Jackson’s new industrial ordinance limits fracking, emphasizes traffic considerations

After sixteen months of meetings, a change of planning director and a nearly complete turnover of membership on the Jackson County Planning Board, an updated industrial development ordinance is now in place for the county.

Cowan’s writing could make you cry

bookWhen Leo Cowan, Jackson County’s noted historian and author, died last February just after his second book was published, I found myself reluctant to write a review of Leo’s last book in conjunction with his obituary. I am an admirer of Leo’s writing and have always felt that his “authorial voice” put him in a special category. Jackson County has a large number of writers who either write about the past and/or record their personal history through storytelling or autobiography (I guess I qualify as part of of that flock!). However, Leo Cowan is head and shoulders above all of us.

Jackson health department gets new leadership

fr healthdirectorJackson County’s health department is gearing up to start millions of dollars of construction for its animal shelter and health buildings, but before those projects get off the ground leadership will change with the coming of a new health director. 

New DSS director hired in Jackson

fr dssdirectorAfter 20 years with the department, Jackson County’s director of social services will be retiring from county employment at the end of the month, but the department won’t want for experienced leadership going forward.

Potential free clinic partnership sparks both enthusiasm and concern

fr goodsamaritanA partnership that could quadruple patient volume and expand medical staffing for the uninsured of Jackson County has been the subject of a flurry of meetings and conversations since The Good Samaritan Clinic of Jackson County announced last week that it’s moving toward a partnership with Hendersonville-based Blue Ridge Health Center.

Candidate for Jackson commission alleges wrongdoing

fr caneyforkstoreMickey Luker has been working on a remodel of Caney Fork General Store ever since he purchased the property in 2011, but now the county commissioner candidate is claiming that politically motivated nefariousness caused the county health department to deny him the wastewater permit he needs to add a deli line to his business.

User-friendly website a priority for Jackson

fr webjacksonKelly Fuqua doesn’t have a problem saying she’s pretty proud of Jackson County’s website. Before she overhauled it in 2011, the site was getting “complaint after complaint,” and she sank a lot of work into fixing the problem. 

Jackson names interim manager

jacksonWith a one-month gap between the retirement of Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten and the arrival of his successor Don Adams, Jackson County Commissioners voted this week to choose an interim manager to bridge the gap. County Attorney Heather Baker will fill the role.  

Jackson hopes to end the free ride for out-of-county dumpers

fr trashSuspicions that people are concealing old sofas and worn-out mattresses over state and county lines to dump on the sly in Jackson is irking county commissioners, but stopping the illicit trash smugglers could be tough.

Solving Jackson’s last-mile internet challenge will take time and money

jacksonWhen Travis Lewis was hit with a $600 charge for going over his monthly cell phone data allotment two years ago, he was taken aback to say the least.

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