HCC welcomes new president with open community arms, firm academic handshake
Haywood Community College trustees cited leadership, community rapport and deep local roots as key factors when naming Dr. Barbara Sue Parker the next college president last week.
Prescription drug scourge claiming dozens of lives in Haywood
The numbers are unforgiving.
One in three unexpected deaths in Haywood County are likely prescription drug overdoses. This year alone, there have been eight drug-related deaths — out of 25 unexpected deaths in all. And that doesn’t include two deaths last week that the county medical examiner suspects are overdoses as well.
Congressman Meadows among good company with Haywood business leaders
U.S. Congressman Mark Meadows told Haywood County business leaders this week that the federal government should borrow a page — or perhaps a whole chapter or two — from the private sector playbook when it comes to financial problem solving.
Waynesville skateboard park to ramp up by summer
After years of stops and starts, construction is now imminent on a long-awaited skateboard park in Waynesville.
A real estate phoenix: Foreclosed second-home lots transformed into low-income housing
The story is all too familiar.
A property developer buys a large swath of land with grand plans to build high-end homes and sell them for a substantial profit. But the housing bubble bursts. The lots don’t move. The property sits empty, and eventually, the developer can’t repay the bank loan used to purchase the land. It falls into foreclosure and becomes an artifact of the U.S. real estate market crash.
World Methodist leader overcomes adversity in his life path to Junaluska
Ivan Abrahams didn’t come to hold the top spot in the World Methodist Council because he abided by the rules. At more than one point in his spiritual career, he was a bit of a thorn in the clergy’s side.
Unloading machine guns could raise big bucks for Canton
The Canton Police Department is considering selling two 80-year-old submachine guns and using the proceeds to pay for new and better equipment for the force — before the federal government possibly bans such weapons.
Due diligence underway on MedWest hospital split
MedWest hospital leaders have hired an outside consulting firm to help them analyze the pros and cons of staying together versus dissolving their fledgling partnership. Also at stake: whether Carolinas HealthCare System will stay on as the hospitals’ management company.
Parrying between tourism interests slows progress on tourism tax bill
The prospects of Haywood County’s tourism development tax increase making it through the General Assembly in Raleigh this year is highly likely — or perhaps highly unlikely. It depends on whom you ask.
Cost-benefit of school safety weighs on Haywood
Law enforcement officials in Haywood County are stepping up to keep a watchful eye on schools as leaders plot their next steps toward increasing safety.
Parents have probably already noticed one simple and cost-free solution to better school security: deputies and police officers have started parking their patrol cars at one of Haywood County’s 16 schools whenever they need to take care of administrative tasks such as filling out reports or doing paperwork.