WNC students benefit from strong partnerships
The Southwestern Commission is working with partners around the region to help alleviate some of the challenges associated with broadband…
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WCU historian, class watch developing Russia-Ukraine crisis
CULLOWHEE – David Dorondo, an associate professor of history at Western Carolina University, is watching the escalating tension between Ukraine…
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COVID-Infected Workers Force Mission to Redeploy Dwindling Staff, Postpone Surgeries
By PETER H. LEWIS, Asheville Watchdog Staggered by COVID-19 infections, both among incoming patients and its own healthcare staff, Mission…
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‘Dear Martin’ pulled from Tuscola class
Students at Tuscola High School will no longer be able to read “Dear Martin,” (Crown Publishing Group, 2017) after administration…
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End in sight for long-running Haywood landfill debacle
Work to remediate a leaky, gassy mound just northeast of Waynesville that has been nothing but an expensive headache for…
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Haywood reboots economic development arm
Unaffordable housing, a lack of broadband infrastructure, a staggeringly low unemployment rate and a relatively high number of job openings…
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Growing pains: region reckons with development
Western North Carolina is growing, there’s no doubt about it. And as it does, there are bound to be growing…
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Broadband a vital factor in Jackson’s growth
Broadband will be an important part of any and all future growth in Jackson County. Now, reliable Wi-Fi is free…
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Development in Swain driven by tourism
Development for Swain County often looks much different than other counties, mostly because Swain has such a limited amount of…
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Retailers move into Franklin
Despite the pandemic, the town of Franklin has seen an influx of new retailers in the last year.
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Jackson municipal grants approved
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has approved three municipal grants for the towns of Sylva, Webster and Dillsboro.
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Pisgah Bears unlikely to play on home turf this fall
There’s a 1% chance football will be played at Pisgah Memorial Stadium come fall. That is according to an estimation…
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Knife wielding suspect apprehended on Russ Ave
Waynesville Police Chief David Adams released details of an incident that occurred in the roadway this afternoon involving a female…
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Lt. Shell graduates jail administrator institute
Forty-one jail administrators from across the state, including Lt. Chris Shell with the Haywood County Sheriff's Office, graduated on Jan.…
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Franklin man convicted of starting fire on federal land
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced that a federal jury sitting in Asheville found Casey Lee Evans,…
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Free COVID-19 Testing Site Open in Haywood
Haywood County Health and Human Services is partnering with Optum Serve and Lake Junaluska Assembly to offer free COVID-19 diagnostic…
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New electoral maps OK, says court
Following months of public hearings across the state where voters from all sides decried racial and partisan gerrymandering, the Republican-dominated…
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Campground, RV moratorium passes in Maggie Valley
Anyone looking to create a new campground or RV park in Maggie Valley is out of luck. For the next…
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Maggie Valley board walks back food truck decision
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen walked back a decision it made Jan. 11 denying Harvest Moon Crepes food truck…
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Unexpectedly high bids could clog up Waynesville sewer project
There’s been no more pressing issue in Waynesville during the past two administrations than the replacement of the town’s aging…
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Resident debate: Student, professor field death threats amid debate on diversity training
Since a Western Carolina University student took to national news this month to air her concerns about the school’s gender…
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Canton aims for all-abilities playground
As Canton focuses on rebuilding town facilities damaged by the flood, elected leaders there aren’t just looking to put things…
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Waynesville will explore establishment of social districts
A piece of legislation passed last year has given rise to a novel idea that could liven up outdoor festivals…
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Winter Storm Diego prompts state of emergency in Haywood County
Around a foot of heavy, wet snow that started yesterday afternoon and continued through the night brought down trees, snapped…
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Mountain Projects to receive major gift
The effort to bring more workforce housing to Haywood County will receive a significant boost thanks to an anonymous donor’s…
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Up in the air: Challenges await Canton in the coming year
By the summer of 2021 things seemed to be on the up-and-up in North Carolina, and in Haywood County’s microcosm…
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State grants available for homeowners with flood damage
Some homeowners who received limited insurance or FEMA assistance to help repair damage associated with Tropical Storm Fred may now…
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NC Scottish Rite donates to WCU summer reading program
The Western Carolina University Speech and Hearing Clinic will be expanding its recently launched summer reading program to reach a…
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Mentoring organization recruiting volunteers
January is National Mentoring Month, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is celebrating those who are already volunteering…
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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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