From purple ties to Liz Claiborne handbags, purple apparel all the rage at WCU
Just one day after being named Western Carolina University’s athletics director, Randy Eaton was shopping for purple-colored clothing at the…
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Hooper House gets historic designation
The Hooper House on West Main Street in Sylva has received Jackson County’s first designation as a Local Historic Landmark.…
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Haywood has low infant mortality rate
Haywood County has a lower infant mortality rate than the state as a whole, according to a report given at…
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Chamber hopes to regain footing with new director
After several years without a full-time promoter, the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce plans to bring back an executive director…
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Folkmoot statue could get new home on Main Street
A whimsical sculpture that honors the Folkmoot international dance festival will find new prominence at a different spot on Main…
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Group prepares for Panama relief trip
A group of residents and students from Western North Carolina will embark in early March on a trip to the…
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Students will need to dig deeper to cover costs
Western Carolina University students likely will shell out an additional $399 in tuition and fees to attend school next year,…
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Ignore the rumors: The Coffee Shop isn’t closing
Rumors of an impending closing to the contrary, The Coffee Shop in Sylva is not shutting down, owner Phyllis Gibson…
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Free throw contest this month in Waynesville
The annual Elks National "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest will take place at the Waynesville Recreation Center on Friday, Dec.…
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Closing of Cope’s Superette in Sylva marks end of an era
It’s 8 a.m. and the everyday regulars — Sylva’s working class Janes and Joes — are stopping by Cope’s Superette…
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Historical Society commemorates Pearl Harbor anniversary
The Jackson County-Webster Historical Society commemorated Pearl Harbor’s anniversary on Dec. 7 at its first public meeting in the renovated,…
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Slope work alters landscape of Waynesville’s main corridor
When bulldozers began demolishing trees on a hillside overlooking Waynesville’s main commercial thoroughfare this summer, Byron Hickox was bombarded by…
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WCU prepares for graduation ceremonies
Western Carolina University will honor its fall graduating class and recognize a group of graduates who received their degrees after…
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State to Bryson City Fire Department: respond to false alarms
Bryson City Fire Department failed its state mandated insurance inspection last week for failing to respond to false alarms. The…
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WCU announces new athletic director
After a five-week search, Western Carolina University has found its new director of athletics. Randy Eaton, former senior associate director…
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What price athletics? WCU football costs mount as university pursues wins
The price tag of transforming Western Carolina University’s losing football team into a winner — or anything less than a…
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Catamount comeback: Can new athletic director turn Western football around?
Western Carolina University hired a new athletic director this week who will face the daunting challenge of turning the college’s…
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Chancellor fields football question
SMN: The $300,000 to the football coach represents at least three professors’ salaries. Is this cost worth trying to have…
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Late-breaking idea to merge gym and auditorium proves short-lived
An expected rubberstamp by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to build a new auditorium and gym at Smoky Mountain…
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Commissioners bounce subdivision regs back to Jackson planning board
Jackson County’s subdivision ordinance is destined for more tweaking by the planning board. The planning board spent several months revising…
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Radio station wants loan from Jackson County
Prospective buyers of an AM radio station in Sylva could land a $289,000 loan from the Jackson County economic development…
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Haywood Chamber holds holiday networking event
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Holiday Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14…
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New Republican group formed
A new Republican women’s group in Western North Carolina also has a new name, “Smoky Mountain Republican Women.” The…
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Ceremony to celebrate veterans
A candlelight service to honor soldiers and veterans who have served in the Iraq war from Swain County will be…
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Shuler to face challenger in Democratic primary
Despite his limited name recognition and his significantly smaller war chest, Cecil Bothwell is confident he can outrun U.S. Rep.…
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Helicopter helps with casino construction in a big way
A heavy-lifting helicopter flexed its muscle in Cherokee Wednesday in the ongoing expansion and construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino &…
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Discover how to give back at Dec. 8 meeting
Learn about programs and services in Macon County to help the less fortunate at the monthly League of Women Voters…
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HCC to orient high school students with college Dec. 19
An orientation session for high school students interested in taking classes at Haywood Community College will be held at 1…
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Macon planning board member from Highlands gets GOP nod for commission seat
Macon County GOP leaders on Monday selected a Highlands landscaping company owner as their pick to fill a vacant slot…
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Forum encourages Smokies tourism players to band together for the greater good
Niche marketing and regional cooperation were the reoccurring topics of this year’s Smoky Mountain Host meeting held in Cherokee last…
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Rec Center offers new after-school program
An after-school program for sixth graders will be offered from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursday starting in January…
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Library opens collection for homeschoolers
The Haywood County Public Library has opened to the public a unique library collection to help meet the recreational and…
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In a business where profit margins are small, hotel owners fear larger tax will drive tourists elsewhere
Running a small hotel in Western North Carolina isn’t the easiest way to make a living, particularly not in these…
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Cashiers TTA briefs county on marketing efforts
The Cashiers Travel and Tourism Authority briefed Jackson County commissioners on some of their marketing campaigns from the year, responding…
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Do-over an option in Jackson tourism spat
It’s not too late for Jackson County leaders to go back to the drawing board on a state bill that…
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Swain County High School celebrates football championship
Swain County High School’s football players and coaches on Monday were in a different sort of huddle than usual. Instead…
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Local woman opens music lessons studio
Deborah Horn, from Lake Junaluska, is now teaching music lessons out of her home studio. Horn has taught music lessons…
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Getting ready: Growing number of preppers work to ensure survival in case of societal collapse
At Carolina Readiness Supply in Waynesville you can buy freeze-dried macaroni and cheese by the 20-ounce can and a solar…
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Larger classes, higher fees, fewer professors: what the WCU budget cuts really mean
Laurie Oxford’s department is getting smaller; some of her former co-worker’s offices sit empty. Oxford, an assistant Spanish professor at…
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New 911 technology could save critical seconds in emergency dispatch
Emergency agencies throughout Haywood County expect to be clocking in quicker response times soon. Fire, police and EMS divisions within…
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Haywood threatens lawsuits against lodging owners over room tax
Businesses skirting Haywood County’s room tax laws should pay up or they could soon find themselves slapped with a lawsuit.…
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Furor prompts re-think over TDA funding in Haywood
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board backed down from plans to cut grant funding for long-celebrated events such as…
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Maggie Park to get facelift
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen approved the construction drawings for a pavilion and restrooms to be located at Parham…
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Fired up over Devil’s championship run
If you want to talk high school football in Swain County there’s plenty of options. But one of the most…
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WCU Talent Search wins grant, becomes Project Discovery
The Educational Talent Search program at Western Carolina University recently was awarded a five-year, $1.7 million grant to serve 780…
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Maggie festival grounds line up five events in 2012
The Town of Maggie Valley approved a five-year contract for five events to be held at the Maggie Valley Festival…
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WCU hosts ‘Cuts Hurt’ forum Dec. 5
A discussion titled “The Western Carolina University Cuts Hurt Education Forum: Collaborating Toward the Success of North Carolina Education” will…
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Sylva’s WRGC could get bigger, cover from Haywood to Swain
Sylva might hear its local AM radio station WRGC back on the air — but the company involved wants a…
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GOP set to pick McClellan substitute
The 36-member executive committee of the Macon County Republican Party will meet next week to nominate a replacement for county…
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Alcohol referendum in Cherokee raises questions about who could sell
Joe Bock, an Indiana resident passing through this area on his way to Florida, was on a bit of a…
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