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Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

TWASA waits for capacity expansion go-ahead

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Officials at Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority are waiting for the go-ahead from the state to increase sewer treatment plant capacity, which could end the current moratorium on sewer hook-ups.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

2007

It marked the end of an era for North Shore Road supporters and Blue Ridge Paper Products, and ushered a new wave of progressives into office. Counties tackled tough development questions, voters said no to taxes that would have funded…
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

2007: A year for development news

This year marked a turning point across Western North Carolina when it comes to political will and the development industry.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

Fed OKs $6 million for North Shore Road payment

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer After 64 years, it looks like the battle over the North Shore Road in Swain County may have finally reached a resolution.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

WCU trustees OK fee increases

Western Carolina University’s board of trustees unanimously approved proposed tuition and fees for the 2008-09 academic year, including increases to support operational costs for a new indoor recreation center currently under construction and to begin meeting student requests for enhanced…
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

Mining company appeals decision; quarry’s future remains uncertain

A Franklin-based mining company has filed an appeal against the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources decision denying a permit to operate a rock quarry in the Tuckasegee community in Jackson County.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

Why he rode: Continental cyclist A.J. Rowell returns home to Sylva after nearly 10,000 miles on the road

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer On June 1, 2007, A.J. Rowell left Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and began pedaling a bicycle across North America. Just before 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 19), the Jackson County native pulled into Sylva, seven…
Wednesday, 26 December 2007 00:00

On Cataloochee Wilderness: Project spokesman Frank Singleton talks about fitting into the community and facing possible opposition

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Frank Singleton, the spokesman for the 4,500-acre proposed Cataloochee Wilderness Resort in Haywood County, stopped by The Smoky Mountain News office to answer some questions about the planned development. Singleton said the ball is…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

Rapp tries to round up support for slope development bill

When back-to-back tropical storms hit the mountains with heavy rains in 2004, the saturated soils triggered more than 140 landslides. Some were small, others big, but all pointed to how vulnerable some mountain slopes are to the forces of nature…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

Cowee group fights to keep school community-owned

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer For more than 60 years, students have been learning at Cowee Elementary School. But with the rise in Macon County’s student population, county leaders are looking to build a new school to accommodate the…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

Restaurant owners scramble to comply with mandatory recycling law

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Landfills in North Carolina should become a lot emptier due to a new law requiring nearly 8,000 restaurants to start recycling alcoholic beverage containers.
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

441 corridor planning teaches students about smart growth

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Students at Smokey Mountain Elementary and Cherokee Indian Reservation schools will be learning an important lesson about land development.
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

An engineer’s take on N.C. 107

Walter Kulash, a private traffic engineer, has been advising the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance on and off for four years on issues pertaining to the Southern Loop. Kulash specializes in “livable traffic” design and has worked as a consultant…
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

Competing road studies likely for N.C. 107

The next year could play out as a battle of the traffic studies between the Department of Transportation and opponents to a new four-lane divided highway through Jackson County.
Wednesday, 02 January 2008 00:00

State says foul on school bond referendum support

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer After investigating the actions of the Macon County School Board for the past two months, officials at the North Carolina State Board of Elections have determined that the school district violated two campaign finance…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

An account of Haywood County

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The crowning achievement of Haywood County’s bicentennial celebration is a 600-page, hardcover book that will be the first definitive account of the county’s 200-year history.
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Commissioners take a more aggressive stance in Dillsboro dam fight

Jackson County commissioners are contemplating drastic measures in their fight against Duke Energy to stop the Dillsboro dam from being torn down.
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Change is on the way for Howell Mill Road: DOT expansion project will carve through the heart of community

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The widening of Howell Mill Road in Waynesville will take years to complete, cost millions of dollars and displace residents who live along the thoroughfare. The two-lane road starts at Russ Avenue next to…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Sylva manager resigns, but new job is in limbo

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva Town Manager Jay Denton has resigned from his job to become the executive director of Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission, but county commissioners refused to confirm his appointment to that position when they…
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Haywood fields to get artificial turf

