Back to the future: Historic movie marquee crowns Waynesville’s Main Street once more
An iconic symbol of downtown Waynesville’s glory days is back. A quintessential movie marquee for The Strand theater was hoisted…
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Turkey drive for Haywood county’s needy in full swing
Thanks to community generosity, many of Haywood County’s neediest families will eat a hot turkey dinner this Thanksgiving. The Maggie…
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Economic summit participants point to regional approach as key to success
The key to economic and community development in Western North Carolina is for leaders of the public, private and nonprofit…
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Haywood Pathways welcomes first guests, continues renovation
At T-minus three days until the scheduled opening day for Haywood Pathways Center, Nick Honerkamp still wasn’t sure how to…
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Atlanta teen missing from wilderness therapy program
It’s been more than a week since Atlanta resident Alec Lansing, 17, walked off from the group he was camping…
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Swain sheriff alarmed over false alarms
The Swain County Sheriff’s Office responds to its share of security alarms. Between January and the middle of November, the…
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Maternity care landscape evolves: Additional OB practices increases choices, competition
A shake-up in the medical world of maternity care and childbirth means more choices for pregnant women in Jackson, Swain…
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It’s just a Bojangle’s, but that’s a step up for Waynesville’s South Main
The commercial revitalization of South Main Street in Waynesville has taken another step forward this month with the bulldozing of…
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Walleyed mercury
It’s probably best to avoid eating fish out of Lake Glenville. At least the walleye. “I’d like to tell you…
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Franklin chews on traffic: Study looks at parking, crosswalks on Main Street
Downtown Franklin is sporting some fresh paint after an October decision to spruce up the fading road lines, but over…
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Sylva commissions second 2014 study to look into two-way traffic on Main Street
After landing a $10,000 grant from the Southwestern Commission — and putting in $10,000 of its own money — Sylva…
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A new tax collector is in town, but the old one isn’t going anywhere, at least for now
The long-time tax collector in Haywood County was narrowly defeated in the November election, a surprise upset that has sent…
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Teaching students about driving dangers
Safe driving program “VIP for a VIP” impacts students in partnership with EMS and local law enforcement. Harris Regional Hospital,…
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Canton aims for improvements at Recreation Park
The Town of Canton Recreation Commission is leading a volunteer effort to make safety improvements to the playground at Recreation…
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The bicycle puzzle: Exploring opportunities of cycling tourism
For the past few years, the Blue Ridge Breakaway has lured cyclists to Haywood for a ride through the mountains.…
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Search still on for missing teen
The search for Alec Lansing, the missing 17-year-old in Jackson County, has yet to produce any viable leads. He has…
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Hymnbook breathes life into Cherokee lyrics
It’s Sunday afternoon, and a quartet of musicians — one guitarist, three vocalists — stands at the front of a…
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Crabtree Road to close for three November weekends
Construction along N.C. 209 — locally called Crabtree Road — near its exchange with U.S. 74 will cause the state…
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Forests for the future: First glimmers of forest plan draw polarized reactions
When Brent Martin emerged from the Forest Management Plan meeting in Franklin, the first glimpse into the direction that management…
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Contemplating the evolution of Fry Street
It’s not much of a street now. And soon, Fry Street might not be a street at all. “What we’re…
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Maggie’s big plan
Maggie Valley is on its way to building a downtown. “This is something I’m very excited to present to the…
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Ridgetop revisions in play for Jackson tower ordinance
Cell phone towers in Jackson County cannot currently be built on ridgetops. That looks likely to change as revisions to…
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Sorting out Haywood’s take on hospital sale will take time
It’s been three months since publicly owned Haywood Regional Medical Center became a private hospital owned by Duke LifePoint Healthcare,…
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New 911 center to up the game for Haywood emergency response
A $3 million project to build a central 911 dispatching center inside the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office aims to reduce…
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Upset election for tax collector prompts job reshuffling
A new tax collector has been elected in Haywood County, but when he takes office next month his duties will…
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New tax collector had to have wages garnished
In a narrow upset in the Haywood County Tax Collector race last week, voters elected a man with a history…
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Democrats, GOP see new era in Haywood
Karin Wollin had just taken a break from a sullen morning of sorting through stacks of campaign signs at the…
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I-40 Canton-exit closure Nov. 10
Tonight (Nov. 10) at 7 p.m., the N.C. Department of Transportation will close the westbound on-ramp to Interstate 40 at…
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Presnell holds onto state seat
Rep. Michele Presnell , R-Yancey, retained her seat for the N.C House, narrowly defeating fellow Yancey resident Dean Hicks in…
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Bushyhead, Burns demand ‘change’
Smart money had the contest for the Swain commissioners race locked down in the primary. The board’s chairman, Phil Carson,…
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Three incumbents, one new candidate win Haywood School Board seats
With 10 candidates coming out for four seats on the Haywood County School board, the races was certainly a contested…
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Cochran wins a third term
Three candidates were aiming for the top prize in Swain’s sheriff race. The contest pitted the status quo against the…
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Hall wins sheriff’s seat
Chip Hall closed out a grueling race for the Jackson County sheriff’s seat with a landslide victory against his opponent,…
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Welch wins DA race decided by a landslide
After a hard-fought and hotly contested race, the job of top prosecutor for the seven western counties was won by…
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Commissioner challengers win two, lose one in Jackson
The fate of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners rested with this election. With six candidates on the ballot —…
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Haywood commissioners back for another four years
By Becky Johnson Staff writer Voters gave their seal of approval to the current Haywood County commissioners, returning all three…
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Haven ousted; Shields top vote-getter
The Macon County Board of Commissioners will soon see a new face at the table, and it will be that…
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Queen shuts down Clampitt, again
After winning re-election in the N.C. House District 119 race, Rep. Joe Sam Queen sounded more glum than one might…
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Davis pulls out a win, pledges to continue Republican direction in Raleigh
N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, pulled out a sizeable win over Democratic challenger Jane Hipps. Davis has represented the mountains…
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HCC student spearheads effort to restore East Street Park
When Katie Messer first presented her plan to improve water quality and generally spruce up a little-used park in Waynesville,…
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Dockie Brendle bridge now official
A dedication ceremony last week, held by the N.C. Department of Transportation, officially named a bridge at the intersection of…
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Iranian-born journalist to speak Nov. 20 at WCU
A native of Iran who is a former Rotary Peace Fellow and past editor of publications now banned or shut…
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HCC awarded forestry grant
Haywood Community College was recently awarded a Tennessee Valley Authority Ag & Forestry Fund Grant through the N.C. Department of…
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Haywood’s new economic development commission is ‘on the move’
The newly minted Haywood County Economic Development Commission has hit the ground running in its first three months following a…
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Signs of a new cell tower rush on the horizon
After a several-year lull in new cell towers being built in the mountains, a new wave of tower construction could…
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WCU adopts sophomore residency requirement
It’s official. Starting with the 2016-17 academic year, sophomores attending Western Carolina University will be required to live on campus.…
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Benefit concert aids WNC veterans
It’s been two years since Bruce Yarrington and his Knights of Columbus buddies started volunteering at the Veterans Restoration Quarters…
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Haywood launches survey to access internet availability
The folks spearheading the effort to expand broadband access in Haywood County are thinking big. Gigabyte big. “Our goal is…
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YMCA camp coming to Swain County
Swain County will soon be home to a YMCA camp. The camp — called YMCA Camp Watia — will be…
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