Hospital sale pushes foundations into new territory
The clock is ticking for the fundraising foundations of Haywood Regional Medical Center and Harris Regional Hospital to spend earmarked…
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Once again, WNC health care landscape shifts
Haywood County’s hospital was in trouble. The average number of patients staying overnight had dropped precipitously, causing severe problems to…
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Sold: Duke LifePoint takes ownership of Haywood Regional and WestCare hospitals
When Janie Sinacore-Jaberg walked the halls of Haywood Regional Medical Center Friday morning, the congratulations were flowing and the balloons…
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Duke LifePoint sale to finalize by July 31
The sale of the MedWest hospital trio in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties will be finalized by the end of…
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Signs of the pending bust were overlooked
A Main Street law office without windows is an odd place for a such a good view. But Waynesville attorney Frank Queen has had a front-row seat to the mountains from here, witnessing thousands of acres trade hands — land…
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Picking up the pieces proves costly, time-consuming for local governments
In a region still reeling from damaged land and dented lives in the wake of the real estate boom and bust, signs of salvation are few and far between. But here’s one for the history books. Twice in the…
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Development done right: Failed projects open door for those taking the long view
Randy Best was a rare bird in the development heyday of the 2000s. Where others just saw dollar signs, Best actually saw land. “I would spend a month walking a piece of property after we bought it. I walked every…
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Lake Junaluska petition could move the ball in Raleigh on merger
The large majority of Lake Junaluska property owners and registered voters want to join the town of Waynesville, according to a volunteer petition drive carried out over the last six months.
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The mechanics behind the Lake J petition
Lake Junaluska residents spearheading the annexation effort realized they needed more and better ammunition to prove their case and sway holdouts in the General Assembly to let the community merge with next-door Waynesville.
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Counties have to figure hospitals’ values before collecting tax revenues
The sale of the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties to Duke LifePoint Healthcare next year will bring an…
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Haywood hospital leaders vote ‘yes’ to Duke LifePoint sale amid outpouring of public support
A parade of community leaders, doctors, nurses and hospital supporters voiced overwhelming support for the sale of Haywood Regional Medical…
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Turning around community hospitals is what MedWest’s prospective buyer does best
When a “for sale” sign went up on the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties earlier this year, it…
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Local leaders say hospital purchase good for communities
The trio of MedWest hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties could be sold by next spring to Duke LifePoint…
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MedWest dissolves to make way for sale of Harris, Swain hospitals: HRMC acquisition announcement pending
The MedWest system forged by the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain County three-and-a-years ago will dissolve, ending a short-lived…
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Freestyle Kayaking World Championships descend on NOC
A destination for paddlers around the world, the Nantahala River is known for its complexity of rapids and consistent waters…
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Kayaking Worlds kicks off in downtown Bryson City
A cacophony of voices and cheers echoed across Bryson City as a sea of humanity overtook the small town, a…
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What is freestyle kayaking?
Combining an array of difficult tricks, precision paddling and finely tuned choreography, freestyle kayaking can be described as aquatic gymnastics.
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Meet the athletes
Peter Csonka Age: 28 Country: Slovakia Awards: 2012 World Cup Champion Day job: Kayak retailer I was 12 when I…
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Tide of support carries Lake Junaluska, Waynesville toward merger
Lake Junaluska homeowners and community leaders spoke out strongly last week in favor of merging with Waynesville, setting the stage for a bill to work its way through the N.C. General Assembly this summer declaring Lake Junaluska part of the…
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Emotions run high as Lake Junaluska task force votes for merger
A Lake Junaluska task force voiced overwhelming support last week for merging the 765-home community with the town of Waynesville before a packed audience of homeowners. SEE ALSO: Ongoing coverage The 14-member task force has spent 10 months weighing the…
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Countdown to decision time
Several boards and bodies will formally vote in coming weeks on whether Lake Junaluska should become part of Waynesville, form its own town or continue as a sophisticated homeowner’s association. Here’s a look at who will be weighing in and…
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The players
Property owners: A survey was mailed to all 811 Lake Junaluska property owners last week, with a robust response rate so far. There are 765 homes at Lake Junaluska. About half are lived in year-round by their owners. Surveys also…
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Junaluska’s choices: the abridged version
Option 1: Join the town of Waynesville Pros: • Financial savings — This is the cheapest option, thanks to economies of scale. Residents would fork over town property taxes, but it would buy them all the services and amenities they…
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One foot in the past, one in the future, Junaluskans weigh the worth of their identity
When Ken Zulla hung up his IRS badge and retired to the well-groomed mountain hamlet of Lake Junaluska more than a decade ago, monthly sojourns to the local feed-and-seed store weren’t on the radar for his Golden Years. SEE ALSO:…
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Lake Junaluska a good catch for Waynesville, but light on the dowry
Adding Lake Junaluska to its town limits won’t be a windfall for Waynesville despite $775,000 in property taxes it stands to gain each year. Likewise, Junaluska wouldn’t be a financial drain on the town, according to the results of a…
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A match made in heaven?
Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown has honed his dating and engagement analogies as town leaders weigh whether to tie the knot with Lake Junaluska. They started innocently enough 10 months ago.
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Oasis of jobs: Cherokee casino emerges as a lifeline in sour economy
Help wanted signs aren’t too common these days. But there’s an anomaly here in the far end of the state,…
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Rank-and-file casino workers told to turn on the charm
In a basement classroom at Harrah’s casino, a fresh group of new hires stretched out before Al Lossiah, the latest…
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Luring gamers to play longer, play harder
Go to Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino on any given day, and there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a promotion…
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Gardener sees casino as a canvas
Twelve thousand. That’s how many annuals Zeke Cooper and his crew have installed in the last month in and around…
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Finding a custom fit, 2,000 times over
Deep in the labyrinthine basement at Harrah’s, in an ordinary hallway sits an extraordinary room. There’s a service counter and…
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Dishwasher extraordinaire
Jeremiah Chatham is the kind of person who looks far too gregarious to be wearing a suit. He has an…
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A masterful game of musical chairs
When all is said and expanded at Harrah’s, there will be 2,000 seats at the various restaurants scattered across the…
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Social safety net failed Cherokee baby
Additional evidence has surfaced indicating Swain County social workers failed to act on reports of alleged abuse and neglect of…
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New board and new director take reins at Swain DSS amidst SBI probe
The director of Swain County Department of Social Services has been put on leave with pay following a nearly clean…
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High stakes casino expansion tests the theory: If we build it, will they come?
When a new federal law in the 1990s opened the door for Indian tribes to build casinos, it set the…
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Extortion or fair share? State wants cut of casino revenue in exchange for live dealers
To hear many Cherokee leaders on the eve of last week’s tribal elections, the tribe is incredibly close to striking…
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Men at work: Behind the veil of Harrah’s $633 million expansion
As Harrah’s Cherokee Casino closes on the final year of a massive $633 million expansion, the hum of construction that’s…
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Hello Bellagio, meet Cherokee
The Mirage has a volcano. There’s the Fountains of Bellagio, and the pyramid-shaped Luxor. Cherokee will have the Rotunda, the…
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Swain DSS director fired, lodges appeal
Tammy Cagle, once the leader of the Swain County Department of Social Services, has been given the ax by the…
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Swain DSS ‘stretched thin’ prior to baby Aubrey’s death
Swain County social workers in charge of protecting children are paid less and handle more cases than those elsewhere in…
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Former Swain DSS director appeals firing but loses
The former head of Swain County’s Department of Social Services won’t be getting her job back, members of the county’s…
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Swain commissioner got DSS aid while niece was agency’s director
A county commissioner got financial aid from the Swain County Department of Services last year while his niece was serving…
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Interim director takes charge of Swain DSS amidst ongoing investigation
An interim director is now at the helm of the Swain County Department of Social Services, bringing to the table…
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Tribe asks Swain DSS to send different social workers
Swain County social workers and supervisors named in a State Bureau of Investigation probe are no longer welcome to work…
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Cherokee trust shaken in Swain DSS
Tribal members and leaders alike vented their discontent with Swain County’s handling of child welfare for Cherokee children at this…
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Crowd berates Swain commissioners, supports DSS board
A large crowd turned out at the Swain County commissioners meeting this week to voice support for the beleaguered Department…
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Swain commissioners want DSS workers suspended
The state could step in to run the Swain County Department of Social Services if the top leaders are among…
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