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Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:31

River rats test homespun engineering in the Tuck Derby

It is not by swiftness, nor by strength and valor, that races are gained and battles won, but by sheer luck, tenacity and about $8 worth of duct tape. So sayeth we concerning the winners, Drew Cook and Taylor Bennett,…
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:30

Primary election showdown arrives in Cherokee

In Cherokee this week, tribal elections are edging ever closer, with a primary scheduled for Thursday that will whittle the field for principal chief from five to two. While the holiday weekend was dominated by campfires and fireworks, voters and…
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:26

‘I feel their pain’: Keeping pools in working order costs small towns big bucks

Canton was one of the first towns in Western North Carolina to sport a swimming pool, something made possible thanks to the booming economy of the mill town and the large population of working middle-class families it gave rise to.…
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:21

Canton could get hosed by pool woes

The Canton swimming pool is on its last leg and without a major investment of $750,000 to $1 million, the town will be forced to close it within a few years. Canton’s pool has been held together with everything short…
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:20

Popularity has its pitfalls

In the do-you-remember, they-were-right-after-all category, the enormous popularity of Jackson County’s new library has meant finding parking at the renovated courthouse and library addition can sometimes prove a real pain. So much so, Assistant Librarian Liz Gregg has taken to…
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 21:19

Cowboy preacher delivers maverick graduation speech

Graduation ceremonies are, by their nature, boring. The bookend of an educational phase is supposed to be a solemn occasion, launching you into the world with the gravity of education behind you. That’s how they’re designed. And, by and large,…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:49

Everyone up for election in Franklin pledges to run again

When Sam Greenwood retired as Macon County’s manager and almost immediately accepted the same position for the town of Franklin in March of 2008, he made sure everyone clearly understood that his time there was limited. Greenwood wanted to help…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:44

Hotel a tombstone for WNC’s once booming real estate industry

When construction on the lofty Clarion Inn started in 2008, the town of Sylva thought it was finally going to get a recognizable name-brand hotel to help attract visitors and commerce. Three years later, and the Clarion Inn is instead…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:42

Sylva police packed in like sardines

Just stepping inside the Sylva Police Department gives a person an immediate understanding of why Chief Davis Woodard is pushing so hard for a new building. The department’s 14 officers, with one more being hired soon, and its three auxiliary…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:42

Roof on high school library suffers more storm damage

For the second time in as many months, strong winds ripped part of the roof off the school library, known as the media center, at Smoky Mountain High School in Jackson County. Repairs are estimated at more than $700,000, Associate…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:41

Sylva’s appointed aldermen must run for real this fall

Easing congestion on N.C. 107 and general economic development issues look to shape the context of Sylva’s upcoming municipal elections. Three commissioner positions are open. Two landed in their seats via appointments instead of election by voters: Harold Hensley and…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:40

Founder of Cherokee court system reflects on storied legal career

Seventy-six years ago, Harry Martin decided he wanted to become a lawyer. He was 15, and knew little to nothing about the law. Or about being a lawyer, for that matter. If your mental math is swift, you’ll know that…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:35

First encephalitis case of the season reported in Franklin

Public health officials have reported that a child in Macon County has contracted LaCrosse Viral Encephalitis, a potentially serious illness carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. While other mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus are found across the state, LaCrosse…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:34

Need a helping hand on a house? Call Habitat

Haywood Habitat for Humanity is holding an open enrollment through July for prospective new-home partner families. Applicants interested in purchasing a Habitat house must meet the following criteria: resident of Haywood County, income of $20,400 to $30,120 and a good…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:34

Talk explores life and times of Lake Junaluska

A program exploring the history of Lake Juanluska and its influence on Haywood County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on July 11 at the Bethea Welcome Center. The Junaluska Woman’s Club will host the talk by Ernestine Upchurch called…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:33

SMHS grad receives Jackson Paper scholarship

The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a Smoky Mountain High School graduate whose father works at Jackson Paper. This fall, Ridley will enter Southwestern Community College, where she is enrolled in the…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:33

