Jackson signs jail health contract
When John Buchanan first took the jail captain job at the Jackson County Detention Center, one assignment quickly rose to…
Read More
Amid Raleigh wrangling, ‘the clock ran out’ on Lake Junaluska merger bill
Any day now. That’s what Robbie Inman has been telling himself for weeks as he cruises Raleigh news sites, trying…
Read More
SCC jumps the gun on building start
Southwestern Community College broke state policy this summer when it launched a construction project before securing final contract authorization from…
Read More
Swain County working toward securing trash site
Beginning in January, Swain County residents will no longer have 24-hour access to the county’s trash and recycling convenience center.
Read More
No cross proposed for Buck Mountain; Ghost Town asks for cell tower permit
Alaska Presley has talked for years about her vision of having the tallest cross in the western hemisphere placed on…
Read More
Landslide win makes Lambert new Cherokee chief
There was nothing ambiguous about Patrick Lambert’s win in the race for Cherokee Principal Chief last week. His victory came…
Read More
Recovery rally aims to offer hope
It takes a village to combat a drug addiction or mental illness, and Richie Tannerhill is hoping to see a…
Read More
Waynesville candidates share vision of an even more prosperous town
Waynesville candidates running for the town board and mayor got an audience with the business community last week at the…
Read More
Waynesville handcuffed from running off carousing squatters occupying town park
There are few places in Waynesville folks are afraid to go after dark. But the sagging blue canopy slung beneath…
Read More
Jackson ABC board set to buy Cashiers store
It’s been just over a year since the Cashiers ABC store opened its doors, but the store’s renting days are…
Read More
Meadows addresses grant workshop
Representatives from three dozen fire departments, rescue squads, law enforcement units and emergency service operations convened in Waynesville Monday for…
Read More
Whittier farmers float idea for vacant factory’s future
Ideas surrounding the fate of a vacant factory building in Whittier have been swirling since Jackson County commissioners started taking…
Read More
Folkmoot Center could be a longshot as stop-gap location for Shining Rock
Shining Rock Classical Academy’s continued hunt for somewhere to temporarily house the fledgling charter school come Jan. 1 has inevitably…
Read More
Elected police chief question under review in Cherokee
A bid to make the Cherokee police chief’s position an elected one isn’t dead, but Tribal Council has voted to…
Read More
Bryson City under new management
When Josh Ward was earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental health, he never thought it would lead him to running…
Read More
For Russ Avenue redesign, Waynesville wants a Cadillac, DOT counters with a Buick
A grandiose plan to remake Waynesville’s Russ Avenue commercial corridor into a tree-lined boulevard has gotten a little less grandiose.
Read More
SWC initiatives give unified voice to the region
Less money and stiffer competition for grants means that Western North Carolina needs to have a solid plan in place…
Read More
Southwestern Commission: Collectively leading the region for 50 years
One day they were operating out of the community center building in Sylva and the next they were moving into…
Read More
Sylva business to close following owner’s arrest
After nearly 30 years in business, Sylva’s Jewelry Outlet on Main Street is scheduled to close Sept. 15.