School official will use lottery proceeds to install artifical turf at the Pisgah and Tuscola high school stadiums, it was announced at a county commissioners meeting on Jan. 7.
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Winter tourism up in WNC

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Shelli Milling of Georgia unpacked her minivan she watched her two sons play in the snow at Maggie Valley’s Jonathan Creek Inn parking lot.
Wednesday, 09 January 2008 00:00

Lack of due diligence cited as reason for dam removal protests

The state recently gave Duke Energy the green light to tear down the Dillsboro dam, a move that Jackson County and the town of Franklin are now formally protesting.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

Residents hear about alternatives for Southern Loop

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Tom Dowell searches a large topographic map of Jackson County for his home located along Airy Lane. He is one of the many residents whose homes may be in jeopardy if the North Carolina…
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

The state of mental health care: A fractured system is in danger of breaking down completely, leaving officials wondering — how did it get this bad?

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Patricia Frisbee Meyer’s son needed help. The mental illness he had battled since childhood stayed mostly under control, but Meyer knew the onset of a bad episode when she saw it. Meyer, along with…
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

TDA chair says pot charge no problem

The chair of Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority says a misdemeaor marijuana charge against the organization’s executive director will not affect her job status.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

Jackson’s Green Energy Park to appear on UNC-TV

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Viewers across the state will have the opportunity to learn about Jackson County’s green energy production from their living room.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

Denton waits for green light on EDC job

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer After working two years as Sylva’s town manager, Jay Denton will be leaving his post Jan. 31 with the hopes of becoming the new executive director for Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008 00:00

Remembering a great leader: First MLK commission established in Swain County

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer When Denise Tyson realized she would have to trek to another county to take part in celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, she did just what the famous civil rights leader would have done…
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

Sales tax may be answer to HCC’s $70 million needs

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer In one room, a jagged crack runs from wall to wall, evidence of an unstable foundation. In another, the shifting earth has pushed one side of the floor higher than the other at a…
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

The search for solutions: HRMC steps up to help fix mental health care

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Emergency rooms crowded with mentally ill patients. Sheriff’s deputies spending 96 hours supervising one individual. A sick man or woman whose situation is growing more dire by the second. It all adds up to…
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

Youth get a hands-on look at planning their future

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Rachel Upchurch wants to protect the mountains that tower throughout Jackson County however; the Smokey Mountain Elementary student also wants to see more houses and shopping centers built throughout the Qualla community.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

Familiar face, new challenges: After 17 years away, Jack Horton returns to manage a changing Macon County

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County welcomed its new County Manger Jack Horton back to Western North Carolina earlier this month. Horton, 57, returned to Macon County to fill the county manager position after the retirement of former…
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

Coal, energy needs at center of first lieutenant governor debate

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Coal-fired power plants and renewable energies took center stage as topics at last Saturday’s lieutenant governor’s debate in Asheville.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00

The growing issue of elder abuse in WNC

The senior citizen population is growing in Western North Carolina, and with that increase comes the increasing potential for abuse, exploitation, or neglect of the elderly.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00

Sylva rescinds resignation vote, re-hires Denton

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva’s search for a new town manager ended Jan. 17 after Town Manager Jay Denton asked the board for his job back.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00

Clean water for Racking Cove: Contentious water fund decision will provide Jackson residents with safe water

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer It’s been almost a year since Bonita Fox and her family have taken a sip of water from their well.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00

Public weighs in on future of U.S. 441

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Progress on Jackson County’s corridor study for U.S. 441 is taking shape after three public meetings last week.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00

More than 150 attend Swain’s historic first MLK celebration

More than 150 people traveled from all over Western North Carolina to attend the first official Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at Bryson City’s Historic Calhoun House on Jan. 21.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 00:00

North Shore Road proponents fear wilderness designation

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer With a potential end to the North Shore Road saga looming, supporters of constructing the 30-mile road through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park are confronting their fear of what a wilderness designation would…
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Body found in Macon in missing hiker case

Skeletal remains found in Macon County’s Nantahala National Forest Feb. 2 are those of an 80-year-old hiker who disappeared in October 2007, authorities say.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Living with a green state of mind: Western North Carolina residents take steps to reduce their carbon footprint

