Homeless shelter gets $15,000 from Jackson commissioners
 

Homeless shelter gets $15,000 from Jackson commissioners

A $15,000 contribution from Jackson County Commissioners will ensure that housing for the county’s homeless continues through the winter.
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Blue-ribbon committee seeks balance in push-and-pull over Koch-funded center at WCU
 

Blue-ribbon committee seeks balance in push-and-pull over Koch-funded center at WCU

Fears that a controversial economics policy center coming to Western Carolina University will be a vehicle to advance conservative, laissez-faire…
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Conditions improving at Sequoyah golf course
 

Conditions improving at Sequoyah golf course

The new management at Sequoyah National Golf Club in Cherokee had hoped to start turning a profit within a year…
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SCC master plan calls for $34 million  of construction in Jackson, Swain
 

SCC master plan calls for $34 million of construction in Jackson, Swain

What’s the best way to spend $55 million? As far as the leadership at Southwestern Community College is concerned, the…
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Franklin town board plans for 2016 projects
 

Franklin town board plans for 2016 projects

With a few fresh faces, the Franklin Board of Aldermen met last Saturday morning to make plans and set priorities…
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Steam engine project still on track
 

Steam engine project still on track

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad officials say they will make their deadline for getting a steam engine back up and running…
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Tempers flare over idea of renaming Waynesville thoroughfare for MLK
 

Tempers flare over idea of renaming Waynesville thoroughfare for MLK

Members of the African American community in Waynesville hope to rename a major street for Martin Luther King Jr., not…
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Tourism board contemplates firing web manager
 

Tourism board contemplates firing web manager

Every month, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority shells out $2,650 to keep its website updated, get it to show…
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Haywood mulls rules on outdoor shooting ranges
 

Haywood mulls rules on outdoor shooting ranges

Outdoor shooting ranges could soon be under the microscope in Haywood County.
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Deputies intervene during tense moment at shooting range hearing
 

Deputies intervene during tense moment at shooting range hearing

A public hearing on an outdoor shooting range moratorium in Haywood County got off to a dicey start this week.
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Central on the chopping block: who’s to blame?
 

Central on the chopping block: who’s to blame?

Central Elementary School has become a rallying cry for advocates of public education across the state.
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Central supporters appeal for solution instead of closing
 

Central supporters appeal for solution instead of closing

Many of the speakers at a public hearing on whether to close Central Elementary School in Waynesville urged Haywood County…
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The ingredients of the good life
 

The ingredients of the good life

Ricardo Fernandez is a renowned chef, master gardener and also a former national diving champion, but there’s one thing he…
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Interim manager starts work in Waynesville
 

Interim manager starts work in Waynesville

The new interim town manager of Waynesville has pledged to sustain the town’s momentum and not let it idle or…
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From the heart: Parents, teachers and students plead to save Central Elementary from closing
 

From the heart: Parents, teachers and students plead to save Central Elementary from closing

Around 300 supporters of Central Elementary School in Waynesville packed into the school cafeteria Wednesday evening and made a heart-wrenching…
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Gallery: ‘Save Our School’ crowd marches in support of Central Elementary
 

Gallery: ‘Save Our School’ crowd marches in support of Central Elementary

Waynesville’s youngest public demonstrators — along with their parents and teachers — took to the streets last week to show…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide. The one societal topic that makes everyone squirm, conjuring traumatic memories as…
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Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids
 

Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids

Haywood County Schools have pulled the trigger on Saturday school, announcing that this Saturday (Jan. 30) will be a snow make-up…
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WCU faculty members discuss Koch funds
 

WCU faculty members discuss Koch funds

Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher had a heart-to-heart with university faculty last week about the controversy over a politically…
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Waynesville institution to close its doors after three generations, 88 years
 

Waynesville institution to close its doors after three generations, 88 years

A devoted customer stood at the counter at Walker Service chatting with Clayton Cathey before picking up his truck for…
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Democrats scramble to recruit candidates for Haywood commissioner contest
 

Democrats scramble to recruit candidates for Haywood commissioner contest

The ballot for Haywood County commissioner could be a sparse one based on rumblings of who’s running — and more…
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Haywood primary offers platter of party positions
 

Haywood primary offers platter of party positions

The race for Haywood County commissioner has begun to take shape with the candidate sign-up period now officially underway, with…
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Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella
 

Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella

Harris Regional Hospital is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering babies in the mountains, a legacy it has pledged…
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Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center
 

Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center

A $5.5 million renovation and expansion of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will soon be…
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Restoring unity important, say Waynesville leaders
 

