Artificial turf likely for Smoky Mountain High

fr turfA plan to replace the football field at Smoky Mountain High School with artificial turf is likely to move ahead following an engineer’s finding that the work could be done well within Jackson County Public School’s $715,000 cap for the project.

Sylva sets sights on revitalized Scotts Creek

fr scottscreekRunning through the hearts of Dillsboro and Sylva on its tumble down from Balsam, Scotts Creek has star potential. It could be a centerpiece of both downtowns — a magnet for anglers, kayakers and kids looking for a place to splash around.

Contractor walks away from $15.9 million road contract

jacksonConstruction on the 0.7-mile connector road through Southwestern Community College has come to a halt after the contractor working on it defaulted on its $15.9 million contract this week.

SCC, DOT and road contractor debate who should fix damage to campus building

fr roadA three-way finger-pointing contest over cracks in Southwestern Community College’s biggest building — and their relation to construction work on the R-5000 connector road project — could result in a lawsuit if the parties involved aren’t able to decide who should pay to fix it.

Homeless shelter gets $15,000 from Jackson commissioners

jacksonA $15,000 contribution from Jackson County Commissioners will ensure that housing for the county’s homeless continues through the winter.

Tourism board contemplates firing web manager

jacksonEvery month, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority shells out $2,650 to keep its website updated, get it to show up prominently in search results and analyze digital traffic.

SCC master plan calls for $34 million of construction in Jackson, Swain

fr sccplanWhat’s the best way to spend $55 million? As far as the leadership at Southwestern Community College is concerned, the answer is simple — build, build, build until the lengthy checklist returned from its recently completed master plan is all done.

Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center

fr maternityA $5.5 million renovation and expansion of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will soon be underway.

Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella

fr obgynHarris Regional Hospital is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering babies in the mountains, a legacy it has pledged to maintain with the symbolic merger of the hospital’s OB doctors into a single practice under the hospital’s umbrella.

Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs

jacksonJackson County Public Schools wants more than $12 million for improvements to its facilities through 2020, but despite the big number, the requests are pretty basic, Superintendent Mike Murray told commissioners last week.

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