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$14 Million in WNC small business grants announced
Nineteen new small business recovery projects in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants totaling $13.8 million through the North…
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Macon sets date for health board consolidation
Macon County will begin the consolidation of its county board of public health in January. The vote to move forward…
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HCC announces new North Carolina university transfer agreements
Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit…
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Senator recognizes sheriffs after narcotics operation
Four Western North Carolina sheriffs were honored with a congressional recognition from Sen. Ted Budd. Transylvania County Sheriff Chuck Owenby,…
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More funding for temporary jobs, training for Helene recovery
The U.S. Department of Labor has released additional funds to help North Carolinians get back to work in areas affected…
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Waynesville parking deck elevators to be replaced
Starting Dec. 1, 2025, contractors will be on-site at the Haywood County parking deck located at 143 Branner Ave. in…
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Hooper’s absences continue to raise oversight questions
Last month, an investigation by The Smoky Mountain News revealed that Jackson County Commissioner Jenny Lynn Hooper had missed at…
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Western North Carolina voters look to move forward
Western North Carolina voters turned out in strong numbers across municipal races this year, deciding contests that will shape local…
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Plot twist emerges in Jackson library fight
After months of tension between Jackson County and the Fontana Regional Library system, commissioners appear to be charting a new…
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EBCI Chief Hicks urges Senate against Lumbee recognition
Sen. Thom Tillis’ 2025 Lumbee Fairness Act is inching toward the finish line, allowing for full federal recognition of about…
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Root & Rise opens inclusive workspace
Waynesville’s newest co-working space is not a corner suite or a cubicle farm — Root & Rise, located on South…
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Kirkland sworn in, transparency questions remain
Jason Kirkland was sworn in as chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4, marking the end…
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Haynes selected as next Haywood clerk of court
Former Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Haynes has been named the county’s new clerk of superior court. The…
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Western Republicans buck national trend in Nov. 4 election
Overwhelmingly, municipal officials take pride in their nonpartisan service, but once they’re elected, they don’t just leave their party hats…
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Democrats keep shutdown going to save health care subsidies
As the federal shutdown drags on, Republicans accuse Democrats of prolonging it for political reasons, pointing to stalled votes that…
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Public works pay crisis prompts Waynesville study
The steady loss of workers who keep Waynesville’s water running and streets clean has town leaders on edge. At the…
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Webster elects new faces amid record turnout
Webster voters ended one of the most competitive elections in the town’s history by choosing a mix of new and…
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Voters pick two new faces for Forest Hills, sort of
Forest Hills residents faced a defining choice this election, selecting leaders who will decide how the small Jackson County village…
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Incumbents win in Waynesville
For the second election cycle in a row, a candidate who refused to speak to any media outlets in the…
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Clyde challenger, incumbent take alderman seats
Clyde voters confronted familiar questions this election — how to rebuild after disaster, how to manage growth without losing the…
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Canton voters weigh recovery and renewal
Canton’s election carried the weight of four turbulent years — a pandemic, a devastating flood, the closure of its largest…
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Sylva election navigates division and growth
Sylva voters faced a crowded ballot and a divided community, weighing seven candidates for three council seats amid ongoing cultural…
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Guffey wins Franklin mayoral race, Salain retains council seat
Franklin will have a new mayor and two new council members.
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Bryson City incumbents retain seats
Bryson City voters participated in only one election this cycle, tasked with choosing two out of three candidates for alderman.
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Kirkland unanimously appointed as Swain County chairman
Swain County commissioners appointed Jason “Jay” Kirkland on Oct. 28 as board chairman, just shy of the 60-day following the…
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$1.25m gift to WCU athletics pushes ‘Fill the Western Sky’ campaign past $100m goal
A planned gift from a longtime Western North Carolina economic development and marketing professional and his spouse has pushed Western Carolina…
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Waynesville forms new nonprofit to boost downtown revival
Waynesville took another step toward stabilizing its downtown program on Oct. 28, approving incorporation papers for a new nonprofit that…
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New tree ordinance adopted in Waynesville
Trees already line many of Waynesville’s streets and ring the town’s parks, but after Town Council’s Oct. 28 meeting, their…
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More funding announced for temporary jobs, training for Helene recovery
The U.S. Department of Labor has released additional funds to help North Carolinians get back to work in areas affected by…
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Macon goes green for Veterans Day
Businesses, homes and county buildings throughout Macon County will sport green lights through Veterans Day, and organizers are hoping that…
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Where to get food in WNC if SNAP benefits are halted
As federal SNAP support remains uncertain, dozens of food pantries in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties — as well…
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Spooky reading for the spooky season
One of the best things about the East Coast is the fall. Last November, I made a trip to California…
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Federal shutdown threatens food aid in WNC
Waynesville resident Sam Wilds is blind, cannot work, uses her entire Social Security disability check for household bills, has approximately…
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As one Haywood volunteer fire department celebrates a big win, others struggle
As the sun set behind the Saunook fire station in west Haywood County, members of the community gathered in the…
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For Qualla Boundary advocates, domestic violence and MMIW/P are intertwined
Maggie Jackson doesn’t plan to stop spreading awareness about domestic violence in her community come November. Instead, the Qualla Boundary…
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Local farmworkers face lowered protections, wages
For the past 11 years, Ricardo has spent nine months each year at Barber Orchards in Waynesville — and the…
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Sylva lands another major park grant
Sylva’s Pinnacle Park will undergo substantial upgrades after the town formally accepted a $340,000 grant from the state’s Parks and…
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Clyde EMS base moves forward with bid approval
Haywood County commissioners advanced the long-planned Clyde EMS base project Oct. 20 by approving a $2,069,955 construction contract with RYSE…
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Franklin Christmas parade set for Nov. 30
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce announced that plans are underway for the Annual Christmas Parade, which will officially ring in…
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Early voting ends this Saturday, election Tuesday
In-person early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 1, but voters will have one last opportunity to cast their ballots on Election…
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NCDMV expands firefighter class B driver license testing
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is partnering with local fire departments to provide on-site driver’s license testing for firefighters…
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Haywood clerk of court announces resignation
Haywood County’s elected clerk of superior court Hunter Plemmons has announced that he is resigning from his position effective Nov.…
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Violent threats lead Henderson County Democratic chair to resign
As chair of the Henderson County Democratic Party, Leslie Carey has spent years helping to build the county’s progressive infrastructure…
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Cancer researcher Paul Maddox targets NC-11’s ills
Paul Maddox has spent decades studying sickness. A cancer researcher, tenured professor and lifelong learner, he’s spent much of his…
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Moving mountains: REACH of Haywood County | Preventing abuse, supporting survivors
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month in the United States. This week, the Smoky Mountain News has partnered with REACH…
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REACH of Haywood County
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month — a time to honor survivors, remember those lost to violence and recommit to…
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In our mountains, behind closed doors
Every October, we see purple ribbons, social media posts and brief mentions on the news about Domestic Violence Awareness Month.…
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Women of vision: Celebrating resilience and community
More than 180 guests gathered at Chestnut Ridge Wedding Venue in Canton for REACH of Haywood County’s third annual Women…
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Mistaken perceptions
Domestic violence is widely misunderstood. Most individuals who have not had the unfortunate experience of living through it often hold…
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The cycle of healing: Finding wholeness after violence
The natural world moves in cycles, each step following another, just as the seasons change or a wound slowly mends.…
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