Sylva crowd marks King’s march, vows to continue fight
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington, D.C., political activists in Western North…
Read More
Clyde police chief suspended for unknown reasons
Clyde Police Chief Gerard Ball was suspended last Friday for five days without pay until the town board was able…
Read More
In the shadow of Duke dams, heavy rains can trigger downstream flooding
With September’s tropical storm season gearing up, residents living downstream of large Duke Energy dams in Western North Carolina may…
Read More
Waynesville theater closes suddenly
Smoky Mountain Cinemas in Waynesville shut its doors last week, leaving Haywood County residents with no full-sized movie theater playing…
Read More
Busking becomes Waynesville
Waynesville leaders as expected lifted a de facto ban on street performers last week, opening the door for musicians to…
Read More
Pipe bomb suspect claims he was being a good Samaritan
Waynesville police discovered a homemade pipe bomb in the bed of a pickup truck in the early hours of the…
Read More
WCU record enrollment, open house
Western Carolina University announced an enrollment milestone this week — enrollment for the fall semester topped the 10,000 mark for…
Read More
A wild, fast motorcycle pursuit to nab a low-level criminal: is it worth the risk?
When it comes to a high-speed chase, law enforcement must constantly ask the question: is it worth it? A 23-year-old…
Read More
Public cites physician quality at hearing on possible sale of hospital
Maintaining high-quality doctors in Haywood County emerged as a common theme in a public hearing last week on the future…
Read More
Curtain call: Waynesville welcomes revival of the Strand theater
When Rodney and Lorraine Conard took the keys to the shuttered Strand movie theater two years ago, the hulking shell…
Read More
Appalachian Women’s Museum finally gets Monteith House
The Appalachian Women’s Museum finally has a home to call its own. Dillsboro town council members agreed Monday to lease…
Read More
Sweepstakes: never say die
Despite a statewide ban on video sweepstakes machines, the video gambling industry is taking advantage of yet another apparent loophole…
Read More
Better signals may mean uglier views
The Jackson County Planning Board is delving into a review of cell tower regulations and discussing changes that could ultimately…
Read More
Trail official worries new cell tower will mar views
A communications tower in Macon County is expected to bring better wireless phone coverage to a remote region but has…
Read More
Greenway starts taking shape in Jackson
Construction could start in September on a paved 1.2-mile section of greenway along the Tucksegee River in Cullowhee.
Read More
Disability discrimination alleged in hiring of county veteran’s officer
A group of veterans in Haywood County lodged a formal complaint claiming that the hiring process of the county’s veterans…
Read More
Loan for high-speed Internet company denied in Jackson
Jackson County commissioners turned down a start-up Internet provider asking for a $1 million economic development loan to bring high-speed…
Read More
Donation centers open for Coats for Kids
The Coats for Kids clothing drive in Jackson County is accepting donations of clothing and shoes starting Sept. 1. Drop-off…
Read More
Jackson to name new economic development director soon
Jackson County has extended the application deadline for a new economic development director after the first round failed to attract…
Read More
Meadows listens to constituents at town hall meetings
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, sporting an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians button, hosted a town hall meeting last Thursday in…
Read More
Can commissioners turn their albatross into apartments for 20-somethings?
There’s only one feasible option for what to do with the abandon Haywood Department of Social Services building: turn it into…
Read More
Groundbreaking on the horizon for new hospital in Cherokee
Preliminary sitework on a new Cherokee Indian Hospital could start as early as December. The hospital has entered contract negotiations…
Read More
Southwestern excels in performance report
Southwestern Community College exceeded the North Carolina Community College System’s mean in seven of the eight measures used to gauge…
Read More
Drake Software to add 50 jobs, build call center
Drake Software, a national leader in professional tax preparation software headquartered in Franklin, is expanding their call center in Hayesville…
Read More
HCC strengthens ties and employment training for industry
Haywood Community College is strengthening ties to the community through industry training with the arrival of a new Industry Training…
Read More
Volunteer puts passion for dolls toward fund-raising efforts
Ellen Walker has a passion for giving dolls new life and sending them on to their next home. For the…
Read More
All lanes of I-40 reopened after slide
All lanes of Interstate 40 West in Haywood County have reopened following a rockslide that occurred Monday evening, Aug. 19.…
Read More
Stand up for N.C. educators
A “Stand Up for Education” rally will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, on the front lawn of…
Read More
Stay-at-home mom finds time to start her own business
Raising children is rewarding, but stay-at-home moms and dads need something for themselves.
