Mobile home standards to be updated in Waynesville

New standards and stricter definitions for manufactured homes in Waynesville could make it easier to develop manufactured home parks, under proposed changes that will soon go before the Waynesville Board of Aldermen.

One house at a time: Bug lady keeps WNC homes pest-free

Before Karen Walston began running her first extermination route 16 years ago, she had no plans to become The Bug Lady of WNC. At the time, she was doing a part-time office job for a bigger pest control company, but when she asked for more hours she got more than she bargained for.

Developer takes Jackson to court over permit denial

Denial of a permit to build a 388-bed student housing complex in Cullowhee will land Jackson County in court after Atlanta-based Mallory & Evans Development filed a motion asking for a judge to overturn the decision.

Bryson Senior Living close to completion

When Bryson Senior Living, an assisted living facility in Swain County, opens in January, a major void in the community will finally be filled.

Permit denied for Cullowhee development

A controversial request to build a 388-bed student housing complex on South Painter Road in Cullowhee was denied this week following a three-hour hearing before the Cullowhee Community Planning Council, but the decision could be tested if the developer opts to challenge it in court. 

New residence hall planned for WCU

Designs for a new 600-bed residence hall at Western Carolina University met approval from the WCU Board of Trustees June 2, putting the project on track to house students starting in the fall 2019 semester. 

South Painter Road development approved

A Georgia developer hoping to build a 388-bed student housing complex in Cullowhee has cleared two of three major hurdles to starting construction.

Stalled student housing project could revive

Two years have passed since developers first got approval to build a student housing complex along South Painter Road in Cullowhee, though not a shovel of earth was ever turned. But the stalled project could move forward this summer if a handful of Jackson County boards give approval.

An uphill battle: Without parental support, finishing college is hard

Sophia Calhoun was 9 years old the day the world changed. Her mother died, leaving her dad to care for Calhoun and her younger sister. When her father passed away four years later, the two girls were officially branded orphans, wards of the state.

Student center aims to reach parentless students, increase graduation rates

On virtually any college campus, they’re there — students who have recently exited foster care, are homeless, wards of the state, or orphaned. And most of the time, they’re invisible, blending in with the student body at large and keeping their struggles wrapped in a tight armor of privacy. 

A new initiative at Western Carolina University, however, will reach out and serve those students in a way that no other college in the state is doing. 

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