Cruising the Smokies under shutdown
It’s just after 11 a.m. on a weekday, and while a road sign at the Cherokee entrance to the Great…
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The lowdown on the shutdown
There are plenty of misconceptions about the federal government shutdown — what it is, who it affects, how it happens,…
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SBI investigates threats to Swain sheriff, deputies
Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran recently called upon the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to investigate alleged threats against…
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Clyde trailer park without water for a month
The residents at M&M Trailer Park in Clyde were without water for nearly a month after the Junaluska Sanitary District…
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Haywood swears in first new county attorney since Nixon administration
Not for nearly half a century has anyone been able to say, “Haywood County has a new county attorney,” but…
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Commissioners wrestle with Haywood Schools’ office dilemma
After a minor delay due to the concerns of a newly-elected commissioner, Haywood County has again decided to move forward…
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Financing decisions finalized for SCC health building
Quarter-cent sales tax money in Jackson County will be available sooner and in greater quantities than previously planned due to…
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Tribe considers ginseng regulations
An alarming decrease in the population of ginseng on Cherokee tribal land is prompting the tribe to look at cracking…
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WCU athletics on the upswing
Randy Eaton isn’t a fortune teller, but the Western Carolina University athletic director sees a winning future for WCU teams.
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It’s election season again, already
That’s right. It may seem like election season just ended, but it’s also just beginning, and in less than 300…
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Boojum, Evergreen seek county development incentives
A pair of public hearings for a pair of local businesses — one old, one new, one small and one…
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Harris hospital welcomes first 2019 baby
Harris Regional Hospital is ringing in 2019 with the year’s first bundle of joy. Weighing 8 pounds and measuring 19.5…
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Working 9 to 5 (plus nights and weekends)
Unemployment rates are about as low as they’re going to get in Western North Carolina and there are jobs to…
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TWSA to wait on forming N.C. 107 policies
Developing policies to help business owners affected by the upcoming N.C. 107 road project will go on the Tuckaseigee Water…
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10 transformations at Lake Junaluska in 2018
In 2018, Lake Junaluska invested more than $5 million into transforming its facilities and grounds. These improvements will help thousands…
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Cherokee debates ability to protest Council decisions
An ordinance seeking to broaden the ability to protest decisions of Tribal Council is under discussion, with Tribal Council narrowly…
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Nurse family program provides resources
How does someone prepare for one of the most important jobs of their life, the job of being a mother?…
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Hospitals still in negotiations with UnitedHealth
UnitedHealthCare and local Duke LifePoint affiliated hospitals have not yet worked out a new contract agreement, which could mean higher…
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Cherokee passes election ordinance
After months of work sessions, tabled votes and debate, Cherokee has an updated election law.
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Partial government shutdown continues; National parks still accessible to visitors
Congress’s failure to approve a discretionary spending budget led to another partial government shutdown beginning Dec. 21, and Western North…
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2018: A look back
Before we ring in the New Year, The Smoky Mountain News likes to look back and reflect on the last…
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Fake News FREAKOUT!! Part Three
This is my third Christmas as a member of The Smoky Mountain News staff, and this is also the third…
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Common ground found in Green Hill Cemetery spat
Long-established rules and regulations created by the Town of Waynesville that proscribed periodic cleanup of the town’s historic Green Hill…
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Polar Express wraps up another magical season
Hearing the joyful sound of a small silver jingle bell from Santa’s sleigh — it’s what separates those who believe…
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Sylva food pantry to get new roof
The Community Table in Sylva will get a new roof to the tune of $18,000 after Town of Sylva and…
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Macon County completes 2019 revaluation
Macon County commissioners may be looking at a possible higher tax rate next year after hearing a presentation on the…
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Homeless services strained in Jackson
The homeless shelter in Jackson County is full up with a waiting list 12 deep, shelter managers told Jackson County…
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Farm Bill offers little relief for American agriculture
American agriculture is experiencing a tougher time than ever, and that includes farmers in North Carolina. But as the latest…
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Haywood Schools will buy land adjacent to Tuscola
It took a while, but after a surprise addition to the Haywood Board of County Commissioners’ agenda, no small amount…
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Resolution passed to dissolve Qualla Housing
The Cherokee Tribal Council took the first step toward dissolving the Qualla Housing Authority with a resolution passed Thursday, Dec.…
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Cooper’s voter ID veto overridden
Legislation implementing North Carolina’s first-ever voter ID requirement passed both the House and the Senate Dec. 6, but a veto…
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Sylva shakes up TWSA board
Sylva commissioners voted Dec. 13 to remove former mayor and longtime Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority board member Brenda Oliver…
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Renewed push for Historic Haywood County Hospital redevelopment
An ongoing effort to qualify for tax credits that would make redevelopment of the county-owned Historic Haywood County Hospital more…
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Cherokee election ordinance nears finish line
Efforts to overhaul Cherokee’s election ordinance will come down to the wire following Tribal Council’s unanimous decision to table a…
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Stalemate leaves homeless caught in the middle
Not far from the historic homes nestled along Waynesville’s Church Street sits a small plot of land that’s home to…
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WCU trustees approve fee increases for 2019-20
Western Carolina University students will likely see only a modest increase to their cost of attendance following the Board of…
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AG looks to protect WNC’s interest in Mission sale
Attorney General Josh Stein recently issued a press release discussing his ongoing review of HCA’s proposed $1.5 billion purchase of…
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Drug trafficker gets 37 years, $1 million fine
On Nov. 28, Matthew William Ray, 25, of Waynesville, was found guilty of trafficking in opiates by possessing and transporting…
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DA’s office highlights guilty pleas in Macon
Newman R. Sigman, 55, of Franklin, pled guilty to first degree arson and driving while impaired and was sentenced to…
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Haywood schools Robothon inspires coding and creativity
More than 150 Haywood County Schools fourth- and fifth-grade students chased after zooming robots at the Wolfpack Robothon on Friday,…
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Storm delays N.C. 107 planning process
Snow and ice caused the Asheville Design Center to cancel a planned public hearing on the N.C. 107 project in…
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Store closes following roadwork dispute
Just over a year after opening its doors at a new location, Caney Fork General Store is closed, though likely…
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Franklin looks at greenway connection
Now that the N.C. Department of Transportation has completed a new bridge over the Little Tennessee River in downtown Franklin,…
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Franklin board split on future of ABC board
A couple of Franklin Town Councilmembers want to explore future changes to the ABC store and ABC board while other…
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Wintry weather tests regional response to those seeking shelter from the storm
As many residents of Southern Appalachia stocked up on necessaries in advance of a powerful winter storm that ended up…
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Little candies make for big friendships
Somewhere on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, about 18 months ago, Waynesville resident Peg Harmon — who notes her first…
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SCC SWAT robot donated to sheriff
After a year-long process of designing, SCC Mechatronics student Scott Mitchell donated his SWAT Robot project to Jackson County Sherriff’s…
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Bethel Rural Community Organization works to preserve the past
After nearly 245 years, Haywood County’s Bethel community remains just a small part of a relatively small county, but the…
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Haywood Meme lawsuit escalates with arrival of First Amendment attorneys
Months ago, just after he finished mopping the floor with pro se defendant Eddie Cabe, Haywood County attorney Rusty McLean…
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Sunburst — a short history
It was a struggle from the start — getting in, getting people and supplies up and getting the lumber down…
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