Patient appreciation party for Smoky OB/GYN

Smoky Mountain OB/GYN will hold a patient appreciation day from 1 until 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9. All past, present and future patients are encouraged to attend. There will be a magician, face painting, watermelon, a cakewalk, balloons and refreshments.…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:33

Jackson to sell items from old library

The Jackson County Public Library will hold a “yard sale” on Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. until noon inside the old library. Items in the sale include free-standing bookshelves, chairs, tables, desks, filing cabinets and some miscellaneous items from…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:32

Cackleberry Mountain raffle benefits Good Samaritan Clinic

Cackleberry Mountain’s yearly charitable campaign has returned, and through it, you can purchase a raffle ticket for $3 to benefit The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County, a nonprofit medical clinic serving adults in Haywood County. The clinic provides life-changing…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:31

MedWest foundation names new director

Steve Brown, the former head of the Haywood County Schools Foundation, has been named the director of foundations for three hospitals under MedWest Health System in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties. Brown said he is excited about the opportunity to…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:31

Dowling appointed to HCC trustees

Patsy Dowling, the executive director of Mountain Projects, has been appointed to serve on the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees. Dowling was appointed to the HCC board last week by Haywood County commissioners. She is one of 12 college…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:30

College, schools in Haywood collaborate

Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools have signed an agreement between the schools that will give high school students credit at HCC for certain courses. More than 35 courses are included in the agreement, which will be recognized by…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:30

Canton election field might calm down this year

Two years after its last major shakeup, the entire Canton town board is up for election again, though this time, many aldermen are intent on keeping their seats. In the last election, three new members swept into power from a…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:29

Maggie’s mayor to face challenger in fall election

Rarely is there a lull in political turmoil in Maggie Valley, and this summer is no exception. With election filing only a few days away, Mayor Roger McElroy’s seat will again be up for grabs, as will the spots of…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:28

Waynesville alderwoman won’t run again

In Waynesville, it’s time again for a town board election, marking the end of four-year terms for both the mayor and all four aldermen. The election will be particularly critical with the impending retirement of longtime Town Manager Lee Galloway…
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 19:25

Landslide hazard maps axed by state: Risky slopes in Jackson, Haywood to remain a mystery for now

Republican lawmakers have pulled the plug on the state’s landslide mapping unit, terminating a controversial project to assess which slopes in the mountains are landslide prone. A team of five state geologists working on the maps are being laid-off this…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 13:01

Scholarship winners travel to China

Two $500 scholarships have been awarded to Lella Dougherty of Cherokee County Schools and Sarah Bruegger of Jackson County Schools by the Center for Diversity Education. The scholarships will be used to travel with the Western Region Education Service Alliance…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 13:01

Space still open in theatre camp

Western Carolina University’s Theatre Summer camp has space remaining for campers ages 7 to 17. Registration will run through July 7. The camp will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for 7- to 12-year-olds and from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 13:00

Opportunity to help a community member in need

Money and donations of clothing, furniture and other household items are being accepted at the Swain County Sheriff’s Office to help Michael Harrison, a school resource officer whose home burned down. Harrison was called home to Swain County last Friday…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 13:00

Laity conference begins June 30 at Lake Junaluska

The SEJ Laity Conference, a family experience, will be offered June 30 through July 3 at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. A two-hour “Festival of Families” event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, July 1, and…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:58

Macon steep-slope ordinance inches forward

Macon County’s commissioners want their planning board, if possible, to finish up work on a steep-slope ordinance by August. Commissioner Bobby Kuppers last week also asked planning board members not to give up on the proposed ordinance, but to see…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:58

Strange at best, tacky at worst — library plaque to bear two boards’ names

Jackson County Commissioner Doug Cody said he was as surprised as anyone to learn that his name would be included on a bronze plaque destined to hang on the newly renovated courthouse and library complex. So was his fellow board…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:57

Former commissioner now former college trustee, too

William Shelton is off the local community college’s board of trustees after the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, in a 3-2 vote, instead appointed Dewayne Elders, Commissioner Charles Elders’ son. Shelton, a Democrat, was a former Jackson County commissioner who…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:56

