Online presence a must for modern government
Go back in time 25 years, and a town with a website — any website, no matter how terrible the…
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Maggie Valley website biggest bang for the buck
Years ago, the Town of Maggie Valley used to be known as a place where governance didn’t always take place…
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Canton plans to beef up town website
The Town of Canton’s website was the subject of discussion during recent budget hearings, as some questioned the need for…
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Bryson City website needs more attention
Considering Bryson City didn’t even have a website until 2009, it’s no surprise that it lags behind the other municipalities’…
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Swain County’s website lacks basic information
With the lowest population and the lowest county budget, Swain County also scored the lowest among the four-county website comparison.
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Cherokee’s web presence a work in progress
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ website received the lowest score of any of those reviewed by The Smoky Mountain…
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Sylva’s website scheduled for a makeover
Sylva’s website, last overhauled in 2010, will be getting a facelift this year after the town board voted to spend…
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User-friendly website a priority for Jackson
Kelly Fuqua doesn’t have a problem saying she’s pretty proud of Jackson County’s website. Before she overhauled it in 2011,…
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Franklin strives for open government — even online
The town of Franklin’s website is a great example of a small town going the extra mile to encourage public…
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Waynesville website a reliable resource
As the largest town west of Asheville and the county seat of Haywood County, Waynesville is the economic engine of…
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Macon’s web presence has come a long way
Macon County’s government website started 16 years ago with a shoestring budget.
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Haywood County’s website gets the job done
Haywood County’s website tied for the highest ranking in the area despite earning design scores that were sub-par.
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Haywood school board responds to lawsuit
A lawsuit filed by a Waynesville parent and attorney in May regarding the closure of Central Elementary School is beginning…
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State budget agreement reached
The North Carolina General Assembly reached the finish line a bit earlier than expected in their race to present GOP…
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NC ‘Sanctuary Cities’ threatened with loss of school, road funding
In late October 2015, Gov. Pat McCrory signed the “Protect North Carolina Workers Act,” requiring state and local governments to…
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SkyFi aims for 11 new wireless towers
Jackson commissioners were put in a tough spot this month by county staff seeking special treatment for wireless internet towers…
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Solving Jackson’s last-mile internet challenge will take time and money
When Travis Lewis was hit with a $600 charge for going over his monthly cell phone data allotment two years…
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Jackson hopes to end the free ride for out-of-county dumpers
Suspicions that people are concealing old sofas and worn-out mattresses over state and county lines to dump on the sly…
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WCU plans for medical building to improve education, expand health care access
Students pursuing health careers at Western Carolina University will soon have ample chance for hands-on learning right on campus if…
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Canton a ‘workplace of first choice’
Canton’s new budget includes a provision making it the first living wage certified government in Western North Carolina, but at…
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Staggered payments for Cherokee Minors’ Fund
When teen members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians come of age, they find themselves in sudden possession of…
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Jackson names interim manager
With a one-month gap between the retirement of Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten and the arrival of his successor Don…
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Shooting suspect wanted in Haywood
Haywood County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for an armed and dangerous suspect involved in a June 26 shooting incident in…
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Chili's restaurant coming to WCU this fall
CULLOWHEE – Chili’s Grill and Bar, a popular national chain restaurant, will be open for business on the campus of…
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Balance sought in Howell Mill rezoning
As the $11.6 million Howell Mill Road project was winding down in late 2015, the Waynesville Planning Board began to…
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The Raleigh roundup: Budget battle brewing
The North Carolina General Assembly continues to haggle over specific provisions in the proposed 2016-17 state budget as they race…
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Jackson County picks a new manager
Jackson County commissioners last week unanimously named a new county manager with a long and successful local government track record…
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Fight not over for Fontana houseboats
Houseboat owners on Fontana Lake aren’t quite ready to give up their investments without a fight even after the Tennessee…
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Tourism groups prepare for rare eclipse in 2017
Nick Breedlove has been brushing up on his astronomy lately — studying maps and learning the science behind the total…
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Mountain Projects eyes new facility
For more than 50 years, Mountain Projects has been known for helping the most vulnerable in the community, but with…
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Downtown Waynesville wins planning award
Downtown Waynesville has racked up another accolade with the Great Places in North Carolina award — an honor that carries a…
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What’s all the buzz about Haywood County mosquitoes?
Citing recent news stories about mosquitoes transmitting the Zika virus, Haywood County Director of Health and Human Services Patrick H.…
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Haywood County taxes steady, but fees rise
Although the Haywood County Board of Commissioners passed a 2016-17 budget June 20 that was 3.1 percent higher than 2015-16,…
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Shelter advocates turn out in force
Easily identifiable in their teal T-shirts with the “#buildtheshelter” hashtag emblazoned on the back, an estimated 100-plus person crowd turned…
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Franklin property proposals focus on outdoors, gardening
The Franklin Board of Aldermen has yet to agree on what it should do with a 13-acre tract it owns…
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County increases operational funding to Macon schools
After further negotiations, Macon County Schools and the county commissioners will both have some skin in the game when it…
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Waynesville boosts fire protection
Waynesville’s 2016-17 budget includes funding for eight new full-time firefighters, effectively doubling staffing, shortening response times and increasing firefighter safety…
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Brown’s budgets warrant deeper look
After several public opportunities for comment resulted in sparse discussion, Waynesville’s 2016-17 budget passed June 14 with the largest tax…
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Gatekeeper to the Smokies: Longtime Western Carolina University Head of Special Collections retires
I was five minutes late. Trying to track down a parking spot outside the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University…
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Jackson hires new county manager
The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners has selected Don Adams to succeed Chuck Wooten as county manager.
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Rev. Barber preaches love at Sylva rally
Following the recent shooting in Orlando that left 50 dead and more injured, Dr. Rev. William Barber’s keynote address to…
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Rezoning request packs Maggie meeting
There wasn’t an empty seat in the house when the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen met for its public budget…
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Shelter at bear attack site now open
Nearly a month after an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker found his night interrupted by an attacking bear, the backcountry shelter in…
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Haywood School Board restores funding for music, sports
Although the closing of Central Elementary School was met with cheers, jeers, and even a lawsuit, its recent closure is…
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Waynesville board works to plug budget hole
A sparsely-attended special meeting held June 7 at the Waynesville Town Hall was meant to serve as a public hearing…
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Business leaders honored at Chamber dinner
Each year the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce honors local businesses and leaders for their contributions to the community during…
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Defendants in pay raises case ask for dismissal
About 20 tribal members filled the audience benches in Cherokee Tribal Court last week, watching the first court hearing in…
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Taxes remain steady, highest in county, in proposed Canton budget
The Canton Board of Aldermen took another three hours June 9 to conduct a required public hearing on the 2016-17…
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Can bold proposals remake Canton?
The Canton Town Board is considering proposals that could boost Canton’s appeal to residents and tourists alike — especially those…
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