Longtime aldermen seek second term in Bryson City
Two longtime Bryson City aldermen plan to run for another term in office, and so far only one possible name…
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Jackson tourism board discusses how to improve new grant award system
Jackson County’s tourism association has had a lot of things to figure out since its formation in 2012. Not least…
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Swain increases budget, maintains same tax rate
Swain County Board of Commissioners approved a $14 million budget last week with little discussion or debate.
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Making it matter: the new paradigm behind Haywood’s tourism grants
There was something markedly absent from the nearly $300,000 in tourism grants awarded by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority…
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Sylva to take public comment on two-way Main Street
Ask around downtown Sylva, and it’s not hard to find someone with an opinion about traffic. Main Street should be…
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Some alcohol permits could now be allowed in Cherokee
In Cherokee, alcohol could soon be available in more places than just Harrah’s Cherokee Casino following Gov. Pat McCrory’s signature…
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Jail suicide investigation on D.A.’s desk
An investigative report looking into the March suicide of Steve Ross, who at the time was incarcerated at the Jackson…
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The golden children: Bolivian orphanage fosters international bond with Western North Carolina
It’s 6:30 in the morning when 24 hours of travel ends with the plane’s landing in Bolivia, but even through…
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The joy of cooking
That last full day in Tacachia, I didn’t have energy for much besides sinking into my wooden chair while waiting…
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U.S. Mint to launch Blue Ridge Parkway quarter
Join officials from the United States Mint and the National Park Service for the launch of the quarter honoring Blue…
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Building a home: A timeline of Kory Wawanaca
2003 Carrie Blackburn Brown, who eventually founded Kory Wawanaca Children’s Home, graduated from Appalachian State University with degrees in dance…
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Roller derby a big hit in the mountains
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern No hitting, punching, elbowing or tripping people — and definitely no biting or yelling at…
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Rep. Meadows ousted from chairmanship
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, recently paid the political price for not toeing his party line.
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Cashiers cell tower application pulled
A week after a contentious planning board meeting discussing the merits of a proposed new cell tower in Cashiers, the…
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Jackson approves audit contract for code enforcement office
Questions about how well the Jackson County Permitting and Code Enforcement Department has been executing its responsibilities prompted commissioners to…
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Schools feeding more students for free
Free lunch is becoming a more common phenomenon around Western North Carolina as school systems start adopting a new federal…
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Maggie Valley welcomes new restaurant
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern When his restaurant doors are open, Chris Chagnon keeps busy, playing the role of owner,…
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Candidates call for a Canton comeback
After two years of getting a feel for Canton politics, two Canton aldermen hope to continue their work for another…
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Maggie mayor may have competitor in election
The political dynamics in Maggie Valley have definitely changed in the last two years.
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Legislature weakens voter ID requirement
In an unexpected turn of events, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation last Thursday that will allow people to…
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Wrong bear killed by rangers following Smokies attack
A bear euthanized following an attack against a backpacker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was not the right…
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Shining Rock charter announces change in location for coming school year
A new charter school slated to open in Haywood in August has been scrambling the past few weeks to find…
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Big boots to fill: Beloved backcountry trailblazer dies during solo hike
A wonderful writer. A fearless explorer. A fascinating person. An endless optimist.
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A painful problem: Haywood teams up to fight prescription drug abuse
Recently recovered from rotator cuff surgery, Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher hasn’t popped a single prescription pain pill since the…
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Enrollment numbers down for Haywood charter school
A new charter school opening in Haywood County has downwardly revised its projected student count for the coming school year.
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Canton Planning Board considers building maintenance ordinance
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern The Canton Planning Board is considering a building maintenance ordinance that would regulate downtown commercial…
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Fireworks on for Sylva
For the first time in seven years, Sylva residents will be able to watch Fourth of July festivities from downtown.
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Proposed Cashiers cell tower draws debate
A proposal to put in a new cell tower a half-mile from the Cashiers crossroads has sparked heated debate between…
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Student housing development gets the green light in Cullowhee
After nearly four years of trying, a Charlotte-based development company has gotten the OK to build a high-end student housing…
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Epsom salt empire rising: Giles Chemical plans new warehouse
Business is booming for a Waynesville factory that mixes and packages Epsom salt. Giles Chemical has doubled its employees over the…
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Swain jail being investigated for excessive force
One deputy is under investigation while another has resigned after allegations surfaced regarding excessive force being used on inmates at…
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Macon library supporters rally for more funding
Macon County commissioners weren’t exactly sure what to expect when they saw Thing 1 and Thing 2 sitting in the…
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Public expresses support for voter ID rules, not the law
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern The North Carolina State Board of Elections held a public hearing last Thursday to allow…
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Lake Junaluska merger still stuck on a roller coaster in Raleigh
The merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville cleared a critical milestone in the N.C. General Assembly last…
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DNA confirmation still pending for euthanized bear following attack
Rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park hope a bear they caught and killed last week is the same…
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Ghost Town aims for July 2 opening
After lying dormant for the winter, Ghost Town in the Sky was once again showing signs of life last week…
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Ghost Town lacks ride inspections in advance of July opening
The clock is ticking for Ghost Town in the Sky entertainment park in Maggie Valley to get its humble trio…
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UPDATED: Rangers hope to hunt down bear involved in weekend attack
Rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shot a bear Tuesday that they believe is the same one that…
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Lost hikers home safe
A mother and son are back to safety after spending a night lost in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. …
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Bus driver scares shooters away from school
If Alice Bradley hadn’t been warming up her school bus at 5 a.m. last Thursday before heading out on her…
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Lambert comes out ahead in Cherokee primaries
As results poured in from the Primary Election for an open chief’s seat, Patrick Lambert’s campaign came out a clear…
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Swain sheriff requests $20,000 pay raise
Swain County Commissioners denied a $20,000 pay raise request from Sheriff Curtis Cochran during a recent budget workshop.
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Father, son escape after bear attack in the Park
A father-and-son backpacking expedition in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park took a terrifying turn when the teenage boy was…
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Confusion surrounds events of unprovoked bear attack
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern A bear attack that happened Saturday night in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has…
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Bear hunters’ claims of entrapment gain traction, congressional inquiry launched
The tactics of state and federal wildlife officers in a multi-year undercover sting targeting bear hunters continue to come under…
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Term of WCU trustee comes to a close
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern Teresa Williams’ eight years on Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees has come to a…
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High cost estimate likely to sideline ag center project
A plan to turn the old Drexel furniture factory in Whittier into a Mecca of resources for small-time farmers and…
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Jackson considering contract for landslide mapping
Four years after a state landslide mapping project for Jackson County was axed midstream, the commissioners are moving toward a…
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Swain officials want more face time with park superintendent
Swain County officials are hoping new leadership in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park means the start of a new…
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Local NAACP members still fighting for voters
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern It may be too late to change North Carolina’s new voting laws, but it’s not…
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