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Rule change will consolidate mental health in WNC
The state agency in charge of implementing new mental health rules this year says those changes will save money and…
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Canton leaders hope to unlock potential for commercial development around interstate
Canton aldermen are embarking on an ambitious quest to identify long-term goals and strategies that will shape the town in…
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Canton joins trend of imposing steep fees on video sweepstakes outlets
The Town of Canton has begun clamping down on video sweepstakes machines with a new ordinance last week, but some…
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Wal-Mart no more
Haywood County commissioners are joining a burgeoning nationwide movement that is making use of abandoned Wal-Marts and foresaken strip malls…
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Duke prevails over Jackson
The seven-year battle between Jackson County commissioners and Duke Energy has come to a close. After losing a critical court…
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Swain plods toward fund balance recovery
Despite cutting corners across the board, Swain County still isn’t sure it has achieved a healthy level of savings. Nevertheless,…
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Haywood to buy old Wal-Mart to replace aging DSS, Health Department buildings
Year after year, Haywood County commissioners recognized the social service and health department buildings were falling apart. Yet they passed…
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I, Church Mouse: The Day and Life of a Church Mouse
NOTE: Gracie Mayer won the Building Small Essay Contest held in conjunction with the N.C. Arboretum's Building Small exhibit and…
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Close-up of a crumbling facility
Fire code violations, compromised client confidentiality, leaking roofs, freezing pipes, lack of energy efficiency, severely limited space, windows that won’t…
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Kimmel bankruptcy threatens construction management donation to WCU
The bankruptcy of one of Western Carolina University’s largest supporters will hurt the school’s fast growing construction management program. In…
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Elk delisting draws ire of protectors
“Elk don’t know how many feet a horse has.” That’s the advice Bear Claw Chris Lapp gave Jeremiah Johnson as…
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If you reform a reform, is it still reform?
Michael Watson, assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, contends the state’s overhaul of its behavioral health…
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National Guard soldiers deserve better
The Smoky Mountain News cover story last week about the troubles faced by returning National Guard soldiers after deployments in…
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Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver record DVD live in Franklin
Audience members knew from the start that this concert would be different. Instead of beginning the Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver…
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A tale of both despair and hope
Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Elizabeth and Michael Norman. Farrar,…
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Smokies not pleased with Wildlife Commission stance on elk
The North Carolina Wildlife Commission is at odds with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the status of the…
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New club nurtures growing interest in bees
A beekeepers association has formed in Haywood County. The club meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month…
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The Naturalist's Corner
And then there were none Atlee Yoder’s purple martin houses are in storage, out of the raw Ohio weather, awaiting…
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A look at John Preston Arthur
One of my favorite accounts of this region’s varied history is provided by John Preston Arthur, who published his 659-page…
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Jackson loses critical court case over Dillsboro dam
Duke Energy could start tearing down the Dillsboro Dam any day after Jackson County lost a final and critical legal…
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Congregation backs leaders’ stand on prayer
Responding to a Smoky Mountain News article covering the debate over prayer at public meetings, a group of Macon County…
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Lawyer’s actions aroused suspicion among clients, law enforcement community
An attorney that forged judges’ signatures was caught thanks to the sharp eyes of a law enforcement officer, a fellow…
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Soldiers face a second battle at home
Citizen soldiers. The National Guard’s moniker evokes the best of American values and hearkens back to a Greek ideal. The…
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Commissioners commit to former Wal-Mart site
After a marathon five hours of discussion on Wednesday (Jan. 13), Haywood County commissioners voted unanimously to buy the abandoned…
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Antenna users left in the lurch
Television viewers in Jackson and Macon counties who get their reception the old-fashioned way — with an antenna — have…
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Three new developments move forward in Waynesville
At a time when Waynesville’s appearance standards are under scrutiny for being too strict, three proposed developments cruised past the…
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License plates take off during Smokies 75th anniversary
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park received a record $385,000 from drivers sporting the special “black bear” license plate…
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Video gambling industry undeterred by steep fees for “sweepstakes” machines
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently upheld a state law that bans video gambling everywhere but the casino in…
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DOD-funded programs support local counseling initiatives
For the first time in history, the government, the military and private healthcare providers are working together to deliver the…
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Haywood County poised to buy abandoned Wal-Mart
Haywood County Commissioners are expected to vote this week to buy the abandoned Wal-Mart shopping center near Lake Junaluska and…
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Golf club to restore Upper Cullasaja
The Upper Cullasaja Watershed Association and the Cullasaja Club are pursuing state funding to restore the headwaters of the Cullasaja…
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Training effort bolsters enforcement of elder abuse
Elder abuse takes many forms and, thanks to a national grant program, law enforcement officers in Western North Carolina now…
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Haywood Regional projects positive financial picture
Haywood Regional Medical Center was in better financial shape than expected as it embarked on an affiliation with neighboring hospitals…
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Plastic bottle ban tough to police, but getting results
It may be illegal to throw away plastic bottles in North Carolina these days, but don’t expect a landfill patrol…
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Canton Mill pursues new pollution permit
Evergreen Packaging, a large paper mill in Canton, is seeking a new water pollution permit for the Pigeon River. The…
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Attorney admits forging judges’ signatures to help clients
A 31-year-old attorney in Jackson County pleaded guilty this week to forging judges’ signatures and creating phony court documents. John…
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Finding a WNC solution for ‘aging in place’
With so many unknowns ahead, it’s comforting there are proven solutions to one big challenge — the aging of the…
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Striking a balance between religion and religous freedom
Religion and its place in local government have once again arisen as issues in North Carolina. This means that many…
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Ice carvers set to compete at Haywood County’s innaugural Fire & Ice festival
Fellow ice carvers Jeff Pennypacker and Cary Shackelford are ever ready to etch out any sculpture that will satisfy their…
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Suspenseful guest drives novel
For some 30 years now, Bernard Cornwell has been one of the most prolific writers in the western hemisphere. With…
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A snowflake by any other name
It was one of those rare winter mornings when Haywood County Schools were on a two-hour delay. Izzy, my second-grader,…
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Masters of the night sky
The New Year has arrived and the great horned owls have commenced their annual “singing” along the dark ridges. These…
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Latest prayer case rekindles controversy
A federal magistrate’s recommendation that limits prayer before government meetings in Forsyth County has touched off a fiery debate across…
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Christians cling to one of last vestiges of prayer in public life
They haven’t gone quietly, and they haven’t gone quickly, but Christians are losing the battle over prayer in public life.…
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More than population stats hinge on accurate census
The census has been part of government since Roman times and it has the baggage to prove it. As the…
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Undaunted, elected leaders vow to keep praying as they please
Threat of a federal lawsuit won’t be enough to stop some county commissioners in Western North Carolina from praying in…
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Database breach raises concerns over Web security
In August a computer hacker broke into a North Carolina Community College System server and potentially gained access to the…
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Jackson airport to get repairs, new level of attention
The Jackson County commissioners have breathed new life into the county’s airport authority by taking it over. After appointing themselves…
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Foreclosure barrels down on Balsam Mountain Preserve
Foreclosure against Balsam Mountain Preserve could happen by month’s end barring a last-ditch financing deal by developers in the next…
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Macon residents still waiting on McCoy Bridge plan
A year ago, state officials promised a group of Macon County residents that they would get a cost estimate for…
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