Swain County to vote on quarter-cent sales tax
Swain County residents will get to decide whether the county can levy an additional quarter-cent sales tax when they vote…
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November election lineup complete
Ballots have been finalized in Haywood County for November’s General Election, and while a number of national and state campaigns…
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Republican mega-donor backs Presnell
In the second quarter of 2016, Burnsville Republican State Rep. Michelle Presnell only received one contribution that wasn’t from a…
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Presnell, Schandevel war chests offer insights
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times — the second quarter, that is.
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WCU to host conference on economy, environment
A conference at Western Carolina University on Friday, Oct. 7, will focus on the intersection of the environment and the…
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Bryson City receives $10,000 Wi-Fi grant
Bryson City was one of 10 downtown communities to receive funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to offer free…
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Mountain Faith wins big in Raleigh
Western North Carolina played a big role in this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association awards held last weekend in Raleigh.…
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Animals rescued from Korean dog meat farm
Two small animal shelters in Western North Carolina have made national news this week as they’ve opened up their facilities…
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Feds file motion to dismiss Swain’s lawsuit
The federal government waited until the 11th hour to issue a response to Swain County’s North Shore Road lawsuit — and…
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Casino board member loses fight to keep seat
After a yearlong tug-of-war, Angela Kephart has vacated her post as a Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise board member following the…
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High-speed internet project plods along
The all-important push to bring high-speed internet to Western North Carolina generated a lot of optimism earlier this summer when…
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Homeless advocates ask Jackson commissioners for help
When the days get short and the nights get cold, a collection of Jackson County organizations comes together with the…
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The Wait of War
It is known by many names. Some call it the Second Indochina War. Some call it the Resistance War. Some…
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Upcoming political forums and debates
If you are undecided or just want more information about the Nov. 8 election, there are plenty of opportunities to…
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WCU seals the deal on $1.8 million Koch gift
A year in the making, Western Carolina University has sealed a deal with the Charles Koch Foundation for a $1.8…
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Between the lines: what WCU’s Koch gift says, and doesn’t say
Few if any universities have made the Charles Koch Foundation jump quite so many hurdles before opening its wallet as…
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Jackson unveils new ad campaign, celebrates upward tourism trend
After months of talking, planning and producing, Jackson County is set to unleash a new ad campaign and website showcasing…
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TVA houseboat policy scrutinized during congressional hearing
The Tennessee Valley Authority leadership fielded some tough questions from members of Congress last week in Washington, D.C., during a…
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Canton improvements on the horizon
The town of Canton has scored several small victories of late in its effort to diversify its economic base and…
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USDA loan hang-up: Blessing in disguise?
Another of Canton’s highly anticipated capital improvements on the horizon is a new municipal pool to replace the leaky aging…
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Growing elk population triggers landowner conflicts, land conservation efforts
Elk may be the most polarizing animal in Western North Carolina right now, but William Carter has kept a closer…
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No elk allowed: Two-mile fence keeps elk off dairy farm following winter shooting of seven animals
These days, bovines — not elk — are the only cows wandering around the Ross dairy farm in Jonathan Creek.
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Wrecker service denied location in Sylva
A vacant lot along the gateway to Sylva from Dillsboro will stay empty for a while longer following the town…
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Engineers say burn building needs to be replaced
Last month Macon County commissioners said they wanted a second opinion on the remaining lifespan of the first responder training…
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WCU faculty set new precedent for standing up to political influence of big donors
Western Carolina University faculty tasked with overseeing a $2 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation had their work cut…
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WCU faculty closely monitoring $2 million Koch gift
A firestorm over a $2 million gift from political operative Charles Koch ignited the campus of Western Carolina University last…
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Haywood County high-impact development ordinance passes
Children, the elderly, the ill, the mentally challenged and the incarcerated in Haywood County all have at least one thing…
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Waynesville annexes charter school property
The Town of Waynesville’s area increased by 2.82 acres last week with the annexation of a parcel at 1023 Dellwood…
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Cherokee council votes to keep vans gifted from Washington Redskins
A pair of Mercedes-Benz vans that The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation once bestowed upon the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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Trump promises to ‘fix’ problems
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke to a packed Asheville Civic Center on Monday as boisterous supporters cheered him on…
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The biker politic
Motorcyclists have always been a distinct subset of the American population, long before they gained infamy in Hunter S. Thompson’s…
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COMMENTARY: Fear and voting in Ashevegas
For 223 years, the highest office in the land has been passed from one man to another without bloodshed or…
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COMMENTARY: The Donald and The Doomed converge in Asheville
“You’re a Nazi,” the 20-something female screamed into the face of an elderly veteran. The veteran shrugged off the comment…
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Cat museum looking for volunteers
A museum honoring the American house cat is set to open soon in Jackson County, but cash and volunteer hours…
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WCU to host congressional, state legislative debates
Western Carolina University’s Public Policy Institute and Department of Political Science and Public Affairs are seeking questions from voters to…
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Jackson board tweaks cell tower ordinance
After surviving the first application process under the new wireless communication rules, Jackson County commissioners directed the planning board to…
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Huge success for Canton Labor Day fest
The longest running Labor Day festival in the South is meant to commemorate the contributions of the organized labor movement…
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Investigation results in 26 drug arrests
Macon County Sheriff’s Office concluded “Operation Thunderstruck” on Sept. 9 with 26 arrests for drug-related offenses while three suspects are…
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Franklin to dole out funds to community charities
Fourteen Macon County charities are vying for a piece of Franklin’s $40,000 nonprofit funding pool, but not all organizations will…
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Meadows introduces bill to save floating houses
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, introduced a bill last week to halt the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to ban floating…
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Case dismissed in council pay raise suit
A lawsuit seeking to declare illegal a controversial Tribal Council decision to issue its members pay raises has been dismissed…
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Cherokee give $50,000 to oppose North Dakota pipeline
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians threw its support behind the cause of the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota…
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Asheville Regional Airport improvements continue
Geography and population conspire to make much of Western North Carolina a terrible place for an airport; west of Asheville,…
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Elk hearing draws a crowd
A minor adjustment to elk depredation rules brought 70 people — about 40 of them college students — out to…
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Choose Booze? Haywood County appears poised to end dry spell
This November, voters will have another choice to make at the polls — whether to allow beer and or wine…
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Maggie Chamber elects new board, awards volunteers
Maggie Valley Area Chamber of Commerce recently elected three new members to the board of directors: Dave Angel, owner of…
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Tourism economic impact growing in WNC counties
Allen Alsbrooks serves on the Maggie Valley Zoning Board, and used to serve on the town’s planning board; he’s also…
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Anticipated Trout Capital designation likely to spur fly fishing tourism
If all goes according to plan, by this time next year Jackson County will have been declared the trout capital…
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Great outdoors rakes in tourism dough for Macon
As outdoor recreation tourism continues to climb upward in Macon County, community stakeholders are trying to do a better job…
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Charters of Freedom dedication delayed
Dedication of a new Charters of Freedom monument in Sylva originally planned for Sept. 17 — Constitution Day — is…
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