Soaking up the sounds of Sylva on a silent walking tour
Most people have heard of a sightseeing tour, perhaps a wine or beer tasting tour, and maybe even the all-encompassing…
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Spirit of the Season: What liquor-buying trends say about a town
For liquor stores in Western North Carolina, the combination of Christmas and the New Year makes for the busiest time…
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Home for the holidays: Christmas at Broyhill Children’s Home brings happiness to all
The most wonderful time of the year — it’s a line is engrained in us all. But nobody embraces and…
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Undocumented workers arrested in Jackson traffic checkpoint now free again
Federal authorities have dropped deportation proceedings against 10 Latino men, all suspected illegal immigrants, who were arrested at a Jackson…
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Swain’s oversized jail may finally be breaking even, but not for long
Swain County’s oversized jail will lose about one-third of its current inmate population and a sizeable revenue stream when the…
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The ultimate gift: Jackson church builds new house for 93-year-old woman
Margie Bradley has called a ramshackle shack in the hills of Cullowhee “home” for almost 60 years. The ceilings sag,…
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Haywood sheriff to step down early
Haywood County Sheriff Bobby Suttles announced last week he will retire in February, stepping down early despite another two years…
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Haywood tourism holding its own, gradually coming back
Tourism numbers are looking good for Haywood County so far this year, and tourism leaders are keeping their fingers crossed…
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Democratic Party holds the power in appointing new sheriff
The task of finding a new top lawman in Haywood County to replace retiring Sheriff Bobby Suttles will begin in…
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Economic indicators show WNC’s pump is primed but still waiting to flow
More doom and gloom or a light at the end of the tunnel? For five years, the nation has waited…
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College kids gum up Jackson County’s economic stats
The economic situation seemed to be looking up in Jackson County: unemployment was on a steady decline; the real estate…
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Haywood County economy outpaces its peers
Joey Del Bosque scrolled through his appointment book for the week; time slot after time slot was filled, with just…
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Arrest comes down in case of missing headstones in Sylva
An ongoing investigation into gravestones purchased from Moody’s Funeral Home in Sylva but never delivered to the buyers has resulted…
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Compromise forged to save metal truss bridge
Macon County residents hoping to save an old metal truss bridge spanning the Little Tennessee River scored a small win,…
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Bryson City radio station fine tunes programming for local AM airwaves
Two years after being saved from imminent death in the nick of time, WBHN began broadcasting regularly in Bryson City…
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Billing error for casino IT services translates into $4.1 million refund for tribe
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was accidentally overbilled $2.7 million for IT service over several years by the company…
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Franklin ambulance garage to hold green-go power over nearby stoplight
Ever wanted a magic button you could press to make the stoplight turn green? Macon County Emergency Medical Services will…
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Confederate flag flap in holding pattern in Haywood
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners have postponed voting on a controversial flag display policy until after the New Year,…
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Old hospital building needs a new lease on life, but takers are few
What to do with a hulking, four-story, run-down, decades-old, now-empty former hospital in Waynesville?
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So long sweepstakes: Supreme Court upholds state’s authority to regulate gambling
The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled last week that state lawmakers indeed have the power to ban video gambling in…
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Dismal participation in Sylva’s recycling begs the question
Since the town of Sylva’s curbside recycling program was reinstated about five years ago, its participation has stagnated, with the…
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DOT negotiates buyouts for Haywood interchange
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is in the middle of buying nearly 40 Haywood County properties that stand in…
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New dental clinic should bring a smile to WNC
Citing a statewide shortage of dentists, East Carolina University is opening 10 clinics across North Carolina with the mission of…
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Downtown discord prompts call for renewed collaboration
Both sides in a downtown Franklin dispute have pledged to work together after publicly locking horns in recent weeks. “It…
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Franklin merchants run afoul of festival planning protocols
Some downtown merchants in Franklin have clashed with town leaders in recent weeks over a perceived lack of support for…
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On the job with Franklin’s Main Street director
Franklin’s Main Street Program has found itself in an uncomfortable spotlight in recent weeks as Franklin merchants have complained that…
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Newspaper says advertising was pulled after critical news coverage
A side drama playing out in the downtown Franklin fracas involves an unusual public display of the tension that often…
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County leaders ponder whether Cashiers could support ABC store
A Jackson County resident has taken it upon himself to show county decision-makers that a Cashiers ABC store is a…
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Despite student pleas, WCU hikes tuition again
Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees approved an 8 percent increase in tuition next academic year — much to the vexation…
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Professors struggle with increased class sizes
While Western Carolina University’s budgets have been shrinking in recent years, its class sizes have been growing.
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Most Bryson City business owners OK with county financing train improvements
Most Everett Street business owners support Swain County’s pending investment in the privately owned Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, but some…
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WCU earns grant to train family nurses
Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing is the recipient of nearly $700,000 in federal grant funding to help address a…
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Work grant to train poker dealers
Southwestern Community College will launch a training program for live game dealers, in conjunction with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort,…
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Feds help local students stay in school
Southwestern Community College has been awarded a nearly $1.3 million grant under the Upward Bound Programs from the U.S. Department…
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Adopt a pet, hang a stocking at animal shelter
Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation is holding its “Home for the Holidays” promotion, in which “Youth For Sarge’s” members make Christmas…
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HCC hopes to finally choose president in January
The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees will meet on Dec. 19 to interview eight candidates who hope to be…
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Rewarding students with fast-food coupons raises concerns
Some schools are thinking twice about the long standing practice of passing out fast-food coupons to children as rewards.
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Confederate group refuses to surrender
The ongoing Confederate flag tug-of-war in Haywood County took an unusual turn last week.
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Heating assistance applications needed
One-time assistance with heating expenses is now available for low-income disabled or senior citizens through county social services departments. The…
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Fate of liquor stores in Maggie Valley in holding pattern for now
Maggie Valley’s ABC Board has put any plans to close one of its two liquor stores on the backburner for…
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ABC store diverts money that schools once got
Haywood County Schools will lose about $30,000 in yearly revenue now that the Waynesville ABC Board has decided build a…
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Will two pay off? Waynesville to break ground on ABC store
Construction on a new ABC store in Waynesville could begin as early as January at the cost of $1.3 million,…
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Cherokee banks brace for rush when casino checks go out
Twice a year, Dorothy Posey arrives for her job at Mountain Credit Union in Cherokee knowing one thing: the lines…
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Nonprofits getting creative for funds
From charity golf tournaments to bluegrass concerts to spare change jars, nonprofits lending a helping hand with heating costs for…
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Struggle to afford heating costs hits new high
It looked like any wood yard, piles of tree trunks in various stages of processing: long logs still bearing their…
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New Jackson tourism agency launches
After more than a year of wrangling, a new Jackson County tourism authority was finally created this week, its board…
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Parents urged to use diligence when in public with children
When a strange man approached an 11-year-old girl in Waynesville’s Walmart more than a week ago and asked her to…
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Candler man arrested in Walmart stalking case
Ryan Scot Davis, 48, was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child following an incident at the Waynesville Walmart…
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Haywood to sort its own recycling again — this time with machines
Haywood County is making plans to bring recycling operations back in-house — a move that would eventually mean dollar signs…
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Vying for foot traffic: The Holy Grail of downtown commerce
Try scaring up a parking space, hunting down an empty bench or pushing a double-stroller along the crowded sidewalks on…
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