Finding civility in a polarized society
Globalization has made our big world seem much smaller, but it’s also pushed us farther away from one another. Instead…
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Leading the Way: WCU celebrates $5 million gift; aims for $60 million by 2019
Excitement and purple attire filled the second floor of A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University March 1 as…
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Swain sheriff’s eligibility for office questioned
Cars lined the sides of U.S. 19 in Bryson City Monday night as people tried to find their way inside…
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Judges' order won’t allow Swain board to hear challenge
Around the same time people were packing into the board of elections office in Swain Monday afternoon, a three-judge panel…
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Ken Howle named executive director of Lake Junaluska
In keeping with the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center’s transformative efforts to remain a thriving spiritual and economic hub…
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Speakers call on interfaith work for social justice
Christian Perspective The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman hadn’t even started his talk from the Christian perspective, and already there wasn’t…
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Participants take home renewed faith
It’s easy to grow weary in a world that is deeply divided and when efforts to reach out to the…
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Meadows’ bill to reimburse counties with federal land
Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., introduced legislation to supplement counties that have expended local taxes on…
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Green Energy Park revival discussed; Plan would merge art, education and innovation
The Jackson County Green Energy Park has long been a topic of conversation in Jackson County — various boards of…
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Libertarians in it to win it in 2018
For the first time in a decade, citizens in much of Western North Carolina will have the chance to vote…
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Several last-minute candidates added to election roster
Regional Three-term incumbent Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, has a number of challengers this year, including one from his own party.…
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Agreement axed for Dillsboro river park
Eleven months ago, the Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve development of a river park on county-owned land along…
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‘Spirit of the Cherokee woman’: Swayney honored for life of service to tribe and country
A courageous leader. An empathetic caretaker. A driven taskmaster. An intelligent, resilient and love-driven organizer. A person who had no…
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McCoy pleads guilty in marriage fraud case
Ruth Marie Sequoyah McCoy, former deputy superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Cherokee agency, pled guilty to conspiracy to…
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Hunter to step down as Western Carolina basketball coach
After a 13-year tenure as Western Carolina University’s head Men’s Basketball coach that also saw him notch his 700th career…
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Student threats taken seriously after Parkland shooting
The latest mass shooting on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has spurred a number…
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‘On all of our minds’: Jackson County leaders plan to prevent school violence
When a teenage shooter shattered an otherwise normal day in Parkland, Florida, with gunfire and bloodshed, the ripples of fear…
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Swain High students walk out of class
Following a social media threat that led to a countywide school lockdown and an early dismissal on Thursday, Feb. 22,…
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UNC School of Government prepares local leaders
“First, congratulations. Second, why are you here?” he asked. The airy hotel conference room fell silent, nearly 200 eyeballs glancing…
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War of words: public records requests troublesome for Haywood County
Despite being called “a shameful person to deal with” and “obsessed” in highly unusual comments directed at him by a…
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New sewer capacity could soon come to Cashiers
A new sewer treatment plant being planned for Cashiers will start allowing for growth in the mountain community before the…
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Candidates sign up to run for office
Candidates have until 5 p.m. today, Feb. 28, to sign up to run for office.
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Haywood sheriff all about customer service
Growing up in Haywood County, Sheriff Greg Christopher certainly learned the value of hard work at his family’s farm and…
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Homeless shelter question looms in Jackson
As a startlingly cold winter lapses into a startlingly early spring, Jackson County leaders are pondering a question they’ve been…
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Swain County responds to election director lawsuit
Swain County Election Director Joan Weeks finally got a response from the county regarding a lawsuit she filed against the…
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State approves partial rate hike for Duke Energy
The North Carolina Utilities Commission has issued an order granting a partial rate increase for Duke Energy Progress.
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Making the Grade: Garrett leaves a legacy of learning
As someone who’s spent 13 years as a school superintendent and four decades as a teacher and administrator fostering the…
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Garrett: class size reprieve ‘happy news’
School administrators around the state have been crying foul since late 2017 over the way the North Carolina General Assembly…
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Changes to water/sewer tap-on fees could impact Sylva economy
Jackson County’s controversially high water and sewer fees could remain unchanged following implementation of a 2017 state law that was…
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Swain settlement money part of Trump’s budget
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget calls on Congress to fund the overdue remaining balance of $39.2 million owed to Swain…
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Improvements planned for Monteith Gap
The N.C. Department of Transportation is planning a $1.7 million improvement project on Monteith Gap Road in Cullowhee following passage…
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SCC lead cleanup cost reaches $500,000
Jackson County will spend an additional $254,000 to clean up lead contamination and plan for sound abatement at the Southwestern…
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Miller admonished before Haywood commissioners
Local government watchdog Monroe Miller is well known to many in county government circles; he attends most Haywood County Board…
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Cherokee leaders chart path forward following discovery of elections failures
A two-hour work session last week on alleged ballot tampering and security lapses during Cherokee’s 2017 elections yielded arguably more…
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Evergreen gets economic incentives from Haywood
Although recent economic development efforts by Haywood County, including a highly anticipated partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce,…
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Nonprofits offer support, funding to mental health
The mental health system in North Carolina can use all the help it can get as it struggles with cuts…
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Legislators respond to mental health shortfalls
As The Smoky Mountain News wraps up an ongoing series on the state of mental health in North Carolina, state…
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Welch seeks second term as 30th Judicial DA
Ashley Welch, the first female District Attorney for the 30th Judicial District, is seeking a second term — and is…
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Globe-trotting evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99
By Dale Neal • Special to The Smoky Mountain News Evangelist Billy Graham — a spiritual guide to generations of American…
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Arrest made in SunTrust Bank robbery
Waynesville Police Officers responded to the SunTrust Bank in downtown on Feb. 13 when it was reported a robbery had…
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Haywood GOP officer sues over mocking memes
Sticks and stones may break some bones, but according to a lawsuit filed by one local politico, the memes can…
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A life in coaching: WCU’s Hunter earns career 700th win
By Todd Vinyard • Special to The Smoky Mountain News Western Carolina University head basketball coach Larry Hunter’s team had beaten…
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Ballot tampering alleged in Cherokee
An audit investigating Birdtown’s disputed 2017 Tribal Council race has concluded that ballot tampering is the likely culprit, with alleged…
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Haywood School Board corrects Open Meetings Law violation
A week’s worth of wintry weather in mid-January resulted in the cancellation of meetings by both the Haywood County School…
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Medicaid reform is coming
Major changes are coming to North Carolina’s Medicaid program, and the regional organizations that manage those dollars for behavioral health…
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Nonprofits to utilize Charity Tracker
Charitable giving for nonprofits and churches in Haywood County is about to become much more efficient thanks to the implementation…
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Mission looking for new location for MAMA
After rumblings and rumors around town, Mission Health confirmed it is actively looking for a new location for MAMA II,…
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WCU community voices priorities for chancellor search
An enthusiastic friend of students. A die-hard fan of all things Catamount. An efficient administrator, effective political advocate, willing traveler…
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Visioning Cashiers’ future: Planning process kicks off for mountain community
An effort to envision the future of Cashiers is now underway as work begins to create a small area plan…
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Calendar flexibility eludes WNC schools
North Carolina is a huge state with tremendous climactic, economic and geographic diversity, but after a wicked bout of weird…
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