7 more positive COVID-19 cases in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 21, that seven more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. These…
Read More
Haywood County sweetens economic development pot
An economic development incentive plan first passed by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners in 2004 underwent a significant retooling…
Read More
Four more COVID-19 cases reported in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 20 that four more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. These…
Read More
Open Door goes mobile with Salvation Army help
The Coronavirus Pandemic has made it that much more difficult for many low income and unsheltered individuals to feed themselves…
Read More
Honking for Jesus: Churches adapt, ponder reopening after lawsuit
On May 17, a typical sunny spring Sunday in this community of churches, congregants gathered for religious services all across…
Read More
Planning to begin on massive Canton recreation parcel
Despite the reticence of some local governments to spend money on non-essential services due to uncertainty in revenues amidst the…
Read More
Macon budget priorities change amid pandemic
When Macon County officials started their 2020-21 budget process back in early February, COVID-19 was barely a blip on their…
Read More
Franklin sets budget priorities for 2020-21
Just like every other local government in the nation, the Town of Franklin is facing uncertainty when it comes to…
Read More
Waynesville presents grave budget message
Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites, an experienced professional with almost 40 years in municipal government, called the current budget year…
Read More
Despite coronavirus, Canton budget stays the course
As local government units across the state work on their annual budgets a variety of approaches have been taken by…
Read More
Fontana libraries provide curbside services
All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties will provide curbside pickup service starting the week of…
Read More
Free COVID-19 testing site opens in Sylva
Jackson County saw a modest increase in COVID-19 cases this week, with the disease confirmed in 25 residents as of…
Read More
Nikwasi Initiative hires first executive director
Nikwasi Initiative, a new nonprofit established in 2018 with the mission of preserving the Nikwasi Mound in downtown Franklin and…
Read More
Second Lady visits Smokies as park announces Phase 2 reopenings
Second Lady Karen Pence visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park today to celebrate implementation of the park’s next reopening…
Read More
Fifth Macon County resident positive for COVID-19
Macon County Public Health received a positive test result on Friday, May 15. A fourth Macon County resident has tested…
Read More
Haywood County Cares — Tammy Ensley
This year, Tammy Ensley celebrated 15 years as coach of Pisgah’s varsity cheerleading team and her first year coaching the…
Read More
WCU group donated surgical masks to community
Some 15,000 much-needed surgical masks are now available for health care providers across the 18 counties of Western North Carolina,…
Read More
Two new COVID-19 cases reported in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 18 that two more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, marking…
Read More
Pandemic put pause on Mission’s troubles
By Peter H. Lewis AVL Watchdog The biggest health crisis in a lifetime hit Asheville shortly after the one-year anniversary…
Read More
Volunteers wanted for study about how people obtain COVID-19 information
A faculty member in Western Carolina University’s Department of Communication is seeking volunteers to participate in a research study exploring…
Read More
Jackson announces new coronavirus case
An additional case of COVID-19 has been announced for Jackson County, putting the total number of residents diagnosed with the…
Read More
$5M TDA relief bill for small businesses helps hotels
By Mark Barrett • AVL Watchdog | When the Rev. Tami Forte Logan learned that the Buncombe County Tourist Development Authority and…
Read More
Haywood reaches 24 COVID-19 cases
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 15, that a 24th Haywood County resident has tested positive for the novel coronavirus,…
Read More
Mast General Store plans phased re-openings
Mast General Store, based in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, announced on Wednesday, May 13, that its stores will re-open in…
Read More
Franklin names Harrell as new police chief
The Town of Franklin recently announced that it has hired Franklin resident Bill Harrell to be its next police…
Read More
‘Hair-iffic’ discovery at Waynesville sewer plant
Contractors performing work at Waynesville’s wastewater treatment plant last week were surprised to make a revolting discovery that highlights the…
Read More
Repairs begin on U.S. 74 in Swain County
A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation recently started construction to address slide and drainage issues in a problematic…
Read More
Drive-thru testing to open in Sylva
Drive-thru testing for COVID-19 will be available at the Walmart parking lot in Sylva beginning Friday, May 15.
Read More
Smokies reopens: DOI Secretary makes visit; Tribe, Parkway also increase public access
Visitors from 26 different states and Washington, D.C., traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last weekend after it…
Read More
Haywood County government, schools scale back budget proposals
Every year around this time, local governments, community colleges and public schools are busy crafting budgets for the upcoming fiscal…
Read More
Second primary, voting in the pandemic
In an executive order on March 20, Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections moved…
Read More
Jackson loosens COVID-19 restrictions
Jackson County has lifted some local regulations aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 with a Superseding Declaration of a…
Read More
Jackson County unveils new local funding resource
Jackson County has allocated $324,000 for a new program that will provide short-term, low-interest loans to small businesses that have…
Read More
Cherokee lifts border closure; casino announces gradual reopening
Almost 60 days after closing their doors to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos will begin a gradual…
Read More
Dealing with addiction during pandemic
Addiction is a disease of isolation. This is a common truth in the culture of recovery. So it is understandable…
Read More
Mental health agencies still providing resources
While some medical professionals warn of a second wave of COVID-19 cases across the nation, behavioral health experts say communities…
Read More
Haywood businesses, leaders react to reopening
The debate across the state still simmers — too soon, too late, or, like Goldilocks’ porridge, just right?
Read More
Rod Harkleroad to step down as leader of HRMC
Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) today announced that Rod Harkleroad, CEO of HRMC, will step down from his role, effective…
Read More
Blood Connection offers free COVID-19 testing for donors
The Blood Connection, a local nonprofit, community blood center is offering COVID-19 antibody testing to all donors at no cost.…
Read More
Macon County Sheriff releases Smartphone app
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office has released a free mobile smartphone app allowing the public access to a multitude of…
Read More
Three more COVID-19 cases in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 11 that three more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The…
Read More
Food donation chain in near gridlock, Manna chief says
By Nick Peters AVL Watchdog The main floor of Manna FoodBank’s warehouse in Asheville is a beehive of activity as…
Read More
License, registration expiration dates extended 5 months
To assist N.C. Division of Motor Vehicle customers and partners in dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a provision…
Read More
Haywood County Cares — Adam Perry
Adam Perry has worked for Haywood County Schools since 1996. Currently, he is the Job Coach at Tuscola High School…
Read More
Franklin business manufacturing health care equipment
“We will be closing until further notice. God bless us all.” This is but one of many messages posted to…
Read More
WCU to hold postponed graduation in December
It will be May in December for members of Western Carolina University’s spring graduating class of 2020 who were originally…
Read More
Jackson to lift lodging restrictions
Jackson County will update its Declaration of a State of Emergency this week to lift the ban currently in place…
Read More
Lynda Bennett calls for reopening state’s economy
By Tom Fielder, AVL Watchdog Republican congressional-candidate Lynda Bennett, who hopes to win the District 11 seat recently vacated by…
Read More
One additional COVID-19 case in Jackson
One additional COVID-19 case has been confirmed in Jackson County today.
Read More
19 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 6 that a 19th Haywood County resident has tested positive for the novel…
Read More
