January | February | March | April | May | June


1/09

1/7/09
Who controls what’s taught?
Who is Ayn Rand?
Superior Court Judge Hyatt to step down
The view from the bench
Old Swain courthouse holds promise as museum, visitor center
Smart Roads calls on county to step up in 107 planning
Macon pulls out of fight with Duke over dam mitigation
Duke sues Jackson County for holding permits hostage
Therapists: Hard times test marriages
End in sight for cost overruns on Haywood courthouse
Here’s to a swift kick to the trash heap for 2008
Memories of WCTC’s feline director of all things theater
A second Gilded Age is upon us
A year of opportunity
Bluegrass brothers
From Dylan to Delaware
Striking an electronic chord
Beyond the rules of fiction
Paddling industry pins hope on new designs to stoke interest
All in the design
The Naturalist's Corner
Grow your plants from seeds
Wolf lore

back to top


1/14/09
Bryson man pleads to lesser charge in assault case
Franklin seeks AT town designation
Dillsboro quietly assessing merger with Sylva
Merger prospect talk of the town
Casino job losses first since Cherokee opening
Searching for clarity after muddy disaster
Macon leaders struggle with budget shortfall
WestCare cuts 45 jobs
This time, WCU passes academic integrity test
Not a social networking butterfly, but I’m out of the cocoon
Civil rights and the arts
More gems from the used bin
From Here: Authors spotlight Haywood County
WNC continues to captivate
The Naturalist's Corner
Growing plants from seeds — the basics
An interested observer

back to top


1/21/09
Poor economy boosts military recruiting
Dems meet to pick Sheriff Alexander’s successor
Candidates for Haywood County Sheriff
Waynesville land use plan review moves forward
Incident heightens tensions between county, sheriff
Massie questions permit hold-up
Effort to end Duke fight fails in Jackson County
Duke, county at odds over permits
County may meet with attorney on Duke permit dispute
Broken bridge ignites debate with Park over North Shore cemeteries
Graves in the park
Special moments, a spoonful at a time
Singing and dancing songs of joy: African Children’s Choir comes to WCU
The blue side of Derek Trucks
Westward Revelations
The Naturalist's Corner
Plants that are easy to grow from seeds
Getting to know liverworts

back to top


1/28/09
New job yanked from resigned mental health director
Jackson leaders grapple over ending fight with Duke
Dillsboro dam fight heads into state hearing
Haywood Sheriff candidates line up for questions from public | More
Expensive parking holds new Sylva fire department in limbo
Haywood County eyes old Wal-Mart shell for offices
Tough budget facing legislature as session begins
Canton mayor looks to state for help with business venture
Cherokee covers lunch for its own
Despite landslide worries, state slope rules face uphill battle
Military a strong pull in this economy
Quieting the monster cries
Celebrating the vision of Joe Legge
Bicentennial celebration of a mountain community
Your friendly guide to area museums and historical sites
A new take on murderess legend
Landmark victory
The Naturalist's Corner
Wildlife could be affected by hunting laws
The common beauty of the robin

back to top


2/09

2/4/09
Across the mountains, companies scrape to avoid layoffs
Sawmill manager: World going to hell
Software CEO doing well in bad times
Task force seeks answers to water shortages
Swain leaders indifferent to lack of building regulations
Franklin wants process for releasing closed session minutes
Haywood gets serious about tapping landfill methane
Dreams for Swain’s old courthouse hinge on big money
Community lobbies DOT to save a piece of history
Landowners held accountable in wake of landslide
Park-and-ride in Haywood gains traction
Prone to landslides, Haywood seeks priority in slope hazard mapping
Feeling slighted, TDA yanks grant
TVA ruling could signal beginning of a new era
A duty to protect Swain’s citizens
Electing sheriffs leaves too much to chance
The ultimate rock ’n’ roller
Savage salvation
Treading lightly
The Naturalist's Corner
Another piece of farmland saved
Gardeners get a bargain
Owls remain mysterious, alluring

