Winter on the ridge: Wintry conditions cause Parkway closures despite warm temps at low elevations
Though a mixture of rain and ice pelted the windshield as I headed toward the Balsam Gap access of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the forecast was calling for a high of 52 and the car thermometer read 48 degrees.
I was headed up to see what springlike weather down below translated to when sitting at 6,000 feet on the scenic mountain road, because, let’s face it, I was skeptical. The Parkway had been closed for much of the winter, including the previous week, when temperatures in Waynesville climbed up to the sunny 60s.
Chick-fil-A in the cards for Waynesville as Ingles expansion plans crystalize
There’s been a new turn in the much-anticipated redevelopment of Ingles’ super market site in Waynesville: Chick-fil-A has joined the party.
Ingles’ site development plans on file with the town of Waynesville have been updated recently to include a Chick-fil-A fronting Russ Avenue. It will occupy the vacant parcel beside Home Trust Bank and roughly across the street from McDonald’s.
NC commissioners set legislative priorities
After wading through more than 300 legislative goals presented by more than 500 commissioners throughout the state, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners has agreed on five top priorities to present to legislators during the 2015 General Assembly.
Macon County Commissioner Ronnie Beale, president of the NCACC, gave his fellow commissioners an update on the recent Legislative Goals Conference during the board’s retreat last week.
Jackson, Macon work together on transportation
Public transit in Macon County is slated to get a boost as Jackson and Macon counties work out an agreement to share a position between the two of them.
Jackson’s mobility coordinator position — a job that basically entails marketing the transportation system, helping new customers and meeting with collaborating agencies — is funded through a federal grant, but it’s turning out to be hard to fill as a 40-hour-per-week job for Jackson County alone.
Crash course Numbers up in Jackson for alcohol-related crashes
Alcohol-related traffic accidents are on the rise in Jackson County, with rates outstripping those of both North Carolina as a whole and Western North Carolina in particular, according to Jackson’s 2014 State of the County Health Report.
The report, an interim update to the county’s community health assessment, compares health trends in the county to those in the state and region.
In murky aftermath of bid snafu, truckers jostle for trash contract
A tug of war between two Jackson trucking companies over a high-stakes contract for hauling trash was settled last week following days of political tension.
Jackson County commissioners had to decide which of the two local truckers would snag a $2.5 million four-year contract to haul trash to a landfill in Georgia.
Greasing the wheels: WNC residents trade petroleum for veggie oil
There’s nothing Adam Bigelow likes better than a full tank of gas in the summertime with an open road ahead. After all, the drive from Sylva to Cashiers, where he works three days a week, is a beautiful, twisting mountain route that’s great for someone who wants to put their steering skills to the test.
But Bigelow’s feel-good mood comes more from the contents of his tank than the places it’s getting him. He’s been driving a car powered by veggie oil for years, and he’s got nothing but good things to say about it.
Corridor K: Beyond the road
Though the Corridor K debate was the impetus for the Opportunity Initiative Study, Opt-In wasn’t all about transportation. The results of the year-long regional visioning study has been enlightening, unifying and awash with great ideas to improve the area’s economic and cultural landscape, said Ryan Sherby, executive director of the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments.
Corridor K: Dueling studies
A stalemate in the debate over Corridor K boils down to a central issue: can upgrades to the existing two-lane road do the job, or is a new four-lane highway the only solution?
The road ahead: Opt-In study concludes, Corridor K debate continues
After a year-long study capping off years of debate, the verdict is in on what’s next for the controversial Corridor K road project — sort of.
SEE ALSO: Dueling studies | Beyond the road
There were high hopes for the $2 million Opportunity Initiative Study at the outset: to find a clear answer for whether a four-lane highway through the remote mountains of Graham County is worth the enormous price tag and environmental damage, whether it is in fact wanted by the majority of people, and whether it will indeed be a magic bullet to bring the rural county into the 21st century economy.