New development gets the green light in Cullowhee
After receiving approval from two separate boards, a proposed 80-bedroom development along Little Savannah Road in Cullowhee has the green…
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Young business owner joins Bryson City board: Voters approve alcohol referendum
Ben King, the 28-year-old co-owner of Bryson City Outdoors, was not only elected to the Bryson City Board of Aldermen,…
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Franklin elects incumbents and one newcomer
Franklin residents kept two incumbents and elected one newcomer to the town council to represent them for the next four…
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Sylva mayor wins re-election
Sylva Mayor Lynda Sossamon took home an overwhelming share of the votes in her bid for re-election Nov. 6, easily…
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Haywood Schools superintendent Garrett to retire
Haywood County’s high-performing public schools will soon see a new leader after Dr. Anne Garrett announced Nov. 13 that she…
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Haywood governments show progress, stability, transition
Elections in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley resulted in some tight races and new faces falling into voters’ good graces,…
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Haywood Schools superintendent to retire
Dr. Anne Garrett has announced her retirement as superintendant of the Haywood County Schools effective March 1, 2018.
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BCBS patients leave Mission after contract lapse
It’s been a month since Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina expired, leaving thousands of…
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Mission tightlipped about negotiations with BCBS
It’s been a month since the contract between Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina expired, leaving…
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Patient counts up at Harris, Swain
Mission Hospital’s decision to let its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield expire has resulted in increased business for Harris…
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Community forums scheduled
A slate of upcoming community forums in Bryson City, Cashiers and Sylva will give residents a chance to learn about…
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Harris opens new emergency department
A brand new emergency department at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva received its first patients Monday, Nov. 6, marking the…
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New Franklin hospital could move out to U.S. 441
Angel Medical Center has been located in downtown Franklin for 60 years, but hospital officials are looking into the possibility…
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Waynesville ‘nudged’ toward gambling zoning
When the Nudge City video gaming parlor popped up in an old auto dealer’s lot on Dellwood City Road earlier…
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Mobile home standards to be updated in Waynesville
New standards and stricter definitions for manufactured homes in Waynesville could make it easier to develop manufactured home parks, under…
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Transformation continues at Lake Junaluska
The Lake Junaluska Assembly prides itself on being a place of transformation and renewal for all people, but over the…
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Dorm renaming recognizes Cherokee history
Before white settlers corrupted the name to Cullowhee, the land along the Tuckasegee River south of Sylva was known to…
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FBI investigation of Cherokee BIA official extends beyond marriage fraud
The FBI’s investigation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Cherokee Agency’s deputy superintendent Ruth Marie Sequoyah McCoy goes far deeper…
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Tribal members oppose alcohol expansion
About 100 people piled into the exhibit hall at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds the evening of Monday, Nov. 6,…
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Franklin board shoots down festival idea
Franklin alderman candidate Jimbo Ledford had hoped his idea for a multi-day music and beer festival on the languishing Whitmire…
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Veteran portraits on display in Macon
By Kurt J. Volker • Contributing writer In recognition of Veterans Day 2017, the Macon County Art Association will conduct its…
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Walker will be missed, but life goes on in Clyde
The passing of Clyde Mayor Jerry Walker Oct. 30 has not only left a huge hole in the Clyde community,…
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Will turnout turn around?
Thunder, lightning, fog and torrential downpours on an off-year municipal Election Day in Haywood County’s smallest municipalities doesn’t bode well…
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Election Day is here
Polls are open across the state and across Western North Carolina for balloting in this year’s municipal election cycle, which…
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EDC director Clasby announces retirement
After a career spanning more than 14 years as the executive director of Haywood County’s Economic Development Council, Mark Clasby…
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Time, place, manner: free speech at center of Confederate flag proposal
The South’s oldest Labor Day parade birthed a controversy this year that the parade’s founders probably didn’t foresee, but the…
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Leading by example: WCU chancellor, wife give $1.23 million for scholarships, reflect on Catamount identity
Through careers as students, teachers and administrators, David and Susan Belcher have marked the milestones of their lives in college…
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Collaborative work on Forest Service plan cost Martin his job
The former Southern Appalachian Regional Director for The Wilderness Society was the catalyst and key facilitator for a compromise and…
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Jackson to downsize TDA board
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority Board will shrink from 15 members to nine following a unanimous vote from the…
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Swain dedicates Old 288 Park to Monteith
Swain County commissioners recently held a dedication ceremony to officially rename the Old N.C. 288 Park after David Monteith.
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Swain library project hits roadblock
As much work as they’ve put into planning and fundraising, the Marianna Black Library Campaign Planning Committee still can’t get…
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Swain coalition pushes for tobacco-free parks
Aproposed policy to make the Swain County Recreation Center a tobacco-free property may not be a slam dunk with all…
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Wastewater treatment plant has urgent needs, huge price tag
For the second meeting in a row, consultants presented the Waynesville Board of Aldermen with some unpleasant realities about the…
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Brunch ordinance passes over opposition in Canton
After weeks of public comment, opposition by religious leaders and appeals by the local business community, a controversial “Brunch Bill”…
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More retail space coming to Champion Drive
Planning board officials recommended and the Canton Board of Aldermen/women approved plans that will bring an additional 7,000 square feet…
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Canton alderman dispels anti-veteran rumors
In an unusual move, Canton Alderman Ralph Hamlett took time at the Canton Board of Aldermen/women meeting Oct. 26 to…
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Asheville, Haywood chambers to ink economic development deal
The economies of Haywood and Buncombe counties are and have been intricately linked for some time now, but a forthcoming…
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Newly issued alcohol permits cause backlash against off-casino sales
Five years ago, Cherokee voters gave a decisive response on a referendum question asking whether they’d like to see the…
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WNC Municipal Elections
Municipal Election season is upon us in Western North Carolina, and six towns have candidates running for a chance to…
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Development a priority in Canton race
Canton Alderman Zeb Smathers isn’t quite mayor yet, but that didn’t stop one local brewery from releasing a “Mayor Smathers…
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Maggie Valley candidates ask for votes
Unlike Haywood County’s other contested municipal election — in Maggie Valley — two incumbents are running for reelection and seek…
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Bryson City election: Five fight for future of their hometown
The five candidates running for Bryson City Board of Aldermen all hold their hometown near and dear to their hearts,…
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Seven run for Dillsboro town board
The years ahead are likely to be lively ones for the tiny town of Dillsboro, with a new river park…
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Contested race on tap for Forest Hills
The Village of Forest Hills could have a new member on the town council depending on the outcome of this…
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Franklin Election: Candidates excited about Franklin’s future
Every election year there are a few hot button issues that entice candidates to throw their hats into the ring…
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Franklin mayor runs unopposed
Bob Scott is seeking his third term as mayor of Franklin, and it’s his second time running unopposed for the…
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Electric rate increase coming for Waynesville
An electric rate study Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown called “sobering” was presented to the Waynesville Board of Aldermen Oct. 10…
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EBCI and Smokies work toward agreement for plant gathering in park boundaries
Cherokee tribal members could be gathering sochan plants from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as early as next spring…
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Boom or bust? New index charts Haywood’s economy
Earlier this year, a series of stories in The Smoky Mountain News focusing on Haywood County’s economy explored its various…
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Shining Rock school director resigns
The Shining Rock Classical Academy Board of Directors accepted the resignation of School Director Ben Butler during a Sunday night…
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