Haywood Commission primary could be first step to GOP majority
Three Democratic seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners are up for election this year, but only two of…
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Brunch Bill fails in Jackson
In a 3-2 vote that followed hours of public comment spread over three different meetings, a measure that would have…
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Tribe added to council of governments
For the first time in the Southwestern Commission’s 53-year history, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has a seat at…
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Cherokee councilmember receives North Carolina’s highest honor
Longtime Cherokee Councilmember Tommye Saunooke, of Painttown, became the latest recipient of North Carolina’s highest honor when she was presented…
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Bogged down: Jonathan Creek project getting messy
Problems with moist soil are mucking up what seemed at the time to be a quick, cheap and easy accouterment…
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Overlapping leases complicate Frog Level parking
A legal snafu has halted work on the Frog Level parking lot paving project as well as delayed action on…
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Former Waynesville priest indicted by grand jury
Howard “Howdy” White Jr., a former episcopal priest who served in Waynesville until 2006, was indicted last week by a…
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TWSA debates policy changes in Cashiers
As planning proceeds for a new sewer treatment plant in Cashiers, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority will soon be…
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Jackson to hold second Brunch Bill hearing
A second public hearing on whether to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales in Jackson County will be held at 5:30…
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Sylva forecasts a tight budget year
Two years after the Sylva town board enacted a 42 percent increase in the city’s property tax rate, budget time…
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Tribal transparency on shaky ground after media ban
Allegations made by a member of Cherokee Tribal Council against a Smoky Mountain News reporter have resulted in a ban…
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Brewery controversy prompts tribe to examine naming rules
After a contentious three-hour back-and-forth that followed an already full day at the Cherokee Council House, the Cherokee Tribal Council…
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Challenge against Swain sheriff dismissed
The packed Swain County courtroom broke into thunderous applause as the newly seated board of elections unanimously dismissed a candidate…
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Red, Wight and blue: campaign signs cause a stir
A spate of unusual campaign signs began popping up in Maggie Valley about a week ago and although the message…
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Report: minorities, poor in N.C. blame Trump, Congress
A recent report published by nonprofit advocacy group Down Home North Carolina says that changing demographics and their accompanying shifts…
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Primary election will determine next Haywood Clerk of Court
While some Haywood County voters will head to the polls May 8 asking themselves who they’re going to vote for,…
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NRA grants help local students learn safety
Recent efforts to enhance student safety by placing armed volunteers in the nation’s schools have resulted in predictable blowback from…
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Historic Hospital project inches forward
The next chapter in the saga of the historic Haywood Hospital is about to be written, but in the choose-your-own-adventure…
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Franklin considers options for alcohol at events
A music and beer festival planned for April 20 in downtown Franklin has hit a roadblock since a town ordinance…
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Lake Junaluska to begin restoring bridge over dam
Lake Junaluska has received a certificate of approval from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality authorizing construction activity to…
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Can Canton’s Colonial come back?
Many Fridays a small group of longtime Canton residents meet up informally at the town’s historical museum on Park Street…
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Greens make the grade: Ballot access boosts third parties
This fall, voters in North Carolina will be treated to a new choice at the polls come election day.
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Supreme Court issues opinion in impeachment case
Nine months after arguments concluded in a dispute over the process used to impeach then-Principal Chief Patrick Lambert, the Cherokee…
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Renovated Labyrinth at Lake Junaluska
The outdoor labyrinth at Lake Junaluska has long been a place where people go to seek spiritual renewal. Recent renovations…
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Impeachment issue returns to Cherokee courts
While nearly a year has passed since former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert was removed from office, a court hearing March…
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Jackson sheriff candidates vie for win in Republican primary
Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall may be running unopposed in the upcoming Democratic primary, but two Republican candidates are competing…
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Bushyhead challenges Carson for chairman seat
After serving as chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners for two terms, incumbent Phillip Carson will be challenged…
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New principal at Smoky Mountain
The Jackson County Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Elliott, Superintendent announced Evelyn Graning as the new…
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Waynesville approves incentive package for unnamed business
Haywood County is suddenly a hot commodity for property developers; recent news of a proposed hotel in Maggie Valley was…
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Green Energy Park plan in development
A plan to re-imagine the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro as a campus for creativity, learning and animal…
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Rise Against Hunger: Junaluska Elementary students help feed the hungry
Random Act of Kindness Week at Junaluska Elementary School culminated on Friday when students and community volunteers gathered in the…
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Swain elections staff prepares for May 8 primary without sitting board
The Swain County candidate challenge against Sheriff Curtis Cochran is at a standstill until a new Swain County Board of…
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Haywood Christian Academy gets room to grow
Next fall, students at Haywood Christian Academy will all attend classes together in a new building that brings the two…
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Former Haywood manager rehired to lead HHS
Many people were surprised by the sudden resignation of Ira Dove from his position as Haywood County manager last October,…
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School threats continue in mass shooting aftermath
School systems in Western North Carolina continue to deal with a multitude of threats in the aftermath of the mass…
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Canton hires new police chief
The town of Canton has hired Robert “Shawn” Gaddis as its new chief of police effective March 31.
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Agencies make child predator arrests
Over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend, local, tribal, state and federal law enforcement agencies conducted an operation that was…
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Cherokee bail bondsman pleads guilty in sexual extortion case
A bail bondsman who the FBI accused of accepting sexual favors in lieu of monetary repayments pleaded guilty to one…
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TWSA votes down expanded allocation rental
A proposal to extend the allocation rental option to all Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority users hit a dead end…
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Haywood Pathways on a roll
Haywood County’s only homeless shelter — and one of the very few in North Carolina west of Asheville — continues…
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Mission Health could become for-profit system
Mission Health, the largest health care provider in Western North Carolina, could soon become a for-profit health care system if…
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Loud and clear: Local radio rejuvenated
In almost every living American resides at least one sepia-toned memory embellished with song — that perpetual score to a…
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Swain sheriff responds to candidate challenge
Even though the Swain County Board of Elections can’t proceed with hearing a candidate challenge filed against Sheriff Curtis Cochran,…
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SCC sues DOT, construction company over damaged building
Southwestern Community College is seeking compensation for damage to the Balsam Center building that it believes resulted from the R-5000…
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WCU names Mark Prosser new men's basketball coach
When storied Western Carolina University men’s basketball coach Larry Hunter recently announced his retirement after notching his 700th career win,…
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Mission Health negotiating to join for-profit company
Mission Health's Board of Directors today announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to enter into exclusive…
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WNC students speak out on school safety
Last week, students across the country walked out of classrooms to acknowledge the 17 people shot to death at Marjorie…
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Dove hired back as Haywood's health and human services director
Joel Mashburn, Interim County Manager, announced today the appointment of Mr. Ira Dove as the Director of the Haywood County…
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A beer by any other name: Brewery’s naming choices cause protest in Cherokee
Over the past decade or so, the craft beer explosion has ricocheted throughout Western North Carolina, bouncing through the valleys…
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Alcohol referendum scheduled
A referendum vote asking enrolled members to approve a tribally owned package store and ABC store selling beer, wine and…
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