School improvement costs rise in Jackson
Rising construction costs are causing problems for Jackson County Schools as it attempts to complete $9 million of much-needed capital…
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Main Street shuffle: Businesses move in, out of Waynesville core
Waynesville’s popular Main Street shopping district has seen some changes over the years, and as time goes by, everyone from…
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After elections, new Tribal Council will include only five incumbents
Yesterday’s Tribal Council elections delivered a blow to incumbents, with only three of the seven councilmembers who both supported the…
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‘Trickle-up’: The grassroots greening of government
The proposition is simple — establish a transition from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 or face…
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Green government efforts continue in WNC
Although the clean energy resolution circulating through many local governments of late has been alternately called “aspirational” and “empty” by…
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Swain to receive $4 million settlement payment
When U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visited Pisgah Inn last week, he unexpectedly delivered some good news for…
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Swain County adamantly opposes wilderness designations
U.S. Forest Service rangers got an earful from Swain County residents last week during a public hearing regarding the proposed…
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SRCA discusses pros and cons of adding high school
Shining Rock Classical Academy leaders want to add high school grades to their growing charter school, but they’re just not…
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Chief vetoes special election
A Tribal Council resolution calling for a special election to choose the next Vice Chief sat, unsigned, in the office…
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Ground breaks on entertainment facility at Murphy casino
The bowling alley construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort wasn’t even finished when ground broke on a similar addition at…
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Bowling alley opens in Cherokee
A years-long effort to bring a bowling alley to Cherokee has come to an end with the opening of the…
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Community talks under way in Bryson City
Don’t let the quaintness fool you — the small town of Bryson City has plenty of challenges and opportunities facing…
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The Chimney Tops 2 timeline
The fire review process included a thorough analysis of all communications and decisions made from the time the fire began…
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Review released of Smokies’ wildfire response
Nine months after a small wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park metastasized into a deadly blaze that wreaked…
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How to help Hurricane Harvey victims
With so many charities working to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, many Western North Carolina residents are curious…
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Schandevel to challenge Rep. Michele Presnell again
After a disappointing loss to an entrenched incumbent in 2016, Beaverdam’s Rhonda Cole Schandevel announced Aug. 26 that she’ll again…
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Sylva statue draws debate
Ever since an August protest over removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent, a nationwide…
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WCU fishing club rescuing Harvey victims
As members of Western Carolina University’s bass fishing club team — the Bass Cats — were in route to assist…
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Living Well: A look at health and fitness in WNC
• Creason reflects on 40 years as Jackson's swim teacher• Bodybuilders take natural approach to health, strength• Moss pushes the…
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Jackson health building to be renovated
After years of discussion, Jackson County is ready to move forward with plans to address the needs of its aging…
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What’s in the cards? Holdin’ or foldin’ — Haywood economic developers play to win
Since late spring, this Smoky Mountain News series on economic development has attempted to define the landscape in which Haywood…
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Pets at Waynesville fests?
If you stick around in local government long enough, you could find yourself considering the repeal of an ordinance that…
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Brunch booze on the menu in Waynesville?
After the North Carolina General Assembly’s recent passage of the so-called “brunch bill,” municipal governments in Haywood County have been…
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Sylva revises demonstrations ordinance following Charlottesville violence
The town of Sylva now has new rules governing when and where parades and demonstrations can take place, with revisions…
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Franklin mayor to help lead new mayors group
Franklin Mayor Bob Scott will help lead a new organization of North Carolina mayors dedicated to improving life in all…
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Franklin officers to carry life-saving drug
The Franklin Town Council recently approved a $700 expense that will allow the town’s police force to be armed with…
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Bryson City applies for sewer improvement grant
After three failed attempts, the Bryson City Board of Aldermen is once again applying for a Community Development Block Grant…
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Tribal Council candidates speak: Eight incumbents face 16 challengers Sept. 7
With the election for Cherokee Tribal Council just one week away, The Smoky Mountain News continues its series profiling the…
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Tribal members announce candidacy for vice chief
There’s still no guarantee whether a special election will be held to choose the next vice chief of the Eastern…
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Three women arrested for child abduction
The Waynesville Police Department responded to the report of a child abduction from Frazier Street Thursday afternoon.
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A monumental issue
Lost in the ugliness of the recent Charlottesville violence is the fact that the demonstration was originally centered around the…
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Governments across the nation consider removing Confederate monuments
The demonstrations in Charlottesville are already shaping up to be a watershed moment in American history; consequently, local governments across…
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Eighty-six seconds of sunlessness: Eclipse viewers throng to Clingmans Dome
Expectation reigned at Clingmans Dome the morning of Aug. 21 as buses rolled in carrying the 1,325 people lucky enough…
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Solar eclipse: A day with two sunrises
Packing to watch the sun disappear felt like packing for work, camping and an emergency evacuation all at once.
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Solar eclipse: ‘Just wait a while, for the right day’
Covered in sweat, I could feel the slight trickle of ice water dripping down my leg.
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Solar eclipse: Game of chance
It was like watching the slowest sporting event ever. Spectators with their eyes toward the sky shouted in excitement and…
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Solar eclipse: We shall go on playing
Strange days, as Doors front man Jim Morrison famously sang, have found us.
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Tribal Council candidates speak: General Election is two weeks away
The 2017 General Election will choose the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ next slate of Tribal Council representatives following Election…
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CEO answers concerns about Mission/BCBS contract
Mission Health Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ron Paulus took to social media last week to answer questions from patients regarding…
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Mission rolls out transition plan for BCBS patients
Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will expire Oct. 5, leaving thousands of patients to find…
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Jackson debates health department construction
When the Jackson County Commiss-ioners met to discuss construction needs in the health department Aug. 8, the goal for the…
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Transportation plan for Jackson nears completion
After more than two years of meetings and mapping and analysis, the comprehensive transportation plan intended to guide Jackson County…
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Teen walks out of Smokies after 11 days missing
After 11 days missing in the remote backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Chilhowee Lake, 18-year-old Austin…
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WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’
On Monday, Aug. 21, Western North Carolina residents and visitors will have the chance to see a rare total solar eclipse.…
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Public, private sectors tackle affordable housing crisis
The Haywood County Affordable Housing Task Force has run its course, completing an assessment and presenting recommendations designed to ameliorate…
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HCC unveils new public training building
A brand new Public Services Training Facility was unveiled Monday at Haywood Community College.
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SCC weather balloon team to launch on eclipse day
On Aug. 21, the day of the Great American Eclipse, 50 high-altitude weather balloon teams from across the country will…
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Waynesville residents wary of annexation, zoning
Grandview Circle residents concerned about property values and crime turned up at the Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting to get…
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Sneed vetoes power bill assistance program
Principal Chief Richard Sneed has vetoed legislation that Tribal Council passed in July setting up a program to pay power…
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Despite district distractions, groups prepare for 2018
Although Haywood County’s municipal elections in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley will garner the most attention through November, state legislative…
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