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Living “green” is a way of life for Mark and Darcia Bondurant. The Haywood County family of four works diligently everyday to reduce their carbon footprint by doing everything from buying locally produced food…
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Mountain roads cited as among the state’s most dangerous

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Driving a tractor-trailer in Haywood County or a motorcycle in Swain? Use caution. Both counties top the list of AAA Carolinas recently released report on the most dangerous places to drive in North Carolina.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Ordinance changes could lift floodplain development ban

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on amendments to the county’s flood damage prevention and watershed ordinances at a public hearing on Feb. 11.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Business owners and their trash

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County solid waste officials are cracking down on how businesses dispose of their trash, a move that has small business owners like Teresa Dowd up in arms.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 00:00

Swain chooses negotiators for North Shore settlement

By Jennifer Garlesky & Julia Merchant • Staff Writers Two Swain County employees will join representatives from the Department of Interior, the State of North Carolina and the Tennessee Valley Authority to negotiate a new contract that will replace the…
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Franklin adopts new rules for floodplain construction

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County’s eight-month moratorium on the permitting of recreational vehicles in the floodplain will be lifted next month.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Sylva wants to diversify Pinnacle Park usage

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva Town Board members want to see hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers sharing the trails in Pinnacle Park, 1,100 acres of land located at the northern part of town.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Gems from the used bin

By Chris Cooper Ah, the joy of finding good stuff in the “undeservedly discarded disc” section of any music store. Here a few recent scores: pop melodrama from Bleu and a superb album from the most underappreciated — and one…
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Local and regional agencies are making strides in the fight against online predators, but much work remains to be done

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s a scenario that plays out every day: A bored 12-year-old girl named Crystal enters a Yahoo chatroom. Immediately, a screen pops up. “A/S/L/?” — age, sex, location? — another chat user inquires. Within…
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Development regs at issue in Jackson election

When Jackson County commissioners passed strict mountainside development regulations last year, opponents pledged to get even come election time.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

As Cowan ponders whether to run, a rematch in the making

Voters in Jackson County could have a rematch in the May primary between two candidates who ran against each other for county commissioner two years ago — Joe Cowan and Darrell Fox for the district that includes Webster and Cullowhee.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Room tax plan would split Macon into three districts

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer A plan to distribute Macon County’s occupancy tax has been formulated, leaving the final approval up to the board of commissioners.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008 00:00

Franklin leaders mull downtown options

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sandi Dotherow loves the town of Franklin so much that she spends all her free time shopping and dining at downtown businesses.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

Is feeding the hungry bad for business?

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s lunchtime at the Open Door, a 12-year-old soup kitchen in the Frog Level community of Haywood County, and chatter and laughter fill the modest dining hall. Here, down-on-their-luck residents can get a free…
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

DOT accused of convoluted planning

Opponents to the Southern Loop again urged the N.C. Department of Transportation to halt planning for the new highway last week during a meeting of the Jackson County Transportation Task Force.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

Macon group vows to fight proposed school consolidation

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Macon County officials move forward with plans to build two new schools, community schools in Cowee, Iotla and Cullasaja could close their doors forever.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

Researchers use interviews to develop preservation tools

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Sometimes, amid the focus on such divisive issues as growth regulations or steep slope construction, it’s easy to forget that on the most basic level most people in the region share a similar feeling…
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

WCU enjoys a surge in popularity

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer When Callie LaDue started shopping for a college, there was only one school that she had her eyes on — Western Carolina University. “I liked it because it was a small campus but it…
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:00

Swain's drug problem worries officials

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The beautiful mountain scenery that covers Swain County hides an ugly truth — the area is combating a major drug problem, and officials aren’t quite sure how to stop it.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Crisis brewing at HRMC

Doctors, patients, nurses, ambulance drivers — even hospital board members — were unaware of a crisis brewing at Haywood Regional Medical Center that jeopardized its Medicare and Medicaid status and, as a result, the future of the hospital.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Rice resigns, cites need to move forward