Read More
Mission Health expands footprint in Haywood
Mission Health opened a new $7 million medical complex in Haywood County this week offering an array of health care…
Read More
Native American journalists face unique issues when it comes to free press
Joe Martin had never worked for a newspaper or owned a handgun when he took the reins of the tribally…
Read More
Wandering elk in Nantahala falls victim to wildlife ‘stand your ground’ rule
A property owner in the remote Nantahala area of Macon County shot an elk that was eating his corn, upsetting…
Read More
Cherokee budget proposes another pay raise for council
With elections a week away and threat of a lawsuit still hanging, the Cherokee Tribal Council is considering a proposed…
Read More
Western Carolina responds to increased regulations regarding sexual assault
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern With evolving regulations and a complicated system of reporting, there is no end in sight…
Read More
Jackson passes revised cell tower ordinance
Two years after the planning board first began reviewing the document, Jackson County has adopted a revised ordinance governing cell…
Read More
Shining Rock students settle in
With only three days of school under their belts, students attending Shining Rock Classical Academy were already settling into their…
Read More
Shining Rock charter school keeping site options open
Shining Rock Classical Academy, a new charter school in Haywood County, has not given up on the idea of building…
Read More
Jackson opts to pay for landslide mapping
Jackson became the first North Carolina county to take landslide mapping into its own hands when the board of commissioners…
Read More
Drilling down: construction cost balloons for HCC’s fire and rescue training center
The construction cost for a new fire and rescue training center at Haywood Community College has clocked in more than…
Read More
Swain County to get rid of parking lot potholes
After hearing numerous complaints about the enormous potholes plaguing the county administrative building parking lot, Swain County commissioners agreed it…
Read More
Swain to begin enforcing ‘false alarm’ rules
Beginning Sept. 1, Swain County Sheriff’s Office will have the authority to issue citations and fines for residents who have…
Read More
Saralyn Price runs as write-in for Maggie mayor seat
A month after the sudden death of Maggie Valley Mayor Ron DeSimone, longtime alderwoman Saralyn Price has decided to seek…
Read More
Two schools, one campus: School year starts in Cashiers
While most kids are just getting their new backpacks stocked or suffering through the first days of shift from summertime…
Read More
Tribal Council candidates race through the home stretch
Nearly 30 people have put their names in the hat for election to Cherokee’s 12-member Tribal Council this fall, and…
Read More
Chief candidate Lambert lays out platform
If Patrick Lambert wins his bid for principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, he expects to be…
Read More
Mary Crowe hopes for chief’s job with write-in campaign
Mary Crowe isn’t a councilmember, but when a Tribal Council session starts up in Cherokee, hers is one face you…
Read More
No good resolution to neighbor dispute over barking dogs
Driven crazy by the barking dogs of neighbors, Judy West says she is pulling up her life-long stakes in Haywood…
Read More
Macon’s only homeless shelter struggling to stay open
Lowell Monteith, pastor of The Father’s House ministry, says the shelter has many needs right now. However, Macon County’s only…
Read More
Fry Street closure — disaster or dream come true?
There was barely room to breathe in Bryson City Town Hall on Monday night.
Read More
Jackson seeks input on permitting and code enforcement audit
Jackson County is looking for the public’s help with an ongoing audit of its Permitting and Code Enforcement Department. The…
Read More
Funding likely for sidewalk on U.S. 441
The future is looking bright for plans to build a sidewalk along U.S. 441 where Jackson County meets Cherokee, with…
Read More
Audit will target lodging owners in Haywood to deter room tax fraud
A dozen hotels, motels and tourist accommodations in Haywood County will have to open their books to auditors in coming…
Read More
Balsam Nature Center property headed for sale on court house steps
A nonprofit nature center ensnared in a foreclosure saga at Balsam Mountain Preserve is one step closer to being evicted.
Read More
Round-the-clock vet clinic to open in Haywood
Plans are in the works to open a 24-hour emergency clinic at Junaluska Animal Hospital in Waynesville next year, a…
Read More
Shining Rock’s permit denied — for now — on Raccoon Road site
Shining Rock Classical Academy was sent back to the drawing board Monday night on its proposed location, continuing a nearly…
Read More
Former Monarch Ventures owner could face charges
The Charlotte developer behind a 488-bed student apartment complex planned for Cullowhee could face criminal charges, pending the outcome of…
Read More
Revised steep slope rules spark debate at planning board
Jackson County’s steep slope ordinance made one last stop at the planning board before heading to a public hearing, but…
Read More
Mobile vendors finding permanent homes in WNC
As the food truck fad filters into counties west of Asheville, local governments are trying to find a fair balance…
Read More
Gaming the system: Hunters snared in Operation Something Bruin claim legal proceedings were unjust
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern Hunters accused in a sweeping bear poaching sting in Western North Carolina have turned the…
Read More
Bryson City considers closing Fry Street
The Bryson City Board of Aldermen is formally asking for public input after mulling over the idea of closing Fry…
Read More
