Financial challenges faced by rural hospitals show no sign of a turnaround, prompting MedWest hospital leaders to consider what was once a last resort.

MedWest hospitals are entertaining the idea of selling or merging with a larger hospital system that would bring a cash infusion to the table.

Jackson County leaders are moving ahead with plans to open a liquor store in Cashiers, despite up to $200,000 in start-up costs that could take more than five years to recoup before seeing a profit.

At first blush, Officer Nan Tritt looks like any other cop. She wears a badge and a gun, and the heft of a bulletproof vest shows under her uniform.

The town of Waynesville has a large checklist to tackle in the coming months before Lake Junaluska is officially added to the town limits.

Dr. Janine Keever still remembers that do-or-die moment in her undergrad chemistry class like it was yesterday. The grades just came back on her first exam of the year, and it wasn’t pretty. Her dream of medical school seemed to vanish on the spot.

Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has unveiled a $40 million, 10-year campus master plan in hopes of bolstering convention business and attracting a new breed of resort tourist.

Jackson County Schools brokered a sweet deal with county commissioners last year, or so it seemed at the time.

School leaders wanted to build a new gym and auditorium at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, but the $11.4 million price tag was more than county commissioners wanted to pay.

The domestic violence nonprofit REACH of Macon County is facing a more than $80,000 shortfall next year due partly to state budget cuts and partly to repercussions of stepping up to the plate when assault victims in neighboring Jackson County had no one else to turn to.

Nearly a year has passed since a domestic violence support agency in Jackson County abruptly shut down under financial duress, and so far there’s no sign on the horizon of a new nonprofit to fill the void.

In the meantime, however, the domestic violence agency in Macon County stepped in and picked up the torch on an emergency — and presumably interim — basis.

A Swain County social worker pleaded guilty in court this week to doctoring and fabricating records two years ago following the death of a 15-month-old baby.

A state bill that would bring Lake Junaluska into Waynesville’s town limits has cleared the N.C. Senate and is now headed for passage in the N.C. House of Representatives.

The Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center and the 760-home residential community surrounding it would then be absorbed into Waynesville’s town limits by late summer.

Without support from the Maggie Valley Lodging Association, a bill to increase the room tax in Haywood County could die in the N.C. General Assembly.

Talk of cutting the historic courthouse maples in Waynesville has come and gone during the years.

Reasons varied. It was hard to get grass to grow underneath. The trees masked the grandness of the historic courthouse. Heavy equipment parked under the trees during courthouse renovations damaged the root systems.

Tom Anderson barely batted an eyelash when he plunked down $300,000 in cash for a tiny lot along the Nantahala eight years ago in the Mystic River development.

Maggie Valley leaders on opposing sides of the tourist tax hike both claim to have the majority in their corner.

Maggie Mayor Ron DeSimone presented a stack of letters of support from hotel owners to state legislators during a trip to Raleigh last week, urging them to shepherd the room tax increase to passage. DeSimone spent several days visiting lodging businesses in Maggie to see where they stood.

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.

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.

Police across Western North Carolina have been stamping out the last bastions of illegal video gambling machines in recent weeks, calling the bluff of defiant operators who refused to go quietly.

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.

A faction of lodging owners in Maggie Valley is hoping to derail a tax increase on overnight accommodations.

The money brought in — roughly $450,000 a year — would be dedicated solely to building tourism attractions or improving existing ones.

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.

Ed Green has plenty of time for contemplation during his 15 mile runs on the paths circling Lake Junaluska. One of his recurring thoughts turns to what’s underfoot: how lucky he is to run in such a beautiful place.

Janie Sinacore-Jaberg has run a lot of hospitals — small hospitals, financially precarious hospitals, turf-war embattled hospitals, hospitals in the midst of a merger, even hospitals in the midst of hostile take over.

Lake Junaluska homeowners and community leaders spoke out strongly last week in favor of merging with Waynesville, setting the stage for a bill to work its way through the N.C. General Assembly this summer declaring Lake Junaluska part of the town of Waynesville.

A team of laid-off state geologists will soon start mapping landslide hazard zones in Haywood County after a coalition of environmental nonprofits raised money to keep the project alive.

The state two years ago axed an ongoing effort to map landslide risks in mountain counties. Haywood was supposed to be next up on the list when the mapping was terminated.

A Lake Junaluska task force voiced overwhelming support last week for merging the 765-home community with the town of Waynesville before a packed audience of homeowners.

SEE ALSO: Ongoing coverage

The 14-member task force has spent 10 months weighing the future course of the community with century-old roots as a summer Methodist retreat. Financial solvency was the deciding factor for those in favor of being absorbed into Waynesville’s town limits. The community does not have the critical mass nor economies of scale to go it alone, especially given the costly repairs it would face during the next decade to fix its crumbling infrastructure, task force members said.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown has honed his dating and engagement analogies as town leaders weigh whether to tie the knot with Lake Junaluska.