Jackson commissioner keeps on DOT warpath

Jack Debnam, chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, called on Sylva leaders to join him in his bid for increased scrutiny of local N.C. Department of Transportation projects. “I’m not here as a representative of the county commission,”…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:55

Back taxes on Ghost Town help fund festivals in Maggie

Maggie Valley gave the thumbs up to a 2011-12 budget, voting 4-1 to approve the spending plan at a town board meeting last week. The lone dissenter was Alderman Phil Aldridge, who opposed the budget because of its spending. “I…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:55

Community funding pool to aid nonprofits

Macon County non-profit organizations have until July 30 to apply for grants through the Macon County Community Funding Pool. Organizations applying for funds must provide financial statements such as budgets and federal tax-exempt reports, organization goals and objectives and program…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:54

Rolling center offers bone testing

MedWest Health System’s osteoporosis bus provides bone density testing each week to women throughout rural Western North Carolina. Osteoporosis causes bones become brittle and more likely to break. The Osteoporosis Center at MedWest-Haywood is currently the only center accredited in…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:53

Sales keep pace with county’s new values

Property in Haywood County is selling 4 percent higher than the new values on the county’s tax books, refuting criticism that the county blanketly appraised property for more than it was worth. There have been 215 property sales in the…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:51

How right is the reval?

There’s only one way to tell how right — or wrong — Haywood County’s recent property revaluation is. Appraisers attempt to peg the price of house or lot, predicting what a buyer would pay should a ‘for sale’ sign go…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:50

Row over property values in Haywood still raging unabated

Haywood County commissioners continue to be dogged by outcries over new property values. Critics are openly deriding commissioners at every county meeting. They’ve circulated petitions, garnering hundreds of signatures from people who think the county has pegged their property values…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:48

New town of Fontana Dam springs up in the middle of nowhere

It doesn’t take long to survey North Carolina’s newest town; perhaps five minutes, tops. There’s the swanky Fontana Village Resort, the community’s sole employer. Just down the road are an ice cream shop, laundromat, post office and gasoline station. There’s…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:46

Developer loses landmark lawsuit over shoddy roads

By most accounts, calling Art Williams a hands-on developer would be a pretty fair description. For decades, Williams was in the business of subdivision building, first in Florida and then in Western North Carolina. In pretty much everything, his word…
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:44

HAM radio holds on in a high tech world

The term HAM radio doesn’t usually conjure visions of a chic hi-tech world, but usually something closer to, as Al Sanders put it, “a bunch of old gray headed guys talking on the radio.” Sanders heads up a Haywood group…
Thursday, 16 June 2011 18:52

Parts of WNC may remain without power until the weekend

A press release from Duke Energy reports that almost 20,000 customers in the six western counties are without power as of 2 p.m. Thursday, June 16, and about 6,700 of those customers in Swain County may not have their electricity…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:41

Business notes

A Lunch and Learn seminar on “Conquering Arthritis” will be held at 12:30 p.m. on June 20 at MedWest-Haywood. $5. 828.452.8881 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . ••• The Foundation for Angel Medical Center in Franklin has raised over $1.1 million dollars with community…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:38

Business briefs

HomeTrust, Kanini’s win top awards HomeTrust Bank and Kanini’s were honored as the Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year, respectively, at the 2011 Haywood County Chamber of Commerce annual dinner held in June . More than 100 chamber…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:37

WCU elects new student body president

Tony “T.J.” Eaves, a rising Western Carolina University senior from Hamlet, recently was elected 2011-12 WCU student body president. Eaves previously served as chief justice of WCU’s Student Government Association supreme court. Eaves is pursuing a degree in business administration…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:37

MedWest launches free nurse advice phone line

MedWest Health System is now offering a nurse advice line. The MedWest Nurse Line, 1-855-MEDWEST (633-9378) is a call center based service that will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call center is operated by…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:36

Mobile technology comes to SCC

Southwestern Community College is integrating some of its classes into the Web Technology program, which will allow students to develop applications for Android and Apple operating system devices. The classes will look at Android phones and tablets and Apple iPhones,…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:34

