Jury deliberating fate of jailer who helped murderer escape
The jury deciding the fate of a former Swain County jailer who helped a murderer escape and then ran away…
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Cullowhee advocates seek to sharpen vision of community plan
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Building consensus among the increasing number of residents and business owners in Cullowhee is critical to…
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Reception for Jackson Librarian Dottie Brunette
Jackson County Librarian Dottie Brunette will retire at the end of the year, and the public is invited to a…
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On a mission to fight drug abuse, help families
To Jean Parris, the drug bust in Haywood County last month wasn’t just a matter of locking up suspected drug…
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Student profiles
Michael Bruce 2nd year assoc. Hometown: Waynesville Major: Web Technologies App: Class Schedule Organizer As soon as he learned how…
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Coding for the rest of us
If the very thought of trying your hand at computer programming or writing software code is intimidating, Dr. Jonathan Wade…
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At WCU, an app to keep students out of the rain
By Paul Clark • SMN Correspondent So, here’s the problem. It’s raining and you need to catch the CAT TRAN, one…
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Tribal council names Snowbird resident a ‘beloved woman’
Ella Wachacha Bird has joined the ranks of a small and revered group last week after the Eastern Band of…
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Lake Junaluska merger proponents preparing for round two
Supporters of the stalled merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville hope to get it back on the…
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Elementary school’s old cafeteria helps new breed of entrepreneurs
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent On a recent sunny afternoon, Deb Shalosky is standing in the kitchen pantry at the Fines…
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Franklin pub crossroads for people, history
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent The legendary Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub, an institution and social mainstay in downtown Franklin,…
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Dig Sylva, buy local
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent A group of merchants in Sylva rallying their fellow shopkeepers and restaurateurs in the downtown…
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Job of naming new town manager up to new Maggie Valley leaders
Maggie Valley’s interim town manager has only been on the job for a few weeks, but already has been offered…
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In push for Franklin hospice house, perseverance pays
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent A nearly decade-long dream to build an inpatient hospice house for the terminally ill and their…
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Sid’s on Main makes a little history, from scratch
By Paul Clark • Correspondent In the old Imperial Hotel in Canton, Sid’s on Main is creating a little history of…
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GroWNC presents to EDC
In an effort to promote growth and a positive impact on Western North Carolina communities, GroWNC came in front of…
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EDC board raises no objections to possible chamber partnership
The Haywood County Economic Development Commission last week listened to a summary of task force reports on how it and…
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Fire at WCU damages three businesses; no injuries reported
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of a fire that broke out Nov. 21 in the commercial strip…
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The how-to of a jail break
It was a fairly simple inside job in the end, one easily borrowed from the playbook of any Hollywood jailbreak.…
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Awaiting her fate: Jailer helped murder suspect escape jail, fled with him to California
The jury trial of a Swain County jailer accused of springing a murderer from jail more than four years ago…
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Human interaction can be fatal to elk
A young male elk in Cataloochee Valley was put down by park rangers last week for repeatedly rushing and taunting…
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Jackson leaders search for equity in fire tax debate
Some Jackson County commissioners expressed trepidation this week over changing the way the county’s seven volunteer fire departments are funded.
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Education changes, woes discussed at forum
What was billed to be a town hall style education forum for the Macon County School System, filled with parents…
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Waynesville listens to plan for reconfiguring N. Main, Walnut
Waynesville leaders haven’t decided whether they will back a plan to reconfigure the intersection of North Main and Walnut streets,…
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Haywood to embrace dual chamber-economic development model
A plan to move the Haywood County Economic Development Commission under the umbrella of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce…
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State reverses itself, gives Swain North Shore interest
Swain County leaders were relieved this month when the state gave them the go ahead to tap $382,000 in interest…
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SCC schedules pair of table gaming information sessions
Over the next few weeks, Southwestern Community College will host a pair of information sessions for anyone interested in pursuing…
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Applicants sought for Haywood boards
The Board of County Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill three vacancies on the Haywood County Agriculture Advisory Board (Farmland…
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Library branches collecting food for holidays
All branches of the Haywood County Public Library are currently collecting food to help meet the needs of local residents…
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New Tribal Council chair is first woman to hold position
Terri Henry has been elected as the first female Tribal Council chair of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, some six…
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The Whopper survives DOT project near Clyde
Haywood County residents won’t be down a Burger King when the state Department of Transportation starts its major reconstruction of…
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Maggie man pleads to reduced charges in dispute with town
After getting caught up in the politics of Maggie Valley and facing felony forgery charges, Joseph Maniscalco Thursday pleaded guilty…
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Sylva getting pretty good at filling empty town board seats
The Sylva town board will appoint a new leader to an empty seat on the board in coming weeks —…
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Tasing threat against 14-year-old mascot investigated by Swain
A man threatened to tase a young Cherokee girl at a football game last month, but it is unclear just…
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Tribal Council OKs plans for rehab facility — again
For years, enrolled members and leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have called for the tribe to open…
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Campus visits ‘vital’ to Western Carolina recruiting efforts
Jacob Flannick • SMN Correspondent Hundreds of high school students from across the state and beyond toured the campus of Western…
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Cullowhee planning initiative out of the gate at last
People who live and work in Cullowhee are being invited to share their opinions on growth and planning with a…
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Ghost Town gunfighter says shooting injury was no accident
Four months after he was injured in a staged Old West gunshow, a former Ghost Town in the Sky gunfighter…
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Sign kitsch to be debated at Waynesville hearing
Business owners and merchants in Waynesville angling for bigger, flashier attention-grabbing devices have piloted a rewrite of the town’s sign…
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Sylva town board welcomes new member, new mayor
The race for Sylva town board was won by only a hair on Election Day. The results show Mary Kelley…
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Waynesville wants input on plan for North Main, Walnut streets
As Waynesville pedestrians mosey down North Main Street toward Walnut Street on their way home or to one of the…
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Sylva leaders adopt streetscape plan for Main Street, N.C. 107
The Sylva town board has unanimously approved a streetscape plan for N.C. 107 from the Ingles grocery store to Dillsboro.…
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New checkpoint procedures implemented in Jackson
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have reached an amicable settlement…
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Haywood considers integration of county departments
Haywood County is moving slowly towards consolidating its Department of Social Services and Health Department to save money and become…
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More students prompt new construction at Pisgah
Pisgah High School in Canton finally has the money for some much-needed renovations, which have been years in the making.…
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Canton goes for the gold by reinstating sweepstakes fees
Despite sweepstakes-style video gambling being outlawed in the state, they have slowly crept back in to the corners of gas…
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PETA files federal lawsuit against USDA over treatment of captive bears
An animal rights groups has sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hoping to force the agency to set stricter standards…
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WNC native tapped for EDC post in Jackson
Jackson County is hoping the third time’s the charm as it aims to jumpstart its floundering economic development efforts. After…
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Whittier sewer line on the slow road to bankruptcy
A rural sewer system in Jackson County is headed toward bankruptcy unless it can drum up 200 customers in the…
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Leaders reluctant to gamble on sewer line expansion
Jackson County commissioners questioned the wisdom of a last-ditch effort to find more customers for the Whittier sewer system at…
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