Sales tax shuffle
What the bill says: The method of doling out sales tax to towns and counties would be changed to give…
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Statewide issues
Hunting on Sundays What the bill says: The Sunday hunting ban would be lifted on private land. (House bill 640)
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Local Issues
Lake Junaluska annexation What the bill says: Lake Junaluska would become part of the town of Waynesville pending approval by…
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Haywood budget burdened by higher costs of doing business
The give-and-take of crafting a budget is in full throttle in Haywood County, but what will be cut and what…
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Haywood commissioners ponder property tax hike to give county workers raises
Haywood County commissioners are contemplating a property tax increase to pay for raises for county employees.
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WNC entrepreneurs win at WCU innovation conference
Entrepreneurs and owners of existing small businesses from around Western North Carolina shared $7,000 in prize money to help launch…
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Last man standing: Waynesville makes history with an untidy ending to an untidy war
Union Col. William Bartlett tried to keep his cool as he watched his bitter, battle-hardened Confederate enemies riding down Main…
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Chief candidates weigh in on issues
It’s election season in Cherokee, and with the long-time chief Michell Hicks opting not to seek re-election, five candidates are…
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N.C. Superior Court judge to double as tribal court justice
Bradley Letts will have to keep his day job, but the Superior Court Judge will soon begin serving as a…
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Swain forms animal control committee
Swain County commissioners are moving forward with their plan to address the lack of animal control by putting together an…
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Swain commissioners: False alarm law needs common sense approach
Swain County Commissioners are moving forward with a false alarm ordinance with the understanding that the sheriff’s office will enforce…
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Jackson’s planning director departs after a short but good run
In a mere four years, Jackson County Planner Gerald Green has wrestled with just about every controversial land-use issue you…
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Sid’s on Main closes: New restaurant moving in
After a solid three-year run in Canton, Sid’s on Main is closing, leaving a huge vacancy in downtown.
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Evacuation at Tuscola: All OK after threatening email sent to high school
Things are back to normal at Tuscola High School after an emailed threat prompted a complete evacuation of the school…
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Franklin approves Siler road apartments
Plans for a 60-unit apartment complex in Franklin are moving forward after Workforce Homestead received approval for a special permit…
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Franklin mayor warns of tough budget year
Now that town aldermen have a preliminary budget in front of them, the Franklin leaders are ready to begin an…
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Macon schools request $7.9 million from county
As the Macon County budget process gets under way, education spending will be one of the meatier items up for…
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Fracking regulators served with lawsuit
A section of legislation giving the Mining and Energy Commission the authority to decide which local ordinances are OK and…
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Jackson County comes up short on $4.8 million ask from school district
Leaking roofs, technology needs and impending state cuts prompted Jackson County Schools to put out a hefty ask to the…
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Haywood Schools prepare for the worst as it awaits funding word from state
Haywood County Schools will cut its budget by $900,000 next year, plus tap its cash reserves to the tune of…
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Bringing the past to life
When Kim Sutton puts on his Civil War attire, he’s immediately transported to an era when a national conflict held…
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Civil War commemoration attracts history fans
For 10 years, museum curator Jackie Stephens has prepped The Shelton House for Civil War commemorations.
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Take a Civil War tour in Haywood County
With the help of Civil War enthusiasts in Haywood County, The Shelton House Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts has put…
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The Fall of Will Thomas
William Holland Thomas, a self-made, prominent businessman, a revered chief in the Cherokee tribe, a politician and a colonel in…
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Like a Good Neighbor: The Eastern Cherokee and the Confederacy
Not all the Eastern Cherokee supported the Confederacy. Several served with the Union army during the Civil War and were…
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The case of Haywood’s missing students: a cause-and-effect story
Haywood County Schools have been losing students slowly but steadily over the past decade. Despite high academic performance, the school…
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Cherokee members threaten to sue over raises, back pay for elected officals
When the Cherokee Tribal Council voted to give itself a hefty pay raise last fall — $10,000 extra a year…
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Final round for Cullowhee standards
Cullowhee residents crowded the basketball court at the Cullowhee Recreation Center last week for a chance to sound off during…
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Bryson businesses unite
There is power in numbers, and businesses in Bryson City are ready to join forces to have their voices heard. …
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If we build it, will they stay? Bryson City pedestrian plaza waiting for town approval
The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad introduces new people to all that Bryson City has to offer throughout the year, yet…
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Wrench in the works: Haywood Schools grapple with enrollment wildcard
Haywood School Superintendent Anne Garrett came up with a novel approach for predicting how many students a new charter school…
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WCU LLC to spur economic development
The Western Carolina University College of Business is establishing a new, for-profit limited liability company designed to provide entrepreneurial business,…
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Public hearing planned on fire tax for Cashiers-Highlands
A public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at the Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center will take the public’s temperature on…
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Republicans ask for more partisanship on ballots
Voters could see more Ds and Rs on their election ballot in 2016 if Republicans push through legislation to make…
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Future unclear for planned Cullowhee development
Earlier this year, it looked like Monarch Ventures, a Charlotte-based company that’s been trying for years to build a high-density…
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Fraternity gets five-year suspension
The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity will be absent from Western Carolina University’s roster of Greek life opportunities until 2020, following…
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Haywood Regional Medical Center takes over Canton clinic
Haywood Regional Medical Center’s recent decision to purchase the Evergreen Family Medical Center in Canton will keep Evergreen employees from…
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New apartment complex in the works for Sylva
Plans are under way to build a new apartment complex near — but not in — the town of Sylva,…
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Turning through the years: Community invited to Carolina Wood Turning Company reunion
The furniture manufacturer remembered as Carolina Wood Turning Company has been closed for more than 30 years, yet the smell…
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Haywood Schools performance climbs high in tandem with county funding support
Haywood County Schools will get a modest 2 percent increase each year for the next three years in its student…
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HCC enrollment dips as economy improves
Marlowe Mager isn’t an economist by trade, but a little-known data set at his fingertips puts him on par with…
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Exchanging students, exchanging cultures
When Donna Bell invited the first exchange student into her home seven years ago, she had no idea the lasting…
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Haywood man fatally shot trying to rob marijuana growers
A man attempting to rob alleged pot growers and dealers in the Bethel community of Haywood County was shot and…
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Terrace Hotel renovation reaches finish line in time for spring conference season
About 200 people gathered for the ribbon cutting of a $3.2-million renovation of the Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska, the…
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It takes a village: Habitat for Humanity to build new community in Waynesville
As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.
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Nibbling at the elephant: Plan to flip abandoned factory into community center inches forward
The old Drexel furniture factory in Whittier isn’t producing much these days, unless you count bird nests and ivy vines…
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Is that a knuckleboom outside my window?
A new addition will soon be added to the town of Waynesville’s street fleet.
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House bill could make Cherokee a little less dry
Breweries could be built and alcohol served at special events in Cherokee, if a House bill currently awaiting hearing in…
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Haywood farmers to lawmakers: enough with the regulations
Haywood County farmers caught some face time with elected leaders this week over heaping plates of bacon, eggs, grits, biscuits…
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