Jackson County’s library celebrated at grand opening

Jackson County’s new public library in Sylva kicked off in grand style, with dozens of people on hand to celebrate the grand opening on Saturday. The library complex and the renovated courthouse cost $8 million, with the Friends of the…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:33

Free HIV testing offered in Haywood June 27

National HIV Testing Day is June 27. Free tests will be provided at the Haywood County Health Department all day from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. No appointments are necessary and walk-ins will be accepted. Incentives will be available to…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:32

Teachers explore history during summer institute

“Ideas that Changed the World” will be the focus of the second-annual Explorations in History Summer Institute, a five-day program for teachers that will be held in June at Western Carolina University. This year’s institute will assist teachers in investigating…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:31

Ag breakfast set for farmers, chefs and others

Haywood County’s first Friends of Agriculture breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Friday, June 17, at the Haywood Agricultural Center at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville. This is an opportunity for farmers, chefs and other agriculture…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:31

Summer day camp still accepting students

The Regional Center for the Advancement of Children at Haywood Community College is still accepting children from the ages of 6 to 12 for its summer day camp. The camp runs through August 17. Hours are 7:30 a.m. until 5:30…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:29

Haywood school workers to see forced time off

At least we have our jobs. That seems to be the reaction to cost-cutting measures taken last week by Haywood County Schools in response to up to $4 million in cuts from the federal, state and local funding. More than…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:28

Domestic violence agency pulls through financial crisis

REACH of Jackson County continues to struggle financially, but fears this winter that the agency might actually shut down now seem unlikely. The “village,” a transitional-housing complex for women escaping domestic violence, was bleeding dollars from the nonprofit organization. The…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:27

Dustup over proposed SCC entrance road kicks up again

The tiny town of Webster has suddenly emerged as a player in whether a controversial $12 million entrance road is built into neighboring Southwestern Community College. That’s because the state Department of Transportation wants the town to sign off on…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:26

Webster commissioner resigns

Webster Commissioner Mark Jamison resigned from the town’s board last week, citing unexplained issues with his real job as the community’s postmaster. In a short letter by Jamison read aloud by Mayor Larry Phillips, Jamison said: “My service on the…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:25

WCU gets kudos for sustainability

According to the Princeton Review, Western Carolina University is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada. The Princeton Review chose the colleges after surveying administrators at hundreds of colleges across the continent. One program…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:24

Recycling honors go to HCC

Haywood Community College has received the top ranking in the state in the Recyclemania competition for the second consecutive year. HCC is also ranked as number seven in the nation. Recyclemania is a friendly competition between colleges and universities that…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:23

Green efforts earn HCC national recognition

Haywood Community College has received a silver rating through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). STARS, which was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, is a transparent framework for colleges and universities…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:21

Waynesville coffee hotspot emerges from woes after hiatus

When sewage began flooding out of the floor one January Saturday at Waynesville’s Coffee Zone, Coni Bishop knew things were about to get bad. Bishop was the coffee-and-sandwich shop’s owner. And when she and some staff were working one weekend…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:20

Construction begins on Canton urgent care

MedWest Health System has started construction on an urgent care center along Interstate 40, at Exit 31, in Canton. The location will be the new home of the urgent care center currently located on the MedWest-Haywood campus. MedWest serves western…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:20

Community funding pool to aid nonprofits

Macon County non-profit organizations have until July 30 to apply for grants through the Macon County Community Funding Pool. Organizations applying for funds must provide financial statements such as budgets and federal tax-exempt reports, organization goals and objectives and program…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:19

New database puts criminal files at law enforcement fingertips

Law enforcement officers and court officials are being trained on how to use a new $17 million state database that pulls together everything known about a criminal to the screen of a laptop. Officers using the system will know who…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:17

Teacher training center fighting for survival

The General Assembly’s budget would cut funding for a professional development center for teachers in Cullowhee by nearly half what it was allocated last year, slashing the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching from $6.1 million to $3.1 million.…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:15

