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Clampitt keeps 119th House District

The man still known for his protracted electoral feud with former Democratic Rep. Joe Sam Queen — the two faced off five times from 2012 through 2020, with Mike Clampitt winning three times — will continue to represent Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties.

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Incumbents keep Macon County Board of Education

With all precincts reporting, three incumbents have maintained their seats on the Macon County Board of Education. 

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NCDOT estimates date for 2-lane traffic on I-40 in gorge

Traffic may be flowing in both directions on Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge — albeit slower than normal — by New Year’s Day.

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Jackson voters to choose two new commissioners

With two current commissioners not seeking reelection, no matter the outcome, the Jackson County Commission will have two new faces following next week’s election. 

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Walz makes final campaign push in return to Asheville

With just days remaining before voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz returned to speak in a very different Asheville than the one he last saw in mid-September.

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Edwards silent, but his record speaks for itself

The legacies of Western North Carolina’s two previous Republican congressmen, Mark Meadows and Madison Cawthorn, haven’t exactly aged well. 

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Left a loan: Small businesses continue to wait for Helene help

When the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in the closing of millions of businesses across the United States in March 2020, federal response was swift and decisive, helping to save as many as could be saved with multiple forms of assistance.

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Latest flood relief bill leaves businesses underwater

The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly took its second step in flood recovery on Oct. 24, designating from the state’s $4.4 billion Rainy Day Fund an additional $604 million in funding and resources for disaster recovery in response to Hurricane Helene — far less than the $3.9 billion the state’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wanted, and with little real help to businesses that can’t afford to take out more loans. 

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WCU human remains detection expert debunks Helene misinformation

Lisa Briggs, director of Western Carolina University’s Human Remains Detection K-9 training program and Emergency Disaster Management program, and Edwin Grant, HRD K-9 program instructor and long-time law enforcement officer, have been deployed with their HRD K-9s since the start of the recovery process for missing persons in Western North Carolina following the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.  

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