Sylva business community organizes against N.C. 107 plans

Dismay over preliminary road construction plans that would force 54 Sylva businesses to relocate has sparked a revival of the…
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A seat on Main Street: Waynesville approves sidewalk encroachments
 

A seat on Main Street: Waynesville approves sidewalk encroachments

A long-standing informal agreement between the Town of Waynesville and Main Street merchants has now been formalized, clarified and expanded…
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Waynesville budget gumbo could be hard to swallow

Property owners, single-family homebuilders and any Waynesville residents who own a car will see their cost of living increase over…
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Finally! Swain County receives North Shore settlement money

It’s a day many in Swain County didn’t think they’d ever live to see, but last Saturday county leaders were…
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Whitner named Alumni of the Year
 

Whitner named Alumni of the Year

Bryan Whitner, 1998 Haywood Community College criminal justice graduate, was named Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award recipient for 2018. 
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SCC student starts recovery podcast

A student in the Substance Abuse Treatment program at Southwestern Community College, Stephen Steen recently paired his passion for helping…
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A life stranger than fiction: Local author releases novel of true-life confessions

As Royal Phillips packs up her belongings that signify the last 20 years she’s spent in Waynesville and prepares for…
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New mental health crisis center to open in WNC

A new mental health facility in Asheville is set to open this summer to serve children and teens in Western…
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WNC celebrates life of David Belcher

For the son of a small-town Baptist preacher who studied to become a classically trained pianist — only to find…
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Waynesville workshop reveals vision, goals

Although the philosophical basis of the Waynesville comprehensive plan is rooted in academic concepts and professional standards related to long-term…
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Jackson committee to tackle affordable housing woes

A committee focused on increasing affordable housing options in Jackson County has been created following a unanimous vote of the…
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Meadows floats immigration fix

As House Republicans scramble to address the ongoing family separation issue on the nation’s southern border, several competing bills have…
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Cherokee tribes condemn family separations

The three Cherokee tribes joined voices last week to decry the recent surge of family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border. 
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Rate increase for Duke Energy customers denied

When residents gave testimony back in January adamantly opposing Duke Energy Carolinas’ rate increase request to the North Carolina Utilities…
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Macon passes $51 million budget

Following plenty of public input, Macon County commissioners approved a final budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year that includes more…
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Pay to play: recreation spending a burden for some small towns

Among the various spending categories in many municipal budgets — general government, public safety and the like — one can…
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County could take over Canton sports complex

Taxpayers in the Town of Canton are about to again test political will, as the town has of late entered…
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TWSA closes the lid on 2018-19 budget

Hookup fees are set to plummet for water and sewer customers in Jackson County following adoption of the Tuckaseigee Water…
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DA: Trooper not at fault in deadly crash
 

DA: Trooper not at fault in deadly crash

District Attorney Ashley Welch has completed the review of the SBI investigation into the events of July 25, 2017, involving…
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A life that changed lives: WNC mourns death of WCU Chancellor David Belcher

From the moment Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher announced he’d been diagnosed with brain cancer — more than…
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Answers still wanted in Bryson City K9 death

It’s been several months since a young police K9, Kanon, died while in the possession of a Bryson City Police…
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‘Forever in our purple-and-gold hearts’

Outpourings of support and sadness were in ample supply once news of Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher’s death reached…
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Sidewalk seating could come to Waynesville’s Main Street

Customers of downtown Waynesville’s restaurants and bars may soon be told to “hit the bricks” — but in a good…
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Capacity use fees proposed for Waynesville

Infrastructure in municipal sewer and water systems isn’t cheap, but a debate recently settled in the General Assembly clarified what…
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Bumpy road for vehicle tax proposals

With municipal budget season coming down to the wire and those municipal budgets coming down to the penny, two Haywood…
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Input sought for Waynesville comprehensive plan

For months, town officials have been hard at work creating the framework and the process for updating the Town of…
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Central Haywood gym will come down

An engineering report issued to Haywood County Schools June 11 resulted in unanimous approval of a resolution by the board…
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Penalty for trespassing on Cherokee land to increase

Enforcing banishments could become easier for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians depending on the fate of a bill that…
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Laying down the law: Officers, DA explain challenges within the system

If you don’t have much experience within the criminal justice system, trying to navigate the system can be frustrating.
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TWSA to set new fee levels: Upfront fees will be less than current levels

Hookup fees are set to fall for water and sewer customers in Jackson County, but how much will depend on…
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Work begins for Green Energy Park makeover

An idea to turn the Jackson County Green Energy Park into a campus for creativity, learning and animal adoption now…
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Jackson passes $71.67 million budget

Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously June 18 to adopt a $71.67 million budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which starts…
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Tibetan tour connects women across cultures

Standing on a mountaintop ascending above 10,000 feet — an ancient farming village in the valley below and a Buddhist…
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Board can now begin quest to diversify tribal revenue

The Kituwah Economic Development Board is now ready to start pursuing expanded business opportunities for the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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Chief Pontiac statue will leave Asheville

After 51 years standing high on a hill along Patton Avenue in Asheville, a 23-foot-tall statue of Chief Pontiac is…
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$100,000 reward available for information on Cherokee vote tampering

The reward for information leading to a conviction for ballot tampering in Cherokee’s September 2017 elections has been quadrupled from…
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Health and human services board member resigns

The tension that surrounded Jackson County commissioners’ decision to merge its health and social services departments wasn’t hard to sense…
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Swain sheriff suspends mutual aid to town; Opponent claims the move is purely political

Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has suspended a longstanding mutual aid agreement with the Bryson City Police Department, though the…
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Survey to document local African American history

A cultural survey currently underway that seeks to document the legacy of an overlooked Waynesville community could add to the…
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Rep. Presnell revisits voter ID issue

North Carolinians will be asked this November to weigh in on the controversial issue of voter ID if a bill…
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Swain budget holds the line

Swain County’s proposed budget for 2018-19 will maintain the status quo without a proposed property tax increase or any major…
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Commissioners move to clear J-Creek dirt delays

Five months into the economic development partnership between the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Haywood County Chamber of…
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WCU unveils new economic tool

A new tool that compiles a mind-boggling array of economic and demographic data and presents it in a simple map-based…
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Macon schools faces drastic cuts without more funding

Macon County commissioners are considering contributing another $750,000 toward public education to prevent further drastic cuts to Macon County Schools’…
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Jackson finalizes proposed budget

When the Jackson County Commissioners met June 5 to discuss final changes to the proposed budget for 2018-19, they came…
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Over opposition, Waynesville passes controversial text amendment

A Gastonia-based developer’s request to change a small part of the Town of Waynesville’s zoning rules to allow for multi-family…
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Grants made for home repairs
 

Grants made for home repairs

Over the last couple months, there have been some grants made for home repairs to enable veterans, senior citizens, and…
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Sheriff warns of phone scam
 

Sheriff warns of phone scam

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls from concerned citizens regarding a phone scam that is very specific…
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Apply for Maggie Valley boards
 

Apply for Maggie Valley boards

The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen is now taking applications for appointments for both the Planning Board and the Zoning…
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Waynesville seeks volunteer board applicants
 

Waynesville seeks volunteer board applicants

The Town of Waynesville Board of Aldermen is accepting applications to fill the following vacancies on various community boards and…
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