State budget showdown: Perdue vetoes budget, but GOP poised to override it

Governor Beverly Perdue nixed the $19.7 billion state budget put on her desk by the General Assembly Sunday, winning herself a place in state history. She is the first governor to veto a budget since veto powers were granted in…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:14

Swain commissioners retool strategy in fight over Fontana dam payments

Swain County commissioners have taken back a request made to the General Assembly in February, in hopes of bolstering their lawsuit against neighboring Graham County over payments on the Fontana Dam. Both counties get payments from the Tennessee Valley Authority…
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 20:11

The science and art of cadaver dog training

“A dog is an amazing thing,” says Orval Banks, smiling wryly and adjusting his faded gray ballcap. He’s explaining the techniques he uses to train dogs, but really, he says, you don’t train a dog. It knows what it’s doing,…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:58

‘Free condoms’ replaced by patch

In Swain County, free condoms aren’t particularly controversial. But the words “free condoms” on a billboard certainly are. At least that’s the position of Swain County commissioners, who ordered the announcement to be whitewashed last week after apparently fielding calls…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:53

Swain DSS to meet to discuss director’s possible dismissal

For now, Swain County Department of Social Services Director Tammy Cagle still has her job. But that might soon be in question after a decision made by the county’s DSS board Monday night. Supporters of the suspended Cagle gathered at…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:53

Learn about food preservation June 9

A free class covering the basics of food preservation will be offered at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library from 1  to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 9. Cheryl Beck, a family and consumer sciences agent with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service,…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:52

Jackson Paper scholarship awarded

The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a senior at Smoky Mountain High School. Her father, Merle Ridley, is a Jackson Paper employee. Ridley will attend Southwestern Community College in the physical therapist…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:52

Lunch and learn in Macon County

This month’s lunch with the League of Women Voters of Macon County will focus on a presentation discussing the background and mission of the organization. The event will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at the Unitarian Universalist…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:51

Discuss world wars with WCU professor

Those interested in the history of world wars can join a new discussion group launched by Western Carolina University history Professor David Dorondo. The group, called Carolina Round Table, will address various aspects of world wars and the interwar period…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:51

Sponsor or volunteer at Cherokee golf tournament

Registration is open for the Meet Me in the Smokies Open at Sequoyah National Golf Club. The event will have a gunshot start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 18. This captain’s choice golf tournament is $100 per golfer. Each…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:50

Few find anything to like in Haywood budget proposal

Haywood County residents told commissioners just what they thought of funding reductions at a hearing last week over the county’s new budget. Thirty people came to the meeting, where commissioners took comments on the 2011-12 budget, which decreases funding to…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:49

Building named after Bardo

After a decade-and-a-half of stable leadership — a situation almost unheard of within the greater University of North Carolina system —Western Carolina University is about to embark on a whirlwind of change. In addition to the replacement of Chancellor John…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:47

Town wants parking scofflaws’ fees to benefit bottom line

Tired of watching a source of possible town revenue end up in the state’s coffers, Sylva wants to start collecting parking fees at the town hall. Last week, commissioners tweaked the language of the proposed parking ordinance, clarifying that only…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:47

Cashiers rec center gets green light

The Cashiers Recreation Center is back on track following a unanimous vote this week by Jackson County commissioners to move forward with the $8 million project. Commissioners voted to use money from the county’s fund balance instead of taking out…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:46

Interim no more – Wooten to remain Jackson manager

Jackson County commissioners this week voted unanimously to keep Chuck Wooten on for at least another year as county manager. Wooten will receive an annual base salary of $120,747.96, plus benefits. County commissioners asked Wooten in January to serve as…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:45

Money available for railroad, if commissioners ink deal

No actual decision was made, but County Manager Chuck Wooten told commissioners this week that they have $95,176 set aside in the budget if they want to give the money, as requested, to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The money…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:44

Canton’s Imperial grill set for July opening

A merger is afoot in Canton that will bring together two staples of the town’s downtown scene. Soon, the Canton Lunch Box, a fixture of the town’s business community, will join forces with the Imperial Hotel, an equally prominent fixture…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:36

