Sanitary District policy upsets landlords

Several Haywood County landlords are questioning the legality of a new policy adopted by the Junaluska Sanitary District that will…
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To serve, Haywood Commissioners leave money on the table

At just 22 years of age, Kevin Ensley became one of the youngest licensed land surveyors in the entire state…
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Carrying commissioner duties a juggling act in Jackson

When Mark Jones first ran for a seat on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners in 2006, he was the…
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Macon commissioners not there for money

Macon County Commissioner Ronnie Beale was pouring concrete on a job site when he was contacted about this story.
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Swain commissioners give little thought to salary

“You know, I really can’t tell you what we get paid,” Swain County Commissioner David Monteith said when asked about…
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Cherokee council makes more than state reps, less than congressmen

Members of the Cherokee Tribal Council are hands-down the highest-paid local representatives in Western North Carolina, with other commissioner stipends…
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Upcoming tuition drop could have unintended consequences

A state program that’s set to lower Western Carolina University’s tuition to $500 per semester could have unintended consequences when…
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Laura Bush and friends visit Lake Junaluska

As fall visitors flocked to Western North Carolina in mid-October, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center welcomed a distinguished visitor…
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Swain County to implement reverse 911 system

When the wildfires were threatening structures in Swain County a couple of weeks ago, first responders had to knock on…
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Highlands hires Josh Ward as town manager

Last September, the town of Bryson City hired Highlands’ town planner Josh Ward to serve as it’s new town manager,…
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Pickin’ Chicken

There are few things more American than fast food.  In the United States, fast food restaurants serve more than 50…
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First indoor gun range to open in Haywood

When local businessman Jule Morrow proposed a gun shop and indoor firing range in the pastoral Francis Farm community last…
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Canton’s new town logo approved despite concerns

No one can accuse Canton town officials of not crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s.
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Canton rewards brewery owner

Even before BearWaters Brewing announced its intentions to leave Waynesville for nearby Canton, the town has touted itself as Haywood…
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Two arrested for arson in Qualla wildfires

Two Cherokee men have been arrested in connection with wildfires set on the Qualla Boundary this fall. 
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Two charged with starting Tennessee fires

Two juveniles have been arrested in Tennessee for allegedly starting the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, which ballooned to encompass more…
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Stronger language on the way for Jackson’s steep slope rules

Approval of a 38-home subdivision in Cullowhee has served as a catalyst for the Jackson County Planning Board to revisit…
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Haywood County wipes the dust off the bottle

The State of North Carolina has long had a conflicted relationship with alcohol; although largely unregulated during colonial times, it…
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The alcohol permitting process

Although it is now legal to sell wine and beer outside of incorporated municipalities in Haywood County, businesses can’t just…
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A Spiritual Affair: The history of alcohol in Haywood County

Just after the secular American Revolution, many Americans also experienced a theological revolution; from the 1790s through the 1830s, a…
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After the fire

When hurricane-force winds met burning, bone-dry forest, the city of Gatlinburg transformed overnight on Nov. 28-29 from lively tourist town…
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Lucky to be alive: Gatlinburg men relive harrowing escape down fiery mountain

GATLINBURG — It started with an ember.  One single ember, falling from the sky into Michael Luciano’s front yard in…
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A checkerboard of devastation: Fire levels some areas and leaves others untouched

GATLINBURG — Just before hitting the McDonald’s along U.S. 321 east of Gatlinburg on Dec. 2, traffic slows to a…
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Where to go from here: Fire survivors wait and wonder in Red Cross shelter

GATLINBURG — Coaches and team jerseys were absent from Rocky Top Sports World Friday morning, but the sports-complex-turned-Red-Cross-shelter surged with…
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Rain quells wildfires across the region

It took mere hours for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire to escape the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sweep…
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‘A date which will live in infamy’: The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec. 7, 1941. It’s a date that conjures numerous images and thoughts. The USS Arizona engulfed in smoke and flames. Fighter…
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Locals react to Japanese attack

