Archive for July, 2009

A swearing-in ceremony for the Jackson County Board of Elections will be held at noon Friday, July 31, at the Register of Deeds office. Following the ceremony a retirement reception will be held for Brit Holcombe, who is stepping down after 21 years on the board. Bob Ray, Fannie Roper and Cindy Thompson will take… »

Former “The Price is Right” host Bob Barker visited Cherokee Tuesday (July 28) to discuss conditions in bear pits at three businesses on the reservation. Barker spoke with Chief Michell Hicks and members of the tribal council, saying bears at Chief Saunooke Trading Post, Santa’s Land and the Cherokee Bear Zoo had to deal with… »

“Jackson County Then and Now,” the new book from Arcadia Publishing that spotlights local history, was released today. Authors Nick Breedlove and Lynn Hotaling will sign books tonight from 5-7 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore. Proceeds from the book benefit the Jackson County Historical Society. The volume, which features historical photos paired with a current… »

Henry Eugene Brown, 38, of Sylva, was convicted and sentenced in the Jackson County Superior Court July 17 to not less than 21 years, 1 month nor more than 26 years, 1 month after he was found guilty of two felonies – one count of first degree rape of a child and one count of… »

Smoky Mountain High School’s Cort Smith will compete in tonight’s McDonald’s East-West All-Star Soccer Game in Greensboro. The game will begin at 8:30 p.m. in the soccer stadium of UNC-Greensboro. A June graduate of SMHS, Smith was the Defensive Player of the Year last season in the Western Athletic Conference. He was also all-conference and… »

A Florida man was fatally injured when the motorcycle he was driving collided head-on with a motor home on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to Park spokesman Bob Miller, around noon on July 17, Raymond Joseph Vosika, 73, of Chipley, Fla., was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle… »

The next Summer Evening in Webster, set for Sunday, July 19, will feature actor Howard Allman, who will read from the works of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) as a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Poe’s birth. Both a poet and a short-story writer, Poe is said to be the inventor of the mystery. And… »

Sylva leaders Thursday approved a sign ordinance amendment regulating sandwich board signs downtown. Town leaders will also revisit the ordinance in a year. According to the new ordinance, stationary sandwich boards will be allowed in the B-1 district. Each business in the downtown zone is allowed one sandwich board immediately adjacent to their business and… »

Construction will soon begin on a medical office building on the Harris Regional Hospital campus. The new 45,000 square foot, three-story building will house physician practices and free up space to allow for additional medical staff growth, according to WestCare Health System CEO Mark Leonard. “Currently most of the physician office space on the Harris… »

Law enforcement officials are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of an inmate who escaped from the local jail as well as for a suspect wanted in connection with a recent robbery. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is seeking Michael Ray Hill, 36, formerly of Hall Heights in Sylva, who is wanted… »