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North Carolina Is Working On Cleaning Up Voter Rolls
North Carolina is working to clean up voter rolls this year. Regular voter list cleanup is required per state and federal law, however the data base maintenance is done internally by the local Board of Elections, removing deceased voters, those who’ve moved, or are incarcerated for felonies, etc.. Jackson County residents who are registered voters and may have missed some elections likely received an address confirmation postcard in January regarding their status. Voters who do not return an address confirmation card will still be registered to vote but will be listed as inactive in the registration database. North Carolina BOE expects approximately 289,000 address confirmation cards to be sent out this year. Voters can check their status at the state BOE website or check locally.
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Cooper Promises Help After Closure of Canton Paper Mill
Gov. Roy Cooper is chiming in after the closure of the Canton paper mill, the economic center of the small mountain town for more than a 100 years. In a recent statement on March 16th, Cooper urged the operators of the plant, which announced they will shutdown this summer, to find a way to keep it running, saying closing the facility would have a “devastating effect” on the community and the economy. About 1,100 employees are expected to lose their jobs. Cooper also said the state would seek to recover $12 million in state-funded incentives Pactiv-Evergreen received to keep the mill operating if it closed. A letter from the state Attorney General is demanding the company repay the grant funds immediately based on “the company’s clear intent to breach” the agreement. Local officials have pledged resources to the workers who are expected to be laid off. Cooper’s state government budget proposal released late last week on March 15 recommended $5 million be set aside to support employee and community needs in Canton. The budget document said any incentives the company pays back would be used to help Canton.
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Free Prom Dresses Thanks To Area Businesses
Students from Smoky Mountain High School will have a chance to dance the night away in a prom dress of their choice for free. Pamela’s Closet, the Poplar Springs Baptist Church of Shelby chapter of Becca’s Closet, will set up several dress racks offering gently-used, free prom dresses from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. next Saturday, March 25, and noon until 4 p.m. Sunday, March 26. The SMHS prom is set for May 6 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Ballroom.
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Pedestrian Killed on Busy Franklin Roadway
One person is dead after they were run over twice on a busy Franklin roadway. The Franklin Police Department is still working to figure out why the deceased was walking in and out of traffic before he was struck and killed by two vehicles Georgia Road. Franklin Police said they are continuing to investigate the crash but no charges will be filed against the drivers.
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Lawmakers Want Pactiv Evergreen Executives Investigated For Insider Trading
A western North Carolina lawmaker wants several executives who sold off stock days before announcing the closing of the Canton mill investigated for insider trading. Executives including Pactiv Evergreen’s President and CEO sold more than 58,000 shares, as more than 1,000 employees were notified the plant was shutting down. After the closure was publicly announced, the value of the shares dropped drastically, causing many to question the timing of the stock sell-offs. Congressman Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th district, has asked for the SEC to review the matter, as “It would be illegal for anyone to profit from inside information,” the congressman said in a letter to the SEC. Edwards has asked for a response from the SEC by March 23rd.
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Life Force Helicopter Crew Returns To Service After Crash
Erlanger Life Force announced Tuesday that they would begin returning crew members to service following a helicopter crash in Macon County. A release said that in accordance with their safety protocol, the grounding of the plane and crew allowed time to process the event, review and perform safety checks, and ensure they are well-prepared to return to service. Life Force 6 crashed March 9th while transporting a patient from a medical facility in Murphy to Mission Hospital in Asheville. The patient and all three crew members survived. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the wreck. This is the first crash experienced in Life Force’s 34-year history, the release noted.
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Spring Litter Pick-Up Slated for April 16th-29th
As part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Clean Sweep, the Jackson County Keep Our Mountains Clean and Green Litter Task Force will be holding their annual spring litter pick up event during the weeks of April 16-29, 2023. To register a group for the litter pick up event call Kim Shuler at (828) 586-7509. Information needed for registration includes group leader name, contact information, the number of people in the group, and the name of the road where trash will be picked up. Please choose only secondary roads for litter pick up; the main highways of 19-23, Hwy 107, and 441 are not to be chosen due to high traffic volumes. The Jackson County Solid Waste Department will provide the supplies of safety vests, gloves, trash tongs, and trash bags, and are available at the Jackson County Transfer Station at 1172 Mineral Springs Road in Sylva. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the clean-up. This is a wonderful opportunity to show community pride, civic responsibility, and appreciation of the beauty of our mountains.
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