They started innocently enough 10 months ago.

Adding Lake Junaluska to its town limits won’t be a windfall for Waynesville despite $775,000 in property taxes it stands to gain each year. Likewise, Junaluska wouldn’t be a financial drain on the town, according to the results of a highly anticipated engineering and feasibility study outlining the pros and cons of a merger.

A woman was sent to jail for nine years this week for her role in the death of toddler who likely succumbed to hypothermia on the floor of a single-wide trailer one bitterly cold night in Swain County two years ago.

Property owners: A survey was mailed to all 811 Lake Junaluska property owners last week, with a robust response rate so far. There are 765 homes at Lake Junaluska. About half are lived in year-round by their owners. Surveys also went to owners of lots and a handful of commercial entities on the grounds.

SEE ALSO: Ongoing coverage

Lake Junaluska Future Task Force: A 13-member, appointed task force that has studied the ins and outs of the options with the intensity and thoroughness of NASA space shuttle inspectors. Consists primarily of Lake Junaluska residents, with two Lake Junaluska officials and one Waynesville official.

Lake Junaluska Community Council: A seven-person body elected by Lake Junaluska homeowners to address neighborhood issues and represent residential interests. The council parleys with the Conference and Retreat Center, which manages public works and carries out residential services paid for through homeowners fees.

Lake Junaluska Assembly Board of Directors: A 32-member body that oversees big picture operations for the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Its members consist mostly of Methodist Church leaders and appointments, with just a handful of local residents or community leaders. It is considered the “official” decision-making body for the Lake Junaluska community and holds the definitive “vote.”

Waynesville Board of Aldermen: The five-member elected town board must decide if it wants Lake Junaluska. One public hearing was held already to gauge the views of the town’s current populace, but town residents did not show up.

N.C. General Assembly: If Lake Junaluska leaders decide to become part of Waynesville, and if Waynesville agrees, state lawmakers would have to consecrate the deal. Language for a bill is already in the drafting stages, so it would be ready to roll if it’s ultimately needed. A bill’s chances of passing in Raleigh hinge on how strong and loud the call is from all the other players here.

Option 1: Join the town of Waynesville

Pros:

• Financial savings — This is the cheapest option, thanks to economies of scale. Residents would fork over town property taxes, but it would buy them all the services and amenities they currently pay for through their homeowners’ fees, which would go away. Plus, the town would pick up the tab for $10 million in critical infrastructure repairs — the elephant in the room being antiquated water and sewer lines — that are needed in the coming decade.

SEE ALSO: Ongoing coverage

• Big brother to lean on — The headaches of street sweeping, snow plowing, trash pick-up, police protection, fixing potholes — and did we mention fixing those crumbling water and sewer lines? — will be someone else’s problem now.

• Match made in Heaven — As far as towns go, Waynesville’s a nice one. Given the typical demographics of Lake Junaluska residents — well-educated, upper-middle class and philosophically progressive — Waynesville is seen as a town that reflects their own ideals. A merger wouldn’t exactly be plowing new ground. Waynesville and Lake Junaluska have had a symbiotic relationship for the past century.

Cons:

• Loss of identity — Junaluskans are steeped in pride for the place they call home. Their community spirit has a long lineage, dating back to the founding of the Methodist conference and retreat center a century ago. The Methodist ties and shared affinity for the Christian retreat at the community’s core still run deep. With a big brother to look after them, will Lake Junaluska residents slowly lose their sense of ownership and commitment? Will Junaluskans identity and allegiances, even if subconsciously, be muddied if they become Waynesvillians?

• Can you hear me now? — Lake Junaluska is home to 638 registered voters. Waynesville has 6,652 registered voters. Lake Junaluska’s voice in the political process could make it a small fish in a big pond.

• Get in line — Waynesville leaders have made clear that if the lake becomes part of the town, it will be treated the same as everyone else. Their needs won’t be put at the bottom — but nor will they be put at the top. To quote Town Manager Marcy Oneal: “They would simply all become town of Waynesville projects and be slotted in line accordingly.”

• No going back — If Lake Junaluska marries itself to Waynesville, there would be no annulments.

Option 2: Become its own brand-new town

Pros:

• Self rule — Does 1776 ring a bell? Lake Junaluska residents would be their own elected leaders, ensuring every decision affecting the community is what it wants for itself. What to charge for property taxes, what zoning and planning rules to enact, or what streets get paved each year would be made at the local level.

• Sense of pride — Junaluskans could easily maintain their shared identity, common spirit and community engagement.

