Vote to save the country
To the Editor: There has been a coup unfolding in the White House. Our Republic is in imminent danger of…
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Why you should vote in all elections
To the Editor: Decisions made at all levels of government (president and Congress in Washington, D.C., General Assembly in Raleigh…
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Op-ed needs to be read by all Americans
To the Editor: This letter will by definition have to be somewhat brief to avoid backlash from those seeking bias…
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Why waste money repaving a good road?
To the Editor: Repaving a perfectly good Smoky Mountain Expressway appears to be another classic example of government wasteful spending.…
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As the buckeyes fall, I await my old friend
The sounds, the feel of the coming fall is always comforting, like reconnecting with an old and dear friend. It…
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My mission: outer order, inner calm
My name is Susanna and I am terribly unorganized. I’m not a messy person or a hoarder, just disorganized. My…
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The American worker is not getting their due
Every Labor Day we celebrate the American worker. We wax nostalgic about the bygone days of the great American middle…
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A good story is food for the soul
I’ve always been fascinated by storytellers and the stories they tell. As a small child, I loved hearing my parents,…
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Confederate statues are a problem
To the Editor: Just over a year ago, Charlottesville, Virginia, was flooded with hate, thinly-veiled fascism, and white supremacy, all…
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Politics at play in Jackson debate
To the Editor: I recently attended the Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting specifically to apologize to Commissioner Charles Elders. …
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What happened to true conservatives?
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist The two most abused and misused words in America are “conservative” and “populist.” Politicians and…
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Friday night lights, then and now
I took my first baton lesson when I was 3 years old. My sister had been twirling for a while,…
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Mountain Mediation helps reduce conflicts
By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Crime does not pay — so most Americans have been told. However, it places enormous…
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Time to put Meadows out to pasture
To the Editor: Phillip Price, who is running for U.S. Congress from the 11th District, lists 289 “Past Events” on…
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Build road but don’t ruin mountains
To the Editor: I attended the Sylva Town Meeting the other week and viewed the plan for the road re-design. The…
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Asylum seekers deserve some consideration
To the Editor: The U.S. is a country of asylum seekers and their children. Every immigrant to the U.S. arrived…
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Children can’t look up to this president
To the Editor: As a teacher for 25 years, I realize the importance of good role models for children. They…
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Where are my Republican friends?
To the Editor: I remember not so long ago when I could have a civil discussion with a friend who…
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Americans know better, even if Trump doesn’t
We native-born Americans — most of us, anyway — have no real concept of life under a despot except from…
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The casting call is under way at the Cox home
Here’s something I never thought I would say: I’m looking for a cat. Not just any cat, but a particular…
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For me the glass is half full
To the Editor: I hear that Trump derangement syndrome has now morphed into Trump anxiety disorder. I guess that means…
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Expanded ballot choices a good thing
To the Editor: North Carolina now has five political parties represented on the ballot. They include the Republican Party, Constitution…
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Where in the district is Mark Meadows?
To the Editor: Mark Meadows represents a district that covers over 6,600 square miles and a constituent base of nearly…
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Drain the swamp indeed
To the Editor: Do you know why Donald Trump has refused to reveal his income taxes as each president has…
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Rep. Clampitt definitely ‘needs improvement’
To the Editor: Last week I found in my mailbox a political flyer from Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City. He…
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Is this the president you want?
To the Editor: One only has to watch a GOP rally when the president is present to see and hear…
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An antidote to our society’s hysteria
Over the past few decades, our society has pushed for more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students. Countries like…
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Grief is love’s souvenir
Three of life’s top five stressors are death of a loved one, divorce and moving. Within the past two years,…
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Bad website, long waits mar DMV experience
A recent attempt to update my driver’s license has exposed long waits and online delays at the North Carolina Division…
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In this case, the choice is obvious
“Take the high road.” It’s a simple code for life, but one too few take to heart and even fewer…
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No hazy nostalgia with my first car
Some people’s memories of their first car are glazed with sugar, like candy apples at the county fair. It is…
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Apartment complex pleas ignored
To the Editor: On 30 July, the Waynesville Planning Board met once again concerning the proposed apartment complex on Plott…
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Some agency should have saved turkeys
To the Editor: I would like to know why the animal rescue agencies in the Waynesville area, which there are…
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Trump should reveal tax information
To the Editor: Donald Trump can bellow out from the tallest building in New York that he is an innocent…
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Trump is full of bad ideas
To the Editor: It is always amusing to hear supporters of President Trump claim that others are uninformed and vicious.…
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Politics and the search for WCU’s chancellor
As the yoke of political influence grows ever heavier around the neck of the UNC Board of Governors, Western Carolina…
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Coming full circle as a cat owner
Growing up, my family had an abundance of cats running amok. These were the days before spaying and neutering were…
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President Trump, stop the obstruction
To the Editor: Donald Trump has already obstructed justice in the Russian election interference investigation. Number one, he has failed/refused…
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Conservatives harming our infrastructure
To the Editor: The conservative right has controlled Western North Carolina politics for decades with an ideology of lower taxes…
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Let’s restore checks and balances
To the Editor: In 2016 the Fourth Circuit of Appeals declared the 2013 N.C. Voter ID Act to be unconstitutional on…
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Lawmakers fail to protect our vote
To the Editor: Western North Carolina’s federal representatives have failed their leadership report card on Russia’s interference in our elections. Rep.…
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N.C. 107 safety issues ignored
To the Editor: The stated reason for the N.C. 107 project in Sylva is to reduce traffic problems and increase…
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Trump is for a better America
To the Editor: It always amazes me that folks don’t seem to get it. Economic growth is at 4.1 percent,…
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There’s magic in these evening Edisto walks
EDISTO ISLAND, SC – For us, the magic of Steamboat Landing Road begins where the pavement ends, where the asphalt…
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Mission should not control money
To the Editor: The Mission Health board and CEO Ron Paulus clearly don’t get it: the system’s billions in assets…
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Even conservatives can’t take Trump
To the Editor: A number of letters in The Smoky Mountain News have rightly pointed out that liberals are not…
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President’s ties to Putin are dangerous
To the Editor: It is time for the U.S. Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government and rein…
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