A Jackson County woman was shot and killed in the early morning hours of Feb. 18 by her uncle, who allegedly mistook her for an intruder, according to Jackson authorities.

Sometime before 3:30 a.m., 24-year-old Hannah Kathryn Frey entered her uncle’s residence on 62 Southview Meadow in the Whittier community. According to a statement by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, officers were notified that she was accidentally shot by her uncle in the neck upon entering the home.

The Little Tennessee Watershed Association is one step closer to protecting the Little Tennessee River from the threat of losing its headwaters. On Feb. 22, the Rabun County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution in favor of regulating interbasin transfers.

With the declaration, the river stands a chance at remaining a water source for the communities through which it flows, rather than becoming a source of water for rapidly developing cities, such as Atlanta, LTWA executive director Jenny Sanders said on Tuesday.

As the extension of the Macon County Airport runway moves forward, the Macon County Airport Authority has received estimates for the construction of aircraft hangars as part of the expansion of the airport.

Airport Authority member Harold Corbin reported at last Tuesday’s meeting that the cost to construct 13 hangars would be an estimated $861,000. That estimate includes three 65’ by 60’ hangars and ten “T” hangars for smaller, single engine airplanes. Corbin said that the cost for the three large hangars would be approximately $151,000, while roughly $710,000 would be needed to build the smaller hangars.

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North Carolina lawmakers are looking at a bill that would ban cell phone use for people driving a motor vehicle.

The bill is akin to previous laws passed that were designed to raise highway safety. Last year the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law that made it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to talk on a cell phone while driving. During the same session, the General Assembly also passed a bill that prohibits all drivers from texting while driving.