Unneeded, unwanted: brunch ordinance faces long odds in Maggie, Haywood
To date, most area governments that have heard a brunch bill ordinance have passed one. In other areas like Canton…
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Revised plans for Jackson Health Department will include one-stop permitting
Jackson County will spend $10,000 on a revised plan to renovate the Health Department building off Hospital Road after commissioners…
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Pigs as pets in Canton?
For decades, urban jurisdictions have enacted animal ordinances intended to sequester the odiferous, unsightly sprawl of animal husbandry outside of…
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Puppy party postponed: Proposed Waynesville ordinance told by board to sit, stay
Daytrippers with dogs are driving demand for an amendment to Waynesville’s pet policy at fairs and fests, but owners might…
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Council chooses Ensley as vice chief
Councilmember Alan “B” Ensley, of Yellowhill has been sworn in as Vice Chief following a veto from Principal Chief Richard…
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Total recount likely in Cherokee elections
The results of a recount in the race for Birdtown Tribal Council sent shock waves through Cherokee from the moment…
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Six members appointed to WCU Foundation Board of Directors
The Western Carolina University Foundation recently welcomed six new members to its board of directors following approval of the full…
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WCU rededicates Brown as newest dining facility
With a steady stream of hungry students filing by in search of dinner, members of one of Western Carolina University’s…
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Teenage DACA recipients call America home
Now in their senior and sophomore years of high school, Karen and José Ramos — ages 18 and 16, respectively —…
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A dream deferred: The clock is ticking on DACA
In a nation of more than 320 million people, a small group of just 800,000 sit squarely in the crosshairs…
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Balsam Preserve Endowment raises $15,000
The Balsam Mountain Preserve Endowment for Jackson County, a local committee created by the residents of Balsam Mountain Preserve, raised…
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Food pod will help the hungry
MANNA FoodBank and Haywood Christian Ministry will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 23 for its refrigerated…
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Confederate flag overshadows Clampitt town hall
A sparsely attended town hall meeting hosted by Bryson City Republican Rep. Mike Clampitt took an unexpected turn Sept. 5…
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Incumbents ousted in Tribal Council elections
Cherokee voters delivered a clear message to the sitting Tribal Council when they cast their votes in the General Election…
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‘Maybe we can start over’: Desire for change drives Cherokee voters
If Election Day interviews conducted with Cherokee voters swinging by Food Lion the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 7, are any…
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Swain leaders travel to D.C. for $4 million payment
The U.S. Department of Interior, under the new leadership of Secretary Ryan Zinke, finally coughed up a payment to Swain…
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Not guilty verdict delivered in statutory rape case
After two weeks of testimony, a jury delivered a verdict of not guilty on all counts in the case of…
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Bryson board says no to earlier alcohol sales
As a room full of disappointed local business owners stood by, the Bryson City Board of Aldermen voted down a…
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Franklin wants public input on ‘brunch bill’
Before deciding whether to adopt a new statewide law allowing for earlier Sunday alcohol sales, the Franklin Town Council wants…
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Stagnant excellence: Haywood schools steady in top 10 percent
The bad news is that Haywood County Schools failed to improve upon last year’s school district performance ranking.
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School improvement costs rise in Jackson
Rising construction costs are causing problems for Jackson County Schools as it attempts to complete $9 million of much-needed capital…
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Main Street shuffle: Businesses move in, out of Waynesville core
Waynesville’s popular Main Street shopping district has seen some changes over the years, and as time goes by, everyone from…
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After elections, new Tribal Council will include only five incumbents
Yesterday’s Tribal Council elections delivered a blow to incumbents, with only three of the seven councilmembers who both supported the…
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‘Trickle-up’: The grassroots greening of government
The proposition is simple — establish a transition from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 or face…
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Green government efforts continue in WNC
Although the clean energy resolution circulating through many local governments of late has been alternately called “aspirational” and “empty” by…
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Swain to receive $4 million settlement payment
When U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visited Pisgah Inn last week, he unexpectedly delivered some good news for…
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Swain County adamantly opposes wilderness designations
U.S. Forest Service rangers got an earful from Swain County residents last week during a public hearing regarding the proposed…
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SRCA discusses pros and cons of adding high school
Shining Rock Classical Academy leaders want to add high school grades to their growing charter school, but they’re just not…
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Chief vetoes special election
A Tribal Council resolution calling for a special election to choose the next Vice Chief sat, unsigned, in the office…
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Ground breaks on entertainment facility at Murphy casino
The bowling alley construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort wasn’t even finished when ground broke on a similar addition at…
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Bowling alley opens in Cherokee
A years-long effort to bring a bowling alley to Cherokee has come to an end with the opening of the…
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Community talks under way in Bryson City
Don’t let the quaintness fool you — the small town of Bryson City has plenty of challenges and opportunities facing…
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The Chimney Tops 2 timeline
The fire review process included a thorough analysis of all communications and decisions made from the time the fire began…
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Review released of Smokies’ wildfire response
Nine months after a small wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park metastasized into a deadly blaze that wreaked…
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How to help Hurricane Harvey victims
With so many charities working to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, many Western North Carolina residents are curious…
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Schandevel to challenge Rep. Michele Presnell again
After a disappointing loss to an entrenched incumbent in 2016, Beaverdam’s Rhonda Cole Schandevel announced Aug. 26 that she’ll again…
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Sylva statue draws debate
Ever since an August protest over removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent, a nationwide…
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WCU fishing club rescuing Harvey victims
As members of Western Carolina University’s bass fishing club team — the Bass Cats — were in route to assist…
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Living Well: A look at health and fitness in WNC
• Creason reflects on 40 years as Jackson's swim teacher• Bodybuilders take natural approach to health, strength• Moss pushes the…
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Jackson health building to be renovated
After years of discussion, Jackson County is ready to move forward with plans to address the needs of its aging…
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What’s in the cards? Holdin’ or foldin’ — Haywood economic developers play to win
Since late spring, this Smoky Mountain News series on economic development has attempted to define the landscape in which Haywood…
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Pets at Waynesville fests?
If you stick around in local government long enough, you could find yourself considering the repeal of an ordinance that…
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Brunch booze on the menu in Waynesville?
After the North Carolina General Assembly’s recent passage of the so-called “brunch bill,” municipal governments in Haywood County have been…
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Sylva revises demonstrations ordinance following Charlottesville violence
The town of Sylva now has new rules governing when and where parades and demonstrations can take place, with revisions…
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Franklin mayor to help lead new mayors group
Franklin Mayor Bob Scott will help lead a new organization of North Carolina mayors dedicated to improving life in all…
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Franklin officers to carry life-saving drug
The Franklin Town Council recently approved a $700 expense that will allow the town’s police force to be armed with…
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Bryson City applies for sewer improvement grant
After three failed attempts, the Bryson City Board of Aldermen is once again applying for a Community Development Block Grant…
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Tribal Council candidates speak: Eight incumbents face 16 challengers Sept. 7
With the election for Cherokee Tribal Council just one week away, The Smoky Mountain News continues its series profiling the…
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Tribal members announce candidacy for vice chief
There’s still no guarantee whether a special election will be held to choose the next vice chief of the Eastern…
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Three women arrested for child abduction
The Waynesville Police Department responded to the report of a child abduction from Frazier Street Thursday afternoon.
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