Although the closure of Ghost Town in the Sky several years back has left many Maggie Valley businesses struggling just to keep their doors open, others like the half-century-old Joey’s Pancake House and the 15-year-old Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum have continued to succeed despite slowly climbing tourism numbers amidst the lingering aftertaste of the worst recession in living memory.

Dr. Kristen Hammett had just left the current Haywood County Animal Shelter when she appeared before the Haywood County Board of Commissioners Sept. 6, clad in her familiar teal T-shirt emblazoned with the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter logo.

Charter schools have long been touted by proponents as an innovative and enticing option for parents of children in low-performing schools, but according to numbers recently released by the North Carolina State Board of Education, charters had both a higher percentage of failing schools and a higher percentage of excellent schools.

School performance indicators issued last week paint a picture of a very good Haywood County School System that continues to improve but is still haunted by a few troubling issues.

A request by Gov. Pat McCrory to reinstate North Carolina’s 2013 voter identification requirement and shortened early voting period was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court last week.

Haywood County political activists hope to hold a gun rights rally on the grounds of the Historic Haywood County Courthouse just days before the General Election in November.

The Canton Board of Aldermen was in high spirits Aug. 25 even before Town Manager Seth Hendler-Voss walked in to the meeting five minutes late.

The future site of Shining Rock Classical Academy at 1023 Dellwood Road isn’t in the town limits of Waynesville, but that hasn’t stopped the Lake Junaluska Assembly from asking town aldermen to annex the parcel so it can receive municipal services.

A high water table wreaking havoc with aging septic systems that has left some residents in one Waynesville neighborhood seeking creative answers to nature’s call is finally drawing attention from the town, while at least one homeowner watches his pipe dream go down the drain.

A task force studying the issue of affordable housing in Haywood County since March recently issued findings presenter Dona Stewart called “sobering” and “multi-faceted.”

Anecdotal accounts of a tight housing market have long swirled about Haywood County, but a quick look at hard data shows why a task force has been studying the issue of affordable housing since March.

Despite a perfect score on its application, Haywood County was not awarded tax credits that would have helped developers turn the old county hospital into low-income housing units for the elderly, disabled and veterans. 

Admittedly, the issue of recording work sessions and regular board meetings on video would be mostly moot if the public took more of an interest in them; indeed, Haywood County Board of Education Chairman Chuck Francis expressed his “disappointment” in low attendance at the meetings.

Just prior to the Haywood County Board of Education’s work session on Aug. 4, Chairman Chuck Francis unilaterally decreed that the meeting’s required minutes would be recorded manually.

The recent ruling out of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit may have county elections boards across North Carolina grappling with required changes in time for November’s General Election, but things are proceeding smoothly in Haywood County, according to Robert Inman, director of the Haywood County Board of Elections.

Haywood County commissioners are considering an ordinance that would ensure that certain types of developments do not pose adverse effects to residents.

Earlier today, Haywood County Board of Education Chairman Chuck Francis reversed his controversial decision to stop taping the board’s work sessions.

Waynesville’s new town manager won’t take the helm until Aug. 22, but The Smoky Mountain News was recently able to speak at length with Rob Hites, 64, to learn more about who he is, where he’s been, and what he hopes to accomplish in Waynesville.

When hiring a new employee in any profession, the focus is first and foremost on professional qualifications, as it obviously should be. 

Sharon and James Earley had sought unsuccessfully for almost two years to have their property removed from Waynesville’s downtown taxing district, until a recently passed law gave them new hope that their wish would finally be granted. 

While motivating oneself to wake up early and hit the gym may be a constant struggle for some, whenever that nagging desire to roll over and go back to bed strikes, just think of Lewis Langston.

The Gracie family is well known to martial arts enthusiasts across the world; as perhaps the only martial arts practitioners as recognizable as Bruce Lee, the Gracies practically invented the modern form of Jiu Jitsu, known as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Enjoy working out like a fighter but hate getting punched in the face? Then a new fitness franchise concept in Clyde might just be the thing for you. 

