Alcohol referendum in Cherokee raises questions about who could sell
 

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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Cherokee signs deal with Governor  to bring live table games to Harrah’s
 

Cherokee signs deal with Governor to bring live table games to Harrah’s

After years of lobbying and months of hard negotiating, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians sealed a deal with Gov.…
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New GM’s job is to make good on Harrah’s gamble to  transition from casino to resort
 

New GM’s job is to make good on Harrah’s gamble to transition from casino to resort

When Brooks Robinson left his manager’s job at Domino’s Pizza to be a dealer in the fledgling casino market of…
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Republican candidates pile on for the chance to take on Shuler
 

Republican candidates pile on for the chance to take on Shuler

At least eight Republicans have lined up to spar with incumbent Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler for Western North Carolina’s 11th…
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Sylva Internet company squeezed out by bigger players in high-speed fiber world
 

Sylva Internet company squeezed out by bigger players in high-speed fiber world

Metrostat Communications, the company that pioneered the advent of high-speed Internet in Sylva, will close Dec. 30. “We’ve been through…
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A Christmas without Santa? Not if these nonprofits can help it
 

A Christmas without Santa? Not if these nonprofits can help it

For those who help the economically disadvantaged, the holiday season raises plenty of questions: how many people need help; will…
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Well-known festivals may lose TDA funding
 

Well-known festivals may lose TDA funding

More than two dozen popular festivals in Haywood County are at risk of losing funding from the county’s tourism agency,…
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Cherokee vote on alcohol sales a go next April
 

Cherokee vote on alcohol sales a go next April

Businesses in Cherokee are gearing up for a campaign aimed at convincing members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…
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Chief Hicks won’t veto alcohol vote
 

Chief Hicks won’t veto alcohol vote

Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will allow a controversial vote to go forward next April…
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Local scout troop gifted CPR dummy
 

Local scout troop gifted CPR dummy

Local Boy Scout Troop 999 sponsored by Sylva First Methodist Church is focusing this year on what to do when…
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Chamber joins the second annual Small Business Saturday
 

Chamber joins the second annual Small Business Saturday

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will participate in the second-annual Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26. Small Business Saturday is…
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Chief to decide on alcohol referendum
 

Chief to decide on alcohol referendum

Michell Hicks, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will decide this week whether to veto tribal council’s…
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Commissioner steps down after second DWI
 

Commissioner steps down after second DWI

Brian McClellan will resign from the Macon County Board of Commissioners following his second drunken-driving arrest in just more than…
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Cherokee plays hardball with state on casino
 

Cherokee plays hardball with state on casino

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has agreed to give up 8.5 percent of the gross revenue from new table…
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Sen. Davis makes political rounds to tribal council
 

Sen. Davis makes political rounds to tribal council

N.C. Senator Jim Davis spoke about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ contribution to Western North Carolina at a tribal…
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Bryson City needs standards, but public split on how far to go
 

Bryson City needs standards, but public split on how far to go

Gil Crouch was working in his Bryson City business one day this summer when a regular visitor to town told…
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Renegade houseboat meets its demise
 

Renegade houseboat meets its demise

A houseboat on Fontana Lake was dismantled and hauled off this month after the owner repeatedly failed to dispose of…
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Sylva crunching budget to pay for police department move
 

Sylva crunching budget to pay for police department move

Renovating the old library on Main Street in Sylva for a new police department is on something of a hiatus…
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Jackson subdivision rules come under review
 

Jackson subdivision rules come under review

It could mark the first move in an effort to dismantle a set of strict land regulations in Jackson County…
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There is more than one road to Cherokee …
 

There is more than one road to Cherokee …

Jackson County wants some of the Cherokee-bound traffic diverted its way despite highway signs that indicate the way to Cherokee…
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Consultant talks traits for new  town manager
 

Consultant talks traits for new town manager

The clock is ticking on what will be a rigorous and thorough process to replace long-time Waynesville Town Manager Lee…
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Summer-lovers group gears up for possible school-calendar fight next year
 

Summer-lovers group gears up for possible school-calendar fight next year

A group protesting ever-earlier school starts in North Carolina has turned the heat down for now on its shining Bad…
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WCU students collect winter wear for youth
 

WCU students collect winter wear for youth

The Nurses Christian Fellowship student organization at Western Carolina University is seeking donations of gloves, scarves, hats and mittens to…
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Capitol’s Christmas tree stops in Cherokee
 

Capitol’s Christmas tree stops in Cherokee

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will make a stop in Cherokee during this year’s national tour. The Eastern Band of…
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Maggie awarded funds for law enforcement
 

Maggie awarded funds for law enforcement

The Town of Maggie Valley was awarded a $184,786 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community…
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Hooper House gets historic designation
 

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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Old hand in economic development comes on board as new Macon director
 

