Change in business fee structure a windfall for Waynesville
A new formula for business license fees will mean a six-fold increase in collections for the town of Waynesville this…
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WCU receives Golden LEAF grant
Western Carolina University has received a $500,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to help expand engineering education across Western…
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WCU to mark 125th year in 2014
When the clock strikes midnight and Dec. 31 gives way to Jan. 1, the tolling of the bell won’t symbolize…
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Barking up the right tree
By Paul Clark • Correspondent Harvesting poplar bark to make bark shingles is never easy, but this summer Danny Heatherly and…
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Model railroad group brings joy to children and seniors
By Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • SMN Correspondent Think of it as somewhere over the rainbow. You know the place, only this…
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The Cataloochee exodus: Story of picturesque valley’s transformation captured in new film
Raymond Caldwell was 15 years old when he hitched up a team of horses to a wagon with 30 bushels…
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Ambassadors work to extend reach of Jackson County Chamber
The Ambassadors of Jackson County recently elected new officers: Chairman Tommy Dennison, Business Counselor with the Small Business and Technology…
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Props for WCU Professor Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper, associate professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, has…
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Festival gives WCU students experience in hospitality industry
For Carroll Brown, an associate professor in the hospitality and tourism program at Western Carolina University, there’s nothing like taking…
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Health care ‘navigators’ rush to enroll residents before deadline
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent Since she started spreading the word about the new health care law, Cynthia Solesbee has…
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Sylva librarian closes book on career
Standing on the balcony of the historic Jackson County Courthouse and Library, high above downtown Sylva, Dottie Brunette begins pointing.
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Swain group makes donation to SCC Foundation
Citing a desire to maximize their donation through a federal challenge grant, representatives of the Community Services of Swain County…
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Volunteers sought for free tax preparation
Jackson County volunteers who provide free basic tax forms preparation and counseling for individuals are looking for others to join…
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Swain County eyes federal courthouse
The last day of federal court in Bryson City will be Dec. 31.
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No dice for Catawba’s casino bid
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent When it comes to Vegas-style gaming, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort has hedged its bets on…
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Closing of Vance Hardware is an end to an era
On the first day of Vance Hardware’s going-out-of-business sale, someone bought the key machine. “I think that hurt him worse…
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WCU holds commencement for graduates
The fall semester came to a close at Western Carolina University on Dec. 14 as commencement exercises were held in…
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Haywood hospital sale a done deal, but waiting on vote
Haywood County commissioners are going through the motions of selling Haywood Regional Medical Center to a national hospital chain with…
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School leaders frustrated by teacher pay raise plan
Under normal circumstances, Mike Murray would be thrilled to pass out raises to the hard-working teachers in Jackson County.
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Cullowhee businesses reflect on past, look ahead after WCU fire
Dark clouds hung above Cullowhee last Friday morning. And as the rain fell on the mountain community, tears slid down…
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Jackson still ‘economically distressed’
Jackson County retained its status as one of the economically distressed counties in North Carolina according to just-released rankings, but…
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Jackson voids tax bill for Anglican Church
Leaders from Christ Anglican Church in Cashiers convinced Jackson County commissioners to waive their property tax bill for 2013 even…
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Taming unruly meetings in Maggie a goal for new town leaders
Maggie Valley town leaders hope to create a new tone and tenor for town meetings, with “civility” being the operative…
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Jailer’s love saga comes full circle
Who knows what Anita Vestal saw in Jeffrey Miles, or why she sprang him from jail and ran away with…
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Faculty, student representatives at WCU frustrated by Raleigh
Faculty and student representatives at Western Carolina University expressed concern last week over recent legislative actions in Raleigh.
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Matheson wins election but says no to mayor’s job
A meeting of the Sylva Town Board took an unexpected turn last week when mayor-elect Christina Matheson announced that she…
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Ghost Town cited for safety violations after gunslinger injury
Ghost Town in the Sky has been cited for safety violations by the North Carolina Department of Labor stemming from…
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Macon goes local in picking new manager
At just 28 years old, Derek Roland might be the youngest county manager Macon County has ever seen, but what…
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WCU campus Master Plan wins approval of Board of Trustees
A new campus Master Plan endorsed Friday (Dec. 6) by the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees is designed to…
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Fund for Haywood gives $40,000 in grants
The Fund for Haywood County has approved $40,000 in People in Need grants to local nonprofit organizations that provide critical…
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Abrahams gives sermon at Mandela funeral
Bishop Ivan Abrahams, the South African general secretary of the World Methodist Council who lives at Lake Junaluska, gave the…
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Cherokee elders file suit against bear zoo
Two months after sending a notice informing the Cherokee Bear Zoo of their intent to sue the roadside menagerie for…
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Christmas comes early in the Valley: Massive giveaway helps hundreds of Haywood families
The mother lode of charity operations was less than 24 hours away, and the daunting punch list should have had…
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There’s an app for that: If not, a growing number of students are learning to create one
Imagine you’re a college student in the summer of 2010. One of your professors offers you a job. He has…
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UPDATED: Undercover bust targets dealers in every corner of the county
An undercover investigation in Haywood County targeting alleged drug dealers culminated in a sweeping roundup last month, netting 31 suspects…
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Waynesville says no to blow-up gorillas: Off-the-beaten path businesses seek signage answers
Waynesville leaders last week voted to loosen the town’s sign rules at the behest of some business owners, but stopped…
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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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