Read More
Swain leaders go to Washington, D.C.
The recent three-day trip to Washington, D.C., marks the fourth time Swain County representatives have visited the capital during the…
Read More
Discouraged but not defeated, Swain continues quest for overdue cash settlement
The outlook for Swain County doesn’t look any better this year than it did the last three years in its…
Read More
Sylva leaders give green light to more, bigger, brighter signs
It’s not quite little Las Vegas, yet, but new sign laws in Sylva are clearing the way for a brighter,…
Read More
Waynesville puts brakes on the slow creep of sandwich boards, for now
Pending changes to Waynesville’s sign laws could pave the way for sidewalk sandwich boards downtown, but they aren’t legal yet.
Read More
Jackson Meals on Wheels leaves money on the table
Jackson County commissioners took the director of the Jackson County Department on Aging to task this week over why Meals…
Read More
Survey says: Macon and Jackson call for state help to sort out muddled border
One of life’s great unsolved mysteries will soon be settled thanks to an official survey of the murky border between…
Read More
New fire tax moves to the front burner in Jackson County
Jackson County commissioners signaled support this week to change the way volunteer fire departments are funded, although the plan is…
Read More
One door closed, but many more opened with rebirth of Cowee School
An old closed-down elementary school in the rural Cowee community in Macon County will soon reclaim its role as a…
Read More
Cherokee sets sights on Nikwasi mound, but Franklin leaders reluctant to let go
The chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wants the town of Franklin to relinquish ownership of the historic…
Read More
Rally to bring King’s dream to Sylva
The Moral Monday protests that started in Raleigh and made national headlines are now making the rounds in North Carolina…
Read More
Buskers: coming soon to a street corner near you
Waynesville officials will hold a public hearing next week on an ordinance that would pave the way for street performers,…
Read More
Rally cry to save Camp Hope persists in wake of lawsuit
The town of Canton is not out of the woods yet in its fight to keep Camp Hope, a public…
Read More
WCU students return to new nightlife landscape this year
Western Carolina University students will open their textbooks this year with a livelier Cullowhee awaiting them after the class bell…
Read More
Second Vatican Council anniversary commemorated with seminar
St. John the Evanglist Church in Waynesville will host a special seminar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug.…
Read More
Blurred boundary leads to permit, tax problems
Whether you live in Macon County or Jackson County may depend on which one you ask.
Read More
Home building, commercial development climbing in Jackson
The building sector in Jackson County has continued its upward swing in 2013.
Read More
N.C. reverts to paper ballots at big cost to counties
North Carolina is reverting back to paper ballots, forcing Haywood, Jackson and 29 other counties in the state to purchase…
Read More
No bailout for Lake Junaluska
Lake Junaluska community leaders gave residents a first look at how its service fees will increase since its merger with…
Read More
The tricky terrain of Native American labels
Diamond Brown has perfected the art of bait and switch. He hooks his unsuspecting subjects with an eye-catching spread of…
Read More
Cell phone subsidies for low-income people: a luxury or necessity?
In addition to food, shelter and medical care, access to a phone is one of life’s bare necessities — at…
Read More
Going rogue to fight obesity: Undercover video project stalks overweight people in Macon
One man’s mission to bring to light an obesity epidemic in Macon County has offended many in the community, prompted…
Read More
