Ghost Town falls short of summer opening target
Ghost Town in the Sky did not open to much fanfare last weekend because, simply put, it didn’t open.
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Most oppose Duke rate increase and reliance on fossil fuels
Most who spoke during a public hearing at the Macon County Courthouse on Duke Energy’s proposed rate increases were not…
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Play On, Jackson County
After weeks of back-and-forth debate, deliberation and nail-biting, members of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority have zeroed in on…
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Infrastructure repairs force Bryson City’s hand on tax hike
Despite cutting more than $50,000 from the town’s budget, Bryson City’s leaders plan to raise property taxes and town fees…
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Swain holds back on train deal as devilish details are firmed up
Swain County may soon seal a deal with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to pay for the restoration of a…
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Waynesville’s wish of tourist railway derailed out of the gate
Since the advent of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, tourists flocking to Bryson City and Dillsboro to ride the scenic…
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Jackson urged to vet all options before dishing out railroad grant
A group of Jackson County residents have been making the rounds in recent weeks asking decision makers to think twice…
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Moving the chips of economic development in Haywood
An exploratory committee of Haywood County business leaders will examine in the coming months whether to reshuffle the county’s economic…
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Been there, done that
Haywood leaders are no strangers to overhauling their economic development strategy and structure. A major transformation played out just 10…
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Experts convene at rockslide response conference
When a rockslide shut down Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County three years ago, the N.C.…
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Cherokee tribal council candidates face primary election next week
Enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will head to the polls Tuesday, June 6, to vote in…
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Stopping voter fraud or just stopping voters?
A state bill mandating that voters show identification to cast a ballot has split opinions down the middle, with Republicans…
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WNC duo star on reality TV show
Lights, camera … Haywood County? During the past two years, a local reality show has become a phenomenon that’s being broadcast…
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Haywood room tax hike deep-sixed
Even though an “overwhelming majority” of community leaders in Haywood County support a lodging tax increase, a state bill that…
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Courthouse lawn to get spruced up in time for tourists
The Haywood County historic courthouse in Waynesville will be completely re-landscaped by the end of this week, just in time…
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Hospital for sale? All options on the table as MedWest hospitals contemplate future
Financial challenges faced by rural hospitals show no sign of a turnaround, prompting MedWest hospital leaders to consider what was…
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With lawsuit in the rearview, Canton plans to step up its game for public recreation
Canton leaders are already asking how they can do better making Camp Hope available to the public after a lawsuit…
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Jackson ‘Up to Good’ as it ‘Play(s) On’ with tourism branding messages
What’s it going to be for Jackson County — Just Do It; Got Milk?; A Little Dab’ll Do Ya? That…
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Social workers say student homelessness on the rise
The number of homeless school children in Haywood County has risen by nearly 20 percent this year compared to last.…
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Cherokee-run welfare office provides easier access to aid
From the outside, Sandy Cloer’s office doesn’t look like much — not even a real office, in fact. The three…
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The sticky wicket of downtown sandwich boards
Signs are businesses’ equivalent to nuclear weapons. “Everybody wants them, but you have to agree to live with them,” said…
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Speak up if you want high-speed internet in Jackson
Jackson County wants to bring high-speed Internet service to a greater number of residents, but doing so means convincing an…
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Filling the flood plain under debate in Macon
Macon County is weighing whether to relax its existing rules that ban fill dirt in the flood plain. The county’s…
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Maggie logjam shows no sign of breaking ‘til fall election
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen have been mired in gridlock for nearly nine months. With only four town board…
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Students draft business plan for health clinic
A 100-page business plan created by Western Carolina University seniors are helping guide development of a self-sustaining primary care health…
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Landslide protocol: a muddied affair
The tragic death of a railroad worker investigating a fresh landslide along a rail line last week highlighted the hidden,…
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Thanks to a mighty big carrot, Swain sets its sights on the future
Out of all the problems each county faces, how do you one narrow them down to focus on just three?
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Tax hike phobia trumps school request for officers, counselors
The Haywood County Board of Education has concluded that the cost of putting officers in elementary schools is not worth…
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Remembering Fontana’s sacrifice
The Proctor Revival Organization is hosting its third annual month long remembrance and celebration of the Proctor, Judson, Bushnell and…
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In-town shooting ranges weighed in Franklin
Franklin Town Board members have decided to put off action on whether to allow an indoor shooting range in town…
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Sylva gun shop brings Bullet Bunker online
A Sylva gun storeowner was given special permission to fire weapons in the town limits by town leaders this month.
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Tuscola dominates WNC welding competition
Tuscola High School students placed first and second in the Western High School Welding Competition May 11 at Tuscola. Keith…
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Macon and Jackson locked in a friendly feud over 1/10th of a cent
Who has the lowest tax rate in the state — Macon County or Jackson County? The answer is both, it…
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Fire department funding debate heats up in Jackson
Jackson County commissioners may be looking to change how fire departments are funded.
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Drawing the line between panhandling and charity at Franklin’s intersections
A group of folks allegedly raising funds on behalf of an out-of-state church have sparked complaints and questions from Franklin…
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Duke rate hike beats the drum of fossil fuel power production
Well raise my electric bill … again. Duke Energy is looking to hike its rates by nearly 10 percent.
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Beloved amusement park brought back to life one piece at a time
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park is scheduled to kick off its 2013 season Memorial Day weekend, thanks to…
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Will Holder Branch hold? Double landslides make residents uneasy
Twice in one week, the mountainside along Holder Branch Road in Canton slid away — and that was twice too…
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Cherokee casino hits earning milestone
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort’s bottom line is improving steadily each year as the nation continues to recover from the…
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The long and short of it: Space crunch leads to cosmetology waiting lists
About 30 cosmetology students stand at their individual workstations cutting, coloring and chatting; they are elbow-to-elbow and back-to-back, cramped as…
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Macon commissioner duo wants to spend down savings to bring on tax cuts
Two tight-pocketed Macon County commissioners, who have voted consistently against all sorts of new government spending, have decided to go…
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Cashiers sewer plant at capacity, but only on paper
Sewage and what to do with it has posed a complicated set of problems for the community of Cashiers —…
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Upfront costs don’t deter plans for Cashiers ABC store
Jackson County leaders are moving ahead with plans to open a liquor store in Cashiers, despite up to $200,000 in…
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Macon School leaders ask county for bailout, or harmful cuts are imminent
Macon County Schools are facing a $2 million budget shortfall and are hoping the county will come to the rescue.…
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Walmart debate prompts Sylva to consider more flexible sign rules
Walmart in Sylva was asking for the town board to grant them an exemption for a larger storefront sign. But…
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HCC makes pitch for continued building plan
Haywood Community College has asked for more than $1.4 million from the county for building and renovations projects on campus…
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News notes from Cherokee
State of housing in Cherokee to be surveyed A federal study researching housing conditions on Indian reservations across the U.S.…
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Price tag inches up on Cherokee jail and justice center
Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Tribal Council took issue with a construction budget increase for the tribe’s…
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Walking the dog: The trials and tribulations of being homeless in Haywood
Standing next to Louis “Louie” Bing, you’d never know he was homeless. While waiting for a cup of coffee at City Bakery…
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Cops in schools offer more than peace of mind
At first blush, Officer Nan Tritt looks like any other cop. She wears a badge and a gun, and the…
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