Franklin, NC
News
This coverage is provided through a combination of our own reporting and summaries of the work of other area sources, with credits and links provided where appropriate.
Bryson City
The Smoky Mountain Times takes a look at Bryson City’s local economy. Three local businessmen, including Ford dealer Gary Jennings, are optimistic. “If you look dead, you are dead,” says one.
Acts of violence, unusual in Bryson City, have been the center of attention in this Swain County town in past weeks. A violent confrontation between a Bryson City police officer and a man who was being involuntarily committed outraged several local residents, who thought the man was treated with excessive force. more recently an armed robber held up the Bryson City Pizza Hut. In addition, investigation of a summer double homicide, thought now to be drug-related, is winding down.
Police Chief Rick Tabor told the Smoky Mountain Times: “things get rougher all the time.”
Cashiers
In resort-happy Cashiers, management companies can be big news, and such was the case in late September when the Sapphire Valley Masters Association ended its relationship with the company that had managed its resort for years. Cashiers Chronicle editor Kelly Donaldson leaves out some key points (such as how many people the resort employees), but gives an overview of management responsibilities and the new management company here. The Jackson County Commissioners and Hampton School recently came to the rescue of the struggling Cashiers Child Development Center. The CCDC is Cashiers’ only daycare facility, and financial issues were threatening to close it. But the private Hampton School agreed to absorb the daycare, and Jackson County’s commissioners kicked in a hefty one-time chunk of change to help ease the transition. Read more from the Crossroads Chronicle Here. Read an editorial from the same paper here. Cashiers long-awaited county rec center is under construction, but in a recent county commissioner’s meeting, commissioner Tom Massie hinted that construction on major projects might should be postponed until the national economic picture clears a little. Commissioner Mark Jones, who represents the Cashiers area, says: um, no.
Cullowhee
The efforts of the organization “Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavour” (CuRvE), are gaining momentum. CuRvE is a group of Cullowhee residents that has committed itself to the revitalization of the “old Cullowhee” area, southeast of campus. A reunion concert by the 70’s-80’s rock band Cullowhee is scheduled for September 27 (Mountain Heritage Day), with the proceeds to help benefit CuRvE.
Read more about CuRvE’s efforts here.
Read Western Carolina University-specific news here.
Dillsboro
The five-year, David and Goliath legal battle between Jackson County and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over the fate of the little Dillsboro Dam reached another milestone. Duke Energy, which owns the dam, wants to tear it down as part of its mammoth relicensing deal with the federal government. A majority of the Jackson County Commissioners want the dam to stay put, perhaps to generate power locally. Local government is split, environmentalists are split and local residents are split. FERC denied the Commissioners’ latest appeal for a “stay” for the dam, but the Commissioners say not so fast; they claim to have more cards up their sleeves.
Read an overview from Sylva Herald editor Lynn Hotaling here.
Read a letter to the editor of the Smoky Mountain News from Cullowhee’s Bill Lyons Here.
Read a May article from the Smoky Mountain News here
Franklin
The Macon County Network, which operates a food pantry and soup kitchen in Franklin, is worried about the rapidly deteriorating economic situation and how it is impacting the organization’s work. While community support for the organization is good, Vanessa Bailey, Director, says the Network is now distributing more food than it is receiving. More from the Franklin Press.
A Macon County community group recently began a series of gathering aimed at purchasing and protecting a century-old general store in the Cowee Community. The Circle of Friends of the historic T.M. Rickman store kicked off a series of performances last weekend in a continued effort to raise money to pay off the purchase of the building and to support the community’s future use of the old general store as a central gathering place. Every Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. until Dec. 21, the store will be open to attract visitors and fellowship in a community atmosphere not often experienced in today’s world.
The store was built in 1895 and actively operated until 1993. More here from the Macon News.