Quarry opponents will ask commissioners to take stand - Tuckasegee residents, alarmed by plans to site a rock quarry in their community, say they will ask county leaders tonight (Thursday) to join them in opposing the proposed mining operation. Members of United Neighbors of Tuckasegee, a grassroots group organized about a month ago, told The Herald this week they intend to petition Jackson County’s commissioners for a resolution opposing the quarry. Opposition from the county’s elected leaders could help convince N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials to deny a permit for the mining operation, say....

SMHS construction continues - Work is under way to expand the Smoky Mountain High School campus to the former Jones property county officials purchased about five years ago. Overhead power lines are being buried along with telecommunication lines. The construction will allow for more parking and better emergency vehicle access to classroom buildings, according to Assistant Superintendent Steve....

Mill Street paving likely to temporarily snarl downtown traffic - Upcoming road work on one of Sylva’s main arteries may make downtown travel difficult in a few weeks. According to town Public Works Director Dan Schaeffer, Mill Street will soon be closed for repaving as part of the ongoing renovations for the thoroughfare. Plans to improve the street have been in the works for almost a decade. Schaeffer gave no starting date for the project, though he said he expects it to begin sometime in the....

Snow, school leaders discuss local issues - During a special meeting Monday (Aug. 14), school board members talked with state Sen. John Snow (D-Murphy) about various problems facing local schools. Topping their list of concerns were teacher shortages and the requirements of federal legislation known as No Child Left Behind. Both local school officials and Snow agreed on the importance of training and holding onto qualified teachers. “We need to try to keep good teachers in the classroom”....

Library officials discuss timeline for new facility - Library officials laid out a time line for the new library during their quarterly meeting Monday night (Aug. 14). Librarian Michael Cartwright said he and Wilson Sims, of Sims and Steele Consulting Agency, recently met with county Manager Ken Westmoreland to determine how to proceed. The library board earlier this year recommended Sims to county commissioners to design and conduct a feasibility study for fund-raising in the community. Commissioners last month approved an approximately....

WCU freshmen to arrive Saturday - Renovations to the Stillwell Science Building are just one of the changes students will find when they return to classes at Western Carolina University next week. In addition to the Stillwell facelift, WCU staff members have been busy installing new roofs on Breese Gym, McKee Building and Hunter Library and plan to install lights along the footpath to Norton Road Residence....

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