Brenda O’Keefe has dozens, if not hundreds, of stories about the people who have passed through her life at Joey’s Pancake House since 1966.

The recent announcement of one business’s relocation plans in Canton may lead to other Asheville-area corporations — and residents — considering the town as a convenient, affordable alternative to living and working in Buncombe County.

Haywood County’s Central Elementary School has been declared “surplus” school board property and will be disposed of according to proper procedures. 

Some surprising statistics regarding drug testing in Haywood County schools have raised questions about the policy’s cost and effectiveness.

In the second quarter of 2016, Burnsville Republican State Rep. Michelle Presnell only received one contribution that wasn’t from a political action committee, a professional association or another candidate.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times — the second quarter, that is.

After almost three years with the town of Waynesville, Amie Owens is out as administrative services director.

Ruling that North Carolina’s 2013 voter identification law purposely targets African-Americans with “almost surgical precision,” the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit struck down the measure last Friday, stating that there was evidence that “because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history.”

If you find yourself charged with a crime and can’t afford an attorney, one will be provided to you; if you can’t afford your utility bills, support programs exist; if you can’t work, unemployment assistance is available.

A new state law calling for more competition and transparency in how Municipal Service Districts are managed sent shudders down the collective spines of some on the Waynesville Town Board when they learned that the contracts to manage such districts would now have to go up for bid.

The same 2015 law that robs local governments of control over how and for how long they can contract with the organizations that manage their Municipal Service Districts also dictates that local governments now formally address requests from property owners who wish to be removed from an MSD.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires permits for a number of activities beyond simply camping — getting married, holding political rallies or scattering a loved one’s ashes, for example. Among those activities is commercial filming.

Miles and miles of film have been shot in Haywood County, but it’s not just about national recognition or local prestige — it’s big business, and Haywood County wants a piece of the action.

Peru: We travel to different countries. It’s our fifth festival this year, already two in France. We like a lot of the people, so friendly. The people is really friendly, the place is really beautiful. We think you have a different city not like other festivals and different in this part of the country, and we love it so much.

After talking with staff, volunteers and last year’s groups, Folkmoot Executive Director Angie Schwab decided that this year, she wanted to give performers more of a chance to experience contemporary American culture.

In May, the auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center was dedicated to a man instrumental in establishing Waynesville and its environs as one of the most important centers of folk culture in the nation.

Just prior to the 2016 Folkmoot Wanderlust Gala, Folkmoot staff, sound technicians, photographers and performers scurried about behind the stage.

Rolf Kaufman has been a fixture on the Folkmoot scene since before it even began, bringing people from foreign lands together and welcoming them to Western North Carolina much as he himself was welcomed here from a foreign land 70 years ago.

Everyone in Western North Carolina knows that once the Smokies shed their winterwear and the trees begin to bud, summer’s coming. They also know that when the dog days hit, the most refreshing thing going is Folkmoot USA’s International Folk Festival.

At least one local property owner plans to take advantage of a new law allowing for withdrawal from Waynesville’s Municipal Service District.

Ballots have been finalized in Haywood County for November’s General Election, and while a number of national and state campaigns have thus far overshadowed local races, that won’t last much longer.

Arguments were heard in Haywood County Superior Court July 19 in the matter of Melrose v. The Haywood County Board of Education, at the center of which is the closing of Central Elementary School.

The pungent aroma of morning dew was still in the air and Kelly Sutton had just opened the Big Creek Country Store for the day when the cowbell mounted on the outside of the screen door issued an assertive and punctual clank.

The 110th Canton Labor Day Festival schedule released on July 11 shows that organizers have been working just as hard as the Western North Carolina workers the festival seeks to honor. The South’s longest-running Labor Day festival takes place Sept. 4-5 in downtown Canton.

Earlier today it was announced that Ghana and Romania will not be joining in on the Folkmoot festivities as planned.