With an eye on safety, Maggie Valley passes protest ordinance
Some new rules will be in place for all future protest activity in Maggie Valley after the town’s board unanimously…
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Third COVID-19 related death in Macon County
A Macon County resident diagnosed with COVID-19 has died. The person was over the age of 65 and had underlying…
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Sylva asks county to remove Confederate monument
A final decision is likely on the fate of the Confederate statue looking out over downtown Sylva after the town…
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Back to school plans for Swain County
Swain County will be operating this fall under a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. Parents can choose Plan B,…
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Macon schools offer virtual option
Parents of Macon County students will have to choose their child’s learning plan for fall semester by July 31.
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Haywood chooses hybrid plan for school reopenings
As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to grow in both size and scope, educators across the country and the state have…
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Teachers concerned for school safety
The start of this school year has been a topic fraught with debate about student needs, logistical hurdles and funding…
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Colleges, universities announce plans for fall 2020
In less than three weeks, classes will resume at Western North Carolina’s institutions of higher learning, and while instruction won’t…
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‘We’ve got your back’: Large Franklin gathering shows support for law enforcement
A rally hosted by Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland in downtown Franklin July 25 drew hundreds of law enforcement officers…
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Public records laws complicate law enforcement transparency
Despite the complexity of discussions surrounding reform and accountability in American law enforcement, it’s likely that many issues would disappear…
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‘Zoom bomb’ shows shortcomings of virtual meetings
Since the Coronavirus Pandemic began, Zoom meetings have become a commonplace replacement for government meetings that would otherwise take place…
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Nursing home outbreak: ‘What we really feared’
Despite seemingly doing everything right, a long-term care facility in Haywood County is now reporting 36 cases of COVID-19, spread…
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Haywood superintendent reinstated after investigation into controversial post
After being temporarily relieved of his day-to-day duties on July 13 following a controversial July 10 Facebook post, Haywood County…
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Cawthorn: Davis, Democrats are ‘racist’
Two congressional candidates vying to represent a district where one municipality has already passed a resolution exploring reparations for its…
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Special meeting called in Maggie Valley for protest ordinance
In response to an adversarial demonstration that took place on July 18 and in anticipation of a repeat on Aug.…
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COVID-19 cluster found in Waynesville
A COVID-19 cluster at Waynesville Pharmacy has been identified after five current or former employees there tested positive for the…
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Officer-involved shooting occurs in Canton
A Haywood County deputy is recovering from surgery and a suspect is dead following an incident July 28 in which…
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COVID-19 cluster identified at Cashiers church
The Jackson County Department of Public Health has identified a COVID-19 cluster in a local church. Eight individuals who attended…
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Haywood County reports two COVID-19 related deaths
Haywood County Health and Human Services is reporting the first two COVID-19 associated deaths in Haywood County. Both individuals died…
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Congress passes legislation to fund parks, conservation
The environmental community has been celebrating since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act July 22,…
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Zoom bombers halt Sylva town meeting
A Town of Sylva meeting in which commissioners intended to discuss a resolution regarding the Confederate monument ended abruptly this…
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Respected WNC journalist, advocate dies at 92
Alfred Douglas “Doug” Reed, one of Western North Carolina’s most respected journalists and community advocates and a key leader through…
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A tale of two rallies: Americans on all sides want change, but don’t want to change
Black lives matter. All lives matter. Defund the police. Back the badge. Take it down. Leave it up. Heritage. Hate.…
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Backing the badge
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers less than two months ago has added new…
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Ground breaks on Catawba casino
Four months after the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians filed suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to…
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Coronavirus cluster found at Cherokee casino
Five employees at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee have tested positive for COVID-19, and the investigation is ongoing, according…
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COVID-19: County cases continue to increase
Jackson County has seen a steady growth in active COVID-19 cases in the last week as an outbreak was reported…
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Haywood redirects economic development funding
After more than two years of funding an economic development partnership between the Haywood and Asheville chambers of commerce that’s…
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Candidates file for Haywood school board race
Up until last week, the nonpartisan races for four school board seats — plus the chairman’s position — looked to…
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WNC real estate rebounding quickly
According to the Beverly-Hanks Q2 2020 Real Estate Market Report, Western North Carolina’s real estate markets have undergone rapid and…
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Law enforcement training — a constant job interview
By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | In light of the recent national uproar over police brutality, law enforcement training…
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The conversation to defund the police
Innocent people murdered in their own homes, police departments equipped with military-grade weapons, students with school resource officers but not…
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Defund the police or back the badge — either way, prepare to pay
Competing theories as to the nature of proposed police reform have emerged, with one being that law enforcement budgets should…
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Indoor pool question will appear on Jackson ballot
In November, Jackson County voters will weigh in on a proposal to borrow $20 million for an indoor pool complex…
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Nonprofit to offer support dogs to first responders
When Asheville Fireman Mark Jameson returned to the fire station after responding to a particularly difficult call, the only thing…
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Travel industry controls state’s room tax laws
Buncombe’s share less than other NC counties, neighboring states By Mark Barrett AVL Watchdog A bill that would have changed…
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State hires more vendors to expedite COVID-19 testing
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) selected 13 businesses to join its pool of…
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COVID-19 outbreak at Jackson nursing facility
Jackson County Department of Public Health has identified a COVID-19 outbreak at a local skilled nursing facility. Five employees at the…
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Haywood reports 14 new COVID-19 cases
Haywood County Public Health received notice of 14 new cases of COVID-19 since July 14, which brings the number of…
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Macon sheriff pleads for law enforcement pay increases
Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland stood before county commissioners Tuesday night with a heartfelt plea for better pay for his…
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Asheville Police calls: Roadmap for defunding?
By Sally Kestin and John Maines AVL Watchdog Of 911 calls and requests for assistance to Asheville Police, less than…
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Jackson commissioners shelve task force, discuss statue’s fate
After a week of impassioned public discussion and protest over the fate of the Confederate solider standing on the courthouse…
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Economic development boom in Maggie Valley
After years of languishing in the shadows of a shuttered amusement park, Maggie Valley’s west end is now seeing substantial…
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Take it down? Crowds turn out in Sylva to oppose, support Confederate statue
July 11 dawned hot and sunny over the 131-year-old town of Sylva, sweltering rays pouring heat in equal fashion over…
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Protests were peaceful, but traffic caused problems
It was a long day, but July 11 was a success from the perspective of law enforcement, said Police Chief…
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Public sounds off on Confederate monument
Jackson County Commissioners saw a precursor to the intense public discussion ahead of them when 16 people gave public comment…
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Legal observers were present at Sylva demonstrations
Protests, rallies and marches have become commonplace in Western North Carolina over the past six weeks, but dueling demonstrations in…
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Sylva votes to prohibit Confederate imagery on town property
The Sylva Town Board approved a resolution tonight that creates a policy to prohibit the use of Confederate imagery on…
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Turnaround time longer for COVID-19 test results
As more tests for COVID-19 pour into laboratories across the state, the time taken to get results continues to increase.
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Jackson County Schools plan for reopening
This week the debate has raged over whether — and how — to reopen schools next month. President Donald Trump has…
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