Brunch booze on the menu in Waynesville?
After the North Carolina General Assembly’s recent passage of the so-called “brunch bill,” municipal governments in Haywood County have been…
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Sylva revises demonstrations ordinance following Charlottesville violence
The town of Sylva now has new rules governing when and where parades and demonstrations can take place, with revisions…
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Franklin mayor to help lead new mayors group
Franklin Mayor Bob Scott will help lead a new organization of North Carolina mayors dedicated to improving life in all…
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Franklin officers to carry life-saving drug
The Franklin Town Council recently approved a $700 expense that will allow the town’s police force to be armed with…
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Bryson City applies for sewer improvement grant
After three failed attempts, the Bryson City Board of Aldermen is once again applying for a Community Development Block Grant…
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Tribal Council candidates speak: Eight incumbents face 16 challengers Sept. 7
With the election for Cherokee Tribal Council just one week away, The Smoky Mountain News continues its series profiling the…
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Tribal members announce candidacy for vice chief
There’s still no guarantee whether a special election will be held to choose the next vice chief of the Eastern…
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Three women arrested for child abduction
The Waynesville Police Department responded to the report of a child abduction from Frazier Street Thursday afternoon.
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A monumental issue
Lost in the ugliness of the recent Charlottesville violence is the fact that the demonstration was originally centered around the…
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Governments across the nation consider removing Confederate monuments
The demonstrations in Charlottesville are already shaping up to be a watershed moment in American history; consequently, local governments across…
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Eighty-six seconds of sunlessness: Eclipse viewers throng to Clingmans Dome
Expectation reigned at Clingmans Dome the morning of Aug. 21 as buses rolled in carrying the 1,325 people lucky enough…
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Solar eclipse: A day with two sunrises
Packing to watch the sun disappear felt like packing for work, camping and an emergency evacuation all at once.
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Solar eclipse: ‘Just wait a while, for the right day’
Covered in sweat, I could feel the slight trickle of ice water dripping down my leg.
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Solar eclipse: Game of chance
It was like watching the slowest sporting event ever. Spectators with their eyes toward the sky shouted in excitement and…
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Solar eclipse: We shall go on playing
Strange days, as Doors front man Jim Morrison famously sang, have found us.
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Tribal Council candidates speak: General Election is two weeks away
The 2017 General Election will choose the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ next slate of Tribal Council representatives following Election…
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CEO answers concerns about Mission/BCBS contract
Mission Health Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ron Paulus took to social media last week to answer questions from patients regarding…
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Mission rolls out transition plan for BCBS patients
Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will expire Oct. 5, leaving thousands of patients to find…
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Jackson debates health department construction
When the Jackson County Commiss-ioners met to discuss construction needs in the health department Aug. 8, the goal for the…
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Transportation plan for Jackson nears completion
After more than two years of meetings and mapping and analysis, the comprehensive transportation plan intended to guide Jackson County…
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Teen walks out of Smokies after 11 days missing
After 11 days missing in the remote backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Chilhowee Lake, 18-year-old Austin…
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WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’
On Monday, Aug. 21, Western North Carolina residents and visitors will have the chance to see a rare total solar eclipse.…
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Public, private sectors tackle affordable housing crisis
The Haywood County Affordable Housing Task Force has run its course, completing an assessment and presenting recommendations designed to ameliorate…
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HCC unveils new public training building
A brand new Public Services Training Facility was unveiled Monday at Haywood Community College.
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SCC weather balloon team to launch on eclipse day
On Aug. 21, the day of the Great American Eclipse, 50 high-altitude weather balloon teams from across the country will…
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Waynesville residents wary of annexation, zoning
Grandview Circle residents concerned about property values and crime turned up at the Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting to get…
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Sneed vetoes power bill assistance program
Principal Chief Richard Sneed has vetoed legislation that Tribal Council passed in July setting up a program to pay power…
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Despite district distractions, groups prepare for 2018
Although Haywood County’s municipal elections in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley will garner the most attention through November, state legislative…
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Tribal Council candidates speak
Election Day is drawing ever nearer for Cherokee Tribal Council, with all 12 seats up for election Thursday, Sept. 7.
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Bryson City board unsure about passing ‘brunch bill’
Bryson City Board of Aldermen has been discussing potential changes to alcohol regulations that could allow local businesses to sell…
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Ledbetter connector plan tossed; Funds will go to Monteith Gap Road instead
A plan to build a connector between Ledbetter Road and Monteith Gap Road in Cullowhee has been scrapped following the…
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Ridge top homes eliminated from Cullowhee development plan
The Jackson County Planning Board approved construction of the 38-home Solitude Development in Cullowhee in August 2016, but following concern…
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Haywood officials condemn Charlottesville violence
Elected officials from across Haywood County and from across party lines were quick to speak out in the wake of…
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Hundreds show to denounce Charlottesville violence
About 200 people gathered in front of the Haywood County Historic Courthouse Monday evening to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville…
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Blue Cross rejects Mission's latest proposal
More than a month has passed since Mission Health announced it would terminate its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield…
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Knowing your neighbors: Vecinos health program is a bridge between migrant workers and the outside community
Whittier has been home to Elda Chafoya DePaz and her three children for less than a year, but it’s not…
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Coleman pleads guilty to murder
Tony Alan Coleman, 52, of Waynesville, recently pled guilty as charged to murder and felony child abuse in the death…
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Mine safety training saves a life
Wresting huge chunks of granite from a hillside is inherently dangerous work, but the safety training provided at one Waynesville…
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Franklin to offer outdoor family movies
Families will be able to enjoy free outdoor movies in Franklin in the next couple of months thanks to a…
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Haywood Tax Assessor to retire
After 19 years with county government, former Haywood County Tax Collector and current Haywood County Tax Assessor/Solid Waste Administrator David…
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Haywood tax collections up
Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews told the Haywood County Board of County Commissioners Aug. 7 that preliminary tax collection…
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Best use for Franklin property still being debated
The town of Franklin has been sitting on a valuable piece of land for more than 12 years and still…
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Back to the water: Friends, family remember Bryson City Olympian
Adam Clawson of Bryson City spent some of his best days on the water. At 8 years old, he tied…
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Tribal Council approves special election
Cherokee came one step closer last week to having a special election to fill the vacant vice chief’s seat, but…
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Antique toy museum moves into Cowee School
Jim Geary has been collecting toys since he was a boy in 1950. The fascination and hobby that has stuck…
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Cherokee approves needle exchange program
A needle exchange program will likely be underway in Cherokee by the end of the year following Tribal Council’s unanimous…
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Haywood Republicans boot Miller
High political drama — the likes of which is not often seen in rural counties — came to a head…
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Veterans’ seminars have ‘beneficial impact’
Asheville Republican Congressman Mark Meadows hosted his fourth annual Veterans’ Solutions Seminar in Waynesville last week, and judging by the…
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Meadows gets an earful at town hall
A boisterous crowd in a packed auditorium on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College engaged in a lively two-hour…
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Free clinic coming to Bryson City, Murphy
Free medical, dental, eye and veterinarian services will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis Aug. 2-10 in Bryson City…
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