Jack Ewing to retire as leader of Lake Junaluska
Lake Junaluska Executive Director Jack Ewing announced today that he will retire on Dec. 31, 2017.
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Early voting underway across NC
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Until then, residents of North Carolina can vote on various days and at various…
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Details emerge surrounding Jacob Ray’s death
Charges against two Charlotte teens arrested following the shooting of 21-year-old Jacob Alexander Ray, of Hendersonville, have been upgraded from…
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Shining Rock’s scores below most others
When Shining Rock Classical Academy opened in 2015, the public charter school was hailed as a victory for local proponents…
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Sylva’s mayoral race nears the finish line: Sossamon and Allen to rematch for mayor’s seat
Sylva voters might feel a bit of déjà vu when they enter the polling place this year, with both names…
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Swain County schools apply for $7 million grant
Swain County Schools will apply for a multi-million dollar grant through the new Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund that can…
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Showdown looming over Canton brunch ordinance
A highly anticipated public hearing that drew double the usual crowd to a Canton Town Board meeting wasn’t as contentious…
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Brunch Bill stalls in Jackson
A planned vote on whether to approve Sunday morning alcohol sales was delayed Oct. 16 when the Jackson County Commissioners…
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Comprehensive plan update coming for Waynesville
Inasmuch as any document can be truly hallowed on a local government level, that document is the comprehensive plan.
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Haywood hires interim county manager
Haywood County native Joel R. Mashburn has been selected to serve as interim county manager following the recent and unexpected…
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Women in Business 2017
Women owning their own businesses is nothing new, and in fact North Carolina is among the nation’s leaders in this…
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Apply for open seat on Haywood school board
Following the resignation of Beaverdam school board member Scott Smith, Haywood County School Board Chairman Chuck Francis revealed the procedure…
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Swain parents want more from recreation center
Several parents made it clear during a recent Swain County commissioners meeting they want to have more recreational opportunities for…
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Spate of county resignations raises questions
Several well-known Haywood County employees in high-ranking positions have terminated their own employment over the past few months, leading to…
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Haywood manager Dove was valued public servant
Although Ira Dove’s tenure as Haywood County manager was relatively short, his long service to the county and the contributions…
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Court upholds runoff in Cherokee
A lawsuit seeking to overturn a Board of Elections decision to hold an Oct. 10 runoff election for Birdtown Tribal…
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Skyland Drive to get sidewalks
Sidewalks are coming to Skyland Drive in Sylva along a 0.7-mile section stretching from the Old Asheville Highway to its…
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WCU student dies in shooting; Two teens arrested in connection
A late-night shooting near the Western Carolina University campus Friday, Oct. 6, has left a student dead.
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Staying in the game: New policies could define Waynesville economic development for decades
After realizing small but consistent gains in local business development over the past few years, the town of Waynesville has…
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Candidate forums next week in Canton, Maggie Valley
To mark the start of early voting, The Smoky Mountain News will host a pair of free candidate forums in…
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Developer takes Jackson to court over permit denial
Denial of a permit to build a 388-bed student housing complex in Cullowhee will land Jackson County in court after…
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Bryson Senior Living close to completion
When Bryson Senior Living, an assisted living facility in Swain County, opens in January, a major void in the community…
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Bryson City secures new maintenance property
After months of negotiations, the town of Bryson City has finally closed on a piece of property that will allow…
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Business dedicated to saving bees
Spriggly’s Beescaping is a new small business located in Waynesville that offers workshops, products, and services to create environments that…
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Haywood County manager resigns
Haywood County Manager Ira Dove has resigned; a resignation letter was sent out the morning of Oct. 4 from Candace Way,…
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Déjà vu: candidates walk familiar path
A spate of early announcements by local candidates hoping to gain seats in the North Carolina General Assembly may have…
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Jackson restricts some referendums to high-turnout elections
The Jackson County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Sept. 18 that will limit referendum votes on sales tax increases and…
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Swain installs Charters of Freedom
Swain County officials came together last week to dedicate the Charters of Freedom monument that can now be seen just…
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Swain elections director to sue county
Swain County Elections Director Joan Weeks recently informed the board of elections that she hired a lawyer and planned to…
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Waynesville inclusive playground approved
Play, it is said, is the work of children. But a substantial population of disabled kids who’ve up until now…
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Election Board orders runoff race in Birdtown; candidate files suit in Tribal Court
Uproar over the results of an election recount in the race to represent Cherokee’s Birdtown community on Tribal Council has…
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Cherokee’s attorney general resigns
The attorney general of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians appointed during the administration of Principal Chief Patrick Lambert has…
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Cherokee outlaws backpay with Council pay hikes
During its last days before swearing in newly elected members, the Cherokee Tribal Council unanimously passed an ordinance amendment that…
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Riverbend named Blue Ribbon School
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools, which included Riverbend Elementary School in Haywood…
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Canton continues pondering pigs as pets
Giggles, snickers, snorts and outright laughter echoed through the Town of Canton’s Sept. 28 board meeting as an ordinance regarding…
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Waynesville aldermen throw dogs a bone
Although Waynesville aldermen continue to seek a definitive answer on whether or not to rescind the town’s 15 year-old policy…
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Haywood Pathways Center expansion to help homeless
The causes of homelessness — and homelessness in Haywood County — are varied and numerous, but according to the Haywood…
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Tourism board looks to change grant funding methods
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is considering a number of major changes to increase its efficiency in collecting and…
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Franklin approves brunch bill with little fanfare
The Franklin Town Council unanimously approved the local adoption of the brunch bill, which will allow restaurants and stores to…
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Sylva approves Sunday morning alcohol sales
Sylva has joined the growing list of towns and counties approving Sunday morning alcohol sales following a 4-1 vote Sept.…
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Waynesville to reinstitute capacity use fees
Thanks to the N.C. Supreme Court and the North Carolina General Assembly, the Town of Waynesville’s about to be back…
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Franklin football banner incites religious debate
At a Friday night football game against Murphy, the Franklin High School cheerleaders took to the field like they do…
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WNC falls into October
Amid the innumerable reasons why we love Western North Carolina, the fall foliage of October might be the one key…
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Tourism board looks to change funding committees
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is considering a number of changes to increase its efficiency in collecting and allocating…
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Safety to improve at Bryson City intersections
Improvements may be coming to five intersections in Bryson City that would increase safety for drivers and pedestrians.
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Green air in the Blue Ridge
A report recently issued by the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition clears the air about Haywood County’s greenhouse gas…
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WCU total student enrollment tops 11,000
Records continue to fall by the wayside at Western Carolina University, as total student enrollment has surpassed 11,000 for the…
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Behind the scenes of SCC’s high-altitude weather balloon launch on eclipse day
By Julia Hartbarger • SCC Public Relations A little time has passed since the Great American Solar Eclipse on Aug. 21,…
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Swain schools names interim superintendent
The Swain County Board of Education has named Janet Clapsaddle as interim superintendent of schools after the retirement of Superintendent…
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