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Bill would cut red tape in lumber industry

A bill introduced by Macon County Republican Rep. Karl Gillespie that seeks to bolster North Carolina’s local sawmill industry has garnered widespread bipartisan interest for its potential economic, environmental and housing affordability benefits. 

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Waynesville wants input on street paving priorities

The Town of Waynesville has released its proposed list of street paving work for 2025, including 41 locations and nearly 5.5 miles of asphalt at a cost of nearly $400,000.

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Social worker program lauded by Waynesville police chief

Waynesville Police Chief David Adams had a simple answer when Town Council Member Jon Feichter asked him if he thought the department’s utilization of a social worker to handle some calls had been worthwhile. 

“Yes sir,” Adams said. 

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Governor’s Advisory Committee for WNC Recovery holds meeting at WCU

Nearly six months after Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina, the region's recovery efforts continue.

Gov. Josh Stein's advisory committee, formed to aid in the recovery, held its first in-person meeting Friday at Western Carolina University.

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Utility customers in Waynesville may get budget billing option

Seasonal billing surprises can leave utility customers sweating summer spikes or shivering in anticipation of winter surges, but a budget billing program being considered by the Town of Waynesville would help keep those bills steady as a spring breeze. 

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359 homes and businesses in Haywood County to receive high-speed internet

The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity announced a $1.2 million Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program fiber project to connect 359 households and businesses in Haywood County to high-speed internet.

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VA secretary greeted by demonstrators during visit to Asheville

Less than a week after a raucous congressional town hall where Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards faced intense criticism over cuts to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — a disabled retired Army veteran was kicked out of the event after causing a disturbance — VA Secretary Doug Collins visited the Charles George Medical Center in Asheville to try to ameliorate some of those concerns. Demonstrators outside weren’t buying it.

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Out of the lion's den: A Christian author with a long list of abandoned business deals and unpaid creditors finds a new home for his work in Macon County. He says it's a chance for redemption. Others aren't so sure.

Most novelists dedicate their books to loved ones, sources of inspiration or the memory of someone who has passed away. Cliff Graham dedicated his 2024 book, “The Boundary of Blood,” to “every man that has ever been broken.” The dedication might be self-referential. 

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Progress on storm recovery, broadband highlighted at town hall

On Friday, March 14, Representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly hosted a town hall to update the public and local elected officials about the progress of both Hurricane Helene Recovery and broadband expansion in the region on Friday March 14. 

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