Sylva to create economic development board
The Town of Sylva is looking to create an economic development board made up of business owners outside the downtown…
Read More
Swain County commissioner expelled from meeting
Following a heated exchange with another county commissioner during a closed session, Swain County Commissioner David Loftis was expelled from…
Read More
Free opioid overdose kits available in three Haywood locations
Most people don’t realize that some accidental opioid overdoses are reversible with the quick administration of an opioid antagonist called…
Read More
Public safety, personnel costs push Waynesville tax increase
In the second split budget vote in the last four years, Waynesville’s Town Council approved a property tax hike of…
Read More
Old Edwards Inn changes ownership : Highlands officials expect ‘business as usual’
Old Edwards Inn — the historic Highlands landmark and premier worldwide travel destination — has been sold, but little is…
Read More
EBCI reveals census results
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Census results have been finalized for the first time in over two decades.
Read More
Despite challenges, no tax increase in Canton budget
A full year after one of the county’s largest employers — the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill, in downtown Canton — shut…
Read More
Potential SCC scanning day would explore campus history
Southwestern Community College (SCC), a crucial Western North Carolina educational institute since 1964, is exploring the possibility of hosting a…
Read More
Vecinos receives SECU Foundation grant
SECU Foundation recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to Vecinos for a new medical center and human services hub in…
Read More
Nantahala Health Foundation launches grant cycle to benefit youth
Nantahala Health Foundation will launch its next competitive grant opportunity on July 1 with a focus on investing in educational,…
Read More
Swain County raises taxes
Swain County will be raising its tax rate for the first time in 11 years in fiscal year 2024-25. Commissioners…
Read More
SCC recognizes OTA graduates
The newest members of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program recently celebrated their completion of Southwestern Community College’s program with family…
Read More
All lanes of I-40 in Pigeon River Gorge now open
Contract crews for the N.C. Department of Transportation have completed major operations at two locations of Interstate 40 in the…
Read More
High-speed internet grants awarded in WNC
63 North Carolina community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations will get a combined $30 million in grants funded…
Read More
Legislative infighting overshadows child care crisis
Without immediate action from the General Assembly, Pandemic-era federal grants to child care providers will run out on July 1…
Read More
Democrats claim school vouchers detract from child care grants
As the July 1 budget deadline for Child Care Stabilization grants approaches, it appears the Republican-led North Carolina House and…
Read More
‘A two-generation workforce issue’: Child care availability impeding economic development
Stakeholders around Western North Carolina recognize the end of COVID-era child care stabilization funding and the broader lack of available…
Read More
Macon passes budget with adjustments
After several lengthy discussions, Macon County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget by a split vote with a couple…
Read More
WCU Board of Trustees approves new CIO
On Friday, June 14, Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees approved Chris Williams’ selection as its chief information officer. Williams,…
Read More
Months after passing away, Haywood child wins national award
Less than six months after her death at just over two years old, Charlotte Joy Norris is posthumously receiving an…
Read More
Cherokee museum receives $385,000 grant
Museum of the Cherokee People has been awarded a major spring grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
Read More
Franklin FUMC hosts bazaar auction
When it comes to staying the course, First United Methodist Church (FUMC), Franklin has a long history of supporting those…
Read More
Contract awarded to replace I-40 bridges in Haywood
The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a contract to replace the two bridges on Interstate 40 over Beaverdam Road.
Read More
LGBT candidates look to build on last year’s successes
Hoping to build on the momentum of a successful off-year election cycle, even amid violent threats, members of Western North…
Read More
Jackson explores solutions to housing crisis
The Development Finance Initiative has continued to work on feasibility analyses for affordable housing in Jackson County since its housing…
Read More
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture visits Cherokee
Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians welcomed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to the exhibit hall at Harrah’s…
Read More
Haywood County budget passes without tax increase
Commissioners voted unanimously June 3 to accept Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead’s proposed annual budget which, in spite of inflation,…
Read More
No tax increase for Jackson
Jackson County is set to approve its budget next week, funding county operations for the coming fiscal year without a…
Read More
Swain County to vote on alcohol sales
Swain County Board of Commissioners added a referendum to November ballots that will allow residents to vote on the on-premises…
Read More
JCPS announces new principal for Smoky Mountain High School
Jackson County Public Schools announced that current assistant principal Joey Robinson has been named the new principal at Smoky Mountain…
Read More
Haywood Farm Bureau awards scholarships
Established more than 20 years ago, the Haywood County Farm Bureau scholarship program assists graduating seniors who have a financial…
Read More
Learn about Ukraine in Haywood County
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, David Crane, author, scholar and international prosecutor, will provide insights on the implications of the…
Read More
Haywood Meals on Wheels seeks help
After Covid, Haywood Meals on Wheels lost volunteers and was forced to drop meal deliveries to three days per week.…
Read More
Appeals panel sends Kituwah LLC back to court: Lawsuit alleges theft of trade secrets from other tribally owned company
A lawsuit filed against Kituwah LLC that was initially dismissed is heading back to court after the 11th Circuit Court of…
Read More
Waynesville budget will come down to the wire
A rare public impasse by Council Members over the Town of Waynesville’s proposed budget will leave things unsettled for the time…
Read More
UNC Board of Governors repeals DEI policy
After the UNC Board of Governors approved a new policy on diversity and inclusion within the University of North Carolina,…
Read More
Pride parade prevails in Waynesville as opposition evaporates
A controversial email that led many to bring accusations of homophobia against two local business owners in Frog Level has…
Read More
Waynesville Golf Club housing development stymied again
Amid complaints from neighbors, the new owners of the Waynesville Inn and Golf Club once again saw their proposed 12-unit…
Read More
Arch unveiled in Waynesville
June 1, 2024, was a historic day for a historic town, as members of Waynesville’s government and the Downtown Waynesville…
Read More
Despite rising costs, new Franklin High School still on track
Despite increasing cost estimates, Macon County is in a good financial position to move forward with both the Franklin High…
Read More
Mill closure looms large over Canton municipal budget
Administrators for the Town of Canton have presented a conservative fiscal year 2024-25 budget that seeks some sense of sustainability…
Read More
Veterans commemorated by JROTC cadets
Gloomy skies and pouring rain couldn’t stop a group of about 30 people from gathering at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park on…
Read More
Putting in overtime: Canton leaders work late to solve mill problems
Several notable things happened during the Town of Canton’s regular board meeting on May 23, but the meeting was perhaps…
Read More
Sylva declares June Pride Month
The Town of Sylva Board of Commissioners signed a proclamation last week declaring June to be LGBTQ Pride Month, just…
Read More
No tax increase for Macon
Macon County will be able to cover all its upcoming capital projects in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget without a…
Read More
Brown appointed Sylva commissioner
Following the resignation of Natalie Newman from the Sylva Town Board in April, commissioners have appointed Jonathan Brown to fill…
Read More
New Waynesville arch to be unveiled
Join local leaders, civic groups and citizens of Waynesville for a historic occasion — the unveiling of a new decorative…
Read More
Jackson TDA’s Addy celebrates new certification
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) announced that Kara Addy, APR, its Social Media Manager, has completed the Professional…
Read More
State suit alleges Pactiv violated grant agreement
Pactiv Evergreen’s shocking announcement that it would close its 115-year-old paper mill broke lots of hearts — and wallets —…
Read More
Jackson County hosts rabies vaccination clinics
Come out Cartoogechaye School in Macon County for a rabies vaccination clinic.
Read More