Legal Aid of NC uplifts domestic violence survivors
Legal Aid of North Carolina announced it has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission, the chief…
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Sylva Pride Pageant event elicits threats, controversy
The 2023 Mx. Sylva Pride Pageant wasn’t all glitz, glamour, pomp and pageantry, as social media threats and agitated protesters…
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More than a football game, much more: Pisgah High kicks off season amid continued community heartache
It didn’t matter that Pisgah High School defeated neighboring Brevard 24-10 last Friday night. What mattered most were the kids…
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Lacking landlords: Short-term rentals squeezing out Section 8 tenants
The effect of short-term rental properties on the availability and affordability of workforce housing has been well-documented in Haywood County.
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Placement of pedestrian islands in Maggie Valley causes concern
A construction project on the five-lane road in Maggie Valley is aimed at improving pedestrian safety, but some are also pointing…
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Accountability, remediation focus of DEQ secretary’s Canton mill visit
Elisabeth Biser, secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, made her second visit to Canton last week, touring Pactiv…
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Madison elections go partisan, Haywood spared
Over the past two years, Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) has made multiple attempts to bring partisan municipal elections to the…
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HCC’s first class of truck drivers looks down the road
Six months ago, the eight men gathered on the auditorium stage at Haywood Community College’s Regional High Technology Center were…
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Crane works to lower smokestacks at mill
The appearance of a bright yellow construction crane towering over Pactiv Evergreen’s shuttered Canton paper mill prompted questions from citizens…
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Jackson tables FRL governance change
With the Fontana Regional Library agreement up for its 10-year review, Jackson, Macon and Swain county commissions are taking a…
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Local partnership to impact regional housing needs
A new collaboration is poised to make a large impact by providing new housing options for Jackson County seniors, low-income…
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BBB warns about paving scams
BBB Scam Tracker has numerous reports of unscrupulous contractors who trick homeowners with supposedly good deals.
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A call to hate: victims speak out over false allegations
Tow people assigned female at birth who visited the Waynesville Recreation Center and followed the letter of the law but…
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High bids put Highlands Middle School project on hold
The Highlands Middle School renovation project went out to bid in May, but after two rounds in which only one…
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Partisan elections bill passes, with one major change
Just two hours after Senators failed to concur on a bill that would have forced Haywood and Madison counties to…
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Partisan elections bill pushed by Pless is down, but not out
After months of pushing for partisan municipal elections in the counties he represents, Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) has again come…
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Inside Fontana Dam: Rare tour inspires awe and reflection on a complicated history
It was one of the best opportunities I’d been given since I became a journalist and moved to Western North…
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Haywood program offers path out of addiction
The first thing anyone likely sees when they walk into Amanda Seay’s Haywood County Courthouse office is her quote of…
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After threats, Waynesville revises public comment policy
The Town of Waynesville will no longer require speakers at its public comment sessions to reveal their addresses, after a…
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Change recommended to Fontana Regional Library System
A few months ago, issues arose about the placement of certain LGBTQ+ books in the Macon County Public Library.
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Waynesville establishes environmental sustainability board
Long a leader among Western North Carolina’s local governments in the field of environmental sustainability, the Town of Waynesville has…
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October jail death confirmed to be overdose
Autopsy results for the October death of a man in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center confirm that he…
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Haywood County Schools will buy Ratcliff Cove land
More than three months after a rezoning request revealed plans by Haywood County Schools to consolidate several facilities on a…
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Former WNC Rep. Mark Meadows indicted along with Trump
With former President Donald Trump’s most recent indictment — his fourth in five months — comes a slew of familiar…
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Trial expected in 2024 for Crowe assault case
Former Wolfetown Rep. Bo Crowe pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in federal court Friday, Aug. 11, but plans to fight…
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Bridge, sidewalk, roundabout, bike lanes coming to Cullowhee
NCDOT awarded a $6.2 million contract to replace a bridge, build a roundabout, new sidewalk and new bike lanes in…
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National Guard conducts training exercise in Canton
The presence of multiple vehicles and a decontamination tent in downtown Canton today prompted tips to The Smoky Mountain News…
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One hundred years and counting: Jackson County Chamber of Commerce marks milestone anniversary
This year the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 100 years of work and involvement in its community —…
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NCDOT seeks input for 10-year transportation plan
The N.C. Department of Transportation is beginning to evaluate projects for its next 10-year capital plan and wants the public…
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Cannabis Control Board budget approved in Cherokee
The Cherokee Tribal Council has approved $946,000 in tribal dollars to go toward the Cannabis Control Board’s budget for the 2024…
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Maggie Valley candidate denies fraudulent registration accusation
The upcoming race for two alderman seats in Maggie Valley is sure to be exciting, but one Republican candidate is…
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Paper mill logs new violation notice
Pactiv Evergreen has been issued its second notice of violation in less than a month, bringing its total since May…
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Tribe ends interest-only payments for gaming ventures
With much of the conversation taking place in closed session, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council passed a…
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Candidate withdraws from Waynesville Council race
The field got just a little bit smaller in the race for Waynesville Town Council last week, as one of…
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Forest plan will harm endangered bats, conservation groups say
Groups file intent to sue Forest Service
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Pactiv Evergreen contests chemical dumping allegations
In response to a July 10 notice of violation accusing Pactiv Evergreen of illegally dumping unused chemicals into the wastewater…
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County to lease Higdon property to school system
After Macon County declared its intent to purchase the Higdon property earlier this year, there was some confusion as to…
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What’s next for Sylva skate? Commissioners continue to work toward a skatepark
Now that Sylva Pipes is up and running with a temporary half-pipe, commissioners are looking at next steps for…
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Haywood community wellness program opens registration
The Haywood 4 Good community wellness program announced that registration is open for the fall 2023 program.
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Fund established to support transition following mill closure
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) has established a charitable fund to support nonprofit organizations and municipalities impacted…
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Municipal election races set in Western North Carolina
The slates are now set for November’s municipal elections in Western North Carolina, and although a number of surprise candidates…
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Waynesville unites against hate and bigotry after false trans allegations
Claims of indecent behavior involving a transgender person at the Waynesville Recreation Center roiled this tight-knight rural community last week,…
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A rush to judgement: The mere existence of trans people is not a crime
Social media posts alleging multiple instances of improper activity by a transgender person at the Waynesville Recreation Center last week…
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Health care coverage crisis for mill workers continues
Employees at Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill knew a health care coverage crisis was coming, and many of them did…
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Charges dropped against Shining Rock parent
A criminal charge against the Shining Rock Classical Academy parent accused of cyberstalking has been dismissed.
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Charter schools budget for growth
There are several outstanding variables that will affect budgets for local charter schools in the coming school year — average…
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Expanded sports betting could add to EBCI per cap
Tribal members could see their per capita checks grow after the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians expands its gaming business…
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EBCI Council tightens transparency rules for tribal LLCs
In response to what he says are ongoing issues with transparency on the part of the tribe’s cannabis business Qualla…
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