David Rice, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center for 15 years, resigned Monday in the wake of a financial crisis resulting from the hospital’s loss of its Medicare and Medicaid status. “I think the fallout is so negative, I think…
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Board surprised by HRMC situation

The resignation on Feb. 25 of Haywood Regional Medical Center CEO David Rice was preceded by a tense, hour-long public meeting where hospital trustees expressed surprise and irritation toward Rice’s lack of candor about ongoing, serious problems uncovered by inspectors.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Westcare prepares for patient load

WestCare’s Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva will be filling a major void in the region’s health care in the wake of to the Medicare and Medicaid crisis at Haywood Regional Medical Center.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Timeline of a crisis

June 9, 2006 Haywood Regional Medical Center receives a visit from the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Medicaid and Medicare Services, the state agency responsible for overseeing hospital compliance with standard of care requirements. Inspectors cite the…
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Many say Medicare action too heavy-handed

Doctors and officials at Haywood Regional Medical Center are accusing state inspectors of being heavy-handed, draconian, unprecedented, dangerous and unfair by pulling the hospital’s Medicare and Medicaid status.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Issues flare up at Jackson Green Energy Park

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Jackson County officials say its high-profile tenant at the Green Energy Park is in violation of its lease, and now the county is requiring the biodiesel producer to comply or move elsewhere.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00

Fallout from funding crisis still unfolding

The future of Haywood Regional Medical Center could be in jeopardy following the termination of the hospital’s Medicare and Medicaid status due to violations uncovered by health care inspectors.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Bryson City adopts first land use plan

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Bryson City Alderman have adopted the town’s first land development plan.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Outpouring of support for HRMC

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Donning purple ribbons of support, members of the community came together Monday in a show of encouragement for the embattled Haywood Regional Medical Center, which is facing a financial crisis after losing its Medicare…
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Drakes to build 1,500-seat auditorium in Franklin

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Musicians will soon be able add another venue to their tour list next year.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

The changing face of Cherokee: Renaissance continues on the Qualla Boundary

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Next year Eastern Band of Cherokee tribal members will be able to watch the latest blockbuster flicks on the big screen, get their weekly groceries at Wal-Mart and enjoy a friendly game of golf…
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Situation changes daily at medical facility

Anyone following the saga of Haywood Regional Medical Center has to feel like their head is spinning. So much has happened so fast that keeping it all straight is likely proving difficult, even for those with the most nimble minds.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Haywood hospital begins recertification process

By Julia Merchant With its CEO gone and a new consulting group on board, Haywood Regional Medical Center is working around the clock to regain its Medicare and Medicaid funding.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

DOT takes input on N.C. 107 project

Jackson County residents weighed in on proposed road improvements for N.C. 107 at a citizens informational workshop Feb. 25 at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Nurses at HRMC caught in downward spiral

Over-worked and underpaid. It’s a complaint most in America could wage against their boss. But at Haywood Regional Medical Center, it was just the tip of workplace complaints.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Marchers protest Canton mill’s discharges

“Keep it clean! We’re downstream!” was the rallying cry for protesters at a demonstration held Saturday (March 1) demanding that Evergreen Packaging clean up the Pigeon River.
Wednesday, 05 March 2008 00:00

Haywood doctors open for business

The first stop for sick people in Haywood County should still be their local doctor.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 19:06

Second election primary results

Mark Meadows won the second primary on July 17 by a sweeping majority. The conservative Republican candidate for U.S. Congress garnered 76.3 percent of the vote Tuesday.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 13:05

Where’s Waldo craze infiltrates Sylva

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent Waldo fans take heed. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Are you up to the challenge? Tiny Where’s Waldo figures have been cleverly hidden on the shelves and racks of stores throughout downtown Sylva, and…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 13:04

Library exhibit presents ‘Images of Historic Canton’

More than 40 historic photographs of Canton will be on display at Canton library from July 9 through Aug. 31, and reception of the exhibit will be held at the library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9.…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 13:04

Free swap for back-to-school items in Haywood

A clothes swap to benefit children of Haywood County will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 21 at Keller Williams Realty’s Waynesville office. The event, which is sponsored by the real estate company, will allow parents and…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:46

