For some pet owners in rural west, round-the-clock vet care out of reach
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Years have passed since Jack McJunkin’s dog was struck and fatally injured by a car…
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Macon County reviews policies as embezzlement investigation continues
Three weeks after the State Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into possible embezzlement at the Macon County Board of…
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Finding a culprit behind parking crunch in Canton
Free parking has its drawbacks, at least for the Country Music and Dance Parlor in downtown Canton.
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Private schools, public money, heated discourse: School stakeholders debate new N.C. voucher program
It’s been six months since the N.C. General Assembly passed a budget earmarking $10 million for school vouchers to low-income…
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SBI probes embezzlement allegations at Macon County Board of Elections
By Holly Kays & Becky Johnson • Staff writers An embezzlement investigation at the Macon County Board of Elections locked down…
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The Kudzu Cocktail, Cat Catch and other bright ideas from WCU students
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent For as long as he can remember, Austin Brown’s fascination with plants has remained rooted in…
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Waynesville lands free property for new in-town greenway section
Waynesville will soon have a new section of walking path along Richland Creek and, if all goes as planned, public…
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County mulls best way to dispose of old DSS building
Haywood County leaders have substantially lowered the asking price for the empty, run-down, old hospital — it’s now free.
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Maggie leaders debate how much to underwrite festival grounds event
Maggie Valley town leaders are questioning the amount of money the town plows into its festival grounds each year and…
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What to do when winning means closing: Parent wants discussion about football-related school closure in Swain
Swain County students may have been cheering when the high school football team’s trip to the state semifinals meant everyone…
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Sales of Smokies plates increased in fourth quarter
Sales of the Friends of the Smokies specialty license plate in North Carolina increased in the fourth quarter, benefiting priority…
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Elected leaders to push again for room tax hike in Haywood
Haywood’s elected leaders plan to invite their three General Assembly representatives to a March meeting in hopes of reviving a…
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Neediest waiting more than three months for benefits: N.C. food stamp delays ‘alarm’ feds
Time has nearly run out for the beleaguered N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to fix the systemic problems…
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Attorney with strong GOP ties to seek judge’s seat
A fifth attorney has added his name to the list of possible nominees for an open District Court judge position…
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Computing for the future
Waynesville residents will soon be reaping the benefits of an information technology makeover at town hall. While town employees will…
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Reforming lives on a wing and a prayer
A proposal to convert a closed-down state prison into a halfway house and homeless shelter in Haywood County is gaining…
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Changing of the guard in store for Haywood tourism board
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will see unprecedented turnover on its board this month, with five of the 12…
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Local churches lift the lives of homeless, incarcerated
On Sept. 12, Jeff Clontz walked out of Haywood County Jail a free man. It wasn’t his first time, though.…
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Grant to bring advanced manufacturing training to Swain
The Golden LEAF Foundation and Duke Energy recently funded a trio of advanced manufacturing training grants, totaling $1.3 million, to…
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HRMC labor and delivery unit to be remodeled
The Haywood Regional Medical Foundation has donated $400,000 to MedWest Haywood for a remodel of the fourth floor, which includes…
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Stepping down: Aumen’s departure marks end of an era for Haywood TDA
Editor’s note: Alice Aumen has been a major voice in Haywood’s tourism landscape for more than half a century —…
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Jackson TDA hires trio of marketing firms for trial period
After a split vote that followed nearly an hour of discussion, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority hired three different…
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Hunters upset about ‘Something Bruin’ tactics
Hunters from all over the mountains came together last weekend to speak out against the tactics used by undercover wildlife…
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In Waynesville, meter readers going the way of milkmen
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Some homeowners in Waynesville might have started wondering why a certain visitor who had routinely appeared…
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McCrory to appoint Holt’s successor, but could ignore bar’s counsel
Attorneys in the seven western counties will to be called on in the coming weeks to weigh in on their…
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And, goal: WNC soccer players train with Olympics in mind
Jacob Flannick & Holly Kays • Correspondent/Staff writer When Scott Cline graduated from Swain High School in the mid-1990s, the community…
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Forum aims to create new vision for Canton
When Heidi Dunkelberg first entered the town of Canton, she couldn’t imagine ever living there.
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A winter rescue: Rangers trek into frigid, snowy darkness to save hikers
By 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, the sky had long gone dark and rain was turning to snow. It was…
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Hipps brings work ethic to race
When Jane Hipps began toying with the idea of running for state Senate as a Democratic challenger, a wave of…
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Robinson says WNC voters need representation in Raleigh
Ron Robinson thinks a state senator should represent all of his constituents.
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Battle for state Senate seat begins to take shape
The North Carolina Senate seat for the seven western counties could be one of the few swing races in the…
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Negotiations in progress over Ghost Town gunfighter incident
Nearly six months after a staged gunfight left a Ghost Town gunfighter injured, the incident is still not resolved. Ghost…
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Mayor’s mandate for change in Franklin searching for traction
Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent He campaigned on the promise of making Franklin fertile ground for new ideas and encouraging more…
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New Canton board to hold public forum on vision, direction for town
Canton residents will have the chance to weigh in on the town board’s yearlong search for a town manager at…
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Jackson County has a new slogan; now what?
Jackson County tourism leaders are weighing the best way to get their message to the masses.
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Laxer steep slope rules head for public hearing in Jackson
Controls on mountainside development in Jackson County could be loosened following a year-long line-by-line rewrite of steep slope rules by…
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Folkmoot to finally get title to old school
An old elementary school in Waynesville that serves as a giant bunkhouse for troupes of international performers during the signature…
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A waiting game: WNC counties hope for continued PILT funding
From Clingmans Dome to Juneywank Falls to the winding Blue Ridge Parkway, Swain County is rich in natural beauty. But…
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SCC charts course for major Macon campus expansion
Southwestern Community College leaders unveiled a master plan last month outlining a major expansion of its campus in Macon County. …
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Time will tell if Waynesville reaps profit from new ABC store
The attractive, even swanky new liquor store in Waynesville got off to a sluggish start the first two months after…
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Sheriff’s office to buy pill counter to save time
Amid the epidemic of prescription pill abuse, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office is buying a niche device more common to…
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Tribe encourages youth to use windfall to become entrepreneurs
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent Since Harrah’s Cherokee Casino opened and started bringing an influx of steady cash to the Eastern…
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Hunters claim they were unfairly targeted in undercover poaching operation
Some hunters in Western North Carolina are speaking out against the tactics used by undercover wildlife officers in a multi-year…
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Course steady for Jackson Meals on Wheels
Jackson County’s new volunteer policy, enacted in November, is taking a bite out of the Meals on Wheels volunteer force.
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Putting a price on memories
By Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • Correspondent For most of Yvonne Wadham’s 64 years, horses were her life, on a big scale,…
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2013: The year in review
2013 is behind us now, and all the news reported over the last 12 months is headed for the history…
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Balsam Range ‘Winter Concert Series’ welcomes John Driskell Hopkins
Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range’s 4th annual “Winter Concert Series” will continue with John Driskell Hopkins at 7:30 p.m. Jan.…
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Landslide mapping continues, albeit on a smaller scale
To Jenifer Bauer, the conditions couldn’t be better for a hike. It’s cold and soggy. There’s no leaves left, nothing…
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The big screen comes to a small town
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent For residents of Highlands, the list of things to do in town, depending on the season,…
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Capturing success in a jar
It’s about preserving tradition — delicious tradition. “We live in a small town, and it’s wonderful when you start meeting…
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