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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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$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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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‘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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Haywood businesses, leaders react to reopening
The debate across the state still simmers — too soon, too late, or, like Goldilocks’ porridge, just right?
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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One additional COVID-19 case in Jackson
One additional COVID-19 case has been confirmed in Jackson County today.
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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…
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