Elder abuse criminal law strengthened in Cherokee
In a unanimous vote, the Cherokee Tribal Council has approved an ordinance change aimed at protecting victims of elder abuse…
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New head coach for Pisgah football
In a rare split vote, the Haywood County School Board approved the hiring of a new head football coach for…
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Haywood County Schools recognizes academic success
After the last school year, Haywood County Schools held onto its seventh-place ranking in the state, out of 115 school…
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Macon firefighters battle multiple blazes in one day
Fire crews responded to three structure fires in Macon County over a 24-hour period.
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Ice Festival coming this weekend
Get ready to chill out at the NC Smokies Ice Festival on January 26-28 at locations throughout the county.
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NCDOT Provides Free Bicycle Helmets
Applications are open to receive free bicycle helmets from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
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Public input wanted for Bryson Park upgrades
With Allen Street now operational, the Town of Sylva is set to begin work on renovations to Bryson Park. But…
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Edwards, Reagan trade jabs in N.C.-11 Primary Election debate
A Republican congressional primary debate hosted by the Clay County Republican Party on Jan. 13 revealed clear differences between the two…
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Sylva considers panhandling ordinance, again
With three new members seated following November elections, the Sylva Town Council is once again considering an update to the…
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Cherokee cannabis business shows forward movement
After months of stalemate, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians appears ready to advance its cannabis enterprise.
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‘Devil’s in the details:' Jackson to make adjustments to FRL proposal
Jackson County will make some adjustments to Macon County’s proposed changes to the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement after the board…
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Rezoning hearing prompts larger questions about Russ Avenue
Waynesville has amended its comprehensive plan and rezoned a portion of a parcel on the east side of Russ Avenue,…
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East Street study tabled in Waynesville
For some time now, Waynesville’s East Street has been a bit of a goldilocks problem for the town — too…
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North Carolina’s most vulnerable children need your help
Neglected or abused children who become involved with the state’s courts or social services agencies often find themselves with nowhere…
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Federal funding cuts endanger domestic violence survivors
The effects of reduced federal funding on nonprofits that assist survivors of domestic violence continue to reverberate across the region,…
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SBI Human Trafficking Unit receives Buffett grant
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) announced that its Human Trafficking Unit (HTU) has been awarded a $9.6…
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Storm repairs close U.S. 64 in Cullasaja Gorge
U.S. 64 between Buck Creek Road and Brush Creek Road will remain closed for more than two weeks while a…
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Cherokee approves application for Clingmans Dome name change
Tribal Council members stood to show their unanimous support Thursday, Jan. 4, for a resolution they hope will result in…
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Canton's post-mill budget will be about results
The Town of Canton has been through some difficult budget discussions in the past, but this year’s effort, the first…
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An unforeseen journey: How J.J. Singleton’s cancer battle instilled a new sense of purpose
Challenges and trauma impact people in different ways. For Haywood County native J.J. Singleton, who has battled cancer for about…
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Landfill pond overflow, failed water quality test prompt new violations at Canton mill
While mountain residents were busy preparing for Christmas, the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill in Canton that until May 2023 employed…
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Franklin approves social district
The Town of Franklin will be the latest municipality in North Carolina to implement a social district after the town…
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License plate recognition cameras coming to Jackson
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is poised to deploy several cameras around the county with automatic license plate readers in…
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Finance award casts further doubt on corruption claims in Haywood
Haywood County’s Finance Department has a long history of stellar performance, but a national award for excellence in financial reporting…
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MLK celebration at WCU
Western Carolina University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will begin Monday, Jan. 15, with its annual Unity March.
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Tribal Council disciplines former cannabis board member
A former Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians official and cannabis board member accused of soliciting favors from a contractor that was…
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Haywood nurses completes five-week intensive course
Sarah Banks, Emily Jenkins, Kelly Martin-Hicks, Abigail Clark, Heather Koonce and Sarah Keener at Haywood County Health and Human Services…
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Registration trends show deepening dissatisfaction with major parties
As North Carolina prepares for federal, state and local elections in 2024, emerging trends in partisan registration that began in…
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Some minority voters gain ground, others don’t
It’s no secret that North Carolina is growing, but as its population grows, the composition of its electorate is changing…
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Leading N.C. attorney general candidates speak out on Canton mill issues
Two congressmen, both hoping to become North Carolina’s next attorney general, with be faced with a host of official duties…
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Engineering and athletics team up with Penn State on head impact research at WCU
Clayton Bardall, a graduate student in Western Carolina University’s Engineering Technology program and tight end for WCU’s football team, recently…
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Conviction overturned in cyberattack case
The Cherokee Supreme Court has vacated the conviction of a man who was prosecuted for his alleged role in a…
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Athletics upgrades on the way at WCU: University to ask legislature for help with $130 million to-do list
Western Carolina University is gearing up to take its first bite out of an estimated $130 million in needed upgrades…
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Consider becoming a Big Brother
January is National Mentoring Month, a great start to 2024 and an opportunity to give a young person a great…
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Deitz leaves behind a legacy in WNC
Boyce Deitz’s influence on Swain County athletics was rich and storied, but the program to which he dedicated two decades…
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Mountain Projects helps local family during increasingly common struggle
Donna Milsaps, of Jackson County, has encountered struggles that are hard to comprehend for some, but all too familiar for…
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Motley named CFO of Haywood Regional Medical Center
Haywood Regional Medical Center has named Amanda Pruitt Motley as its new chief financial officer, effective Jan. 8, 2024. With…
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A courageous tale comes to an end: Baby with rare genetic disorder passes away close to Christmas
Most people don’t contribute to the world over a lifetime what Charlotte Joy Norris did in just two short years.…
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Swain Genealogical and Historical Society to explore Chambers family history
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, in Bryson City, Frank March and Henry Chambers will present “The Lamon Chambers Map”…
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Jackson to move school board race to November
The race for Board of Education in Jackson County is one step closer to being moved to November elections after…
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New Parks and Rec Director for Jackson
There is a new director at the head of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, after commissioners made their…
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The courageous tale of Charlotte Joy: Rare genetic disease can’t stop one Haywood family and their daughter from helping other children
Charlotte Joy is a hero; she just doesn’t know it yet.
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2023 A Look Back: Grinch Award
The Grinch who Stole Christmas and Pactiv Evergreen have a lot more in common than just a shared color scheme…
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2023 A Look Back: Not on my Watch Award
Newly elected Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke stepped into some big shoes following the retirement of longtime Sheriff Greg Christopher,…
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2023 A Look Back: Homer Simpson Award
We can’t say for certain whether Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith backed into a literal bush as the events of…
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2023 A Look Back: Hometown heroes award
When Pactiv Evergreen announced it would close its 115-year-old paper mill in Canton earlier this year, local leaders had to…
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2023 A Look Back: ‘That’s so Metal’ Award
This one goes to the Pigeon River, due both to the actual metals found in a sampling site along its…
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2023 A Look Back: Micromanager(s) of the Year Award
Sometimes there are awards that call for two winners, like back in the day before the College Football Playoffs system…
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2023 A Look Back: Meter Maid Award
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has earned this one for its decision to begin charging for parking, effective March…
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2023 A Look Back: Nobody puts baby in a corner award
The classic 1980s dance film Dirty Dancing taught all of us that “nobody puts Baby in a corner.” And if…
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