Jackson school board signs resolution against private school vouchers
The Jackson County Board of Education has signed a resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to prioritize public education…
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Macon reaches high school sports decision
The Macon County School Board has voted to require students to play high school sports at the school where they…
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Greeley appointed to UNC Board of Governors
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees will have a bit of a different look at its next meeting. Kathryn…
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EBCI to sell recreational cannabis to enrolled members
Cherokee is moving one step closer to full adult recreational cannabis use. The newest advance will come July 4 when…
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Lake Junaluska to host services and workshops
Lake Junaluska’s Summer Worship Series has now resumed with seven visiting theologians serving as guest preachers. Summer Worship Series’ services…
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Federal government announces $20 million for improvements to Corridor K
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a $20 million grant from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to…
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All together now: Haywood Tourism Development Authority eyes countywide approach
It’s been a little under a year since Corrina Ruffieux took over for longtime Haywood County Tourism Development Authority Executive…
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Haywood County tourism just had its best year in history
After emerging from the early stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic virtually unscathed, Haywood County’s lodging industry rebounded with a year…
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First Amendment on display as opposing sides reckon with Pride
For many, a Pride festival is a fairly straightforward event, a celebration of unity among people marginalized for who they…
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Monument to papermakers coming to Canton
The shuttered paper mill at the heart of Canton is still there — for now. One day it won’t be,…
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Haywood’s inaugural Pride festival kicks off
Raymond Valentine has seen a lot of things in his long life, but after 80 years he doesn’t have to…
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Haywood reappraisal will bring huge numbers, huge choices
Appraisers are still in the field putting the finishing touches on the upcoming countywide property reappraisal set to take effect…
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Sylva to create economic development board
The Town of Sylva is looking to create an economic development board made up of business owners outside the downtown…
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Swain County commissioner expelled from meeting
Following a heated exchange with another county commissioner during a closed session, Swain County Commissioner David Loftis was expelled from…
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Free opioid overdose kits available in three Haywood locations
Most people don’t realize that some accidental opioid overdoses are reversible with the quick administration of an opioid antagonist called…
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Public safety, personnel costs push Waynesville tax increase
In the second split budget vote in the last four years, Waynesville’s Town Council approved a property tax hike of…
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Old Edwards Inn changes ownership : Highlands officials expect ‘business as usual’
Old Edwards Inn — the historic Highlands landmark and premier worldwide travel destination — has been sold, but little is…
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EBCI reveals census results
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Census results have been finalized for the first time in over two decades.
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Despite challenges, no tax increase in Canton budget
A full year after one of the county’s largest employers — the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill, in downtown Canton — shut…
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Potential SCC scanning day would explore campus history
Southwestern Community College (SCC), a crucial Western North Carolina educational institute since 1964, is exploring the possibility of hosting a…
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Vecinos receives SECU Foundation grant
SECU Foundation recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to Vecinos for a new medical center and human services hub in…
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Nantahala Health Foundation launches grant cycle to benefit youth
Nantahala Health Foundation will launch its next competitive grant opportunity on July 1 with a focus on investing in educational,…
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Swain County raises taxes
Swain County will be raising its tax rate for the first time in 11 years in fiscal year 2024-25. Commissioners…
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SCC recognizes OTA graduates
The newest members of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program recently celebrated their completion of Southwestern Community College’s program with family…
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All lanes of I-40 in Pigeon River Gorge now open
Contract crews for the N.C. Department of Transportation have completed major operations at two locations of Interstate 40 in the…
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High-speed internet grants awarded in WNC
63 North Carolina community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations will get a combined $30 million in grants funded…
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Legislative infighting overshadows child care crisis
Without immediate action from the General Assembly, Pandemic-era federal grants to child care providers will run out on July 1…
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Democrats claim school vouchers detract from child care grants
As the July 1 budget deadline for Child Care Stabilization grants approaches, it appears the Republican-led North Carolina House and…
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‘A two-generation workforce issue’: Child care availability impeding economic development
Stakeholders around Western North Carolina recognize the end of COVID-era child care stabilization funding and the broader lack of available…
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Macon passes budget with adjustments
After several lengthy discussions, Macon County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget by a split vote with a couple…
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WCU Board of Trustees approves new CIO
On Friday, June 14, Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees approved Chris Williams’ selection as its chief information officer. Williams,…
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Months after passing away, Haywood child wins national award
Less than six months after her death at just over two years old, Charlotte Joy Norris is posthumously receiving an…
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Cherokee museum receives $385,000 grant
Museum of the Cherokee People has been awarded a major spring grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
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Franklin FUMC hosts bazaar auction
When it comes to staying the course, First United Methodist Church (FUMC), Franklin has a long history of supporting those…
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Contract awarded to replace I-40 bridges in Haywood
The N.C. Department of Transportation recently awarded a contract to replace the two bridges on Interstate 40 over Beaverdam Road.
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LGBT candidates look to build on last year’s successes
Hoping to build on the momentum of a successful off-year election cycle, even amid violent threats, members of Western North…
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Jackson explores solutions to housing crisis
The Development Finance Initiative has continued to work on feasibility analyses for affordable housing in Jackson County since its housing…
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture visits Cherokee
Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians welcomed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to the exhibit hall at Harrah’s…
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Haywood County budget passes without tax increase
Commissioners voted unanimously June 3 to accept Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead’s proposed annual budget which, in spite of inflation,…
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No tax increase for Jackson
Jackson County is set to approve its budget next week, funding county operations for the coming fiscal year without a…
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Swain County to vote on alcohol sales
Swain County Board of Commissioners added a referendum to November ballots that will allow residents to vote on the on-premises…
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JCPS announces new principal for Smoky Mountain High School
Jackson County Public Schools announced that current assistant principal Joey Robinson has been named the new principal at Smoky Mountain…
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Haywood Farm Bureau awards scholarships
Established more than 20 years ago, the Haywood County Farm Bureau scholarship program assists graduating seniors who have a financial…
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Learn about Ukraine in Haywood County
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, David Crane, author, scholar and international prosecutor, will provide insights on the implications of the…
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Haywood Meals on Wheels seeks help
After Covid, Haywood Meals on Wheels lost volunteers and was forced to drop meal deliveries to three days per week.…
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Word from the Smokies: Iconic arch returns to downtown Waynesville
The air buzzed with excitement as the crowd gathered in downtown Waynesville, North Carolina, on Saturday, June 1. A standing-room-only…
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Appeals panel sends Kituwah LLC back to court: Lawsuit alleges theft of trade secrets from other tribally owned company
A lawsuit filed against Kituwah LLC that was initially dismissed is heading back to court after the 11th Circuit Court of…
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Waynesville budget will come down to the wire
A rare public impasse by Council Members over the Town of Waynesville’s proposed budget will leave things unsettled for the time…
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UNC Board of Governors repeals DEI policy
After the UNC Board of Governors approved a new policy on diversity and inclusion within the University of North Carolina,…
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Pride parade prevails in Waynesville as opposition evaporates
A controversial email that led many to bring accusations of homophobia against two local business owners in Frog Level has…
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