North Carolina wins federal award for education
North Carolina will receive a $69.9 million grant award from the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge fund…
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MedWest to offer smoking cessation classes
MedWest Health System is offering smoking cessation classes starting this month at three of its hospital campuses. During the seven-week…
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Democrats sort out who will run for what in bid to reclaim seats
Two well-known Democrat senators from the mountains who lost in 2010 and hoped to reclaim their seats this year faced…
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House race shapes up following news of Haire’s retirement
Republicans aren’t the only ones who will have a reason to head to the polls in the May primary. While…
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Consultant takes bull by the horns in South Main master street plan
South Main Street is a mess. That’s the message from a consultant hired by the town of Waynesville to develop…
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A bold fix for South Main Street
Maybe it’s pie in the sky, but the right ingredients could transform South Main Street into a thriving commercial district.…
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Continue milking high-end homes for property taxes or realign real estate values?
Jackson County commissioners plan this week to discuss the upcoming property revaluation, though it remains unclear whether they will postpone…
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Haywood pitches in to help towns deal with trash transport costs
Haywood County has offered a helping hand as towns grapple with how to cover the extra cost of hauling resident’s…
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Architect mix-up over HCC project begs the question: can water run uphill?
Haywood Community College has hit a nearly $227,000 roadblock during the construction of it new creative arts building. The $10.2…
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Going the distance: Hauling costs rise to reach Haywood’s far-flung landfill
Town residents in Haywood County will almost certainly see the cost of their garbage service go up this year when…
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New Macon commissioner offers solution to planning stalemate
With the advent of new leadership for commissioners, Macon County’s planning board could undergo a metamorphosis into what’s being dubbed…
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‘OccupyWNC’ a low-key, but intense affair
A loosely affiliated group of 30 some people have been quietly meeting, more or less each week, in Jackson County…
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New emergency services director in Macon
David Key, longtime assistant director of Macon County Emergency Services, will take over as the agency’s director. Key has held…
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Fighters rally to raise money for a good cause
A benefit to assist Western North Carolina resident Donna Smith, recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, is set for Jan.…
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DSS services continue during relocation
Haywood County residents needing aid from social services will continue to receive it as the department shifts physical locations. Employees…
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Passion for old inn draws innkeeper back to Balsam
When Merrily Teasley returned for her second first day at the Balsam Mountain Inn in early September, a familiar couple…
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Macon County airport lands federal runway paving dollars
More than $2 million in mostly federal dollars will pay for repaving the runway at the Macon County Airport, likely…
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Mandatory meetings planned for tourism grant applicants
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will hold two mandatory workshops this month for any organization or event organizer applying…
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Resurrecting Balsam Mountain Preserve is one part business, two parts passion
New owners of the high-end Balsam Mountain Preserve development aren’t daunted by the choppy waters of Western North Carolina’s real…
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Bryson land-use standards up for public review
Critics of Bryson City’s land use regulations will get another opportunity to sandblast the ordinance. The town of Bryson City…
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Fontana Dam gets a temporary reprieve from post office closure
The town of Fontana Dam can still send and receive mail via its own post office — at least for…
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Bear shooting leads to a bevy of charges, from poaching to littering
Wildlife officers have charged a Cashiers man with killing a bear that he claimed was damaging his property, the second…
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Dogs’ anti-freeze deaths sadden families
Two dogs in the rural countryside of Upper Crabtree in Haywood County died from antifreeze poisoning last week, a tragic…
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Live well with diabetes
Learn how to better manage diabetes at a two-day workshop at Angel Medical Center. The event will be held Tuesday,…
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Desperate for work, WNC residents flock to regional jobs fair
People once again lined up at the Biltmore Square Mall in Asheville last week, but this time they weren't waiting…
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Stuck in a rut: Too few jobs coming on line
Similar to other parts of the U.S., counties in Western North Carolina have been plagued with high unemployment rates and…
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Who will Haire’s heir be? State office holder’s retirement opens up race for House
N.C. Rep. Phil Haire’s decision not to run for re-election after 14 years in office opens the door for a…
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Numbers tell the tale: New Jackson library a self-fulfilling prophecy
The number of people applying for library cards in Jackson County has doubled since the new library opened this summer.…
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New Sylva library top in the state
Everyone who has seen and toured Jackson County’s new public library knows that it’s beautiful, but now the state has…
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Waynesville begins fund drive to pay for historic arch replica
Donations are already rolling in for the Waynesville Art Commission’s latest public art piece, a replica of the historic Smokies’…
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Clyde’s top cop sidelined on suspension
Clyde’s police chief has been placed on suspension, but town leaders are not saying why. Police Chief Derek Dendy is…
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Motorcycle battle royale: Maggie parleys with Rally in the Valley, Thunder in the Smokies to negotiate truce
The coordinators of the annual Rally in the Valley motorcycle event have strapped Maggie Valley leaders a seemingly impossible ultimatum…
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2011 In Review
The Smoky Mountain News takes note this week of some of the newsmakers of 2011 by handing out our annual…
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Vigil planned for troops
Honor the troops who have fought in the war in Iraq by participating in a candlelight vigil on Friday, Dec.…
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Support available for prostate patients
MedWest Health System is sponsoring “Man to Man” support group meetings for prostate cancer patients and survivors. The meetings are…
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Judo classes to start
Beginner judo classes in Waynesville start Jan. 3 through the Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club. The club practices at the Waynesville…
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Going for the green: Tribe debates future course for Sequoyah Golf Club
Despite a double-digit rise in revenue this year, the Sequoyah National Golf Club in Cherokee is at least five more…
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School wants to help foundation
Smokey Mountain Elementary seventh-grade students will help the Tye Blanton Foundation through their “Service to Others” project. Tye, who died…
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Mustang magic: Magazine marvels over restoration job by Franklin man
Jim Pennington’s rebuilt Mustang car is a thing of beauty. Candy-apple red, spotlessly clean, sleek lines and an immaculate, original…
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Long-time state legislator retires
N.C. Rep. Phil Haire, D-Sylva, will retire from the state legislature this year after 14 years in office. Haire will…
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Out with the fryer, in with baked sweet potatoes: Schools balance healthier lunches with what kids will eat
It was only 11 a.m., and already 60 fidgeting children had streamed down the lunch line at Jonathan Valley Elementary…
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Swain courthouse slated for civic revival
After years of talk and little action, Swain County is moving forward with a long-held dream to turn its iconic,…
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Barely legal: reincarnation of video gambling continues on borrowed time pending court challenge
It’s early on a workday, and there’s a single player seated at one of the 18 machines in the two-room…
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Tug-of-war heats up over highway sign pointing to Cherokee
Counties and towns in the region are sparring over a highway sign that points the way to Cherokee, each hoping…
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Haywood to cash in on landfill methane
An alternative energy project to convert methane landfill gas into electricity will cost Haywood County a little extra after a…
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North Carolina wins federal award for education
North Carolina will receive a $69.9 million grant award from the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge fund…
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Learn to swim, or learn to swim better
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer swim lessons in January, February and March. The lessons will take place…
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Jackson County Schools leading the way on farm-to-school path
When it comes to connecting farmers with students and substituting common cafeteria fare with fresh, local produce grown here in…
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Ringing it up: Strained finances pose a hurdle to healthier school lunches
Few restaurants could afford to lose $1 on every meal they serve, but in Haywood County school cafeterias, that’s the…
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Lockdown, quick arrest follow bank robbery near WCU
A bank robbery at the N.C. State Employees Credit Union last week in Cullowhee saw a series of recent safety…
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