Tribal council upholds chief’s veto of alcohol vote - The chief’s veto of an alcohol referendum was upheld by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians during a Sept. 27 special meeting. Tribal Council members were unable to garner the two-thirds majority needed to overturn Principal Chief Michell Hicks’ veto of the referendum. The measure would have allowed Cherokee voters to decide if alcohol could be served on the premises of Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino. Tribal Council members Aug. 7 approved a referendum for on-premises alcohol sales at...

Local residents attend Obama rally - Joe and Annie Ritota of Sylva (below) were among a crowd of local residents who traveled to Asheville High School Sunday (Oct. 5) to attend a rally for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (left). Some 22,000 people made their way into AHS’s football stadium, with a reported 6,000 or so more listening outside. Obama’s speech touched on the current economic crisis and opponent John McCain’s “swift-boat style of attacks” on the...

Sylva’s planning director resigns - The town of Sylva lost a key administrative employee when Planning Director Jim Aust resigned last Wednesday (Oct. 1). That move came one week after Aust, who has been in his position almost 10 years, was quoted criticizing town board members in an article published in the Sept. 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. That report focused on Aust, who was upset after board members voted 3-2 to deny an application for a Residential Planned Unit Development...

Third Bridge Park fest to be Oct. 19 - The third annual Bridge Park Arts and Music Festival will bring live music and festivities downtown on Sunday, Oct. 19. The free event will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will continue until dark. The festival began three years ago as a fund raiser for the Bridge Park Project – a community effort to transform the under-used municipal parking lot area into a public space and performance venue. In May, a timber-frame pavilion was constructed, and the town of Sylva...

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Homecoming queen - Smoky Mountain High School senior Sarah Brown, above with her father, Russell Brown, was crowned homecoming queen Friday night (Oct. 3) during halftime of SMHS’ loss to Tuscola. This year’s maid of honor (runner-up) is Abi Jones. – Photo by Jarrett Frazier

County seeks summary judgment to block Duke water quality permit - In an effort to overturn a decision by state environmental officials that cleared the way for removal of the Dillsboro Dam, Jackson County has asked an administrative judge to cancel a water quality certification issued last year to Duke Energy. The motion for summary judgment was filed Sept. 25 by Paul Nolan of Arlington, Va., the energy attorney who represents county officials in their ongoing battle with...