On Thursday, Dec. 4, 1941, newspapers in Western North Carolina revealed cities in full holiday swing — ads for Philco…
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Witness to history: World War II vet reflects on conflict, atomic bomb

Turning onto Qualla Road in Waynesville, the meandering route goes from pavement to gravel to dirt within a half-mile. By…
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Swain band performs at Pearl Harbor Anniversary

The Swain County High School marching band was noticeably absent from the annual Bryson City Christmas Parade last weekend, but…
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Haywood Commission selects new chairman

In addition to welcoming newly-elected Commissioner Brandon Rogers and welcoming back newly re-elected Commissioner Kevin Ensley at its Dec. 5…
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Maggie Chamber restructures membership options

Maggie Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is responding to criticism in the community by restructuring its membership options for businesses.
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Macon man admits to igniting small wildfires

A Franklin man is facing federal arson charges after admitting to setting fire to two separate areas in Macon County…
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Planning Jackson’s future: Preliminary comp plan comments yield mix of praise and concern

Making their way around a room studded with tables, informational posters and documents for review, Jackson County residents took advantage…
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George Ellison releases new book, reflects on decades of life lived in nature

The Fourth of July, 1976, was just around the corner when George and Elizabeth Ellison embarked on a hike that…
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Waynesville water safe despite discoloration
 

Waynesville water safe despite discoloration

Although the water situation in the area seems to be improving thanks to the recent rains, the town of Waynesville…
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Untreated sewage discharged into Richland Creek
 

Untreated sewage discharged into Richland Creek

The Junaluska Sanitary District experienced a discharge of untreated sewage from a blockage in a line located Southeast of Loop…
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Jackson NAACP researching provisional ballots

With a high number of ballots being rejected from the Nov. 8 election, Jackson County’s NAACP branch is asking for…
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Ellison releases new title

When George Ellison first started writing nature columns for the Asheville Citizen-Times back in 1986, it was with the assumption…
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As N.C. wildfires slacken, Smokies blaze roars into Gatlinburg

Just as wildfires were beginning to subside in North Carolina, gusty winds whipped a flare-up in the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Support heard for TDA tax increase

Supporters of a proposed hike in Haywood County’s room occupancy tax were silenced in the state legislature in 2013, but…
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Playground for disabled in the works for Waynesville

A Connect N.C. bond application approved by the Town of Waynesville could bring more than $90,000 to the town for…
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Macon to pay off Parker Meadows loan

With an unexpected increase in sales tax revenue, Macon County commissioners voted in favor of paying off a $5 million…
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SCC asks Macon for 40 percent of bond project cost

Southwestern Community College is asking Macon County commissioners to pitch in 40 percent of the cost to construct a new…
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County, nonprofit work to chart sustainable future for homeless shelter

Cold temperatures have arrived, but efforts to ensure the future of Jackson Neighbors in Need are heating up. 
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Locked in the longest-running ping-pong match in mountain politics, Joe Sam Queen reflects on his latest loss

Joe Sam Queen counts his campaign wins and losses like innings in a baseball game.
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Solar in the Smokies: Duke proposes microgrid for Mt. Sterling

Utility companies are not often known for being in harmony with nature; indeed, Duke Energy’s recent coal ash fiascos come…
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The last chapter: Reflections on Mark Swanger’s political era

Mark Swanger tucked into his leather armchair beside a roaring gas fire, an expansive view of his Fines Creek family…
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Fire, drought and… floods?
 

Fire, drought and… floods?

Smoky, intense wildfires and a historic drought have been visited upon the region over the past few months, but as…
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Burn bans still in effect
 

Burn bans still in effect

With dry conditions reigning and wildfires raging, it’s currently both dangerous and illegal to start a fire nearly anywhere in…
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Haywood moves to solve affordable housing crisis

During his tenure on the Haywood County Commission, retiring Chairman Mark Swanger has certainly shaped what the future of the…
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