News Headlines
Despite illness, Clampitt plans to run again
Republican Mike Clampitt, currently serving his fourth term as District 119 House Rep., tells The Smoky Mountain News he plans to run for reelection in 2026 despite recent health concerns. In April, Clampitt announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare, serious form of blood and bone marrow cancer known as Myelodysplastic syndrome.
Settlement reached in Cherokee County police involved shooting case
More than two years after he was shot by Cherokee Indian Police Department SWAT Team members, Jason Harley Kloepfer has reached a $10 million settlement with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Cherokee County, ending any chances of what was shaping up to be a difficult and complicated federal trial.
Haywood proposes budget without tax increase
After losing roughly $200 million in valuation due to the closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill and the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene, Haywood County Commissioners will entertain a 2025-26 budget that’s thin as can be.
Federal government opens Title IX investigation into WCU
Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has made headlines by targeting the United States’ most well-known colleges — those with the largest endowments and lowest admission rates — but now, in the latest twist in a year-long saga, his administration is shifting its attention to Cullowhee.
Into the hornet's nest: The ‘Meck Dec’ at 250
Every May 20, beneath the proverbial shadows of Charlotte’s modern glass and steel skyline, supporters gather to commemorate what they believe was the first declaration of independence in the American colonies, made more than a year before the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
No tax increase in Waynesville budget
During a difficult meeting in March, Waynesville’s Town Council was presented with a perfect storm of bad budgeting news. After Council’s most recent meeting, it looks like they’ll weather that storm with only a modest sewer rate increase.
Pless makes dramatic change to controversial TDA bill
Now that it’s been presented to the House Finance Committee, a bill filed by Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless that would have essentially abolished the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority looks much different.
EXCLUSIVE: Payton McNabb’s victim speaks out
On May 2, 2024, a brief, awkward moment inside a women’s restroom at Western Carolina University was recorded, uploaded to social media and sparked a flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars.
JCPS budgets for change
With a new middle school on the horizon, Jackson County Public Schools is budgeting for a changing school system. On May 6, JCPS made its official request for local funding from the Jackson County Commission.
