Focus groups needed to discuss Swain ER changes
Swain Community Hospital is looking for small groups of residents to be part of ongoing focus groups to discuss changes…
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Impact fees to change in Jackson
A state law passed in July 2017 will lead to changes in water and sewer fees across North Carolina this…
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Cherokee sues opioid companies
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has filed a federal lawsuit seeking damages from 23 companies that manufacture or distribute…
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Deep freeze: Frozen waterfalls offer rare winter spectacle
It was cold, but I was prepared. Leggings and Underarmour, sweatpants and sweatshirt, parka and hiking pants, an array of…
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Bryson City to expand hours for alcohol sales
After voting down the measure just a couple of months ago, the Bryson City Board of Aldermen is now on…
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Bryson City manager moving to Murphy
After serving as Bryson City’s town manager for more than a year, Chad Simons will be moving on to Murphy…
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Waynesville mayor indicted for forgery
A North Carolina State Bar complaint filed against Waynesville attorney and Mayor Gavin Brown Oct. 11, 2017, that had accused…
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Charter school narrows down school director choices
After receiving 20 applications from candidates hoping to succeed founding School Director Ben Butler at Shining Rock Classical Academy, the…
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SRCA hiring process not kept private
Last week, Shining Rock Classical Academy held an event for “parents and community supporters” to meet the top four candidates…
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Academic performance of schools in Haywood County, 2016-17
No matter who takes the helm at SRCA, the new director will no doubt have his or her hands full…
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Cherokee chief under investigation
Principal Chief Richard Sneed is now under investigation following the Cherokee Tribal Council’s unanimous vote Jan. 4 to look into…
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Haywood school board discusses hiring a new superintendent
By coincidence, Haywood County Schools has, since about the same time as Shining Rock Classical Academy been readying itself to…
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Brunch Bill stymied in Dillsboro
An ordinance that would have allowed Sunday morning alcohol sales to begin in Dillsboro died for lack of a motion…
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School superintendent search progresses in Jackson
Jackson County is getting closer to choosing a replacement for former school superintendent Mike Murray after school board members held…
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Mashburn to fill late husband’s seat on Franklin board
When longtime councilmember Billy Mashburn passed away just days before the 2017 municipal election, the Franklin Town Council was prepared…
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Franklin passes noise ordinance
After months of trying to figure out the best way to address late-night partying that was disturbing residents, the Franklin…
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Former chief Youngdeer named Beloved Man
War hero and former Principal Chief Robert Youngdeer received the highest honor available in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…
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Commissioners hopeful about future of historic hospital
A years-long effort to find some use for the Historic Haywood County Hospital on Waynesville’s North Main Street appears to…
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Hearing granted for former alcohol commissioner
An alcohol commissioner who was removed from his post last month will get a hearing following the Cherokee Tribal Council’s…
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Camper rescued from Linville Gorge
Mountain rescue teams, local rescuers and an aircrew from the NC Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team (NC HART) worked together early this…
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Suspect still sought in Bethel shooting incident
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two individuals who were believed to be involved in a shooting incident Tuesday night…
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Following in the footfalls: Canton’s new mayor takes the reins
One of Zeb Smathers’ earliest memories is sitting in the cereal aisle of his grandfather’s downtown Canton grocery store, which…
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Losing everything to find yourself: Waynesville native shares her story of addiction
Every recovering addict can recall a moment in their life when they hit their lowest point. For Jenny Green of…
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Breaking the cycle: Restricting opioid access won’t solve the epidemic
Limiting the number of prescriptions written for addictive painkillers like Percocet and Oxycontin is definitely a good start, but addiction…
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Vaya Health honored for efforts to reduce overdoses
Vaya Health has received statewide honors for its work to prevent fatal opioid drug overdoses throughout western North Carolina.
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Buncombe County joins lawsuit against drug manufacturers
Buncombe County is taking a crucial step toward holding accountable the companies responsible for dumping millions of dollars’ worth of…
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Jackson seeks no wake zone on Lake Glenville
Increased recreation on Lake Glenville has caused concerns about safety for swimmers sharing the lake with boaters, and despite an…
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Haywood TDA to host funding workshops
With the arrival of 2018, the time to submit applications for 1% partnership funding for July 1, 2018, through June…
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Haywood Regional welcomes first baby of 2018
Haywood Regional is ringing in 2018 with the year’s first bundle of joy. Weighing 7 pounds and 12 ounces and…
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Scene shift in Sylva: Businesses come and go downtown
Downtown Sylva looks quite a bit different these days than this time last year.
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Cherokee moves on alcohol referendum
Cherokee inched closer to holding a referendum vote asking how widely available alcohol should be on tribal land with a…
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Mission, Macon partner to get new ambulance
Collaboration between Mission Health and Macon County leadership, with support from the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital Foundation, Mission Health Department of Philanthropy…
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Waynesville native’s research published
The summer before Christopher Lile graduated from Gardner-Webb University, he spent five weeks studying small mammals on the Broad River…
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WCU gets federal grants to help students
Western Carolina University faculty members Kelly Kelley and David Westling have learned a lot about assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities…
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Waynesville police investigating suspicious death
Waynesville Police Department is looking for any information from the public that might help them with a recent suspicious death…
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Sheriff investigates Fines Creek deaths
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate two deaths that occurred in the Fines Creek area last week.
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Haywood County woman wins $200,000 lottery
The search for a ceramic Christmas tree led Sharon Frizzell of Canton to a $200,000 lottery win.
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ABC Chairman visit Cherokee Nation
North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Chairman Zander Guy met with Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed and other representatives of…
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Committee to lead search for WCU chancellor
Western Carolina University announced the appointment of a 21-member search committee that will recommend a successor to Chancellor David O.…
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Landslide closes N.C. 28 through February
A plan is in place to re-open N.C. 28 in Graham County by the end of February.
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Fake news freakout! All of this really happened in 2017*
Last year it was still just a quaint, silly little term — fake news.
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2017: Year in review
Before we ring in the New Year, The Smoky Mountain News likes to look back and reflect on the last…
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Town of Clyde appoints new mayor, alderman
The recent passing of longtime Clyde Mayor Jerry Walker left a hole not only in the hearts of residents, but…
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Jackson delays pool referendum decision
An already-tight timeline to get a referendum question about funding an indoor pool on Jackson County’s November 2018 ballot just…
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Fired tribal employees receive $100K settlement
Seven tribal employees who were fired or demoted when former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert took office in 2015 have received…
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Sylva commissioners butt heads over TWSA appointment
A routine board appointment turned contentious last week when Sylva Commissioner Harold Hensley announced that he’d like to see someone…
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Tourists taste Maggie Valley as season grows ever longer
For all of its bluster and bikers and bling in the summertime, Maggie Valley can be one sleepy little town…
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Sponsors, donations needed to provide Christmas for kids
There are still plenty of children in need this Christmas in Swain County and your donation to the Swain County…
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Waynesville reservoir study could result in capacity increase
Pristine and nearly untouched by the hands of humans, the Town of Waynesville’s watershed has been hailed as a visionary…
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Public not invited to Franklin hospital hearing
Angel Medical Center held a public hearing Tuesday morning regarding a new potential location for the hospital on U.S. 441,…
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