Mumps outbreak reported at N.C. universities
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging all North Carolinians to make sure they…
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Drought arrives in Western North Carolina
A ban on backcountry fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was announced today following the release of a…
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Haywood investigates Legionella case
Haywood County Public Health, in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, is investigating a case…
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A look at health and fitness in WNC
The Smoky Mountain News’ annual Living Well special section aims to give readers a broad view of the many different…
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Western Carolina University event ‘walks the walk’ on opioid crisis
It’s been said time and time again after forums, panels and public meetings held in communities across the country over…
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Early plans for animal shelter presented
Plans are progressing for a new animal shelter in Jackson County, the first new construction to be completed in the…
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UNC-Charlotte shooter sentenced
The man who opened fire in an UNC-Charlotte campus classroom, killing Waynesville native Riley Howell, will now spend the rest…
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Local firefighter killed in the line of duty
A volunteer firefighter who died while responding to a call was laid to rest on Sunday, after a procession made…
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Board of Inquiry recommends removing ranger’s commission
A Blue Ridge Parkway law enforcement supervisor who admitted to using illegal substances still retains his position as head ranger…
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New president named at Haywood Community College
After more than six months spent searching, the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees announced on Sept. 19 that it…
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“Deliverance” villain Cowboy Coward is not what he seems
The last of Fred and Moody Parker Coward’s nine children, Herbert “Cowboy” Coward, was born in rural Haywood County in…
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The softer side of Cowboy Coward
While Haywood County native Herbert “Cowboy” Coward may be best known for his spine-tingling performance as a toothless mountain man…
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Cherokee to crack down on fake Native goods
Passing off mass-produced tchotchkes as authentic Native American crafts could soon be illegal in Cherokee following Tribal Council’s unanimous vote…
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Haywood Commissioners decry cuts to mental health funding
The need for mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual/developmental disabilities resources in North Carolina is growing, but funding is…
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Cashiers Community Fund Awards Grants Totaling $141,000
The Cashiers Community Fund has awarded $141,000 in grants to nonprofits serving Cashiers and the surrounding region.
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Shining Rock fails to properly notice meeting — again
Taxpayer-funded Shining Rock Classical Academy’s attempt to address its long history of public transparency law violations got off to an…
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UNC strategizes for sustained enrollment
It’s no secret that Western Carolina University is a growing community, with enrollment topping 12,000 for the first time this…
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Boarding school moves into part of Folkmoot Center
Waynesville arts and cultural organization Folkmoot has reached an agreement with the Academy at SOAR, a longtime boarding school in…
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BRH to open new clinic in Swain County
Blue Ridge Health (BRH) has been awarded a $650,000 New Access Point grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration…
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Planning to begin on proposed Haywood Schools facility
Haywood County has taken its first formal step forward in pursuit of a proposed $13 million, 40,000-square-foot central administration facility…
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Shape of N.C. 107 plans set, DOT says
The time to tweak plans for Sylva’s controversial N.C. 107 project is past, residents were told during a well-attended town…
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New housing planned for Sylva
Five families could find themselves in a brand new home in Sylva if a planned endeavor by Mountain Projects comes…
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New voting machines demonstrated in Haywood
Election officials from across the region gathered in Haywood County last week to be among the first to witness public…
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Election Day in Cherokee: Voters speak at the polls
Election Day dawned clear and sunny in Cherokee Sept. 5, with polls opening at 6 a.m. for voters to choose…
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Lockdown lifted at SCC
A lockdown at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson County campus has been lifted after law enforcement determined that students who reported…
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Incumbents sweep Cherokee election
Principal Chief Richard Sneed produced a decisive victory in Cherokee’s Sept. 5 election, pulling in 55.11 percent of the vote…
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Hospital leaders reflect on five years with LifePoint
In 2014, Duke LifePoint Healthcare purchased three hospitals in Western North Carolina with the promise of drastically improving rural health…
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Land sale could offset cost of recycling center relocation
Jackson County hopes to offset the cost of moving its Dillsboro recycling center with proceeds from selling a piece of…
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Court says gerrymandered NC districts must change, immediately
A ruling handed down by a North Carolina court last week declared N.C.’s legislative districts to be illegal partisan gerrymanders…
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Sen. Davis to retire, endorses Rep. Corbin
A powerful voice for Western North Carolina in the North Carolina General Assembly is about to pop the kickstand on…
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BI-LO’s transformation to housing moves forward
First steps are being taken on a major new residential development proposed for the site of a former grocery store…
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Shining Rock surges, Haywood Schools slips again
After a tumultuous year that saw all manner of controversy — from parental complaints to illegal meetings, transparency issues, secret…
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Waynesville’s Masonic Temple building ready for tenants
After years of disuse, a hidden gem in the heart of Waynesville’s downtown is finally ready to reclaim its rightful…
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Sneed wins chief election
Richard Sneed will remain the principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for four more years following an…
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Hurricane Dorian boosts Haywood occupancy rates
Hurricane Dorian has slowly but surely been making its way toward the east coast of the United States, but Haywood…
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Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users
The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
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Tourism spending up in WNC counties
As the summer season comes to a close, western counties continue to see a steady increase in visitor spending and room…
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WCU to study alcohol sales at sporting events
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees elected a slate of officers for 2019-20 and made appointments to several committees,…
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Swain room tax revenue exceeds $1 million
Swain County’s tourism industry recently marked a major milestone when the occupancy tax revenue from fiscal year 2018-19 exceeded $1…
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Jackson plans for growth
Last year was a good one for the tourism industry in Jackson County, with visitor spending in 2018 increasing by…
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Haywood’s tourism growth comes in unexpected places, times
Strong growth in winter and Haywood County’s smaller municipalities has local tourism numbers up over last year, in some cases,…
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Visitor spending in Macon on the rise
Outdoor recreation continues to be a major factor in Macon County’s steady increase in visitor spending year after year.
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Some Haywood County Schools buildings nearing capacity
With a major new administration facility proposed and a shuttered elementary school still sitting empty, Haywood County Schools finds itself…
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Input sought for Swain’s future
All indications show Swain County has a prosperous future ahead, but county leaders are looking for community input to determine…
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Big changes coming to N.C. Medicaid
As the state of North Carolina moves forward with some bold new changes to how it will administer Medicaid, Haywood…
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TWSA discusses ways to soften N.C. 107 impacts
With right-of-way acquisition for the N.C. 107 project in Sylva set to begin in January, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer…
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Free camping available for Dorian evacuees
The U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at campgrounds across its southern region — which includes the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest…
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Emergency Closure for Nantahala Gorge
Due to hazardous conditions in the Nantahala Gorge from multiple landslides, the U.S. Forest Service is issuing an Emergency Closure…
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Commercial Rafting and Kayaking Operations Suspended on Nantahala River
Hazards created by recent landslides into the Nantahala River within the Nantahala Gorge have resulted in a suspension of all…
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Right from the source: Smoky Mountain Folk Festival celebrates 50 years
Atop a hill on the western edge of downtown Waynesville, just past the invisible line where the delicious smell of…
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