A coalition working to remove the aged Ela Dam in Swain County has raised $8 million of an estimated $10 million needed to complete the project.

It’s 11:57 a.m. Wednesday in downtown Canton. Daniel Gregg is standing on the Park Street bridge overlooking the Pigeon River. Leaning against the bridge, Gregg kept gazing up at the tall smoke stacks of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill. 

Macon County has experienced incredible growth over the past several years, both in population and property values. Despite this increase in the tax base, county administration is recommending a revenue neutral tax rate that would leave Macon residents with the lowest property tax rate in the state, but with a public school system in need of more funding.

Elected leaders from nearly all of Western North Carolina’s local governments continue to express strong support for Rep. Mark Pless’ efforts to bring a badly needed drug rehabilitation facility to the region. Now that Pless has found a health care partner willing to run the facility, he’s one step closer to making it a reality, although challenges remain.