back to top


2/11/09
With proposals in, work starts on partnership
Four-legged crisis brewing in Swain
Psych unit improving mental health system, officials say
WCU in ‘flux’ as it braces for state budget cuts
Bardo pledges to defer to deans
A stockyard lost
Jackson undeterred by price tags or economy in pursuit of library
Past pursuit of building projects proved less than organized
Suttles gets nod for Haywood sheriff
Closed session minutes an opportunity for openness
For Terry, the world was too much
Dillsboro dam is simply worth preserving
A bowl for the soul | Recipes
Tales of survival from the American frontier
Environmentalists come in many forms at fair
The Naturalist's Corner
Building better, conserving energy
Forsythia heralds the spring season

back to top


2/18/09
Library success rides on public support
A long and winding road
Tight times force tough choices for Swain schools
Mandated cutbacks mean tough decisions
Loss of Hazelwood prison likely just a matter of time
Haywood commissioners asked for more oversight of mega-developments
Aldermen deny exploiting ‘Slategate’
A ray of hope in the mental health crisis
A call to action for the Southern Appalachians
Hair Wars
Carden’s insights and answers to Appalachian 101
The age of acting and the rapture of writing
Smokies’ mania
The Naturalist's Corner
Spare me some spears
Reservoir rendezvous

back to top


2/25/09
Back from the brink
Poore a ‘breath of fresh air’
The new watchdogs
HRMC: A timeline
Haywood extends token to Canton solar farm
In tough times, local company looks to expand
Shuler said he’ll fight for stimulus funds
Purported mega-development disappears from radar
Sylva board rift heats up
Jackson library deserving of community support
For young illegals, a coming-of-age quandary
Free clinic plugs mental health holes
A new twist
Brooding obsessions
Could hops be one of WNC’s new cash crops?
The Naturalist's Corner
Cowbirds a favorite to despise

back to top


3/09

3/4/09
Airport runway battle heats up in Macon
Franklin man banned from bringing knife to church
Churches pool to offer refuge for homeless in Sylva, Waynesville
Physicians, HRMC may partner on surgery center
Angry residents call nuisance ordinance ‘a bunch of garbage’
Waynesville mourns passing of long-time alderman
New polling place to end Cherokee voters’ commute to Bryson
Canton stuck in bidding quagmire
Swain pushes Bryson fire department aside in turf war
Press awards recognize ‘dogged commitment’
Canton town manager search drags on
Tough year for HRMC teaches hard lessons
Flood Relief Funds: What really happened
The stories of everyday people
Conservatism with a small “c”
The Naturalist's Corner
Give your vegetable garden a head start
New park visitor center to showcase stored artifacts
Climbers asked to relinquish cliffs for peregrine falcons
Smokies keeps status as most visited national park
Popeyed pleasures

back to top


3/11/09
Missed deadline costs HRMC potential revenue
Board members confused about McDevitt contract
What is the Evergreen Foundation?
Task force aims to fix future traffic snarls
First things first: How many cars too many?
Artifacts endangered by airport project
Another landslide jeopardizes Maggie Valley home
State could pull contribution to Duke for dam removal
Swain leaders divided on contentious fire station plan
A tax break for one business is not a plan
Mr. February, me and my wife make happy
A community can provide real help to those in need
Celebrating Southern filmmakers: Flicks for thought
Balsam Range’s mountain mantra
Digging up John Williams
Farewell 4-wheels?
The Naturalist's Corner
Dillsboro ups the ante as a green town
The curious habits of birds

back to top


3/18/09
Troubled park hopes to get back on feet
Runway extension faces funding shortfall
Airport officials hold private meeting about runway
WCU announces faculty layoffs
Jackson ponders solutions to dry wells
Duke Energy, Jackson argue cases in court
Moonshiner dead in apparent suicide
Agencies, departments reeling from county budget cuts
Landslide highlights, once again, need for new laws
Recapturing the magic of Disney‘s “Beauty and the Beast”
A complex legacy
The 900-mile club
The Naturalist's Corner
Basil: king of herbs
Uplifted by the flight of birds

