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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Haywood Waterways director moves on
Nearly two decades ago, Eric Romaniszyn joined the nonprofit world as the new project manager for Haywood Waterways Association .
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Masks now optional in Jackson Schools
Effective Monday, Feb. 21, masks will be optional in Jackson County Schools. The decision was made at an emergency board…
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Masks now optional in Haywood schools
Masks are optional for students and staff of Haywood County Schools after the school board voted last night to remove…
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Haywood library increases access
The Haywood County Public Library will take care of the work of renewing checked out items for patrons.
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Case counts drop as families mourn COVID deaths
COVID-19 cases are dropping precipitously both locally and statewide, with hospitalizations now hovering just above the 3,000 mark after hitting…
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Macon firefighter injured on fire line
A Macon County firefighter was flown to the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia with severe injuries last week after flames…
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Rep. Pless looks back on 2021
It’s been a challenging year in Haywood County government circles, especially on the state level.
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First board members selected for Waynesville’s new downtown group
Goodbye, Downtown Waynesville Association. Hello, Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee.
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Cherokee debates term limit referendum language
In an unusual sequence of events Feb. 3, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed a resolution outlining a set of referendum…
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JCTDA rolls out tourism capital project fund
Jackson County Tourism Development Authority will open applications for its first round of tourism capital projects funds this year. This…
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Sylva tables chicken discussion
After community members showed up in force to object to certain provisions of Sylva’s proposed updated zoning ordinance, commissioners tabled…
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Capital needs in Macon pit capacity vs. affordability
Macon County has a long, expensive list of capital needs over the next decade, and commissioners took nearly three hours…
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Sylva approves plan for open carry alcohol
Despite a strong public showing against the proposed social district at Sylva’s town meeting on Thursday, commissioners voted 3-2 to…
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Smoky Mountain Young Republicans seek members
Last week’s GOP congressional forum wasn’t hosted by the state party, some national media outlet or even a local county…
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Republicans off to the races in NC-14
The first Republican forum in the NC-14 congressional race may have been light on specific policy proposals, but the eight…
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Saving our lifesavers: Donaldson pleads for help
A comprehensive assessment of Haywood Emergency Management Services completed in 2019 suggested that aggressive shift schedules put employees at greater…
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Donations sought for Carden scholarship
Beloved Western North Carolina author, educator and storyteller Gary Carden has immortalized himself though his life’s work of preserving and…
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