Tribe, county DSS agencies have complex relationship
 

Tribe, county DSS agencies have complex relationship

By Quintin Ellison and Colby Dunn • Staff writers The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is forced to rely on…
Read More
The tragic life of Aubrey Littlejohn: Family members feared for child’s safety
 

The tragic life of Aubrey Littlejohn: Family members feared for child’s safety

Relatives say they warned social workers repeatedly over the course of several months that Aubrey Littlejohn was being neglected and…
Read More
Child’s death hits Cherokee hard
 

Child’s death hits Cherokee hard

The mood is grim. Few people in this tight community want to talk to an outsider about the death of…
Read More
Swain DSS investigated for cover-up in child’s death
 

Swain DSS investigated for cover-up in child’s death

The Swain County Department of Social Services falsified records relating to the abuse and neglect of a 15-month-old baby who…
Read More
Suspicious death of 15-month-old prompts SBI to seize Swain DSS computers
 

Suspicious death of 15-month-old prompts SBI to seize Swain DSS computers

The State Bureau of Investigation raided Swain County Department of Social Services Tuesday, hauling off computers and records in an…
Read More
Poll shows Shuler curries support from right as well as left
 

Poll shows Shuler curries support from right as well as left

While national pundits predict Republican challengers will steal seats from Democrats in Washington come November, Congressman Heath Shuler likely has…
Read More
WCU poll is first attempt of its caliber to measure political opinions on solely local scale
 

WCU poll is first attempt of its caliber to measure political opinions on solely local scale

A new polling project developed by Western Carolina University’s Public Policy Institute and The Smoky Mountain News aims to get…
Read More
Jackson County Poll Results
 

Jackson County Poll Results

1. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jackson County government? Favorable 33% Unfavorable 46% Not Sure 20%…
Read More
Poll shows little confidence in government
 

Poll shows little confidence in government

Government approval ratings are low all over the country. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re also low in…
Read More
Strong on momentum, but shy of real power, TEA Party’s political weight remains to be seen
 

Strong on momentum, but shy of real power, TEA Party’s political weight remains to be seen

A year ago, Scott Cummings would never have pictured himself standing on the sidewalk pumping a homemade sign in the…
Read More
Poll shows majority in Jackson tired of trekking to town for beer
 

Poll shows majority in Jackson tired of trekking to town for beer

Though many Jackson County residents shy away from publicly airing their views on alcohol, a recent poll shows that a…
Read More
Local government doesn’t fare well in poll
 

Local government doesn’t fare well in poll

By Christopher Cooper and Gibbs Knotts Confidence in politics, politicians and government is low. President Obama’s approval rating hovers around…
Read More
Majority supports alcohol sales, and its many benefits
 

Majority supports alcohol sales, and its many benefits

By Michael Morris • Guest ColumnistThe sale of alcohol has become a hot topic in Western North Carolina. In 2010,…
Read More
Conservative Democrats, endangered species and Rep. Heath Shuler
 

Conservative Democrats, endangered species and Rep. Heath Shuler

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts A creature once roamed the American South that many now presume to…
Read More
TEA Party catches on, but impact on election still hard to gauge
 

TEA Party catches on, but impact on election still hard to gauge

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts Beginning in 2009 with a series of protests focusing on what participants…
Read More
Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.