back to top


3/25/09
Heath Shuler: Too conservative for his party or right on the money?
Swain residents lock and load in wake of escaped murder suspect
Ghost Town coaster opening faces big hurdles
Job hunt gets harder under double digit unemployment
Macon eyes steep slope ordinance
New Sylva town manager brings planning background to the table
Precarious boulder prompts creative action by DOT
Cause of quarry slide undetermined
Macon runway likely to clear hurdle of cash shortfall
Civil suit following toddler’s death blames DSS for failing to intervene
Cherokee voters to decide on alcohol sales at casino
Business notes
Riding the green wave in Haywood County
Taste local beer and food pairings in Sylva
Franklin’s new sports bar debuts
Chamber advocates for business interests
Wellness spa and juice bar opens in Waynesville
Water task force gives a glimpse of the future
Around here, March madness is a religion
Peace Jam provides unique opportunity for students
Uncle Fat and Cabbage-head | Recipes
Grants benefit Cherokee arts
Frank is always provocative and thought-provoking
Heritage you can taste
The Naturalist's Corner
Lake to realize duathlon potential
Guns in parks? Court says not so fast
Making friends with an injured crow

back to top


4/09

4/1/09
Tight budget forces libraries to trim hours
Ghost Town faces huge challenges as it tries to restructure debt, open park
Debts mount at theme park
Haywood proposes incentives for green business
New Sylva manager’s salary below state average of similar-sized towns
Haywood tourism board debates ‘Smokies’ slogan
Canton has new town manager
Fired jail employee says he warned of relationship between murder suspect and jailer
New face on Waynesville board
Mountain beauty is an asset we all own
Pondering the future of newspapers
Shuler proving his independence
Teaching photography at the old Whittier school
A gem of a novel
The Naturalist's Corner
Do not plant Bradford Pear
Bluebirds continue to fascinate

back to top


4/8/09
Macon airport lands more money for artifact surveys
All airport documents requested in lead up to runway lawsuit
Jackson Paper adding 61 jobs in Sylva
State wants assurances before approving loan for Sylva fire department
Alpacas: Furry, friendly and in 23 colors
Affordable senior condos spark opposition among downtown Waynesville neighbors
New Swain jail continues to rack up costs
Multi-family unit OK’d by judge, but court rules against proposed expansion
Jackson ordered to relinquish permits that pave way for dam removal
Noisy and determined opponents get their way with nuisance ordinance
Ghost Town partners establish own credit line
Vacated library could become new home for Sylva police
Park starts lengthy reorganization process
Get ready for life in the fast lane
Weavers bring finest of craft to WNC
Anne Rice’s spiritual journey
The Naturalist's Corner
Lake Junaluska Duathlon
Old stone walls redux

back to top


4/15/09
Athletes aspire to pro ranks
Macon leaders question Georgia sewer headed their way
Cherokee tackles long-standing problems of housing and drugs
Waynesville land use plan back on the drawing board
Jackson Paper bucks manufacturing trend
Macon to tackle abandoned trailers
Cherokee parents protest losses in children’s trust fund
Swain’s tax base just got even smaller
Waynesville could finally see long-awaited make-over of South Main Street
New library complex will honor courthouse heritage
Nuisance debate both crass and credible
Everyone’s mother
Going green
The Naturalist's Corner
Dogwoods in the mountains

back to top


4/22/09
HRMC, WestCare to join forces with Carolinas HealthCare
TDA debates where to draw line for events that may not benefit entire county
Tourist industry lines up to tap TDA coffers
Group, angry with government, descends on Franklin
Swain jailer, murder suspect captured in California
Ghost Town appears in bankruptcy court
Annexation gets more scrutiny as liquor issue comes into play
Green Initiative a great fit for Haywood County
Fighting the fear that comes at night
Bradbury succeeds again with new novel
Hiking the AT
A picture is worth a thousand words
When is it safe to plant?
Ancient chemical warfare

back to top


4/29/09
Ghost Town and alderman at loggerheads
Maggie to hold public hearing on Ghost Town loan
HRMC board chair steps down
A chat with Carolinas Healthcare president
New program aims to bring abusers to justice
Survey sheds light on WCU student vision for Cullowhee
Judging Kephart
Perdue's no-show was a missed opportunity
All things wild and wonderful
Dispatches from the kinky South
Celebrating 75 years
The Naturalist's Corner
Wild mountain boars

back to top


5/09

5/6/09
Jackson reluctant to turn over Duke dredging permits
Looking down the road
Growing a local connection
Ghost Town files financial statements with bankruptcy court
New bypass alone can’t fix N.C. 107 traffic
Library bids come in well under budget
Kephart proved to be a key figure in shepherding idea of a national park
Carden’s views on Kephart have softened
Ellison came to WNC as a ‘Kephart pilgrim’
Paying homage to the early park supporters
Miss California takes on gay marriage
Finding distinction in literature
Gate goes up, Gorge community blocked out
You, too, can bike to work
The Naturalist's Corner
A haven of nectar and beauty

