The long road to the big screen
Getting a movie to come to town isn’t something that happens overnight.
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‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Three Billboards,’ and economic ripples
“Three Billboards” isn’t the only major filming project going on in Jackson County this month. Last week, ABC wrapped up…
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New stage to open next month
Sitting on a bench one recent sunny afternoon, Steven Lloyd gazes to his right, a big smile immediately rolling across…
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Seasoned administrator to take helm at HRMC
Rod Harkleroad has been named as the new chief executive officer of Haywood Regional Medical Center.
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World Methodist Museum to mark 60 years
A celebration will be held May 22 to mark the 60th birthday of the World Methodist Museum, which is located…
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Waynesville rolls out compromise in ongoing food truck debate
New rules for where and how food trucks can set up shop in Waynesville attempt to balance the popular and…
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Haywood’s dropout program rescued
An innovative high school dropout program in Haywood County was rescued from the chopping block this week after county commissioners…
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Obscure budget stats a ‘bellwether’ of economic recovery
Haywood County could be turning a corner after a slow, stubborn climb out of the recession, according to some obscure…
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For a change, Haywood isn’t facing a dire budget year
Haywood County commissioners were greeted with silence at their meeting Monday night when they asked if anyone in the audience…
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Bear euthanized following backcountry bite
Campers at the Spence Field Appalachian Trail Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spent a harrowing evening in…
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Predatory attack or ill-fated dinner search?
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is terming an incident that left a Las Vegas man with a puncture wound…
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Cherokee pays off millions of debt
A massive load of debt left the shoulders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians last week following enactment of…
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Making the grade: Educator reinvents dropout prevention, but budget cuts jeopardize program
Kyle Ledford spent years working with at-risk youth and high school dropouts in the Haywood school system. Saving kids was…
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TVA gives houseboats a 30-year sunset
Opposition from local, state and federal politicians, a petition with 3,500 signatures and more than three hours’ worth of poignant…
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Surgery successful for WCU chancellor
David Belcher may not have appeared at Western Carolina University’s commencement ceremonies last week, but the university’s chancellor was there…
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As volunteer fire cavalry wanes, quick response hinges on a core of paid staff
Waynesville town leaders heard something they didn’t necessarily want to hear last week.
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Dropout program in jeopardy
Despite wild success rescuing high school dropouts and turning their lives around, the Haywood Community Learning Center is on the…
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Caught in life’s crosshairs, students struggle not to dropout
The trials of adulthood came early for Nicole Ferguson.
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Trying to put a square peg in a round hole? Kyle Ledford’s your man
If there’s one thing Kyle Ledford is good at, it’s pushing boulders uphill.
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Even with higher tax rate, Sylva budget a squeeze
Sylva residents will likely see their tax rate skyrocket 42 percent this year, but town commissioners say that even the…
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EMS costs and revaluation are catalysts for Jackson’s tax rate
With a drop in county value and increase in emergency response costs, Jackson County is looking at a draft budget…
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Franklin budget proposal focuses on infrastructure needs
Franklin’s proposed budget prioritizes a number of long-range infrastructure projects without increasing the tax rate.
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More firefighters needed, but is it worth a tax increase?
Waynesville leaders will face a big decision this budget year: whether to increase property taxes by 10 percent to pay…
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Cherokee moves toward marijuana legalization
Cherokee took another step along the road toward legalizing medicinal marijuana with a vote last week to start drafting legislation…
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Farmers lease old Drexel factory in Whittier
After years of sitting empty, the old Drexel Furniture factory in Whittier will now enter a new phase of useful…
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Gaming machines seized from local businesses
An undercover investigation into illegal gambling resulted in the seizure of more than 300 gaming machines from convenience stores across…
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Shining Rock stalled on mobile classroom contract
Shining Rock Classical Academy is considering legal action against a modular building company for not being able to honor its…
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Haywood Schools to make layoff announcements this week
Budget cuts are forcing Haywood County Schools to lay off 10 teachers and staff at the end of this school…
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Haywood Schools dispute allegations surrounding Central Elementary
Haywood County school leaders went on record this week patently disputing the allegations in a lawsuit filed last week questioning…
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How sincere is your smile? Stakes are high in the never-ending quest for seasonal tourism workers
It happens like clockwork every year. As the calendar creeps toward May, the roads get crowded, lines at the grocery…
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Bomb threat made to Jackson, Swain and EBCI government buildings
A bomb threat was called into 911 during the 11 a.m. hour this morning, with a male voice claiming bombs…
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How may we help you? Tourism’s future in the hands of frontline workers
It’s a conundrum the best minds in tourism have been trying to crack for decades.
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Haywood commissioners support keeping houseboats
Haywood County commissioners passed a resolution this week adding their two-cents to the debate over whether floating houseboats on Fontana…
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Hospitality help is hard to find: Tourism businesses looking for seasonal help
Melanee Lester has been sorting through a 4-inch-high stack of applications on her desk for the last couple of weeks,…
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Casino strategizes to keep good hires on board
Busy season is coming at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, and management there is working to get all hired up for summer.
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Blue Ridge National Heritage Area tackles the $50,000 question of hospitality training
The tourism industry doesn’t always agree on much. They argue over the best logos and ad campaigns, whether to fund…
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Large tax rate increase likely for Sylva
Sylva’s leaders have known for a year that taxes would have to go up in 2016, but it’s unlikely any…
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Search for new manager progresses in Jackson
The interview process will soon begin in the search to replace Chuck Wooten, who will retire from his position as…
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EMS costs throw a wrench in Jackson budget talks
Ambulance service in Jackson County could more than double in cost to taxpayers if commissioners decide to fund the full…
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Lawsuit filed over closure of Central Elementary
A lawsuit was filed this week against the Haywood County School Board alleges ulterior motives were at play for closing…
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TVA to make a decision on houseboats May 5
Tennessee Valley Authority officials have confirmed that its board of directors will make a decision on May 5 regarding the…
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Animal shelter estimate tops $5 million
When a report estimating cost and space needs for a new animal shelter came back with a staggering price tag…
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Businesses rally to change Maggie town plan
An alliance of business owners opposing Maggie Valley’s proposed town center master plan is growing stronger and becoming more organized…
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YMCA camp gets ready to open in Swain
A little more than a year ago it was nothing more than an open grassy field surrounded by forest, but…
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Haywood Health Foundation sets high goals for 2016
The Haywood Healthcare Foundation managed to generate enough funding to have a major impact on the health needs of Haywood…
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Connecting Pets and People
In recognition of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day on April 30, The Smoky Mountain News is highlighting the organizations…
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Promoting civility: Online posts prompt discussion about race and inclusiveness at WCU
It started with a poster. Or, more accurately, with a collection of posters in the window of Western Carolina University’s…
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Maggie Valley to rethink town center design
Maggie Valley leaders agreed to go back to the drawing board after several business owners expressed opposition to a portion…
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Bear zoo case will go to appeal
After a federal judge ruled that the Cherokee Bear Zoo isn’t breaking the law with its treatment of the grizzly…
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