• Perks — Being a town would make it eligible for a cut of state sales tax revenue, state grants, state funding for street and sidewalk maintenance and others benefits being a real town afford.

Cons:

• Big to-do list — A new town would need to elect a board, hire staff, find a building to serve as “town hall,” buy computers and phones, create a budget and start collecting taxes fast to provide the same high level of services Lake residents are accustom to.

• Shouldering risk alone — The onus of meeting the town’s needs falls on comparatively fewer backs. A small hiccup for a large town could be a deafening blow for a tiny one, such as the huge capital cost associated with water and sewer line repairs.

• Get your checkbook ready — This option is most expensive. There are no economies of scale when trying to deliver a full suite of town amenities to such a small number of residents. (There are roughly 800 homes.)

• Legislative deal killer — The General Assembly has arduous rules and requirements for new towns trying to incorporate.

Option 3: Stay the same

Pros:

• If it ain’t broke — Lake Junaluska already walks like a town and talks like a town. In fact, residents enjoy more services than some bona fide towns do. Why add a layer of municipal bureaucracy?

• Been there, done that — Junaluskans are comfortable with their current structure as a sophisticated homeowners association. Fees paid by property owners fund public works and services. An elected community council serves as a sounding board for issues and concerns. The system has worked for decades.

• Come to momma — Founded a century ago as a Methodist summer retreat, Lake Junaluska is no longer a church enclave. But the burgeoning residential neighborhoods that circle Lake Junaluska today are still inextricably linked to the Methodist conference and retreat center at its core — physically, historically and spiritually. Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center manages residential operations, reinforcing the generational ties many homeowners have for the Methodist retreat.

Cons:

• Money pit — Junaluska residents would see a steep hike in the existing fees they pay in order to fund the expensive infrastructure repairs the lake needs during the next decade — first and foremost replacing outdated water and sewer lines. The community has no fall back other than its own wallets.

• No representation — Lake Junaluska residents rely on the good will and graces of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center to do right by the surrounding neighborhoods. An elected community council passes along the issues, concerns and priorities of the residential community to the Lake Junaluska public works administration to carry out, but at the end of the day, is only an advisory board. While the conference and retreat center has rarely, if ever, clashed with the residents’ wishes, there are no guarantees.

Cullowhee community members have been making their case for nearly a year now that this pseudo-college town needs land-use planning to guide the growth that’s come knocking.

Champions of Cullowhee revitalization are chipping away at a lofty plan to create a vibrant college downtown centered on the banks of the Tuckasegee River in Old Cullowhee.

A group of Realtors and developers challenging the legality of Jackson County’s five-month moratorium on new subdivisions lost the first round in court Thursday (May 24.)

For the second week in a row, the Jackson County planning board watered down proposed development regulations following rounds of public comment.

A state election investigator is trying to determine whether a Swain County voting drive targeting the poor and elderly crossed the line from exceptionally ambitious to improper.

How much open space should be required in new developments?

That question has caused the most contention among Jackson County planning board members over the past four months as they have hammered out a revolutionary array of new development regulations.

The General Assembly is considering a bill that could solve a Catch 22 in election law: how to legitimately help nursing home patients vote without creating a climate ripe for abuse.

A group of Realtors and developers challenging the legality of Jackson County’s five-month moratorium on new subdivisions lost the first round in court Thursday (May 24).

The National Park Service has finally chosen sides in the long-standing debate over whether to build a 30-mile road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park backcountry outside Bryson City.

Increased demand for Meals on Wheels services and daily meals for low-income seniors in Jackson County have led to a budget shortfall for the programs.

Whether it’s a new dad catching a breather after his wife’s marathon labor or a grief-stricken daughter who just watched her mother slip away in her arms, overwhelmed hospital visitors sometimes need to escape.

Lately, it seems Ann Melton was born in the wrong century.

During the past two years, Melton has spent more time living in the late 1800s — the days when boarding houses and hitching posts lined Waynesville’s Main Street, when general stores still had butcher counters and bartering was a way of life — than the comparatively humdrum trappings of the 21st century.

Where to put a new Jackson County library is no closer to a resolution following a $20,000 study by a consultant intended to lay the groundwork for building a library.

The region might be at risk of losing an important agricultural research station in Haywood County if a proposed state cost-cutting measure goes through.

REACH of Jackson County, a non-profit that aids victims of domestic violence, is being sued by the family of a woman shot and killed at a domestic violence shelter last September by her deranged husband.

Ray Trine eased past the gatehouse guarding the entrance of a Cashiers development and turned up a gentle road landscaped with boulders, ferns and rhododendrons that give way to the forest.

After years of the public waiting for a new library in Jackson County, county commissioners last week pledged to set aside $4.2 million to start construction in 2008.