Folkmoot and Haywood tourism authority do annual tango over grant funding
Folkmoot USA International Dance Festival once again saw its grant funding cut by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority. The…
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Cullowhee’s vision
A public input session regarding the future growth in Cullowhee is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 6 at the Cullowhee…
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In pursuit of tourism dollars, Haywood festivals asked to prove their mettle
It’s an unenviable task, but one Haywood County tourism leaders face every year: weighing dozens of festivals and niche marketing…
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Wrestling the ‘sleeping giant’: Local GOP deals with divide
A leadership upheaval within the Haywood County GOP is far from settled, but some members are calling for a reconciliation…
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Jackson tourism board considers possibility of executive director
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority may be ready to start thinking about hiring an executive director. Board members of…
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ABC merger agreed to by town and county
Jackson County and the town of Sylva agreed this month to merge the entities’ separate Alcoholic Beverage Control boards. The…
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Sex abuse case to be retried in tribal court following federal dismissal
Nine months ago, a federal sex abuse case against Harland Squirrel, of Cherokee, ended in dismissal after the jury failed…
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Franklin to get new bridge over the Little Tennessee
The bridge carrying eastbound Main Street traffic across the Little Tennessee River in Franklin will be close to 90 years…
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Jackson justice center squeezed for space
The verdict is in, and Jackson County Justice Center is a little too small. To be exact, it’s 35,807 square…
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The same, the change and ‘the machine’
Swain County’s clerk of court race is an early-season affair. With no challengers looming on November’s general election horizon, the…
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Mountain Merry Makers spread ‘a little touch of happiness’
By Jake Flannick • Correspondent If wardrobes are a form of self-expression, then Gloria Stockton has a whimsical flair. She would…
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Purple Heart petition: Swain veterans push for Dockie Brendle bridge
The breakfast crowd in Bryson City’s Bojangles’ seems to know Dockie Brendle. “Hello, Doc,” says a man at a nearby…
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Get out: Waynesville and Jackson county look to the mountains for parks programming
Mountains and rivers shape the landscape of Western North Carolina, but when it comes to recreation programming, counties and municipalities…
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Wearing it on their sleeves
When cyclists roll through Jackson County during the Tour de Cashiers May 3, some of them will be sporting new…
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County commissioner races heat up
As the primary approaches, local candidates are making their case. Around the region, county commissioner seats are opening up and incumbents and…
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County races: Haywood
Haywood County Haywood Commissioners What’s up for election? Three out of five seats on the county board. About the race:…
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Navigating the political stripes of the Haywood commissioners’ race
Three Haywood County commissioners running for re-election this year are standing on their track record of balanced leadership from the…
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Jackson sheriff's race: meet the candidates
The May 6 primary will narrow down the contenders for the Jackson County sheriff. The field of six Democrats and…
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Haywood commissioner race: meet the candidates
Three of the five seats on the Haywood County board of commissioners are up for election this year. A field…
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Legislative races, a primer- what seats are up, who’s running, and what district do I vote in?
N.C. House of Representatives, seat 118 Is this my state rep? Yes, if you live in Madison and Yancey counties…
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Macon commissioners: a meet-and-greet with Republican primary candidates
Meet the candidates, pick one Three seats are up for grabs on the Macon County Board of Commissioners this year,…
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Snap shot of US House race in WNC
About the race: This used to be a toss-up district, but clever redrawing of voting boundaries by the Republican-led legislature…
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HCC leaders talk vision
Haywood Community College is entering phase two of a process it started last spring when trustees decided it was time…
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Flying high: Cherokee fly-fishing museum gets the green light
The path to a new fly fishing museum in Cherokee has been cleared of a final hurdle after the Cherokee…
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KARE helps children who are victims of abuse
The nice, open room in the KARE house in Waynesville is a welcoming space. There’s books and toys and a…
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Big booms outside Clyde upsets neighbors
There have been reports of explosions in the Clyde area. People have written to Haywood County officials out of concern.…
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Franklin manager resigns
The search for a new town manager is on in Franklin after Warren Cabe submitted his resignation at the town…
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Clyde house of prostitution was fronted by pet store
Clyde’s new police chief has only been on the job a few weeks. But Terry Troutman already had his hands…
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The bar vote is in, the appointment is nigh
The legal community in the seven western counties has thrown its support behind Attorney Tessa Sellers, from Murphy, to fill…
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WCU takes on tourism with inaugural conference
The takeaway from Western Carolina University’s inaugural Tourism Works conference was pretty straightforward. “I don’t think tourism gets enough credit…
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Macon board of elections petitions state to fire director
It’s been three months since Macon County officials unearthed $50,000 worth of embezzlement, but a return to normalcy is just…
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Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on the issues
The Swain County commissioners race has attracted a deep bench of Democratic candidates — nine contenders vying for the four…
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Macon commissioner race spending pits conservative and moderate Republicans
There’s only one primary in the Macon County commissioners’ races, but it’s a good one to watch. It might well…
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Are Haywood commissioners big spenders, or doing the best they can?
Property taxes have emerged as a top issue in the Democratic primary for Haywood County commissioner candidates. The three sitting…
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Bryson City shelter gives hurting teens a fresh start
Despite the automated security system that speaks up every time a door is opened and the whiteboard grid tracking points…
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House party: Three GOP candidates take aim at Rep. Queen
A trio of Republican candidates have lined up to challenge N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, for his District 119…
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Cohabitation ordinance makes trouble for drug recovery program
An ordinance designed to keep student housing from taking over the village of Forest Hills is creating an obstacle for…
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Domestic violence and sexual abuse shelter looks to expand in Macon
Fundraising for a $1.3-million shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse is underway in Macon County, with REACH…
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Dreaming of Davis’ seat: Hipps, Robinson vie for Senate 50
North Carolina’s District 50 senator represents the state’s seven western counties. In 2010, Sen. Jim Davis (R-Franklin) narrowly wrested the…
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WNC attorneys to vet district court judge nominees
Six attorneys vying for a vacant district court judge seat in the region will try to win the endorsement of…
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Cullowhee considers development standards
Cullowhee is awash in new developments. Specifically, the community is buzzing with the construction of high-density developments aimed at housing…
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Franklin officials to further ‘mull’ gazebo redesign
The folks in Franklin are not yet sure what direction they may go with the revamping of the town’s gazebo…
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Cherokee museum looks to the future
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian has been having some trouble with its exhibit light and sound system lately, but…
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GOP shake-up: Haywood Republicans wrestle with identity crisis, attempt to oust chair
A coup within the Haywood County Republican Party was set in motion this week by a group of precinct chairs…
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Growing a brand: New marketing plan offers the authentic
Lynn Collins has honed the art of eavesdropping. It began innocently enough, unavoidable even, since nothing but a cubicle separates…
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Trick bikes fall from grace at Waynesville’s skate park
The Waynesville skate park became an instant rock star after its debut last fall, gaining repute as a wildly popular…
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A new paradigm
For decades, mountain tourism strategists have concocted catchy ways to state the obvious: come visit us because we are in…
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Canton selects new town manager
Canton Mayor Mike Ray was happy to see it come to an end. Finally, a decision has been made. “We’ve…
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Canton paper mill takes on $50 million air emission
Evergreen Packaging paper mill in Canton is embarking on a $50 million natural gas conversion of its coal-fired boilers to…
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Franklin community offers alternative gazebo plans
When Franklin town leaders meet in April, they will be digesting a number of alternative plans for revamping the downtown…
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