Jackson’s new library might be economic boon

Set high on a mountaintop above Sylva, the historic courthouse has long been a focal point in this Jackson County town, attracting droves of visitors and professional and amateur photographers alike. And with a just-finished retooling and addition of a…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:35

Noise ordinance in Sylva getting tweaked tighter

Sylva leaders are looking to tighten the town’s noise ordinance on the heels of complaints by one of their own. Commissioner Harold Hensley, who lives in the N.C. 107 area of Sylva, said he took calls a few weeks ago…
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 19:32

Reid Brown under investigation for work in district attorney’s office

The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether Reid Brown, a former assistant district attorney in Waynesville, handled any cases improperly during his three years as a prosecutor. The SBI would not elaborate on the scope or nature of the…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:11

News in brief

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and year in review is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on June 2. The chamber will honor leaders in the business community with awards. The dinner will be held at Laurel Ridge Country…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:09

Cherokee chief candidates debate tribe’s dependency on Harrah’s

Diversify is the buzzword in Cherokee, where candidates in the upcoming primary are facing off over how to move away from Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino as the tribe’s sole breadwinner. With the primary just a month away, five candidates…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:08

Swain citizens might get seat at the table as North Shore money trickles in

After a decades-long battle to get it, the first interest payments on Swain County’s North Shore Road settlement are finally starting to trickle in. Now to figure out what to do with it. Of the $52 million payout, given to…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:07

Maggie festival grounds still trying to prove its mettle

When the town of Maggie Valley bought a grassy field to serve as a town festival grounds in 2005, the hope was that it would bring new visitors and new life to the town’s flagging tourism industry. Since then, there…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:02

Doctor: Authorities did not do enough

About two years ago, a sting was set to take place at a party in the Hickory Knoll area outside of Franklin. Inside the house, the Macon County Sheriff’s Department was told, there was a 47-year-old woman — the former…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:01

Living at the top has some down sides

Living in Cashiers has certain perks: There is a beautiful lake to play on, gorgeous homes to live in and lovely vistas to enjoy. There also are nice restaurants, great gift shops and even an upscale Ingles grocery store that…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 19:00

Cashiers, Glenville show their pull in the polls

The three new Jackson commissioners — Jack Debnam, Charles Elders and Doug Cody — owe their victory last fall in part to the Cashiers and Glenville communities, where they won by margins of nearly 3 to 1. Though they won…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 18:57

Cashiers recreation center might finally become reality

Jackson County commissioners say it’s high time Cashiers gets its due: an $8 million recreation center as pay back for the disproportional share of property taxes carried by the affluent homeowners there. Blueprints for a Cashiers recreation center have been…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 18:56

Will WCU ever see Kimmel pledge fulfilled?

Six years ago, amid great fanfare, Joe Kimmel pledged $6.9-million dollars to Western Carolina University. Based on that pledge, with payments expected to come in over an eight-year period, WCU went forward with a new school: the Joe W. Kimmel…
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 18:51

Haywood Schools’ leaders claim call for education reform misdirected

Above national average. Above state average. Highest regional composite ranking. These are a few of the phrases that stand out in a recent letter from Haywood County Schools Superintendent Anne Garrett and Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte. The missive is not…
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 22:36

HVO donates medical supplies to global relief organization

Haywood Vocational Opportunities has donated 103,500 black medical table covers to AmeriCares, a global disaster relief organization that delivers medicine and supplies to those in need around the world. The donation is being shipped to the AmeriCares warehouse in Haiti…
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 22:35

MedWest urgent care centers opening in Sylva, Canton

MedWest Health System is expanding its access to health care to the communities served by its hospitals in three counties. A third urgent care center will soon be available in Jackson County and a new one will be built in…
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 22:34

Solar panels helping to power foot and ankle clinic

The rooftops of both offices of Smoky Mountain Foot and Ankle Clinic are now equipped with solar electric modules that will generate electricity through solar energy. Sundance Power Systems installed the panels at both the Waynesville and Asheville locations. The…
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