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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Seat belt use encouraged during Child Passenger Safety Week

State and local officials are reminding people during “Child Passenger Safety Week” to buckle up their youngest passengers because car crashes…
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Mike Wade creates endowed fund at SCC

Roughly a decade ago, Mike Wade heard a quote from successful industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie: “I spent the first…
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Cherokee votes: Hicks wins fourth term as Cherokee chief

Cherokee looked back for its future in the Sept. 7 General Election, with an overwhelming majority of Eastern Band of…
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Trailblazer: Parents go the extra mile to protect transgender son

Luke Klein’s life in North Carolina hasn’t been much different than that of any other pre-teen boy.
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Barrett drops out of Maggie Valley race after residency challenge filed

The field of candidates for the two Maggie Valley alderman seats up for election this November just got a little…
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UPDATED: Hearing scheduled for challenge to Maggie Valley alderman candidate

UPDATE: Barrett dropped out of the race on Sept. 13, one day after this story was updated for print. Read…
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Constitutional sheriffs event brings few sheriffs

Group was met with energy and an award from congressman but few in uniform 
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In landslide vote, EBCI says yes to cannabis

In a decision that received national attention, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum question endorsing legalized…
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Testing Data: WNC schools show growth in pandemic recovery

Last week, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released performance and growth data for the 2022-23 school year, and…
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Residents call on Jackson commissioner to apologize

Jackson residents and members of the LGBTQ+ community are calling on County Commissioner John Smith to apologize following comments he…
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Large freshman class hopeful sign for future WCU growth

For the third year running, freshman enrollment has increased at Western Carolina University, a metric that university leaders hope will…
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Planning for the park: Recreational needs survey solicits input for future of Pinnacle Park

In April, Sylva received the results of an in-depth botanical survey of Pinnacle Park, and now the town is in…
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Mixed drink referendum passes easily in Cherokee

What was once an extremely contentious issue in Cherokee now appears to be fairly noncontroversial, as a referendum vote seeking…
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Delayed budget means delayed Medicaid expansion

Nonprofits gear up for implementation but still have concerns 
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WCU physical therapy grad student gets to see legislative side of health care

Ruby Dixon, a third-year student in Western Carolina University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, considers the entire state of North…
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Swain County man found guilty of murder

Last week, a Swain County jury convicted Daniel Ryan Sutton, 39, of first-degree murder.
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Sylva Police Department files graffiti charges

Graffiti has appeared on properties along the N.C. 107 corridor for several months.
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Dr. Brandon B. Herndon Joins Haywood Regional Medical Center

Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that Dr. Brandon B. Herndon has joined its staff and will be offering services in…
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Republican mayoral candidates drop out in Maggie Valley, Waynesville

With less than two months until Haywood County municipal elections are held, two candidates who filed to run back in…
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Hicks wins fourth term as Cherokee chief

Cherokee looked back for its future in today’s General Election, with an overwhelming majority of voters electing to oust incumbent…
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School board approves Higdon property lease

After months of back and forth, the Macon County School Board has approved a lease agreement for the Higdon property,…
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Film to highlight the ‘grit and wit’ of Gary Carden

A film about one of Western North Carolina’s most revered literary figures will make its world premiere in a free event…
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Get ready for Sylva Pride

The third annual Sylva Pride Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Bridge…
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WCU Cherokee Language Program’s ECHT Project receives $64,905 grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Sara Snyder Hopkins, assistant professor and director of the Cherokee Language Program at…
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Harris Regional Hospital & Swain Community Hospital announces New CEO

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Duke LifePoint hospitals, announced the appointment of Ashley Hindman as the new chief…
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Summit breaks ground on new high school building

After graduating its first senior class in the spring of 2022, Summit Charter School has broken ground on phase II…
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Police shooting defendants reply to lawsuit

Tribal officers in Cherokee County shooting say they thought victim was armed
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Waynesville arch nears fundraising goal

The replica of a decorative arch that once spanned Main Street in Waynesville but was removed in the early 1970s…
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Tribal Council approves referendum for cannabis vote

After a narrow passage in Tribal Council, the September ballot is expected to ask Cherokee voters whether they support legalizing…
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Cherokee chief candidates make their case: Tribal finance, business ventures key issues in 2023 race

As voters ponder the ballot for executive offices within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians next month, they’ll be looking…
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A voter guide for Painttown Tribal Council

Cherokee’s June 1 Primary Election whittled the field of candidates for Painttown Tribal Council down to four, and they will…
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A voter guide for Big Cove Tribal Council

During the General Election Thursday, Sept. 7, Big Cove voters will weigh in on who they want to see represent…
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A voter guide for Snowbird/Cherokee County Tribal Council

Only three candidates are running for the two Tribal Council seats representing the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ farthest-flung township,…
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A voter guide for Birdtown Tribal Council

Cherokee’s June 1 Primary Election whittled the field of candidates for Birdtown Tribal Council down to four, and they will…
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A voter guide for Yellowhill Tribal Council

During the General Election Sept. 7, Yellowhill voters will choose two of the four names before them to be their…
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A voter guide for Wolfetown Tribal Council

This year’s race for Wolfetown/Big Y Tribal Council is an unusual one, with the two incumbents having held their seats…
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Exhibition celebrates Lambert Wilson’s legacy

In 1972, Lambert Wilson’s life changed forever.
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Above the law: Sheriffs largely silent on sovereign group’s meeting

A controversial law enforcement association that holds a fringe interpretation of the Constitution and has ties to white nationalism, the sovereign…
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The rebirth of mountain chic: Waynesville Inn & Golf Club tees up its second century

When old Jack Welch sold his Waynesville dairy farm to Jim Long in the early 1920s, he probably couldn’t have…
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Moody, Dever sentenced in sovereign citizen ‘phony writs’ case

Two defendants who pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in communicating threats to dozens if not hundreds of…
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Smoky Mountain News nets 38 NCPA awards

The staff of the Smoky Mountain News won 18 advertising awards, including three first-place honors, as well as 16 editorial…
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New book details history of manufacturing in Jackson

When Jason Gregory presented his new book on the history of manufacturing in Sylva at the Jackson County Public Library…
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Tillis looks towards the future in Canton

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis has taken a particular interest in Canton over the past few years, making multiple…
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TDA 2.0: Haywood’s tourism authority takes bold steps under new leadership

She’s only been on the job for a few months, but the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority’s new executive director…
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Cherokee fair plans for 111th year

The Cherokee Indian Fair will return Oct. 3-7 for its 111th year, but in a new location. This year’s event…
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Sylva reinstates civil penalties for discharging firearms, Molotov cocktails

The Town of Sylva has reinstated misdemeanor charges for discharging a firearm or a Molotov cocktail in town limits after…
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WCU set to recognize education champions Phil and Connie Haire

To recognize their exemplary contributions to Western Carolina University and the local and regional community, WCU’s Board of Trustees is…
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