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More students prompt new construction at Pisgah
 

More students prompt new construction at Pisgah

Pisgah High School in Canton finally has the money for some much-needed renovations, which have been years in the making.…
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Canton goes for the gold by reinstating sweepstakes fees
 

Canton goes for the gold by reinstating sweepstakes fees

Despite sweepstakes-style video gambling being outlawed in the state, they have slowly crept back in to the corners of gas…
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PETA files federal lawsuit against USDA over  treatment of captive bears
 

PETA files federal lawsuit against USDA over treatment of captive bears

An animal rights groups has sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hoping to force the agency to set stricter standards…
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WNC native tapped for EDC post in Jackson
 

WNC native tapped for EDC post in Jackson

Jackson County is hoping the third time’s the charm as it aims to jumpstart its floundering economic development efforts.  After…
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Whittier sewer line on the slow road to bankruptcy
 

Whittier sewer line on the slow road to bankruptcy

A rural sewer system in Jackson County is headed toward bankruptcy unless it can drum up 200 customers in the…
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Leaders reluctant to gamble on sewer line expansion
 

Leaders reluctant to gamble on sewer line expansion

Jackson County commissioners questioned the wisdom of a last-ditch effort to find more customers for the Whittier sewer system at…
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One shot to win money for your business plan
 

One shot to win money for your business plan

Ninety seconds.  It’s shorter than the average YouTube video and less time (theoretically) than it takes to brush your teeth,…
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Additional election results
 

Additional election results

Dillsboro Mayor Mike Fitzgerald: 18 Dillsboro Town Board  (five seats available) Tim Parris: 22 David Jones: 21 David Gates: 20…
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Franklin residents cast vote for change
 

Franklin residents cast vote for change

Despite a crowded field in the Franklin election — a dozen candidates in all — a handful of victors emerged…
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Eveland, Price and Banks win in Maggie Valley
 

Eveland, Price and Banks win in Maggie Valley

Candidates for Maggie Valley aldermen stood outside the polls on Election Day — one side staying toward the right and…
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Canton winners say they’ll work together
 

Canton winners say they’ll work together

Canton has four new aldermen. In a close race, Carole Edwards, Ralph Hamlett, Gail Mull and Zeb Smathers won.
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Waynesville Vet-Fest to support Wounded Warrior Project
 

Waynesville Vet-Fest to support Wounded Warrior Project

Vet-Fest in Waynesville will feature a poker run, live music and food on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Haywood Square…
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Internal debate divides Haywood GOP
 

Internal debate divides Haywood GOP

Some mainstream Republicans in Haywood County fear their local party is being hijacked by a far-right faction with extreme views…
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Lucrative licensing fees on sweepstakes machines may have been bad bet
 

Lucrative licensing fees on sweepstakes machines may have been bad bet

Maggie Valley has become the latest town in North Carolina to face the threat of a lawsuit regarding licensing fees…
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Cherokee theater expands to six screens
 

Cherokee theater expands to six screens

When Cherokee Phoenix Theatres on the Qualla Boundary closes on All Hallows’ Eve, it will only have two movie screens.…
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Sen. Davis unworried about low poll numbers
 

Sen. Davis unworried about low poll numbers

A recent poll shows that a Western North Carolina state representative has fallen out of favor with voters.
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State GOP leaders choose Cherokee for 2014 convention
 

State GOP leaders choose Cherokee for 2014 convention

Come next June, the number of visitors to Western North Carolina will jump by at least 1,500 Republicans.
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Waynesville to get four electric car charging stations
 

Waynesville to get four electric car charging stations

A for-profit company will install an electric car charging station in Waynesville’s public parking lot on Montgomery Street.
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HCC receives $20,000 grant
 

HCC receives $20,000 grant

Haywood Community College recently received a $20,000 matching grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership (BRNHAP) to develop…
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Murder charges filed in child’s death
 

Murder charges filed in child’s death

Eric Davis, 23, was indicted on one charge of first-degree murder and two charges of felony child abuse Monday. He…
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Soul searching time for the GOP
 

Soul searching time for the GOP

When N.C. GOP Director Todd Poole emailed a list of state job openings — some 300 vacant positions in all…
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Input sought on Cullowhee’s future
 

Input sought on Cullowhee’s future

The Jackson County Planning Department will host a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at Cullowhee Valley School to gather…
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Swain targets education, infrastructure and high tech with $2 million grant
 

Swain targets education, infrastructure and high tech with $2 million grant

Swain County residents have finally learned where exactly its $2 million in grants from the Golden LEAF Foundation will go…
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Waynesville sweetens pot for affordable housing project
 

Waynesville sweetens pot for affordable housing project

The Waynesville Board of Aldermen has waived more than $140,000 in water and sewer fees in the hopes that a…
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Canton aldermen to step down en masse following election
 

Canton aldermen to step down en masse following election

Canton will witness a mysterious mass exodus of its elected town board members following the town election this fall.
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Pendulum bound to swing in Maggie election, for better or worse
 

