December 7, 2006
Edition
Sylva, NC
Volume 81, No. 37

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Three new commissioners take oath Monday night - After taking the oath of office Monday night (Dec. 4), incoming county commissioners quickly got to work. Incoming commissioners Tom Massie, William Shelton and Mark Jones joined incumbents Joe Cowan and Chairman Brian McMahan to deal with organizational matters during their first official meeting In one of their first actions, commissioners....

Drug investigation concludes - Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, left, and Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis, listen last Thursday as U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert reports on a multi-agency drug investigation that lasted more than two years and resulted in more than 100 arrests on methamphetamine-related charges. The long-running sting operation was carried out by an organized crime drug enforcement task force, according to Ashe, and was a cooperative effort that began....

Librarian Cartwright resigns - A library official who has found himself in the midst of controversy for most of his tenure will step down next month. County librarian Michael Cartwright, who has headed Jackson County’s libraries since August 2001, has submitted his resignation effective Jan. 31. During a Tuesday (Dec. 5) telephone interview, Cartwright did not mince words about the reasons for his departure. “It’s been a long, hard road, and that road isn’t going anywhere,” he said in reference to the stalled new....

Extension allows WLOS to remain on Mediacom cable - Negotiations between Mediacom and Sinclair Broadcast Group resulted in a last-minute extension allowing WLOS-TV to stay on the local cable lineup. This area’s ABC affiliate was scheduled to be pulled from Mediacom’s cable systems at midnight last Thursday (Nov. 30). The extension allows WLOS, which is owned by Sinclair, to continue to be carried by Mediacom through Jan. 5, according to Maggie Blythe, Mediacom’s senior....

Dillsboro festival continues - Despite the cold air, Dillsboro’s annual two-weekend holiday open house got off to a good start Friday night as shoppers gathered on the candle-lined streets to listen to music and sample Christmas goodies offered by shop owners. Visitors were steady Saturday night as well. The town’s Festival of Lights and Luminaries continues this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, with entertainment and holiday cheer beginning at 5 p.m. each day. Parking will be available at....

WCU trustees approve tuition hikes, other fees for next academic year - Western Carolina University’s board of trustees unanimously approved proposed tuition and fees for the 2007-08 academic year that will raise the cost of attending the school by about $600 per year. The fee schedule includes an additional debt service fee to fund construction of a modern dining facility to replace the current Dodson Cafeteria, built in 1966. The board also agreed to call for a thorough study of current student health services and fees to ensure that the needs of the overall student....

County leaders provide funding to park projects - In their last act Monday night (Dec. 4), outgoing Jackson County Commissioners awarded all their local grant money to two town-sponsored park projects. Commissioners gave $10,000 each to the Monteith Park project in Dillsboro and the Bridge Park Project in Sylva as part of the county’s municipal grant program. County leaders annually give out $20,000 to fund town....

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