Thai food spices up Waynesville’s culinary scene
 

Thai food spices up Waynesville’s culinary scene

Americans love pad thai. This one fact, Nonglak Pafuang is sure of. After moving to the U.S. from Thailand five…
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Angel close to merger with Mission if state bill stays at bay
 

Angel close to merger with Mission if state bill stays at bay

The pending merger of Angel Medical Center with Mission Health System could be sidelined, at least temporarily, by a state…
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Sylva leaders support DSA with more funding
 

Sylva leaders support DSA with more funding

The future of the Downtown Sylva Association remains unclear despite a move by town leaders to increase public funding for…
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Politics, Cherokee style, are in high gear leading up to primary
 

Politics, Cherokee style, are in high gear leading up to primary

The July 7 primary is drawing closer in Cherokee, when the field for principal chief will narrow from five to…
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Mission in the crosshairs: Hospital turf war in WNC heats up
 

Mission in the crosshairs: Hospital turf war in WNC heats up

A state bill aimed at ensuring a balance of power between Mission Health System and smaller hospitals has placed lawmakers…
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Murray selected as Jackson schools superintendent
 

Murray selected as Jackson schools superintendent

The Jackson County Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael L. Murray as the new…
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Lack of childcare hindering WCU recruitment, retention
 

Lack of childcare hindering WCU recruitment, retention

Finding childcare, particularly for infants, has surfaced as a growing problem for the young professionals who make up much of…
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Legislation would give Tribal ABC Board more authority
 

Legislation would give Tribal ABC Board more authority

Legislation that would bring alcohol regulation in Cherokee completely under tribal control is now working its way through the General…
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Sylva makes bid to Jackson leaders for old library
 

Sylva makes bid to Jackson leaders for old library

Sylva leaders want their Jackson County counterparts to lease, for $1 a year, the old library building to them, citing…
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No tax increase projected for Jackson
 

No tax increase projected for Jackson

No increase in taxes, more funding for the new public library, the same amount for the schools and a more…
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A recipe for helping kids
 

A recipe for helping kids

It’s 4:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, and in a kitchen in Frog Level, a chocolate almond layered torte is beginning…
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Is it worth it?
 

Is it worth it?

Despite years of negative publicity surrounding the contamination of soil at Barber’s Orchard, the actual health risk posed by the…
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Uphill battle to purge Barber’s Orchard of dirty soil
 

Uphill battle to purge Barber’s Orchard of dirty soil

Residents of Barber’s Orchard will safely be able to eat the dirt on their lots after a $15 million federal…
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Haywood schools bracing for deep state budget cuts
 

Haywood schools bracing for deep state budget cuts

The state’s bloodletting has begun, and for Haywood County Schools, the losses might add up to more than $4 million…
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Maggie erupts with showdown between bar and museum
 

Maggie erupts with showdown between bar and museum

A formerly notorious bar will reopen in Maggie Valley despite bombastic protests from the owner of Wheels Through Time Museum,…
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State reprimands EPA over Superfund cleanup
 

State reprimands EPA over Superfund cleanup

Federal contractors performing a $15 million cleanup of Barber’s Orchard have violated state erosion laws, failing to keep the arsenic-tainted…
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Canton feels slighted by shift in visitor center funding
 

Canton feels slighted by shift in visitor center funding

In the world of Haywood County tourism, a turf battle is brewing, and the fiefdoms under fire are the county’s…
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Folkmoot funding gets the ax
 

Folkmoot funding gets the ax

Folkmoot festival has lost a vital source of advertising money, jeopardizing its ability to lure visitors to Haywood County during…
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A decade in the making, new SCC building expands campus holdings
 

A decade in the making, new SCC building expands campus holdings

A new building started taking shape last month at Southwestern Community College’s campus in Sylva, with completion slated for next…
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A Jackson County library primer
 

A Jackson County library primer

For Jackson County’s book-loving residents, the temporary closure of the public library in Sylva presents true hardship, a time of…
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WCU sends off graduates May 6-7
 

WCU sends off graduates May 6-7

Western Carolina University’s spring graduating class will be honored as the university holds a trio of commencement ceremonies over a…
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Healthcare reform specialist to speak at GOP meeting
 

Healthcare reform specialist to speak at GOP meeting

Dr. C.L Gray, who is well known for his activities promoting healthcare reform, will speak on May 3 at the…
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Training for dealing with the mentally ill
 

Training for dealing with the mentally ill

A 40-hour training program for professionals who have encounters with mentally ill people will be held May 16 through 20…
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Here we go again: Sylva town leaders spar over DSA funding
 

Here we go again: Sylva town leaders spar over DSA funding

The organization many credit with helping to create and nurture Sylva’s vibrant downtown scene is facing the possibility of going…
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Macon County achieves success with open access
 

Macon County achieves success with open access

The Macon County Health Department implemented a new open-access appointment system in February that has cleared a four-week backlog of…
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Haywood may look to property tax hike to offset still sagging sales tax revenue
 