Pendulum bound to swing in Maggie election, for better or worse

While political candidates are usually quick to point out their differences, this election season Maggie Valley residents are calling on…
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Family, feuds and football
 

Family, feuds and football

Heather Brookshire is behind enemy lines.  “Everybody has been giving me a hard time all day,” she chuckled. Taking orders…
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Haywood County Manager Marty Stamey to step down
 

Haywood County Manager Marty Stamey to step down

After navigating Haywood County through some of its toughest budget times, County Manager Marty Stamey will leave his position Jan.…
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Jackson commissioners: Coming soon to a screen near you
 

Jackson commissioners: Coming soon to a screen near you

Jackson County commissioners may start broadcasting their meetings, bringing to the masses the nitty gritty of local government — tax…
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Jackson planners cut student apartment project slack in slope engineering rules
 

Jackson planners cut student apartment project slack in slope engineering rules

Developers of a large college student housing complex in Cullowhee got an OK from the Jackson County Planning Board to…
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Court system in Jackson angling for more space
 

Court system in Jackson angling for more space

An expansion of Jackson County’s court facilities could be in the cards, pending a $30,000 analysis of what some in…
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Additional staff needed in Jackson as construction jumps
 

Additional staff needed in Jackson as construction jumps

An uptick in building permits in Jackson County has prompted the county to hire an additional office clerk to keep…
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Franklin mayoral candidates offer contrasting styles
 

Franklin mayoral candidates offer contrasting styles

Franklin’s mayoral candidates are offering voters distinctly different visions of leadership as they square off for the town’s top political…
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Sylva candidates support helping downtown
 

Sylva candidates support helping downtown

The town of Sylva has struggled this year with balancing its budget and keeping businesses filling its downtown storefronts. Going…
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WCU Health and Human Sciences building wins awards
 

WCU Health and Human Sciences building wins awards

Western Carolina University’s state-of-the-art Health and Human Sciences Building, which opened in fall 2012, has won two awards for its…
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WCU’s head of special collections wins service award
 

WCU’s head of special collections wins service award

George Frizzell, head of special collections at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library, is the 2013 recipient of the Thornton W.…
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Haywood couple stands against N.C. gay marriage ban
 

Haywood couple stands against N.C. gay marriage ban

Amy Leonhart and Louise Jones met 17 years ago at church. “The best match for me was going to be…
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Waynesville employee takes position in Henderson County
 

Waynesville employee takes position in Henderson County

Assistant Town Manager Alison Melnikova is leaving Waynesville for a new job, meaning the town is on the search for…
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The face of the shutdown: Local childcare centers teetering as shutdown interrupts funding
 

The face of the shutdown: Local childcare centers teetering as shutdown interrupts funding

All Nicole Smith could do last week was try to keep the doors open. Either the shutdown of the federal…
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Raising the bar: Tougher curriculum + tougher testing = lower scores ahead
 

Raising the bar: Tougher curriculum + tougher testing = lower scores ahead

Schools are bracing for a precipitous drop in student test scores coming down the pike next month — the result…
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Looser sign rules could let Waynesville  business owners sing it from the rooftops
 

Looser sign rules could let Waynesville business owners sing it from the rooftops

Giant blow-up gorillas, bouquets of balloons, plastic banners strung from awnings or poles and billowing fabric figures piped full of…
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Cherokee-led firm gets going on new casino
 

Cherokee-led firm gets going on new casino

After just a year in business, a Cherokee-based construction management company has landed the biggest trout in town — the…
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Candidates all want more business in Canton
 

Candidates all want more business in Canton

While infrastructure and economic development tops each candidate’s agenda, a far more consequential matter could await those who fill the…
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Breaking Bread Café opens in Haywood
 

Breaking Bread Café opens in Haywood

A new artisan café and restaurant has opened to fanfare in Bethel, only a short drive from downtown Waynesville and…
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Haywood Early College Graduate heading to medical school
 

Haywood Early College Graduate heading to medical school

Tyler McKinnish, a Haywood County student on his way to being a doctor, credits Haywood Early College with giving him…
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SCC kicks off scholarship fundraiser
 

SCC kicks off scholarship fundraiser

Southwestern Community College Foundation has launched a “Student Success Campaign” that aims to raise more than $1 million for scholarships…
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Radiography program a family affair for Maneys
 

Radiography program a family affair for Maneys

When Brittany Maney was 14, her fall from a Hayesville Middle School cheerleading pyramid caused a lot of pain, fear…
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Opt-In meetings gather public input on future needs
 

Opt-In meetings gather public input on future needs

How would you spend $800 million? Residents and opinion leaders from the seven westernmost counties and the Qualla Boundary have…
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Child rescued from Whittier hotel dies
 

Child rescued from Whittier hotel dies

A four-year-old child found injured and abused in Qualla Motel in Whittier last week has died. Deputies arrived at the…
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Pedestrian fatality involves Cherokee officer
 

Pedestrian fatality involves Cherokee officer

A Cherokee Indian Police Department officer hit two pedestrians, killing one, while on patrol Wednesday night. The incident occurred on…
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