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White named top NC community college president

Shelley White, president of Haywood Community College, has been named the North Carolina Community College President of the Year by the North Carolina Community College System State Board and the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation. 

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‘Speed A Little. Lose A Lot’ campaign launches

The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is reminding drivers that speeding has life-threatening consequences. 

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Haywood communications team wins prestigious honor

Three public information officers who serve the people of Haywood County were recently recognized in Asheville by the North Carolina City and County Communicators, a statewide network of dedicated professionals working in public information, communications, marketing and media across local governments and universities. 

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Behind closed doors: Commissioners make covert decision about Confederate statue

On the morning of April 8, county employees removed commemorative plaques from the Confederate statue outside the Jackson County Library and placed them in the county’s storage facility. Few in the county, save the board of commissioners, knew the possibility of removal was even on the table. 

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Order seals Cherokee County Sheriff’s evidence room amid missing items

An order filed in Cherokee County Superior Court April 10 sealed all areas where there may be any evidence related to criminal cases, critically hampering the agency’s ability to serve taxpayers. This comes only about a week after District Attorney Ashley Welch issued a Giglio order against Milton “Sport” Teasdale, who heads up the sheriff’s office’s criminal investigative division.

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Commission requests report on libraries

The Jackson County Commission invited Library Director Tracy Fitzmaurice to come before the board and give a report on the state of libraries in the county after concerns were raised over library security last month

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Inked: Hurricane Helene's legacy lives on, through comics

When Hurricane Helene tore through Southern Appalachia last year, it left behind more than just downed trees and flooded homes. Helene carved enduring, indelible stories into the lives of those who lived through it.

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The war on peace: Kristen Wall lost her job, but not her mission

It was 9:32 p.m. on Friday, March 28, and as Kristen Wall was getting ready for bed, she learned via email that she, along with colleagues, had just joined more than 200,000 federal workers who’d been fired. But Wall didn’t work for the National Park system, or the Social Security Administration, or NASA, or even FEMA. Wall’s work involves a somewhat higher purpose. 

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‘Hands off’ protests hit their mark, nationally and locally

Joining millions across the globe, thousands in Western North Carolina rallied this past weekend, demonstrating against the policies of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while expressing grave concerns about the future of myriad federal programs and services. Their message? “We want people to know that we are not going anywhere.”

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