Macon Economic Development funds internship program
 

Macon Economic Development funds internship program

A historic partnership intended to connect high schoolers with future employment opportunities and further economic development in Macon County has been…
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Canopy Housing Foundation makes grants for housing, education
 

Canopy Housing Foundation makes grants for housing, education

The Canopy Housing Foundation continued its longstanding commitment to the communities it serves by giving away more than $25,000 in…
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Construction starting on new U.S. 23/74 turn lane
 

Construction starting on new U.S. 23/74 turn lane

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has begun a safety project on U.S. 23/74 between Hyatt Creek Road…
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HRMC doubles mammography capacity with new unit
 

HRMC doubles mammography capacity with new unit

Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) is thrilled to announce the addition of a new mammography unit that will significantly enhance…
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Fawns are especially vulnerable and can become orphaned for a variety of reasons. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Wildlife sanctuary gives a new start to orphaned fawns

Nestled away on seven acres in a nondescript warehouse above Canton, not visible from the road, sits an animal rehab…
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The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago in less than a month, from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.
 

Haywood Dem delegate explains Harris pick

News of President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race may have shocked some observers, but North Carolina’s Democratic…
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The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) expanded its severe drought classification and classified two counties as in extreme drought in the latest advisory issued Thursday.
 

Severe drought hits WNC

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) expanded its severe drought classification and classified two counties as in extreme drought in the latest advisory issued…
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Folkmoot kicks off annual Summer Fest with soirée
 

Folkmoot kicks off annual Summer Fest with soirée

Folkmoot kicked off its 41st Summer Fest celebration last Thursday with its Summer Soirée. Guests gathered at the Folkmoot Friendship…
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Jackson Grimm will play Waynesville July 20. File photo
 

Americana, folk at Scotsman

Appalachian/indie act Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at The Scotsman…
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Haywood Community Band. File photo
 

Haywood Community Band venue change

The Haywood Community Band (HCB) has announced a change of venue for the three remaining 2024 season Maggie Valley concerts…
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Ready for the Gemboree?
 

Ready for the Gemboree?

The 57th annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 26-27 and 10 a.m.…
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The event is part of Haywood Waterways’ “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities. Donated photo
 

Join HWA for a West Fork workshop

Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College invites the public to discover the amazing aquatic life living in the West…
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Friends of Panthertown hosts trail work days on the first Tuesday and third Saturday of each month. Donated photo
 

Fireside chat and workday

One of Friends of Panthertown’s upcoming programs includes a “Fireside Chat” in which it will share information about the organization…
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Pisgah View is the 35th state park added to the North Carolina state parks system, and the 10th state park in the mountain region of the state. Donated photo
 

Input sought for Pisgah View plan

The third public information meeting for the Pisgah View State Park Master Plan will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday,…
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Trail volunteers visit Japan for exchange
 

Trail volunteers visit Japan for exchange

This July, the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) is embarking on a landmark journey to Japan, marking a momentous step in…
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NC hunters harvest near-record number of turkeys
 

NC hunters harvest near-record number of turkeys

Results from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) 2024 Wild Turkey Harvest Summary report show that hunters recorded 24,074 birds…
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Mountain Credit Union hosts Tee it Up for Diabetes golf tournament
 

Mountain Credit Union hosts Tee it Up for Diabetes golf tournament

Mountain Credit Union (MCU) held its annual Tee it Up for Diabetes Golf Tournament on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. 
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This class will teach people what they need to know to grow a robust vegetable garden during the cooler fall months. Donated photo
 

Haywood Extension hosts ‘learn to grow’ classes

Anyone interested in learning to grow fall vegetables is encouraged to attend the Haywood County Extension Office’s “learn to grow”…
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New zoning classifications have changed permitted uses on the 185-acre mill parcel in Canton. Town of Canton photo
 

Canton mill parcel rezoned

A rezoning of the former paper mill parcel in Canton has replaced an expiring industrial development moratorium, maintaining the town’s limited…
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Haywood awards nearly $6 million for affordable housing developments
 

Haywood awards nearly $6 million for affordable housing developments

Haywood County commissioners approved two funding recommendations from its Affordable Housing Development Committee that will increase affordable housing stock at…
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Jesse Fripp (right) and David Lilly of Shining Rock Ventures present the results of their “listening post” exercise to Haywood County commissioners on July 15. Haywood County photo
 

Whose future? Consultant report ignores Haywood’s working class

Consultants finally delivered to Haywood County commissioners a report on the results of a secretive, long-awaited “listening post exercise” meant…
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Rivers in Western North Carolina, although normally peaceful, are prone to flash flooding. Hannah McLeod photo
 

Macon tables floodplain ordinance decision

After an outpouring of opposition from members of the public over the course of several county commission meetings, Macon County…
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Pactiv’s Waynesville facility will soon be under new management, if the deal goes through. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Pactiv sells Waynesville plant, Pine Bluff facility for $110 million

Pactiv Evergreen, owner of the now-shuttered paper mill in Canton, announced last week that it had agreed to sell its…
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Canton’s town government and administration have faced incredible challenges over the past three years. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Canton meeting focuses on accountability, transparency

With the eyes of the state, the region and the county on the Town of Canton — flood recovery is…
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The more than 60 members of the Commission represent the geographic, racial, age, ideological and gender diversity of the state, with individuals from various sectors, including the business, legal and academic communities. Stock illustration
 

Commission on Future of NC elections presents findings on election administration

Leaders from around the state recently found North Carolina Elections to be fair and secure with opportunities for increased funding,…
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Census bureau to conduct 2026 field test in Cherokee
 

Census bureau to conduct 2026 field test in Cherokee

In 2026, the United States Census Bureau is conducting three field tests in “American Indian Areas” to prepare for unique…
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Henley had been the assistant director of athletic bands under director Jack Eaddy Jr. who announced his departure July 5 to take a teaching position at the University of Georgia. Donated photo
 

