Sylva to vote on funding for Mill Street lane reduction
A plan to turn two-lane Mill Street in Sylva into a one-lane road will soon move forward if town commissioners…
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High hopes in Hazelwood hang on revamped parking lot
A small assortment of businesses in the 400 block of Hazelwood Avenue have been flourishing of late despite suffering through…
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Dillsboro river park gets unanimous approval
A new river park in Dillsboro is no longer just a proposal after the Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously April…
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Out of sight: Macon, Swain departments largely off-cam
Smaller cities and counties with smaller tax bases can’t always afford the capital expenses of their wealthier neighbors — it’s…
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Haywood cop cam use low, may grow
A variety of law enforcement agencies serve the 60,000 residents speckled about the 555 square miles of Haywood County, and…
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Jackson law enforcement navigates new age of police video
On Aug. 9, 2014, an encounter between Officer Darren Wilson and 18-year-old Michael Brown on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri,…
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The tools of truth
As the digital revolution proceeds unabated and technology exponentially shrinks in size and cost, law enforcement agencies have more tools…
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Police cameras in WNC
The increasing use of body-worn and dash-mounted police cameras in Western North Carolina has sparked privacy concerns from citizens and…
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Memorial service planned for Rev. Jimmy Carr
Lake Junaluska will hold a memorial service for Rev. Dr. Jimmy Carr at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in Stuart…
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Dillsboro river park vote planned in Jackson
With an April 3 vote on a proposed river park in Dillsboro just days away, all five members of the…
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Consolidated health department under discussion in Jackson
The Jackson County Commissioners got some food for thought during a meeting last week exploring the possibility of consolidating some…
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Following Tribal Council decision, former vice chief’s widow will lose her home
The widow of former Vice Chief Bill Ledford is refusing to move after Tribal Council’s January vote to strike the…
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Classroom size uncertainty to impact budgets
School systems in Western North Carolina were hoping a proposed piece of legislation regarding class size requirements would make it…
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Meadows in the middle of repeal and replace
Republicans under President Barack Obama voted more than 40 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no luck. Now,…
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App-alling: Trump budget gut shot to down-and-out Appalachia
Many rural Americans who voted for Donald Trump last November did so based on his promise to cut the federal…
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Empowering women to run for office
Women have a lot of internal dialogue when considering a run for public office — I don’t have time. I…
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Search for new Canton town manager begins
The sudden but amicable resignation of Canton Town Manager Seth Hendler-Voss came as a surprise to many, but as the…
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Tapping Western North Carolina: Local craft breweries spill onto economy, culture
By all accounts, the craft beer business continues to boom in Western North Carolina. And that’s not just in Asheville…
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WCU’s physical therapy clinic expands
Western Carolina University’s student-run Mountain Area Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic has set a goal to expand the availability of…
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The tales the tombstones tell
High atop a knobby bald in central Haywood County sits lonely Dix Hill Cemetery, just yards from Jones Temple AME…
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Digitizing the deceased
From frost-churned fields on steep hills above shadow-soaked coves spring mossy fieldstones, hopelessly eroded and only becoming more so, season…
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Folkmoot’s Cultural Conversations: One big circle
Arriving in Waynesville shortly before last year’s Folkmoot Friendship Festival, I like many who’d come before me had no idea…
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Jackson considers giving toward land conservation effort
The fundraising deadline is drawing nearer for an effort to conserve 15.9 acres adjacent to Panthertown Valley, and the Jackson…
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Increased need prompts change in shelter management
Correction: In the March 1 issue, The Smoky Mountain News incorrectly reported that Jackson Neighbors in Need requested funding from…
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2016: A Year.
The tidal wave of negative political news in 2016 was staggering in its magnitude and emotionally overwhelming. Thankfully all that…
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Missing aircraft found in national park
A reconnaissance flight by the Tennessee Army National Guard was able to locate the missing single engine airplane within Great…
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FAKE NEWS FREAKOUT!
In keeping with the theme of The Smoky Mountain News spoof awards in this week’s edition, I thought now might…
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The very first Christmas (in space)
While perusing the vast litany of uplifting Christmas stories, one might not think to probe the mission archives of the…
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Christmas giving in WNC
Christmas is a time of year when communities band together to help others in need, and there’s definitely no shortage…
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Waynesville police win SWAT competition
Waynesville Police Department’s Special Response Team recently returned home from the SWAT Round-Up International competition in Orlando with multiple awards.
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Church delivers warmth of meals and companionship on Christmas Day
Caitlin Derico was 11 years old when her family’s Christmas tradition shifted from stockings to service.
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Meeting a need
It’s bittersweet. “I really would hope that this program would expire,” said Tom Knapko. “But, that hasn’t been the case…
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WOW helps pay off Christmas layaway purchases
What sometimes gets lost amidst the blizzard of radio, television and internet advertising so ubiquitous this time of year is…
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Bryson City bar donates to family resource center
The local dive bar in a small town usually gets a bad rap, but Mickey’s Pub in Bryson City tries…
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Community helps fulfill a boy’s birthday wish
Ashton Zari turns 7 on Christmas Eve, and even though he is in Columbus, Ohio, seeking medical treatment, his only…
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Crabtree General brings Christmas to Franklin
Crabtree General Store & Coffee Vault in Franklin has recently transformed into a Christmas headquarters.
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Shoplifters make downtown Waynesville’s naughty list
Something about the holidays always brings out the best — and worst — in people and Santa Claus is the…
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The Raleigh Roundup: Strange legislative year draws to a close
It’s been a bizarre year in North Carolina’s state legislature, and that hasn’t led to the state looking good in…
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Suspects sought in Max Patch break-in
Detectives with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office are looking for two men they believe to be involved with a breaking…
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Two arrested in Waynesville break in
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an alarm call around 8 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Eagles Nest community.
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New law stops TVA’s ban of Fontana houseboats
More than 350 families received an early Christmas present last week when President Obama signed a bill into law that…
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Lead contamination prompts permanent monitoring at SCC
Simply removing contaminated dirt from the Southwestern Community College shooting range won’t be enough to close out a lead removal…
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Jackson schools hope to land 0 percent loan
Jackson County is hoping to save $2.3 million on the cost of completing critical repairs in Jackson County Public Schools…
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Moving on up: Franklin chamber gets a new building
Franklin Chamber of Commerce staff and members are excited about taking a vacant building and turning it into their new…
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Controversial sanitary district policy suspended
An unpopular policy put forth by the Junaluska Sanitary District requiring landlords to co-sign for their new tenants’ water service…
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Walnut Street charm could be casualty of Russ Avenue widening
Although many property owners and residents have lauded what they call a “much needed” widening project on Waynesville’s most heavily…
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Firefighter pleas guilty to arson in Cherokee
A Cherokee firefighter has pled guilty to federal charges for intentionally starting seven wildfires on the Qualla Boundary between 2010…
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Park works to assess post-fire situation
The smoke has cleared from the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, which escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Nov. 28…
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Full-time work, part-time pay
Harry S. Truman’s Secretary of State Dean Acheson said upon his return to private life, “I will undoubtedly have to…
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Election do-over slated for 2017
Unless the U.S. Supreme Court steps in, some or all of North Carolina’s state senators and representatives will face re-election…
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