Old hand in economic development comes on board as new Macon director

Macon County has turned to veteran lawmaker and businessman Tommy Jenkins of Franklin to head local economic development efforts. Jenkins,…
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Sonoco Plastics expansion to add 35 jobs in Waynesville
 

Sonoco Plastics expansion to add 35 jobs in Waynesville

When many businesses are still cutting back or maintaining their current workforce, Sonoco Plastics announced last week that it will…
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Haywood construction industry fell 34 percent in recession
 

Haywood construction industry fell 34 percent in recession

During the past decade, Haywood County’s economy has seen some ups — but mostly downs. A presentation given at the…
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Election protest by Waynesville mayor candidate gets denied
 

Election protest by Waynesville mayor candidate gets denied

A challenger for the mayor’s seat in Waynesville protested the election results this week, claiming residents of a new apartment…
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Jackson commissioner regrets public airing of discord on board
 

Jackson commissioner regrets public airing of discord on board

A brouhaha among Jackson County commissioners at a meeting last week prompted a follow-up public apology from Chairman Jack Debnam.…
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Are dog-barking complainers simply howling at the moon?
 

Are dog-barking complainers simply howling at the moon?

The yippy-yappy cries of barking dogs have left Jackson County commissioners in a quandary as they face a rising tide…
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Traditional Sylva feed and seed store seizes chance to fill modern organic niche
 

Traditional Sylva feed and seed store seizes chance to fill modern organic niche

It’s not everyday that you can shop at the local feed and seed store for organic foods and produce, but…
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Imperial Hotel caught in civil suit over unpaid building materials
 

Imperial Hotel caught in civil suit over unpaid building materials

The Imperial Hotel in Canton has become entangled in a legal battle as a result of unpaid bills by a…
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Twenty years and counting: Imperial renovations, perhaps, finally coming to a close
 

Twenty years and counting: Imperial renovations, perhaps, finally coming to a close

It’s anybody’s guess when the Imperial Hotel in Canton will open. The deadline for finishing renovations to the hotel, owned…
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Cherokee bands combat claims of native ancestry by “faux” tribes
 

Cherokee bands combat claims of native ancestry by “faux” tribes

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma have officially banded together against “fabricated” tribes accused…
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Lake Junaluska stares down uncertain future with bold vision
 

Lake Junaluska stares down uncertain future with bold vision

Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has reached a critical crossroads on the eve of its 100-year mark. It’s headed…
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County commissioners demand answers from Cashiers tourism leader
 

County commissioners demand answers from Cashiers tourism leader

A failure by the Cashiers Chamber of Commerce and the Cashiers Travel and Tourism Authority to provide county leaders reports…
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Commissioner complains he’s been relegated to benchwarmer status
 

Commissioner complains he’s been relegated to benchwarmer status

A work session this week on Jackson County’s room tax appears to mark the beginning of open warfare and the…
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Police wrestle bear cub into custody
 

Police wrestle bear cub into custody

A baby bear went on a romp through downtown Waynesville last week before finally being cornered and captured by police…
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Sylva mainstay, Annie’s Naturally Bakery, to close this week
 

Sylva mainstay, Annie’s Naturally Bakery, to close this week

Annie’s Naturally Bakery, the beloved coffee, bakery and gathering place in Sylva that helped launch a Main Street renaissance of…
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Whitman’s closing leaves downtown Waynesville ‘hungry for a bakery’
 

Whitman’s closing leaves downtown Waynesville ‘hungry for a bakery’

A donut or cannoli will no longer be a hop, skip and a jump away for people in downtown Waynesville.…
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Christian bookstore celebrates 10 years
 

Christian bookstore celebrates 10 years

Dalton’s Christian Bookstore in Waynesville is putting 10 candles on its birthday cake this year. A decade ago, Waynesville had…
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New business opens in Haywood County
 

New business opens in Haywood County

A new business, Mountain View Appliance, opened its doors Oct. 3. The owners, Mark Atkinson and Elva Woody, said they…
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Students get “REAL” with entrepreneurship
 

Students get “REAL” with entrepreneurship

Throughout the month of October, second through fifth grade students at the Roots in Education After School Homework House got…
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WCU students seeking book donations
 

WCU students seeking book donations

Those calling Reynolds Hall home on the Western Carolina University campus are shy of meeting a book-drive goal for Smokey…
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Grove Park CEO to keynote regional tourism meeting
 

Grove Park CEO to keynote regional tourism meeting

Craig Madison, the president and CEO of the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, will be the featured speaker at…
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Input sought for new Waynesville manager
 

Input sought for new Waynesville manager

Everyone is invited to a “relaxed meeting” Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Hall to have their voices…
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Peace conference to highlight speakers on poverty issues
 

Peace conference to highlight speakers on poverty issues

The fourth annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace:  Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children” through Nov.…
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Waynesville explores fix for run-down restrooms at park
 

Waynesville explores fix for run-down restrooms at park

A discussion regarding the fate of old restrooms at the Waynesville Recreation Park has prompted town officials to take another…
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