Waynesville budget will come down to the wire

A rare public impasse by Council Members over the Town of Waynesville’s proposed budget will leave things unsettled for the time being, foreshadowing prolonged negotiations over an all-but-certain tax increase. 

Slow burn: NC 107 work marches on

The towns of Sylva, Webster, Cullowhee and Cashiers are all connected by five lanes of chaos, better known as N.C. 107. 

Macon firefighters battle multiple blazes in one day

Fire crews responded to three structure fires in Macon County over a 24-hour period. 

Fire activity resumes

Despite an uptick in precipitation and humidity levels, the region is still facing the worst drought conditions  since 2017, with renewed fire activity over the past week. 

Burn bans lift and wildfires wind down following rain

Burn bans have been lifted and wildfires contained after steady rains Tuesday, Nov. 21, put a pause in a relentless drought that has been growing since an abnormally dry weather pattern emerged in September. 

Wildfires burn across the region as drought continues

For the first time since 2016, Western North Carolina is in the midst of a severe drought coupled with an active fall wildfire season . Research shows that’s right on schedule. 

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