More Boy Scouts programming open to girls
Darrian Childers is quitting Boy Scouts after joining a local troop about three years ago when his family moved to…
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New state office to focus on outdoor recreation growth
Outdoor recreation leaders in the region recently had the opportunity to weigh in on a newly established North Carolina Outdoor…
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Jackson to vote on Blackrock conservation project
Sylva commissioners voted unanimously during their May 24 meeting to contribute $250,000 to a 441.5-acre conservation project adjacent to Pinnacle…
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Jackson seeks homeless shelter manager
Before Jackson County commissioners can answer the question of whether Jackson should have a permanent, year-round homeless shelter building, they’ll…
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N.C. 107 remake could displace many Sylva businesses
For more than 30 of its 45 years in business, Speedy’s Pizza has served its famous pies out of the…
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Haywood County tourism strong, growing
Encouraging signs from Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority suggest the lingering effects of the Great Recession of 2008 may finally…
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Tribe looks to diversify business interests
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is hoping to diversify its revenues beyond gaming through creation of a new limited…
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Term limits could end for Jackson ABC
Term limits could soon be lifted for the Jackson County ABC Board, pending a final vote from the Jackson County…
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Renovated Lambuth Inn looks to the next 100 years
Western North Carolina is a region filled with special places, one of the best known being a century-old religious retreat…
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Franklin proposes 4-cent tax increase
The Franklin Town Council is recommending a 4-cent property tax increase this year in order to cover its growing expenses…
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A penny for your thoughts: Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down
The Town of Waynesville is about to embark on year two of a more conservative budget mindset; the days of…
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A penny for your thoughts: Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down
The Town of Waynesville is about to embark on year two of a more conservative budget mindset; the days of…
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Plotting progress: Community conflicted over proposed apartment complex
It’s rare to see great interest taken in the meeting of a municipal planning board, but a contentious proposal that…
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Teachers take to the streets: WNC teachers demand more money for public education
More than 20 school districts in the state of North Carolina had to shut down as more than 15,000 teachers…
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Clampitt: teachers need to start ‘sharing the toys’
As thousands of North Carolina teachers descended on the state capitol last week demanding more education funding and better pay,…
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Haywood’s legislators show support for Second Amendment
One day after the 22nd school shooting of 2018 took place in Texas, a previously planned Second Amendment rally at…
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Macon budget battles increasing costs
Macon County’s proposed budget for 2018-19 does not include a tax increase despite increasing costs and capital needs throughout the…
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Macon Schools request $3.2 million for capital projects
Between Macon County Schools and Southwestern Community College, education expenses make up 18 percent of the county’s budget.
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Never again, again: School safety could be beyond the reach of counties, states
In April, students at Santa Fe High School southeast of Houston walked out of classes to protest gun violence in…
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Sneed investigation results ‘ease concerns’ about wrongdoing, press release says
An investigation into the legality of a lawsuit settlement in which Principal Chief Richard Sneed agreed to pay seven former…
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Tax increased proposed in Jackson
A proposed property tax increase in Jackson County would pay for increased school safety personnel and community safety resources.
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TWSA to keep upfront fees
The Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority will look to keep up-front fees for water and sewer hookups high when it…
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Cherokee to vote in alcohol referendum
Increased alcohol availability could be on its way to the Qualla Boundary pending the outcome of a referendum vote slated…
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Conservation project stalls in Jackson
An effort to conserve 441.5 acres of land in the Plott Balsam Mountains adjacent to Sylva’s Pinnacle Park has met…
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Affordable apartments for seniors coming to Franklin
A second affordable apartment development is coming to Siler Road after the Franklin Town Council approved a special-use permit.
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Vaya Health moves to new Sylva location
Vaya Health announced it will move its Sylva regional office to a new location in town as part of an…
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Growing the greens: Agritourism flourishes in Western North Carolina
For generations, American farmers have plowed the fields, milked the cows and slopped the hogs to the seasonal rhythms of…
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Future of farming: Agritourism activities key to fruitful business
Many farmers today understand they can’t put all their eggs in one basket.
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Support needed for Darnell Farms expansion
Darnell Farms would like to expand to offer more for families when they visit, but it needs support from the…
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Ten acres of goodness
Ten Acre Garden in Canton has created an experience for visitors. They can come pick their own seasonal berries — blackberries,…
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Openings on Maggie planning board
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen is now taking applications for appointments for both the Planning Board and the Zoning…
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Pedestrian path proposed for portion of US 19/23
A treacherous and heavily travelled portion of U.S. 19/23 east of Canton could soon see major pedestrian improvements if an…
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Steady growth: Maggie budget looks strong
With no proposed tax increase, slightly lower spending and a healthy fund balance, the Town of Maggie Valley’s proposed FY…
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Canton budget holds the line on taxes
While Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers has seen several budgets during his previous stint as an alderman, he appears to be…
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Confederate flag debate could resurface in Canton
It’s been a hot topic for almost a year now, but the role of Confederate imagery in contemporary society is…
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Cashiers development interest could accelerate sewer plan
The announcement that 20,000 gallons of sewer capacity will soon be released in Cashiers has spurred interest from homeowners and…
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Debate continues over unpaid bills at Caney Fork store
Finger-pointing over who’s to blame for unpaid bills following a business relocation project in Jackson County has transitioned to the…
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DA hires new prosecutor
The District Attorney’s Office recently hired a new prosecutor, Kimberly Hayes Harris.
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Guilty pleas entered, sentences rendered in marriage fraud case
Two defendants in a marriage fraud case set to go to trial Monday, May 14, have opted to enter a…
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State dismisses candidate challenge against Swain sheriff
Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran will remain a candidate on the November ballot after the State Board of Elections &…
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Gun rights activists to hold Haywood event May 19
Second Amendment supporters in Haywood County will take to the Historic Courthouse lawn May 19 to protest what they say…
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Gun range suddenly a tourist destination
While most people have certainly heard of agritourism, ecotourism and even necrotourism (visiting famous cemeteries and gravesites), most may not…
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Nantahala Brewing will expand to Sylva
Nantahala Brewing Company will move forward with opening an outpost in Sylva after the Sylva Board of Commissioners voted unanimously…
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Supporters rally around Scott Knibbs family
More than 100 people gathered at the Macon County Courthouse on May 8 to rally in support of Scott Knibbs’…
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Primary results roll in to Jackson
Jackson County voters went for a mixture of something different and stay the course when they cast their Primary Election…
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Macon commissioner keeps his seat
Macon County District 1 Commissioner Jim Tate won a third term on the board beating out Republican challenger John Shearl.
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Swain County elects new chairman
Swain County Board of Commissioners will have a new chairman in November after a majority of voters cast their ballot…
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Some races settled in May 8 election
Although the results have not yet been certified in North Carolina’s May 8 Primary Elections, there were several races where…
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Paying the price: Will checkered past haunt congressional candidate?
Last week, Phillip Price prevailed in a competitive three-way Democratic primary for the right to challenge incumbent Asheville Republican Congressman…
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A firm foundation: SCC graduates 100th class of future National Park Service officers
It’s been a full morning on top of a full week, and I’m tired when I file into the fluorescent-lighted…
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