Jackson County logs new COVID-19 cases

Two new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Jackson County residents today, upping the number to 33, with 1,319 tests completed…
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Health insurance deadline looms for displaced workers
 

Health insurance deadline looms for displaced workers

 Workers laid-off due to COVID-19 face impending deadlines to qualify for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance.
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Haywood COVID cases now up to 48

Haywood County Public Health received notice on May 28, that another three Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19…
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Three Macon residents positive for COVID-19

Macon County has identified three more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases up to 21.
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Four new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Jackson County

Jackson County saw a 14.8 percent increase in COVID-19 cases among county residents today, with the count rising from 27…
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Franklin senior misses chance at starting lineup

Trey Woodard has been playing baseball as long as he can remember and was looking forward to being a part…
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Adoption program makes senior year special for SMHS students

The arrival of COVID-19 in the United States caused a storm of cancelations, closures, warnings and fears, but there’s one…
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Something to celebrate: Cherokee valedictorian navigates a pandemic

As February melted into March, Raylen Bark was so busy she had little time to think about the fact that…
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Grad looks toward career in nursing

For years, Stephanie Morton had focused her daily energy on homeschooling her four kids, but as the children grew into…
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Haywood Early College students support each other

Canton native Lily Payne still remembers her last day of school at Haywood Early College. 
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Student overcomes challenges at HCLC

As the Coronavirus Pandemic developed and schools shut down, senior year began to look drastically different for high school seniors…
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Swain student moving on to bigger, better dreams

Colby Taylor, a senior at Swain County High School, hasn’t let the COVID-19 Pandemic derail his future goals. Even though…
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Tuscola grad looking forward to future

The Class of 2020 — what a year to be alive, much less graduating high school and heading out into the…
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Bigger graduations in store for Haywood Community College student

Maggie Mehaffey’s taken a bit of a different academic path than many of her peers — a path that gives…
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For extrovert, no school means no fun

For Chloé Queen, a senior at Pisgah High School, graduation and senior year are turning out drastically different than anticipated. 
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Haywood takes steps to open businesses safely

Since the Coronavirus Pandemic began in earnest in Haywood County in mid-March, emergency physician Dr. Mark Jaben has been the…
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Maggie Valley maintains tax rate despite revenue drop

Maggie Valley is projecting a more than 16 percent decline in revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year due to the…
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North Carolina takes ‘cautious’ step into phase 2

As expected, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he believes the state is ready to begin phase 2 of…
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North Carolina phase 2 will reopen restaurants, not bars

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced moments ago that he believes the state is ready to begin phase 2 of…
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County COVID-19 updates

On May 24, Macon County Public Health announced a cluster of cases centered around the Evangelical Ebenezer Church. As of…
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Haywood County Cares — Roberta Harverson

Roberta Harverson started her nursing career as a CNA. After completing her LPN at AB-Tech, she began working at Autumn…
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Mercy Urgent Care offers COVID-19 testing
 

Mercy Urgent Care offers COVID-19 testing

Mercy Urgent Care is now offering two types of COVID-19 testing, viral testing and antibody testing, at all eight of…
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COVID-19 cluster identified in Macon church

Macon County Public Health has identified a COVID-19 cluster of positive cases in an area church located in Franklin.
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ABC permit holders can extend outdoor seating
 

ABC permit holders can extend outdoor seating

In accordance with Executive Order 141, the ABC Commission will temporarily allow On-Premise ABC permit holders to include additional outdoor…
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Cherokee sues feds over Catawba decision

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has filed a federal lawsuit over a recent decision from the U.S. Department of…
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NC reports highest one-day spike of COVID cases

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is reporting the state’s highest one-day number of laboratory-confirmed…
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COVID-19 ravages Asheville nursing home

By Sally Kestin AVL Watchdog It began with one employee falling ill from the coronavirus. By Friday morning, just 11 days…
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Three Macon residents positive for COVID-19

Macon County Public Health has identified three additional positive cases of COVID-19. All three are unrelated to the positive essential…
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Haywood COVID-19 cases reach 41

Haywood County Public Health received notice May 22, that another Haywood County resident has tested positive for COVID-19.  This is…
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First reported case of MIS-C in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting its first case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children…
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7 more positive COVID-19 cases in Haywood

Haywood County Public Health received notice May 21, that seven more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19.  These…
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Haywood County sweetens economic development pot

An economic development incentive plan first passed by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners in 2004 underwent a significant retooling…
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Four more COVID-19 cases reported in Haywood

Haywood County Public Health received notice May 20 that four more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. These…
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Open Door goes mobile with Salvation Army help

The Coronavirus Pandemic has made it that much more difficult for many low income and unsheltered individuals to feed themselves…
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Honking for Jesus: Churches adapt, ponder reopening after lawsuit

On May 17, a typical sunny spring Sunday in this community of churches, congregants gathered for religious services all across…
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Planning to begin on massive Canton recreation parcel

Despite the reticence of some local governments to spend money on non-essential services due to uncertainty in revenues amidst the…
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Macon budget priorities change amid pandemic

When Macon County officials started their 2020-21 budget process back in early February, COVID-19 was barely a blip on their…
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Franklin sets budget priorities for 2020-21

Just like every other local government in the nation, the Town of Franklin is facing uncertainty when it comes to…
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Waynesville presents grave budget message

Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites, an experienced professional with almost 40 years in municipal government, called the current budget year…
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Despite coronavirus, Canton budget stays the course

As local government units across the state work on their annual budgets a variety of approaches have been taken by…
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Fontana libraries provide curbside services
 

Fontana libraries provide curbside services

All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties will provide curbside pickup service starting the week of…
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Free COVID-19 testing site opens in Sylva

Jackson County saw a modest increase in COVID-19 cases this week, with the disease confirmed in 25 residents as of…
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Nikwasi Initiative hires first executive director

Nikwasi Initiative, a new nonprofit established in 2018 with the mission of preserving the Nikwasi Mound in downtown Franklin and…
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Second Lady visits Smokies as park announces Phase 2 reopenings

Second Lady Karen Pence visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park today to celebrate implementation of the park’s next reopening…
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Fifth Macon County resident positive for COVID-19

Macon County Public Health received a positive test result on Friday, May 15. A fourth Macon County resident has tested…
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Haywood County Cares — Tammy Ensley

This year, Tammy Ensley celebrated 15 years as coach of Pisgah’s varsity cheerleading team and her first year coaching the…
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WCU group donated surgical masks to community

Some 15,000 much-needed surgical masks are now available for health care providers across the 18 counties of Western North Carolina,…
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Two new COVID-19 cases reported in Haywood

Haywood County Public Health received notice May 18 that two more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, marking…
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Pandemic put pause on Mission’s troubles

By Peter H. Lewis AVL Watchdog The biggest health crisis in a lifetime hit Asheville shortly after the one-year anniversary…
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Volunteers wanted for study about how people obtain COVID-19 information

A faculty member in Western Carolina University’s Department of Communication is seeking volunteers to participate in a research study exploring…
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