Cashiers residents sound off on proposed cell tower
A proposed cell phone tower in Cashiers is drawing heated opinion from both sides, but it will be several weeks…
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Phone apps causing disruption in schools
New Smartphone applications are being developed every day, and many of them are helping teenagers keep secrets from their parents.
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Breedlove to resign as Webster mayor, take the helm of tourism agency
It took only minutes for the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority to approve Nick Breedlove as its new contracted director…
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Business growth in 2015 gives Dillsboro hope for brighter future
Ever since the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad left Dillsboro in 2008, the little town has been just barely chugging along.…
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Still trapped by the delicate dance of a new town manager, Waynesville’s Marcy Onieal faces a double-edged sword daily
Marcy Onieal had mighty big shoes to fill when she walked through the doors of Waynesville’s town hall four years…
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Waynesville town board divided on whether to keep town manager
A move afoot by two Waynesville aldermen to push out Town Manager Marcy Onieal might seem incongruous with their campaign…
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Local teen’s actions save a man’s life
Mary Kelly, a 16-year-old Smoky Mountain High School student, was recently recognized by Harris Regional Hospital for her quick actions…
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Five signed up to run for Macon commission
Five candidates are running for two commissioner seats in Macon County and there are still five days left to sign…
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Canton finally claims Camp Hope — for good
It has cost Canton half a million dollars to keep ownership of a piece of property it already owns.
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Christmas tree farm experience
People can buy a real Christmas tree just about anywhere these days — from the big box stores to the…
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The art of picking the perfect Christmas tree
Some like them tall and thin. Others like them shorter and thick.
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A real tree takes real work
The Christmas tree business is not a get-rich-quick kind of industry. Once a seedling is planted, it takes about eight…
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WCU chancellor pledges transparency, faculty involvement to vet controversial Koch money
Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher announced to faculty this week that he would engage their input and oversight in…
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WCU community grapples with academic pursuits in the face of politically-charged outside funding
A firestorm over the outside private funding of academia and its potential to undermine intellectual freedom has erupted in recent…
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Local steelworkers have to redo election
Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, the United Steelworkers Local 9-507 in Canton has to redo its…
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Suspects sought in Clyde stabbing incident
Two Haywood County men and a woman are being sought in the stabbing of a 33-year-old Clyde man Sunday.
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WCU leaders, faculty at odds over Koch-funded free enterprise center
Western Carolina University leaders bucked concerns of faculty when they voted last week to create a free enterprise center funded…
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Two more sign on to run for Macon commissioner
With the sign-up period for the 2016 election underway, two more candidates have tossed their hats in the ring to…
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Franklin to hire fulltime fire chief
As the demand for services continues to grow, Franklin will begin its search for a full-time fire chief to run…
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Republican candidate files for Jackson commissioner
The race for county commissioner in District 3 of Jackson County will no longer be an uncontested one following Ron…
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Mercury testing expands at Lake Glenville
After testing last year found Lake Glenville’s walleye fish to have some of the highest mercury concentrations in North Carolina,…
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County considers financing EMS headquarters
Haywood County commissioners will hold a public hearing Dec. 21 regarding the construction of a new EMS headquarters beside the…
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Ghost Town rolls out new plan for 2016 season
Alaska Presley has had plenty of good intentions and ideas for Ghost Town in the Sky since she bought the…
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Finding a new fairway for disc golf course
Plans are underway to relocate Waynesville’s disc golf course from the sprawling recreation park along Richland Creek to a more…
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Bringing back the bustle: New businesses move into downtown Sylva
Ask any Sylva long-timer, and they’ll tell you that Main Street today looks a lot different than it did ten,…
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Town deems temporary Fry Street closure a failure
While November is usually still a busy time for downtown Bryson City merchants, Paige Christie said her sales are down…
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Cherokee council vows to crack down on drug dealers
Drug addiction is perhaps the biggest crisis on the Qualla Boundary, and it’s time that tribal government got serious about…
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Cherokee chief vetoes marijuana study; council upholds veto
Just over a month after voting unanimously to study the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana on the Qualla Boundary,…
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In search of a forever home: Number of children in foster care on the rise
In a perfect world, every child would have a loving family and a safe home to return to at the…
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Cell tower companies eye Jackson
An application to build a new cell tower in Cashiers is back on the table, after the company, Crown Castle,…
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LEARN program established at WCU
Western Carolina University, in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University, received $1.8 million from the…
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Fulghum named Innovator of the Year
Cheryl Fulghum, Haywood Community College’s distance learning coordinator, was recently named Innovator of the Year, Western Region by the NC…
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Jackson leaders plan for growing court needs
The start of business Thursday, Dec. 10, will mean the coming-to-order of five different court sessions in Jackson County, a…
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Jackson rec board pushes for indoor pool
It’s been more than two years since Jackson County finished a recreation master plan declaring an indoor pool a top…
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Company looks to revive Cashiers development
In the nearly eight years the Cashiers-area Chinquapin development has been around, just 30 of the planned 200 lots have…
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Schools sue state for diverting education funding to inmates
School systems across the mountains are signing on to a lawsuit against the state to recoup hundreds of thousands of…
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Broyhill upbringing brought peace to Brunck
Roberta Brunk could have easily become a victim of circumstance. Growing up in an abusive home and being moved around…
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Broyhill provides family setting for foster kids
Linda Morgan, executive director at Broyhill Children’s Home in Clyde, said she’s seen the pendulum swing many times during her…
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Couple opens their home, heart for foster children
As Caroline Kernahan talked about why she wanted to be a foster parent, her 4-year-old daughter Claire climbed into her…
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Foster home shortage a challenge for WNC counties
Donna Lupton, director of social work in Haywood County, admits that fostering a child or teen isn’t for everyone.
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Sign ups are underway for commissioner seats
As candidate sign-ups get underway, Swain County commissioner incumbents plan to seek another term.
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Back in the saddle: Once given up for dead, Hazelwood is beating the odds one small business at a time
It was barely 11 a.m. and Hazelwood was hopping. The scent of freshly roasted coffee beans spilled out of Smoky Mountain…
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Planning director search hits a roadblock
Jackson County had been without a planning director for half a year when commissioners sent out a job offer this…
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Brasstown Possum Drop gets bad news in court
Brasstown might be facing another possumless Possum Drop this year after a Wake County judge shot down the state’s motion…
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Council pledges support for extending language immersion program
With the school year nearing its midpoint, sixth-graders at New Kituwah Academy in Cherokee are starting to ask an increasingly…
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Applicants wanted for Maggie board vacancy
Despite the recent election, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen still has an empty seat to fill.
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Hawthorn Heights opens new Bryson City shelter
While the former Hawthorn Heights teen shelter presented a number of challenges, the only challenge for teens moving into the…
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SBI investigates former SCC employees
A State Bureau of Investigations probe is looking into possible wrongdoing on the part of a pair of former Southwestern…
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SCC gears up to get rid of lead contamination near shooting range
After measuring lead levels of more than 200 times the state limit for safety near its shooting range, Southwestern Community…
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Jackson tourism board considers Webster mayor for director job
If the selection panel’s pick gets the backing of the full board, Jackson County’s likely to have a new tourism…
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