Haywood may look to property tax hike to offset still sagging sales tax revenue

Haywood County, like everyone else, is bracing for the impact of state budget cuts. But the good news is that…
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MMS offers three-day mediation training
 

MMS offers three-day mediation training

Mountain Mediation Services will hold a three-day community mediation training from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,  May 24 through 26…
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Gearing up: Mill outage to bring hundreds of outside laborers to Canton
 

Gearing up: Mill outage to bring hundreds of outside laborers to Canton

For the last month, Greg Petty has been on a leaflet campaign around Canton. He’s been to parking lots. He’s…
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Dillsboro could be on the hook for railroad loan
 

Dillsboro could be on the hook for railroad loan

Depending on which town leader you ask, Dillsboro is prepared to co-sign on a more than $300,000 loan for the…
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Who exactly will pay for all that electricity?
 

Who exactly will pay for all that electricity?

With Jackson County set to take possession next month of the renovated historic courthouse and new library, commissioners agreed it’s…
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Ghost Town bankruptcy hits dead end
 

Ghost Town bankruptcy hits dead end

Ghost Town in the Sky has no hope of pulling itself out of bankruptcy, according to a federal bankruptcy administrator.…
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Jackson educators expecting deep state dollar cuts
 

Jackson educators expecting deep state dollar cuts

Jackson County Schools isn’t asking for extra money this year from county commissioners despite an expected 10 percent or more…
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Jackson dropout rates decline in 2009-10
 

Jackson dropout rates decline in 2009-10

Jackson County is one of four counties in North Carolina that has decreased its dropout rate the most, according to…
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Learn how social media can boost your business
 

Learn how social media can boost your business

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Business Owner’s Guide to Facebook and…
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Haywood commissioners caught in backlash over new property values
 

Haywood commissioners caught in backlash over new property values

An angry crowd accused Haywood County commissioners this week of unfairly slapping some property owners with higher values while letting…
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Hearing planned for McCoy Bridge project
 

Hearing planned for McCoy Bridge project

The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 25, regarding…
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With construction down, Haywood Home Builder’s struggle to stay viable
 

With construction down, Haywood Home Builder’s struggle to stay viable

While the construction industry, the Haywood Home Builders’ Association is giving itself a makeover, one it hopes can keep them…
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Musical chairs between Franklin, Macon government posts
 

Musical chairs between Franklin, Macon government posts

Mike Decker is retracing the steps he made 11 years ago when he left county government for a job across…
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Regional food forum to look at WNC needs
 

Regional food forum to look at WNC needs

With the latest increase in gas and grocery prices, the already long lines at soup kitchens and food pantries across…
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Chamber trash pick-up planned
 

Chamber trash pick-up planned

A trash pick-up of Veterans’ Boulevard and U.S. 19 is being organized by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce beginning…
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Swain, Macon commissioners try to rein in DOT plans for Needmore Road
 

Swain, Macon commissioners try to rein in DOT plans for Needmore Road

Swain and Macon commissioners believe a state plan to widen and pave a 3.3-mile gravel road along a remote stretch…
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Hagan sets constituent meeting this week
 

Hagan sets constituent meeting this week

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan will meet with constituents Thursday, April 21, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Southwest…
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Canary Coalition lobbies for bill that rewards conservation
 

Canary Coalition lobbies for bill that rewards conservation

A presentation on a state bill to overhaul energy consumption will be given by the Canary Coalition at 6:30 p.m.…
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Spiritual community: A matter of being part of something greater
 

Spiritual community: A matter of being part of something greater

Plink plink plink. A moment of silence. Again – plink plink plink. It’s 6 a.m. and the sky is still…
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Learn to resolve conflict at Haywood workshop
 

Learn to resolve conflict at Haywood workshop

Waynesville resident Kristen Wall, a trainer with the Asheville Compassionate Communication Center, will present two workshops on conflict resolution. “Communication:…
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Cherokee business community tests the waters on alcohol sales
 

Cherokee business community tests the waters on alcohol sales

The absence of alcohol in Cherokee is hurting tourism, according to the business community. And that’s something the Cherokee Chamber…
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Jackson commissioners give bypass thumbs down
 

Jackson commissioners give bypass thumbs down

The likelihood of the state Department of Transportation building a bypass around Sylva seems increasingly unlikely after Jackson County commissioners…
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Celebrate Earth Day
 

Celebrate Earth Day

Haywood Community College’s Earth Day celebration will include demonstrations of renewable energy and sustainable technologies, a Green Business Expo, green…
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March against domestic violence
 

March against domestic violence

Men and boys are encouraged to gather in Sylva to take a stand against violence against women at 9 a.m.…
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Discounted cat adoptions
 

Discounted cat adoptions

Cat adoption fees will be discounted from April 16 to 19 at Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Waynesville. Cats between…
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