper mill logs new violation: Investigation continues into black liquor seep

The now-shuttered paper mill in Canton has received a new violation for exceeding permit limits on toxicity for water released…
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Clampitt ceases effort to legislate Swain TDA changes

New bill includes 2% occupancy tax increase
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SCC launches Practical Nursing career path

For anyone looking to get into the field of nursing, Southwestern Community College will offer a Practical Nursing program starting…
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Opposition heard for non-residents on Maggie Valley board

A candidate for Maggie Valley alderman who dropped out and resigned her seat on the town’s zoning board when opponents filed…
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Welcome Capt. Fred Hall home

Missing in action for more than 54 years, Air Force Capt. Frederick Mervyn Hall of Waynesville will return home for…
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Peace Pole Dedicated at the Pigeon Center

Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center celebrated the International Day of Peace last week by installing a peace pole.
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Tribal official solicited favors from cannabis contractor, investigation finds

 Council considers fine, employment ban  The Cherokee Tribal Council is considering taking formal action against a former representative who is…
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State budget commits substantial funding to critical needs in WNC

This year’s state budget process may have been one of the most discordant in recent memory, but Western North Carolina’s…
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WNC courts receive much-needed help

Western North Carolina courts are about to get a leg up, but it isn’t all that everyone hoped for. 
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District Attorney seeks death penalty in Otto murder case

District Attorney Ashley Welch will seek the death penalty in the odd and heinous murder case of Tina Walkingstick Frizsell. 
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Master plan adopted for Macon rec park

Macon County Commissioners have adopted a master plan for the county’s recreation center and surrounding park.
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Jackson considers consolidation: Public hearing set for Oct. 3

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will likely move to consolidate the Department of Health and the Department of Social…
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Plott-tober Fest to draw national competitors

Plott hound enthusiasts and their pups from across the United States will assemble to compete in bear bay and coon…
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Economic development efforts added to allowed uses for tribal levy

In a divided decision the Cherokee Tribal Council approved an ordinance amendment that will allow funding for the tribe’s cannabis…
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Ordinance expanding per capita payments withdrawn for further discussion

Debate about how to spend revenues from the tribe’s growing portfolio of out-of-state gambling businesses will continue into the next…
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Support Full Spectrum Farms

Starlight Night, the annual fundraiser for Full Spectrum Farms, will take place 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, on the farm.
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A hero comes home

America reckons with its legacy in Vietnam, one soldier at a time
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Cherokee Police Commission discusses cannabis change

A week after Cherokee voters overwhelmingly voiced their support for legalizing cannabis on the Qualla Boundary, the Cherokee Police Commission spent 20…
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Referendum votes meet turnout threshold

Voter turnout came in at 53.9% for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Sept. 7 election, according to numbers the…
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Sylva considers Safe Haven Boxes

The Sylva Board of Commissioners recently received a presentation on Safe Haven Boxes — a program that allows for the…
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Data shows improvements for local charter schools

With accountability data released from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, all charter schools in the Smoky Mountain News’…
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Swain school board will revise policy to comply with new law

After the Parents Bill of Rights passed the General Assembly in August, local boards of education are determining how to align…
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Defendants get prison time following trafficking investigation

Eight people charged in Haywood County with trafficking and possessing illegal drugs are now serving active time in state prison,…
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Champion Credit Union and Ecusta Credit Union Announce Merger

Champion Credit Union announced that Ecusta Credit Union, which has served Transylvania and Henderson counties since 1976, will formally merge…
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Hawthorn Heights home now locally owned

Hawthorn Heights WNC, a nonprofit founded in Bryson City, announced it has purchased its current facility from Children’s Hope Alliance.
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