Student charged with felony hate crime stays on football team

A Tuscola football player charged with a felony cross burning targeting a biracial classmate will remain on the team, at least for now. Ben Greene, a rising junior and running back on the varsity football team, will have to sit…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:44

Cross burning evokes memories of past racial violence

Four teenagers in Haywood County were recently charged with burning a cross in the yard of a biracial classmate. The act is considered a hate crime, a severe form of intimidation that is classified as a felony. All four students…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:42

Folkmoot’s financial struggles may re-define festival

The popular Folkmoot international festival will become a shadow of its current self in 2014 if its financial outlook doesn’t take a quick turn for the better.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:40

Dog owners stand up for their hunting heritage

A burley crowd wearing their long lineage of Appalachian ancestry proudly on their sleeves stared down Jackson County commissioners this week, decrying the idea of an ordinance that would muzzle their hunting dogs.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:39

Five finalists identified in HCC president search

Haywood Community College has named five finalists for president of the college, and candidate interviews will begin July 23. A 17-member search committee consisting of people from the community selected the finalists, which include Douglas W. Allen, Barbara Beebe, John…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:39

Open house at farm for those with autism

There will be an open house at Full Spectrum Farms, a Jackson County-based farm serving people with autism, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Full Spectrum Farms features a renovated farmhouse, barn, chicken house and garden. It is located…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:36

Did Jackson sheriff’s office cross the line? Differences in traffic checkpoints are subtle rather than glaring

A debate over whether the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office racially profiled Latinos and used a traffic checkpoint as an excuse to ensnare illegal immigrants is not over yet.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:34

Deal brokered for take over of defunct Sylva fiber lines

A pending sale of 19 miles of fiber lines capable of delivering high-speed internet in the greater Sylva area could once again give internet customers there a third option. If the sale goes through, Jackson County and the town of…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:33

Get involved in the food conversation

The Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University will host a meeting to determine community needs and support for a Far West North Carolina Local Food Policy Council at 7 p.m. July 30 in the Cardinal Room of the Western…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:31

The specter of specters awaits on Bryson City’s Ghost Walk

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent Tim Hall relishes in the history and folklore of the mountains but also knows when a little embellishing is in order — especially when it comes to ghost stories.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:28

Card dealers line up for on-the-spot job offers at Harrah’s Cherokee casino

Hundreds of people stood in line, some for more than an hour, outside Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel last Wednesday waiting to enter and try their luck — at getting a job.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:27

WRGC 540 AM back on the air and lovin’ it

Jackson County commissioners may have taken a leap of faith to help WRGC radio get back on the air, but it seems to be paying off so far. Not only has station owner Roy Burnette restored a local AM presence…
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 12:26

Fundraiser to benefit abuse shelter

R.E.A.C.H. of Macon County will host a fundraiser starting at 6 p.m. July 29 at the home of prominent Highlands and Houston interior designer Tony Raffa and his partner Scott Allbee. R.E.A.C.H. provides counseling, shelter, and life-skills training for victims…
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:19

New book recounts priest’s journey to freedom

Persuading Father Tien Duong to tell his story was a hard sell. It had all the right ingredients: a Catholic priest who grew up in the hardship of Communist Vietnam and who escaped to the U.S. in a dangerously crowded…
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:17

Fallout from Jackson alcohol vote isn’t over yet

When Jason Cutler moved to Jackson County from Michigan eight months ago, he was shocked to discover he couldn’t buy beer or wine outside of Sylva’s town limits.
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:16

New state law stops predatory audits-for-hire against businesses

Swain County is considering hiring a firm to ferret out businesses that are evading property taxes on equipment — but it can’t wait too long to decide. Firms that go after businesses for taxes has become a brisk business, offering their…
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:13

GOP congressional candidates square off for a shot at the ballot

Elections are upon us again. Although the primary has come and gone and the general election is still months away, voters are being asked to head to the polls July 17 to weigh in once more on some of May’s…
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 13:10

State sticks counties with surprise election tab

Counties in North Carolina are being forced to shoulder the burden of electronic voting machines alone after the General Assembly turned down federal aid that would have greatly offset the costs.
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