Conservation groups ask officials to revisit vested rights - Members of several local conservation organizations were on hand Monday (Nov. 16) to ask county commissioners to re-evaluate vested rights decisions made two years ago. Western North Carolina Alliance Director Rachel Bliss read a letter signed by members of the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance, Tuckasegee Community Alliance, The Canary Coalition, United Neighbors of Tuckasegee and the Watershed Association of the Tuckaseigee River asking commissioners to revisit the issue. “We have concerns that some of those 2007 vested rights decisions may have been...

More EDC members turn in resignations - Two more members of the Jackson County Economic Development Commission have tendered their resignations. Webster representative Jay Coward and county appointee Norma Moss resigned from the board last week. In a letter written to county Manager Ken Westmoreland, Moss said her current duties as chairman of the Tribal Gaming Enterprise have taken up so much time that she cannot commit herself to the EDC. Also, she cited the fact that the EDC is currently in limbo without a director or chairman. “Due to the current time requirements of my work with the Tribal Gaming Enterprise coupled...

Saturday’s book fair termed ‘best ever’ - Saturday’s fifth Great Smoky Mountains Book Fair was the best ever, said organizer Joyce Moore of City Lights Bookstore, which sponsored the event along with the Friends of the Library, Jackson County Library and Downtown Sylva Association. “It was excellent,” she said. “Everyone had a great time.” The fair generated nearly $10,000 for the new library, because the money raised at the fair will be doubled through a State Employees Credit Union Foundation matching grant. Book sales that day totaled about $16,000, which means that...

Early deadlines to be in effect for next week’s issue - The Sylva Herald will publish a day early next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. As a result of the truncated printing schedule, the following special deadlines will be in effect for the Nov. 26 issue only: All news - 5 p.m. today (Thursday, Nov. 19). Classified, real estate and legal advertising - 5 p.m. today (Thursday, Nov. 19). Display advertising - 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. The Sylva Herald newspaper offices and printing plant will close for two days – Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27 – in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Commissioners discuss library color scheme - Jackson County Commissioners Monday night (Nov. 16) discussed the color palette for the new library that’s under construction atop Courthouse Hill. Donnie Love with the McMillan Pazdan Smith architecture firm (formerly McMillan Smith) discussed the issue with commissioners, saying the project has had some delays due to rain. “With the time we have left on our contract, I think we’ll be able to finish on schedule,” he said. “Hopefully there will be wet nights and weekends and we can have some dry weekdays.” Love said that the project is at the stage where window frames and other external fixtures must be ordered. Since those components come already painted, he wanted...

Bear poachers to spend 10 months in federal prison - Two Jackson County men were each sentenced Monday (Nov. 16) to serve 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to shooting a bear along the Blue Ridge Parkway more than a year ago. Bobby Allen Gibson, 24, of Tuckasegee, and Steven Louis Broom, 31, of Cullowhee, were sentenced in Asheville by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell, according to U.S. Attorney Edward Ryan. Gibson and Broom were both charged in July with one count of violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits illegally taking game from federal lands. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thorneloe, who prosecuted the case, Broom and Gibson killed the bear...

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