Moratorium debate reveals deep rift in Jackson
The debate over a proposed moratorium on new subdivisions in Jackson County is divided into two main camps: those who…
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Fontana library system has deep roots
The six libraries in Macon, Jackson and Swain counties are part of the Fontana Regional Library system, headquartered at Marianna…
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Crowded, contentious hearing remains civil
More than 1,300 people crowded into the public hearing last week over a proposed moratorium on new subdivisions in Jackson…
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Plan to buy building with room tax hike meets opposition
A push to move the Swain County Chamber of Commerce into a vacant bank building is meeting resistance from some…
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WCU launches ambitious $40 million campaign
Western Carolina University Chancellor John W. Bardo has officially launched the first comprehensive fundraising campaign in the university’s 118-year history,…
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Downtown Waynesville wi-fi to go live by April
Since Suzanne Gernandt opened Textures in downtown Waynesville three years ago, she’s noticed one question in particular has been on…
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This time, neighbors want Wal-Mart’s drawing power
With Wal-Mart’s future in Franklin in limbo, business owners near the existing big-box store continue to worry they’ll lose the…
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Project will track growing number of lots
As Western North Carolina wrestles with growth issues, a project is under way to track where and how large mountain…
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Emotions build in run-up to moratorium hearing
Frenzy surrounding a proposed moratorium on new subdivisions in Jackson County reached a fever pitch in the run-up to a…
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Easley urges legislature to fix Medicaid woes
For years, county leaders have been lobbying law makers in Raleigh to stop packing off a portion of Medicaid costs…
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River group considers car removal from Tuck
A fledgling effort now under way could lead to the cleanup of junked cars lining the banks of the Tuckasegee…
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Wi-Fi part of regional wireless initiative
A new 8.5-mile fiber optic cable linking government buildings in Waynesville has recently been installed.
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Swain seats new planning board
One Swain County resident expressed concern last week that developers and speculators will rush to break ground on mountainside subdivisions…
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Plug pulled on downtown Sylva taxing district
The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support…
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Opponents lining up to challenge Chief Hicks
Even before filing opens March 1, four candidates have emerged to challenge Principal Chief Michell Hicks for the top leadership…
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Haywood leaders say tax hike a possibility to meet needs
Haywood County commissioners suggested they could be amenable to a slight property tax increase this year if there is something…
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Ghost Town deal with state should expedite May opening
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The owner of Ghost Town in the Sky and the North Carolina Department of…
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Election controversy plagues Swain
When Commissioner Glenn Jones pulled into the Stillhouse Branch trailer park in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Swain County…
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New golf course owner promises major upgrades
Following several years of decline and neglect, Smoky Mountain Golf Course in Whittier has been wrested away from its out-of-state…
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Haywood organizations honored for their environmental efforts
The Commission for a Clean County has announced the first place and honorable mention winners of its 2006 Haywood County…
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Development industry opposes subdivision moratorium
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer A group of about 20 angry Realtors and developers showed up uninvited at a…
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Twenty questions
Jackson County commissioners have called for a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on new subdivision development while the planning…
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DSA drops special tax proposal
The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support…
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Greenwood’s slow exit gives Macon leaders rare chance
When Macon County Manager Sam Greenwood retires at the end of this year, he’ll take with him more than three…
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Sylva leaders to discuss proposed downtown tax
Controversy among downtown Sylva merchants and property owners could either escalate or come to a close this week, depending on…
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Swain makes appointments to first planning board
Swain County leaders took the first step toward regulating unchecked growth and development this week by appointing the county’s first-ever…
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Stamey named new Haywood EMS director
Canton native Marty Stamey has been named the new director of Haywood County’s Emergency Medical Services program.
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Rural growth prompts ambulance response time debate
As the population in the rural areas of Haywood County grows, leaders are being faced with the question of whether…
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Jackson may put temporary stop to growth
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Jackson County commissioners have taken the first step toward temporarily stopping new subdivision development,…
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Time to get in on Haywood 2008 bicentennial
It’s still 11 months away, but organizers of a year-long Haywood County bicentennial celebration in 2008 are already counting down…
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Emergency room group sues HRMC
A long-time group of emergency room doctors in Haywood County filed a lawsuit against Haywood Regional Medical Center this week.
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Betting on the future
In a suite on the 16th floor of Harrah’s Cherokee hotel and casino, Cherokee leaders happily milled about as an…
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Upping the ante
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is placing a $650 million bet that visitors…
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WCU buys on-campus commercial buildings
Western Carolina University is now the proud owner of the strip of commercial property known locally as the downtown Cullowhee…
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TDA has equal parts Maggie Valley, Waynesville
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners have appointed two new members to the Tourism Development Authority board: Deborah Reed, a…
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Swain election investigation could be two months away
The North Carolina Election Board says it could be another month or two before someone can make the trip from…
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Meal deal at Swain jail worth as much as $100,000 annually, new sheriff says
Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has estimated how much his predecessor might have made under the table feeding jail inmates:…
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Franklin declines to help shopping center owner keep Wal-Mart
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Franklin town officials have turned down a request made by the owners of the…
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Economic commission overhaul stalls over board make-up
An overhaul of economic development strategy in Jackson County has temporarily stalled over who will be in charge.
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Downtown Sylva Association weighs the benefits of a taxing district
When Howard Alligood heard about a group of Sylva merchants lobbying for a special downtown tax, he got a little…
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Town leaders say property owner opinions will be deciding factor in downtown tax
Leaders of the Downtown Sylva Association are drumming up support for a special taxing district that would raise money to…
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Sylva may decrease size of proposed taxing district
Leaders of a downtown Sylva movement are considering downsizing a proposed special taxing district to encompass only the core downtown…
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The school of fish: Haywood students raise fish to re-introduce into a cleaner Pigeon River
Students in Haywood County are on the front lines of an ambitious effort to reintroduce a slew of native species…
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The Pigeon flies again: Long-time fish advisory on fish consumption lifted
Thanks to major environmental investments by Blue Ridge Paper Products in Canton, the last advisory against eating fish downstream of…
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More questions raised in Maggie land deal
New developments have emerged involving the the purchase of a small piece of land in Maggie Valley by the town…
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Macon joins other participants in drug discount program
Sarah Kucharski • Staff writer A new prescription drug discount card soon will be available to Macon County residents.
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Haywood leaders mull prison recruitment: Minimum-security site reportedly needed in western part of state
Haywood County commissioners are once again pondering the idea of recruiting a state prison.
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Swain chairman accused of handling absentee ballots
Clerk talks: Dennis Stephenson, a clerk at the Bryson City post office, supplied the following statement in an affidavit taken…
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Voter intimidation alleged in Swain election
Two Swain County residents claim they were victims of illegal voter intimidation during the November election.
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Voter testimony
The following testimony was provided by Rhonda Bedsaul, 47, of Swain County. A similar account was provided by Bedsaul’s husband,…
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