Lucky to be alive: Gatlinburg men relive harrowing escape down fiery mountain
GATLINBURG — It started with an ember. One single ember, falling from the sky into Michael Luciano’s front yard in…
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A checkerboard of devastation: Fire levels some areas and leaves others untouched
GATLINBURG — Just before hitting the McDonald’s along U.S. 321 east of Gatlinburg on Dec. 2, traffic slows to a…
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Where to go from here: Fire survivors wait and wonder in Red Cross shelter
GATLINBURG — Coaches and team jerseys were absent from Rocky Top Sports World Friday morning, but the sports-complex-turned-Red-Cross-shelter surged with…
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Rain quells wildfires across the region
It took mere hours for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire to escape the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sweep…
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‘A date which will live in infamy’: The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Dec. 7, 1941. It’s a date that conjures numerous images and thoughts. The USS Arizona engulfed in smoke and flames. Fighter…
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Locals react to Japanese attack
On Thursday, Dec. 4, 1941, newspapers in Western North Carolina revealed cities in full holiday swing — ads for Philco…
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Witness to history: World War II vet reflects on conflict, atomic bomb
Turning onto Qualla Road in Waynesville, the meandering route goes from pavement to gravel to dirt within a half-mile. By…
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Swain band performs at Pearl Harbor Anniversary
The Swain County High School marching band was noticeably absent from the annual Bryson City Christmas Parade last weekend, but…
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Haywood Commission selects new chairman
In addition to welcoming newly-elected Commissioner Brandon Rogers and welcoming back newly re-elected Commissioner Kevin Ensley at its Dec. 5…
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Maggie Chamber restructures membership options
Maggie Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is responding to criticism in the community by restructuring its membership options for businesses.
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Macon man admits to igniting small wildfires
A Franklin man is facing federal arson charges after admitting to setting fire to two separate areas in Macon County…
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Planning Jackson’s future: Preliminary comp plan comments yield mix of praise and concern
Making their way around a room studded with tables, informational posters and documents for review, Jackson County residents took advantage…
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George Ellison releases new book, reflects on decades of life lived in nature
The Fourth of July, 1976, was just around the corner when George and Elizabeth Ellison embarked on a hike that…
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Waynesville water safe despite discoloration
Although the water situation in the area seems to be improving thanks to the recent rains, the town of Waynesville…
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Untreated sewage discharged into Richland Creek
The Junaluska Sanitary District experienced a discharge of untreated sewage from a blockage in a line located Southeast of Loop…
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Jackson NAACP researching provisional ballots
With a high number of ballots being rejected from the Nov. 8 election, Jackson County’s NAACP branch is asking for…
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Ellison releases new title
When George Ellison first started writing nature columns for the Asheville Citizen-Times back in 1986, it was with the assumption…
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As N.C. wildfires slacken, Smokies blaze roars into Gatlinburg
Just as wildfires were beginning to subside in North Carolina, gusty winds whipped a flare-up in the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Support heard for TDA tax increase
Supporters of a proposed hike in Haywood County’s room occupancy tax were silenced in the state legislature in 2013, but…
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Playground for disabled in the works for Waynesville
A Connect N.C. bond application approved by the Town of Waynesville could bring more than $90,000 to the town for…
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Macon to pay off Parker Meadows loan
With an unexpected increase in sales tax revenue, Macon County commissioners voted in favor of paying off a $5 million…
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SCC asks Macon for 40 percent of bond project cost
Southwestern Community College is asking Macon County commissioners to pitch in 40 percent of the cost to construct a new…
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County, nonprofit work to chart sustainable future for homeless shelter
Cold temperatures have arrived, but efforts to ensure the future of Jackson Neighbors in Need are heating up.
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Locked in the longest-running ping-pong match in mountain politics, Joe Sam Queen reflects on his latest loss
Joe Sam Queen counts his campaign wins and losses like innings in a baseball game.
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Solar in the Smokies: Duke proposes microgrid for Mt. Sterling
Utility companies are not often known for being in harmony with nature; indeed, Duke Energy’s recent coal ash fiascos come…
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The last chapter: Reflections on Mark Swanger’s political era
Mark Swanger tucked into his leather armchair beside a roaring gas fire, an expansive view of his Fines Creek family…
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Fire, drought and… floods?
Smoky, intense wildfires and a historic drought have been visited upon the region over the past few months, but as…
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Burn bans still in effect
With dry conditions reigning and wildfires raging, it’s currently both dangerous and illegal to start a fire nearly anywhere in…
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Haywood moves to solve affordable housing crisis
During his tenure on the Haywood County Commission, retiring Chairman Mark Swanger has certainly shaped what the future of the…
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Public restrooms, art coming to Hazelwood
The tiny but blossoming business community along Hazelwood Avenue is about to get a major boost from the town of…
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Expansion, safety improvements for Waynesville concrete plant
Nearly a decade ago, Southern Concrete Materials began toying with the prospect of leaving its 201 Boundary St., location for…
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Canton pool project hits another setback
Canton officials may be starting to wonder if plans to replace the town’s aging public pool aren’t cursed.
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Canton undergoes visual rebranding
To the naked eye, there appears to be a lot going right in Canton these days.
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Franklin Chamber of Commerce finds new home
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce is looking for financial support from the community to purchase new office space.
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Swain hospital makes changes to ER
Swain Community Hospital has announced plans to change how it operates its Emergency Department, but administrators say the hospital will…
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Jackson County seeks input on draft comprehensive plan
As the saying goes, change is life’s only constant — so Jackson County is looking for input to guide its…
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McCrory picks up 12 votes in Haywood
Haywood County’s election results are finally complete.
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Containment rising, fire growth slowing in WNC
Despite gusty winds, dust-dry forests and interminable drought, firefighters made significant headway over the last week toward containing Western North…
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Firefighters battle 50-plus square miles of WNC wildfires
Western North Carolina is ablaze with 22 wildfires currently burning through more than 50 square miles in the seven most…
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Mad Anthony’s to close Saturday
Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop and Beer Garden on Branner Avenue in Waynesville will close this Saturday, Nov. 19.
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Canton robbery suspect arrested
A man the Clyde Police Department and Haywood County Sheriff’s Office mentioned as “wanted” in connection to an armed robbery…
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NPR to migrate Waynesville broadcast
Haywood County listeners accustomed to tuning into 95.3 FM for their National Public Radio fix will have to look elsewhere…
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Haywood completes animal rescue operation
After serving as an ad-hoc temporary animal shelter, the old Lea Industries building on Lea Plant Road in Hazelwood is…
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The after-action report: 50 fast facts from the Haywood election results
Another layer of tint has been added to Haywood County’s changing political canvas. Election Day results paint a picture of…
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Voters go right, Democrats wonder what went wrong
Even though both parties appeared confident about their candidates moving into Election Day, there were a lot of white knuckles…
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Life Challenge receives $9,000 grant
Life Challenge of Western North Carolina has been awarded a $9,000 grant from the Evergreen Foundation to help make essential…
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Witch hunt in tribal government? Investigations elicit charges of backroom meetings and illegally obtained records
Tempers flared in Cherokee Tribal Council this month as some councilmembers alleged that a subset of their colleagues had gone…
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Dangerous smoke hazard persists throughout WNC
Two dozen or so forest fires in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Western North Carolina have forced mandatory evacuations in…
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Wildfires torment residents, tourism
Our backyard is on fire. From Knoxville to Asheville, a large cloud of smoke is currently hovering over this corner…
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Local water supplies drying up: Paper mill may have to suspend production
The severe drought plaguing Western North Carolina has taken its toll on the local water supply, and residents are being…
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