Restoring unity important, say Waynesville leaders

Waynesville leaders made a pact last week to work cooperatively in choosing a new town manager, despite the rift among…
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Haywood to consider moratorium on outdoor shooting ranges
 

Haywood to consider moratorium on outdoor shooting ranges

Backlash from rural residents in Haywood County who fear an indoor shooting range proposed in their midst will disrupt their…
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From worst-case scenario to sinking reality: the evolution of closing a school
 

From worst-case scenario to sinking reality: the evolution of closing a school

The potential closing of Central Elementary School in Waynesville due to a massive, sudden budget shortfall for Haywood County Schools…
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Overbuilt? School consolidation targets Central Elementary as collateral damage
 

Overbuilt? School consolidation targets Central Elementary as collateral damage

A feasibility report on the potential closure of Central Elementary School in Waynesville was released by Haywood County Schools last…
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Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs
 

Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs

Jackson County Public Schools wants more than $12 million for improvements to its facilities through 2020, but despite the big…
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Charter school chairwoman steps down
 

Charter school chairwoman steps down

Tara Keilberg, a founding board member for the Shining Rock Classical Academy, has resigned from her post as chairwoman on…
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Jackson homeless shelter short on cash
 

Jackson homeless shelter short on cash

Things are coming down to the wire for Jackson County’s only homeless shelter. Without a fast infusion of cash, Jackson…
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Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson
 

Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson

Some Jackson County property owners might find themselves doing a doubletake when notice of their updated property value comes in…
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MADD advocate honored for lives she’s touched
 

MADD advocate honored for lives she’s touched

A Haywood County woman who has dedicated the past dozen years to a crusade against driving while impaired was honored…
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Commissioners look to secure Macon County Courthouse
 

Commissioners look to secure Macon County Courthouse

Before it becomes a mandate from a judge, Macon County commissioners are looking to make improvements to security at the…
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Clayton Davis to join Maggie town board
 

Clayton Davis to join Maggie town board

After interviewing seven people Monday night, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen unanimously chose Clayton Davis to fill a two-year…
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GALLERY: Snow Storm Jonas in Haywood County
 

GALLERY: Snow Storm Jonas in Haywood County

Allen Newland with A Shot Above aerial photography took these shots on Sunday, Jan. 24, showing the aftermath of Snow…
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Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids
 

Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids

Haywood County Schools have pulled the trigger on Saturday school, announcing that this Saturday (Jan. 30) will be a snow…
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Koch money at WCU remains under scrutiny
 

Koch money at WCU remains under scrutiny

A Western Carolina University professor with ties to the ultra-conservative Koch brothers political network worked behind the scenes with outside…
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Infrastructure bonds garner bipartisan support
 

Infrastructure bonds garner bipartisan support

On March 15, North Carolina voters will be asked whether they support borrowing $2 billion to fund a backlog of…
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Canton working to restore water to residents
 

Canton working to restore water to residents

Many residents in Canton and Clyde were without water overnight as a result of an 8-inch waterline break yesterday and…
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What’s next in the Waynesville town manager debate
 

What’s next in the Waynesville town manager debate

Waynesville leaders interviewed two potential candidates Tuesday night to serve as an interim town manager following the dismissal of Town…
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Nine apply for Maggie Valley alderman seat
 

Nine apply for Maggie Valley alderman seat

In a surprising last-minute turnout, nine Maggie Valley residents have submitted applications to be considered for a board of aldermen…
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Fallen officer to be namesake of new justice center
 

Fallen officer to be namesake of new justice center

Tony Lossiah was a good man, a quiet guy with a caring heart. He loved his family and worked hard…
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No charges will be filed in Jackson jail suicides
 

No charges will be filed in Jackson jail suicides

No charges will be filed following suicides at the Jackson County Detention Center in November 2014 and March 2015, District…
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Low morale cited in vote to fire Waynesville town manager
 

Low morale cited in vote to fire Waynesville town manager

Waynesville Town Manager Marcy Onieal was fired last week in a 3-2 split vote by the town board following a…
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A yes or no please: Has the state school budget been cut?
 

A yes or no please: Has the state school budget been cut?

Democratic candidates who pledge to fight for more education funding could resonate with parents witnessing the impacts of the funding…
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Fired WCU worker wins wrongful termination suit
 

Fired WCU worker wins wrongful termination suit

After a former employee won a lawsuit claiming that Western Carolina University had fired him without cause, the university is…
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Community colleges also stand to benefit from bond passage
 

Community colleges also stand to benefit from bond passage

Though community college leaders aren’t allowed to take an official position on whether they support the $2 billion Connect NC…
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