Master plan adopted for Macon rec park
Macon County Commissioners have adopted a master plan for the county’s recreation center and surrounding park.
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Jackson considers consolidation: Public hearing set for Oct. 3
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will likely move to consolidate the Department of Health and the Department of Social…
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Plott-tober Fest to draw national competitors
Plott hound enthusiasts and their pups from across the United States will assemble to compete in bear bay and coon…
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Economic development efforts added to allowed uses for tribal levy
In a divided decision the Cherokee Tribal Council approved an ordinance amendment that will allow funding for the tribe’s cannabis…
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Ordinance expanding per capita payments withdrawn for further discussion
Debate about how to spend revenues from the tribe’s growing portfolio of out-of-state gambling businesses will continue into the next…
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Support Full Spectrum Farms
Starlight Night, the annual fundraiser for Full Spectrum Farms, will take place 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, on the farm.
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Cherokee Police Commission discusses cannabis change
A week after Cherokee voters overwhelmingly voiced their support for legalizing cannabis on the Qualla Boundary, the Cherokee Police Commission spent 20…
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Referendum votes meet turnout threshold
Voter turnout came in at 53.9% for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Sept. 7 election, according to numbers the…
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Sylva considers Safe Haven Boxes
The Sylva Board of Commissioners recently received a presentation on Safe Haven Boxes — a program that allows for the…
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Data shows improvements for local charter schools
With accountability data released from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, all charter schools in the Smoky Mountain News’…
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Swain school board will revise policy to comply with new law
After the Parents Bill of Rights passed the General Assembly in August, local boards of education are determining how to align…
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Defendants get prison time following trafficking investigation
Eight people charged in Haywood County with trafficking and possessing illegal drugs are now serving active time in state prison,…
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Champion Credit Union and Ecusta Credit Union Announce Merger
Champion Credit Union announced that Ecusta Credit Union, which has served Transylvania and Henderson counties since 1976, will formally merge…
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Hawthorn Heights home now locally owned
Hawthorn Heights WNC, a nonprofit founded in Bryson City, announced it has purchased its current facility from Children’s Hope Alliance.
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Seat belt use encouraged during Child Passenger Safety Week
State and local officials are reminding people during “Child Passenger Safety Week” to buckle up their youngest passengers because car crashes…
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Mike Wade creates endowed fund at SCC
Roughly a decade ago, Mike Wade heard a quote from successful industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie: “I spent the first…
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Cherokee votes: Hicks wins fourth term as Cherokee chief
Cherokee looked back for its future in the Sept. 7 General Election, with an overwhelming majority of Eastern Band of…
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Trailblazer: Parents go the extra mile to protect transgender son
Luke Klein’s life in North Carolina hasn’t been much different than that of any other pre-teen boy.
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Barrett drops out of Maggie Valley race after residency challenge filed
The field of candidates for the two Maggie Valley alderman seats up for election this November just got a little…
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UPDATED: Hearing scheduled for challenge to Maggie Valley alderman candidate
UPDATE: Barrett dropped out of the race on Sept. 13, one day after this story was updated for print. Read…
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Constitutional sheriffs event brings few sheriffs
Group was met with energy and an award from congressman but few in uniform
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In landslide vote, EBCI says yes to cannabis
In a decision that received national attention, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum question endorsing legalized…
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Testing Data: WNC schools show growth in pandemic recovery
Last week, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released performance and growth data for the 2022-23 school year, and…
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Residents call on Jackson commissioner to apologize
Jackson residents and members of the LGBTQ+ community are calling on County Commissioner John Smith to apologize following comments he…
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Large freshman class hopeful sign for future WCU growth
For the third year running, freshman enrollment has increased at Western Carolina University, a metric that university leaders hope will…
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Planning for the park: Recreational needs survey solicits input for future of Pinnacle Park
In April, Sylva received the results of an in-depth botanical survey of Pinnacle Park, and now the town is in…
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Mixed drink referendum passes easily in Cherokee
What was once an extremely contentious issue in Cherokee now appears to be fairly noncontroversial, as a referendum vote seeking…
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Delayed budget means delayed Medicaid expansion
Nonprofits gear up for implementation but still have concerns
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WCU physical therapy grad student gets to see legislative side of health care
Ruby Dixon, a third-year student in Western Carolina University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, considers the entire state of North…
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Swain County man found guilty of murder
Last week, a Swain County jury convicted Daniel Ryan Sutton, 39, of first-degree murder.
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Sylva Police Department files graffiti charges
Graffiti has appeared on properties along the N.C. 107 corridor for several months.
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Dr. Brandon B. Herndon Joins Haywood Regional Medical Center
Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that Dr. Brandon B. Herndon has joined its staff and will be offering services in…
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Republican mayoral candidates drop out in Maggie Valley, Waynesville
With less than two months until Haywood County municipal elections are held, two candidates who filed to run back in…
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Hicks wins fourth term as Cherokee chief
Cherokee looked back for its future in today’s General Election, with an overwhelming majority of voters electing to oust incumbent…
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School board approves Higdon property lease
After months of back and forth, the Macon County School Board has approved a lease agreement for the Higdon property,…
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Film to highlight the ‘grit and wit’ of Gary Carden
A film about one of Western North Carolina’s most revered literary figures will make its world premiere in a free event…
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Get ready for Sylva Pride
The third annual Sylva Pride Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Bridge…
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WCU Cherokee Language Program’s ECHT Project receives $64,905 grant
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Sara Snyder Hopkins, assistant professor and director of the Cherokee Language Program at…
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Harris Regional Hospital & Swain Community Hospital announces New CEO
Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, Duke LifePoint hospitals, announced the appointment of Ashley Hindman as the new chief…
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Summit breaks ground on new high school building
After graduating its first senior class in the spring of 2022, Summit Charter School has broken ground on phase II…
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Police shooting defendants reply to lawsuit
Tribal officers in Cherokee County shooting say they thought victim was armed
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Waynesville arch nears fundraising goal
The replica of a decorative arch that once spanned Main Street in Waynesville but was removed in the early 1970s…
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Tribal Council approves referendum for cannabis vote
After a narrow passage in Tribal Council, the September ballot is expected to ask Cherokee voters whether they support legalizing…
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Cherokee chief candidates make their case: Tribal finance, business ventures key issues in 2023 race
As voters ponder the ballot for executive offices within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians next month, they’ll be looking…
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A voter guide for Painttown Tribal Council
Cherokee’s June 1 Primary Election whittled the field of candidates for Painttown Tribal Council down to four, and they will…
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A voter guide for Big Cove Tribal Council
During the General Election Thursday, Sept. 7, Big Cove voters will weigh in on who they want to see represent…
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A voter guide for Snowbird/Cherokee County Tribal Council
Only three candidates are running for the two Tribal Council seats representing the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ farthest-flung township,…
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A voter guide for Birdtown Tribal Council
Cherokee’s June 1 Primary Election whittled the field of candidates for Birdtown Tribal Council down to four, and they will…
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A voter guide for Yellowhill Tribal Council
During the General Election Sept. 7, Yellowhill voters will choose two of the four names before them to be their…
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