Henley named interim director of athletic bands at WCU

Matt Henley has been named interim director of athletic bands at Western Carolina University and will lead the Pride of…
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WGU North Carolina Chancellor Ben Coulter and HCC President Shelley White shake hands after signing the agreement. Donated photo
 

HCC signs transfer agreement with Western Governors University

Graduates and employees will have access to personalized learning pathways to higher education  On Friday, June 21, leaders from Haywood…
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Swain County Commission weighs code of conduct
 

Swain County Commission weighs code of conduct

Following a lengthy closed session during the Swain County Board of Commission’s July 2 work session, commission chair Kevin Seagle…
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The Walk to End Alzheimer’s won’t be held until October, but participants are encouraged to register ahead of time. Donated photo
 

Alzheimer walk welcomes WNC participants

On Saturday, Oct. 5, WNC residents will join the fight against Alzheimer’s disease at the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End…
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Nantahala Health Foundation launches grant cycle to benefit youth
 

Nantahala Health Foundation launches grant cycle to benefit youth

Nantahala Health Foundation will launch its next competitive grant opportunity on July 1 with a focus on investing in educational,…
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Haywood County children, youth need loving foster homes
 

Haywood County children, youth need loving foster homes

The COVID pandemic may seem like ancient history to most western North Carolinians, but foster children in Haywood County are…
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Oconaluftee Visitor Center. File photo
 

'You Are Here': U.S. poet laureate unveils Poetry in the Parks project

Anyone who has ever found themselves looking at a public map — from a trailhead to a mall directory — has…
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Unfunded state mandate will cost local governments more than money
 

Unfunded state mandate will cost local governments more than money

Buried deep within a 40-page regulatory reform bill that became law last week, a new policy handed down by the…
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Most areas of Western North Carolina are now in a moderate drought.
 

Moderate drought expands in WNC

Although most of the state saw some rainfall in the past week, it was not enough to improve dry conditions, leading the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory…
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Earl Mitchell Phillips
 

Haywood man guilty of stalking, pointing pistol at deputy

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch today announced that a Haywood County jury found a defendant guilty of stalking a couple…
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Samantha Snyder will play Robbinsville Aug.24. File photo
 

‘An Appalachian Evening’

 “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Samantha Snyder at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in Lynn…
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Balsam Range will play Robbinsville Aug. 31. File photo
 

‘An Appalachian Evening’

The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Balsam Range at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in…
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Granny's Mason Jar will play Bryson City June 11. File photo
 

Marianna goes Americana

A regional Americana/bluegrass act, Granny’s Mason Jar will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Marianna Black Library…
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Cherokee legends, lore at Macon Library
 

Cherokee legends, lore at Macon Library

A program on Cherokee culture will be presented at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at the Macon County Public Library…
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All students in Haywood and Jackson counties will have access to free lunches this school year. File photo
 

‘What our kids need’: no cost meals in WNC schools

Every student in Haywood and Jackson County Schools can expect no cost breakfast and lunch in the coming school year,…
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Ellen Pitt has spearheaded the effort across the region to curb DWIs. File photo
 

Group pushes for strict new DWI laws

Western North Carolina’s regional DWI taskforce has renewed its push to pass several new drunk-driving bills into law during next…
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The Mountain Projects GetCoveredWNC team of Healthcare Navigators on the stairs of the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh at a recent event celebrating Healthcare Navigators Month. Clockwise from top right: Program Manager Jan Plummer, Caitlin Quinnett, Jane Harrison, Susan Rose and Savanna Rickman. Unable to make the trip were Marilyn Tollie and Linda Curtis. Donated photo
 

Mountain Projects: NC Medicaid is not a Welfare Program

Since the state expanded Medicaid last December, 479,153 North Carolinians have signed up for full-coverage insurance and are already seeing…
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Although the General Assembly partially funded the child care grants, it’s not a permanent solution. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Too little, too late: After deadline, child care funding meets only a fraction of the need

A stopgap measure that will partially fund expired federal grants for child care providers finally found Gov. Roy Cooper’s pen, but…
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Robert Mark “Bertie” Saunooke address Tribal Council following the vote to approve his amendment to the adult marijuana use ordinance. EBCI Communications Facebook photo
 

EBCI reverses stance on ‘hemp shops’

EBCI Tribal Council has reversed its decision to ban “hemp shops” not “wholly owned by the tribe … or one…
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Multiple statements were released from various Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians leaders condemning the Braves’ recognition of unofficial Native American entities. File photos
 

EBCI leaders voice frustration after Braves support unofficial Cherokee tribes

Following the Atlanta Braves’ recognition late last month of several groups in Georgia recognized by that state as Native American,…
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Gayle Woody (center left) was sworn in as the newest member of the board of education on June 25. Hannah McLeod photo
 

Woody joins Jackson Board of Education

The Jackson County Board of Education will look a little different at its next meeting after Chair Elizabeth Cooper departed…
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Three dead in alleged Haywood County murder-suicide
 

Three dead in alleged Haywood County murder-suicide

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible murder in the Panther Creek area of Clyde.  
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The SCC Foundation’s Boots, Blue Jeans & Bling gala has sold out for two years in a row. Tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual event, which is set for Sept. 28 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Donated photo
 

SCC Foundation sets date for 10th annual fundraising gala

Ten years ago, the Southwestern Community College Foundation launched a bold new effort to create a fundraising event that everyone…
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Officer-involved shooting in Cherokee leaves one dead
 

Officer-involved shooting in Cherokee leaves one dead

The Charlotte FBI division office announced that the bureau is investigating an officer-involved shooting on the Qualla Boundary that left…
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