back to top


5/13/09
Erosion laws put to the test
Slowed housing market poses challenges for Swain property revaluation
Persistent WCU grads find work in tough economy
Swain jail keys found in get-away truck
Street vendors, store owners reach compromise
Jackson public asked to envision a greenway
Haywood County nixes old Wal-Mart purchase
A two-horse town | Local farmers markets
The new frugality is an old idea
Remembering Popcorn
A lifeline for the park
The Naturalist's Corner
Do you have a gardening question?
The story of the fiddlehead

back to top


5/20/09
Project will restore courthouse’s grandeur
Long-held dream becomes reality
Macon, Rabun leaders eye future of water
Cutbacks could be less severe in Swain budget
Haywood considers cutting jobs, raising taxes
Ghost Town withdraws loan request
Swain jail escapees returned to NC
The many rewards of home improvement
Art for the greater good
Bringing poetry back to life
Under siege
The Naturalist's Corner
Yaupon and the ‘Black Drink’

back to top


5/27/09
Drake’s dream
Cherokee face historic vote on alcohol
Cherokee art institute gets new home
Maggie grapples with best way to recruit new festivals
River park concept centers on dam, throws Duke for a loop
Ghost Town opening a hopeful sign for the summer
A funeral story of necessity and pragmatism
A Peacock Came to Dinner | Recipes
Death in the arctic
Up at the Purchase
The alluring calls of song birds

back to top


6/09

6/3/09
Haywood residents protest property tax hike during bad economy
New landfill proves money pit for Haywood
Against all odds | Creating the park: the early years
Questions mount over popular Swain principal’s sudden departure
Restoration blends function with history
New hospital structure could dilute autonomy
New model for mountain living
Deal over Dillsboro dam could be afoot
Time to go all in at Harrah’s
You can’t stash true wealth in a bank
Pennington recreates scenes of the Smokies
Patriot’s story is unflinching, honest
Gorge outfitters debate direction
The Naturalist's Corner
Study shows Gorge economic impact significant
Ivy covered walls
The unique ways of the kingfisher

back to top


6/10/09
Tribe votes in favor of lease agreement with Wal-Mart
Cherokee casino to be dry no more
Haywood commissioners exhaust search for budget cuts, tax increase looms
Ghost Town CEO preaches cohesive marketing
Jackson uses eminent domain to take dam | Frequently asked questions
Parents turn out to support Swain principal
Jackson takes on Duke Energy
Save the kids – and me – from the madness
Doing the public’s business in the open
Recreating the past with nostalgic
A race against time
The Naturalist's Corner
Caught in the spider’s alluring web

back to top


6/17/09
NC Utility Commission OK with dam seizure
Duke begins prepping for dam removal
Terms of Duke’s offer made public
Tensions escalate between commissioners, audience
They’re here, with beer
Families sacrifice land for creation of the park
Haywood erosion enforcement shot down in court
Macon budget avoids tax increase, layoffs
Swain budget cuts target Sheriff’s office
Haywood passes budget that includes tax hike
Swain given option to rescind property reval
Education cuts deal harsh blow to public schools
Not your average Fido
Snippets from a poet’s life
Culture and history to take rightful place in new visitor center
The Naturalist's Corner
Garden records
Northerners in our southern climes

back to top


6/24/09
Casino to buy liquor in bulk, but from whom?
Harvesting new markets | Buy local
Katrina refugee wades into the fray against Duke
Downtown merchants anticipate homecoming for county workforce
Historic courthouse welcomes back county offices
WCU braces for housing crunch in face of growth, construction delays
Tour retraces Haywood County history
Swain backs down from hardline stance with Bryson City Fire Department
Great Smokies become instant recipe for tourists
An unfortunate object of affection
Lawmakers veer way off path
No we aren’t becoming socialists
Ode to the Sylva Coffee Shop
Sunburst | Recipes
Humanizing literature
Carolina Mountain Club challenges hikers to seek views from the top
The Naturalist's Corner
Mountains of mushrooms

back to top