Haywood EDC board evolves
Details are scarce, but a Jan. 4 letter from the Haywood Chamber of Commerce is clear: the Haywood Economic Development…
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Leaps and bounds: Changes coming fast in Frog Level
As one of Waynesville’s three “urban” cores, Frog Level holds an identity as distinct as any other. Of late, that…
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Protect and serve: Sylva Police Department pilots social work program
On May 25, 2020, the world watched as 46-year-old George Floyd died slowly beneath the knee of a Minnesota police…
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You may have unclaimed property being held by the state
If you’re looking for some quick, easy money — and who isn’t? — you could buy a lottery ticket or…
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Democrats continue campaigning in NC-14
Congressional maps are still hung up in court and candidate filing still hasn’t resumed, but that didn’t stop the five…
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Harriet Tubman statue moves on
The statue of Harriet Tubman that has been standing at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva depicts a woman in motion.…
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Jackson looks at cost-saving options for pool project
Due to rising construction costs, estimates for the total cost of the new Jackson County Pool currently exceed the original…
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Shining Rock expansion in the works
Shining Rock Classical Academy may have just opened the doors to its new building at the start of this school…
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Anchored at Kituwah: After 138 years, Cherokee will reclaim its Mother Town as sovereign territory
A restless autumn wind ripples through the valley, passing over green fields, across turned-up garden plots and through tall rows…
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Sen. Kevin Corbin is ‘considering’ a run in NC-14
Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s decision to leave his 14th Congressional District seat open has already produced a “ripple effect” of electoral…
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Lake Junaluska Announces Drawdown of Water Levels
Lake Junaluska has opened its dam to draw down the lake, which will allow for the removal of silt from…
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A weeklong celebration of MLK at WCU
Western Carolina University’s Martin Luther King Jr. weeklong celebration will be highlighted this year with speaker Charisse Burden-Stelly’s keynote address…
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Haywood deputies seize pound of illegal drugs
Within 24 hours, Haywood County Sheriff’s Deputies seized over a pound of illegal drugs resulting in four arrests and multiple…
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Jackson County tourism stronger than ever
Tourism in Jackson County is set to break all records for fiscal year 2021-22, and for the first time ever,…
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Jackson County uses ARP funds to purchase policing equipment
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has approved the use of American Rescue Plan funds to buy a new integrated…
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WCU to resume in-person classes, with precautions
Despite surging cases caused by the Omicron variant, Western Carolina University will start the spring semester as scheduled Jan. 10…
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Cases surge with Omicron arrival
The arrival of the extremely contagious Omicron variant in conjunction with holiday travel and gatherings has caused a spike in…
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Discussions begin for Jackson skatepark
Discussions for a skatepark in Jackson County are set to begin in January when Parks and Recreation Director Rusty Ellis…
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EBCI hopes to expand Qualla Boundary by 3 acres
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will seek to expand its trust lands by 3.088 acres following a unanimous vote…
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Tribal Council balks at ‘no hunting’ request for Hall Mountain
Despite an impassioned plea for immediate action from the tribe’s Natural Resource Department, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted unanimously last…
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Jackson, Macon work to resolve boundary line
Taxpayers who own property straddling the Macon-Jackson County line may notice changes to their ad valorem tax bills next year.
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Haywood reports six COVID deaths in 10 days
In the last 10 days, Haywood County has mourned the loss of six more people to COVID-19. They ranged in…
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Weather update from Haywood County Schools
Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Notle said the county will be dealing with potential winter weather schedule changes in…
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FAKE NEWS FREAKOUT! SEASON 6!!
Well, here we are. It’s the 394th of December 2020, and not much has changed in the way of misinformation…
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Is it 2022, or 2020 part 2?
Looking back to early 2021, we all thought this was going to be our year. I mean, how could it…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Mr. Miyagi Award
We’ve been told that participation trophies are the devil, but we’re also certain that everybody who has lived through 2021…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Tale of Two Statues Award
The Town of Sylva and Jackson County share this award for the two opposing statues that occupied downtown Sylva this…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The ‘Cool Mom’ Award
Amy Poehler’s character in “Mean Girls” memorably conferred this title on herself back in 2004, and like that character, the…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Improv Award
The Cherokee Tribal Council displayed profound mastery of improv’s cornerstone rule of thumb, “Yes, and,” as it spent much of…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Happy Hour Award
Residents of the Qualla Boundary and Robbinsville can now join the rest of the state in a collective 5 p.m.…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Nicolas Cage Award
This one goes to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which, like the much-memed Hollywood actor, just seems to be…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Gambler Award
As Kenny Rogers famously sang, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Monkeywrench Award
This award goes to the members of the Waynesville Task Force on Homelessness who were hell bent on not doing…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Rumble Award
Rumble is a women’s newsletter started by the female staff members at The Smoky Mountain News. The tagline for Rumble…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Grinch Award
The Grinch Award goes to Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran, but not for the reasons you may think. We know…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Being A Woman Award
Maggie Valley Town Planner Kaitland Finkle has experience in her field, multiple master’s degrees and a clear, coherent way of…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Better Late Than Never Award
As the late, great rocker Tom Petty once opined, “The waiting is the hardest part,” and it sure seemed that…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Person of the Year Award
This year was a challenging year in so many ways, but that was especially true in Western North Carolina.
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Mr. Congeniality Award
And what a year it was for Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers.
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Spoof Awards 2021: The WTF Award
The first-ever award for mismanaging and destroying a longstanding community institution goes to … that longstanding community institution itself.
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Spoof Awards 2021: Sashay My Way Award
When legendary Drag Queen RuPaul kicks a queen off his reality tv show for up and coming drag queens, he…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Most Likely to Get My Vote Award
The winner of this year’s “most likely to get my vote award,” goes to John Hinton. While other politicians seem…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Carpetbagger Award
As if Henderson County native David Madison Cawthorn’s meteoric rise to fame wasn’t surprising enough, Cawthorn’s Nov. 11 announcement that…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Good Sport Award (a.k.a. Bullsh*t Award)
All teachers everywhere are recipients of the Bullsh*t Award every year for what they have to put up with, whether…
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Spoof Awards 2021: Woke Citizens Award
Cullowhee Valley School stole the running for the Woke Citizens Award when it voted to retire its outdated Rebel mascot,…
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Spoof Awards 2021: The Winter of Our Discontent Award
After 27 years of loyal service to the Main Street merchant community in Waynesville, Wall Street Books got booted. The…
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Grandfather Mountain animal habitats prepare for winter
Trimming a tree for the holidays? So are Grandfather Mountain’s resident elk. Each year, the resident animals at Grandfather Mountain receive…
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‘I’ve just never seen water that angry’
By Bill Graham • Special to SMN | Poet T.S. Eliot wrote that there’s something about growing up beside a…
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Haywood Eye Care celebrates 70 years
Haywood Family Eye Care has been a fixture of eye care in Western North Carolina for nearly 70 years.
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Omicron spreading fast
Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 120 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week compared to 156…
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