Haywood County children, youth need loving foster homes
The COVID pandemic may seem like ancient history to most western North Carolinians, but foster children in Haywood County are…
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Unfunded state mandate will cost local governments more than money
Buried deep within a 40-page regulatory reform bill that became law last week, a new policy handed down by the…
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Haywood man guilty of stalking, pointing pistol at deputy
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch today announced that a Haywood County jury found a defendant guilty of stalking a couple…
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‘What our kids need’: no cost meals in WNC schools
Every student in Haywood and Jackson County Schools can expect no cost breakfast and lunch in the coming school year,…
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Group pushes for strict new DWI laws
Western North Carolina’s regional DWI taskforce has renewed its push to pass several new drunk-driving bills into law during next…
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Mountain Projects: NC Medicaid is not a Welfare Program
Since the state expanded Medicaid last December, 479,153 North Carolinians have signed up for full-coverage insurance and are already seeing…
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Too little, too late: After deadline, child care funding meets only a fraction of the need
A stopgap measure that will partially fund expired federal grants for child care providers finally found Gov. Roy Cooper’s pen, but…
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EBCI reverses stance on ‘hemp shops’
EBCI Tribal Council has reversed its decision to ban “hemp shops” not “wholly owned by the tribe … or one…
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EBCI leaders voice frustration after Braves support unofficial Cherokee tribes
Following the Atlanta Braves’ recognition late last month of several groups in Georgia recognized by that state as Native American,…
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Woody joins Jackson Board of Education
The Jackson County Board of Education will look a little different at its next meeting after Chair Elizabeth Cooper departed…
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Three dead in alleged Haywood County murder-suicide
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible murder in the Panther Creek area of Clyde.
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SCC Foundation sets date for 10th annual fundraising gala
Ten years ago, the Southwestern Community College Foundation launched a bold new effort to create a fundraising event that everyone…
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Officer-involved shooting in Cherokee leaves one dead
The Charlotte FBI division office announced that the bureau is investigating an officer-involved shooting on the Qualla Boundary that left…
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Red Cross calls for blood and platelet donors amid critical shortage
This July, the American Red Cross continues to stress that blood and platelet donors are critically needed to support lifesaving…
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Swain County BOE hosts voter ID seminar
The Swain County Board of Elections host an educational seminar on North Carolina’s photo ID requirement for voting.
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Haywood TDA announces next round of grants
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority announced last week that it had awarded just over $250,000 in grants to 18…
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Macon County floodplain ordinance debate heats up
A proposed change to Macon County’s floodplain regulation has prompted outcry from the public and rippled across the county government.
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Roundtable sheds light on threat to abortion care
June 24 marked the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Since…
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Jackson school board signs resolution against private school vouchers
The Jackson County Board of Education has signed a resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to prioritize public education…
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Macon reaches high school sports decision
The Macon County School Board has voted to require students to play high school sports at the school where they…
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Greeley appointed to UNC Board of Governors
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees will have a bit of a different look at its next meeting. Kathryn…
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EBCI to sell recreational cannabis to enrolled members
Cherokee is moving one step closer to full adult recreational cannabis use. The newest advance will come July 4 when…
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Lake Junaluska to host services and workshops
Lake Junaluska’s Summer Worship Series has now resumed with seven visiting theologians serving as guest preachers. Summer Worship Series’ services…
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Federal government announces $20 million for improvements to Corridor K
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a $20 million grant from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to…
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All together now: Haywood Tourism Development Authority eyes countywide approach
It’s been a little under a year since Corrina Ruffieux took over for longtime Haywood County Tourism Development Authority Executive…
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Haywood County tourism just had its best year in history
After emerging from the early stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic virtually unscathed, Haywood County’s lodging industry rebounded with a year…
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First Amendment on display as opposing sides reckon with Pride
For many, a Pride festival is a fairly straightforward event, a celebration of unity among people marginalized for who they…
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Monument to papermakers coming to Canton
The shuttered paper mill at the heart of Canton is still there — for now. One day it won’t be,…
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Haywood’s inaugural Pride festival kicks off
Raymond Valentine has seen a lot of things in his long life, but after 80 years he doesn’t have to…
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Haywood reappraisal will bring huge numbers, huge choices
Appraisers are still in the field putting the finishing touches on the upcoming countywide property reappraisal set to take effect…
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Sylva to create economic development board
The Town of Sylva is looking to create an economic development board made up of business owners outside the downtown…
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Swain County commissioner expelled from meeting
Following a heated exchange with another county commissioner during a closed session, Swain County Commissioner David Loftis was expelled from…
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Free opioid overdose kits available in three Haywood locations
Most people don’t realize that some accidental opioid overdoses are reversible with the quick administration of an opioid antagonist called…
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Public safety, personnel costs push Waynesville tax increase
In the second split budget vote in the last four years, Waynesville’s Town Council approved a property tax hike of…
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Old Edwards Inn changes ownership : Highlands officials expect ‘business as usual’
Old Edwards Inn — the historic Highlands landmark and premier worldwide travel destination — has been sold, but little is…
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EBCI reveals census results
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Census results have been finalized for the first time in over two decades.
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Despite challenges, no tax increase in Canton budget
A full year after one of the county’s largest employers — the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill, in downtown Canton — shut…
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Potential SCC scanning day would explore campus history
Southwestern Community College (SCC), a crucial Western North Carolina educational institute since 1964, is exploring the possibility of hosting a…
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Vecinos receives SECU Foundation grant
SECU Foundation recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to Vecinos for a new medical center and human services hub in…
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Nantahala Health Foundation launches grant cycle to benefit youth
Nantahala Health Foundation will launch its next competitive grant opportunity on July 1 with a focus on investing in educational,…
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Swain County raises taxes
Swain County will be raising its tax rate for the first time in 11 years in fiscal year 2024-25. Commissioners…
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SCC recognizes OTA graduates
The newest members of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program recently celebrated their completion of Southwestern Community College’s program with family…
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All lanes of I-40 in Pigeon River Gorge now open
Contract crews for the N.C. Department of Transportation have completed major operations at two locations of Interstate 40 in the…
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High-speed internet grants awarded in WNC
63 North Carolina community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations will get a combined $30 million in grants funded…
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Legislative infighting overshadows child care crisis
Without immediate action from the General Assembly, Pandemic-era federal grants to child care providers will run out on July 1…
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Democrats claim school vouchers detract from child care grants
As the July 1 budget deadline for Child Care Stabilization grants approaches, it appears the Republican-led North Carolina House and…
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‘A two-generation workforce issue’: Child care availability impeding economic development
Stakeholders around Western North Carolina recognize the end of COVID-era child care stabilization funding and the broader lack of available…
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Macon passes budget with adjustments
After several lengthy discussions, Macon County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget by a split vote with a couple…
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WCU Board of Trustees approves new CIO
On Friday, June 14, Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees approved Chris Williams’ selection as its chief information officer. Williams,…
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Months after passing away, Haywood child wins national award
Less than six months after her death at just over two years old, Charlotte Joy Norris is posthumously receiving an…
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