After the fire
When hurricane-force winds met burning, bone-dry forest, the city of Gatlinburg transformed overnight on Nov. 28-29 from lively tourist town…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
‘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…
Read More
Locals react to Japanese attack
On Thursday, Dec. 4, 1941, newspapers in Western North Carolina revealed cities in full holiday swing — ads for Philco…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Fire, drought and… floods?
Smoky, intense wildfires and a historic drought have been visited upon the region over the past few months, but as…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.
Read More
Canton undergoes visual rebranding
To the naked eye, there appears to be a lot going right in Canton these days.
Read More
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.
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
McCrory picks up 12 votes in Haywood
Haywood County’s election results are finally complete.
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Wildfires torment residents, tourism
Our backyard is on fire. From Knoxville to Asheville, a large cloud of smoke is currently hovering over this corner…
Read More
