Presidents are not above the law
To the Editor: Draw a Venn diagram. Circle one is morality. Circle two is ethics. Number three is law. As…
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Air B&B destroying my peace of mind
To the Editor: It would seem that Haywood County has a new growing pain, at least for my small neighborhood.…
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Tribal Council media ban a mistake
Symbolism is often just as important as reality. The decision by the Cherokee Tribal Council to ban all media from…
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It’s prom, and my daughter is trying on adulthood
My daughter has become the person she hoped she would be at age seven. We should all be so lucky.…
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Tax cut got me a measly $60 a year
To the Editor: In response to an opinion letter published recently, I would like to share how the GOP tax…
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Our economic, political systems are not working
To the Editor: It is encouraging to see more and more letters to the editor noting that our economic and…
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Trump really cares about the people
To the Editor: The liberals want Trump out of office because they have someone in there who cares about the…
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Living in the moment with ALS
We rode in silence. I glanced at the clock as we came to another stoplight. Already five minutes late, I…
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Moms, remember to breathe it all in
Last week, I went to a conference in L.A. with 800 other moms who tell their stories through creative outlets,…
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Now or never for the red wolf
To the Editor: The red wolf, which once ranged from Pennsylvania to Texas, is now battling extinction in the wild…
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Plott Creek no place for apartment complex
To the Editor: As with most newly proposed developments everywhere, all the standard comments come out in newspapers and town…
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State, local GOP need to re-think their role
To the Editor: I am a 59-year-old disabled veteran and lifelong Christian conservative. And I am appalled at what I…
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Yes, we are in danger with a wall
To the Editor: Yes, we do need a wall to protect ourselves. A couple weeks ago a contingent of Guatemalan…
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Rep. Meadows needs history lesson
To the Editor: In 1804 a Republican-dominated House of Representatives voted impeachment charges against a sitting Supreme Court judge. The…
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Owen Gibby calls roll for the last time
The first time I met Owen Gibby, he immediately reminded me of my favorite television character of all time, Deputy…
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Tourism now the top industry in the region
By Nick Breedlove • Guest Columnist On May 6-12 we celebrate National Tourism Week, and this year’s theme from the…
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Zen and the art of trash removal
By Evan Boyer • Guest Columnist A few months ago, some legal trouble loomed over me, and I was told…
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A game of adult dodge-a-ball
At Dillsboro Elementary School (1950) we played dodge-a-ball during recess. The game was set up kind of like this: a…
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Meadows undermines rule of law
To the Editor: Last week, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, took center stage with several others to interfere with the work…
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Rule of law is under attack
To the Editor: Are we a nation governed by the rule of law or by Trump’s fantasy lies? Rep. Mark…
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As Nicaragua smolders, our lives go on
We Americans are spoiled. Too often we take our way of life for granted, both the freedoms we have and…
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Media
Finding inspiration in the backwoods of WNC
Certain memories or events in life stand out as paramount, like a utopian experience that seems more like a movie…
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Too many take the low road
To the Editor: In this week that we celebrate Earth Day, I’d like to make a few observations. In her…
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NAACP supports keeping schools safe
To the Editor: The Haywood County NAACP supports gun safety and freedom. Today, fear and terror exist in our children’s…
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Despite worries, no recession in sight
To the Editor: I happened to come across a column written by Martin Dyckman in an old edition of the…
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Make the most of every day
When I was a student at Appalachian State University, I could have made the walk from Anne Belk Library to…
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Ingraham is like a temple Pharisee
To the Editor: Trump TV, aka Fox News, has scored another low mark thanks to its sneering cross-bearer, Laura Ingraham.…
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Our Christian USA is slowly disappearing
To the Editor: I have read many good articles from Smoky Mountain News Editor Scott McLeod, but the editorial on…
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It’s OK to tie instead of winning
To the Editor: I don’t understand how we are supposed to be human in modern life. We want social change…
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Waynesville needs to do some paving
To the Editor: I am pretty sure I am not alone in wondering every time I drive around in Waynesville,…
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Trump era should end
To the Editor: Is it possible that the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency has begun? That, in…
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Illegals pay into benefit programs
To the Editor: I am responding to the reader who wrote regarding Fox News and illegal immigrants. I have no…
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Brunch Bill is about better business, not religion
It’s one of those issues that garner headlines and controversy but really shouldn’t. I’m talking about the Brunch Bill, the…
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An unexpected triathlon journey
When life turns upside down, we have options. We can sink into the darkness and find comfort in substances and…
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Civic engagement should be encouraged
To the Editor: On March 12, 2018, at the Haywood County School Board meeting, Dr. Bill Nolte, interim superintendent, spoke…
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Vote Phillip Price into Congress
To the Editor: We, as North Carolinians, have entered an era of restrictive practices centered around limiting our ability to…
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Missed chance for civics lesson
To the Editor: I am a product of Haywood County Schools and have two now-grown daughters who were educated in…
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‘What took you so damn long, Joyce?’
It was the shortest funeral service I’ll likely ever attend. And though there were tears and somber conversations, there were…
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The left has reached a new low
To the Editor: Week after week I read the opinions and dissertations from the left. It seems that those of…
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WLOS corporate line tough to swallow
To the Editor: This letter is director to Julie Fries, news director for Channel 13 WLOS, and to Joe Fishleigh,…
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The best reason of all to play
It’s one of those late March days that can’t make up its mind whether winter is really over or might…
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Student protestors deserve gratitude
I’ve always admired those who speak out, those who have opinions and feel compelled to share them.
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Schools have become political battlegrounds
By John deVille • Guest Columnist Given all the challenges and unwarranted criticism those of us who work in public…
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And the children shall lead
To the Editor: In the wake of school shootings and #NeverAgain, school administrators are faced with the issue of how…
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Making new memories during Easter week
Growing up, we had a little blue and white camper at Ocean Lakes Campground in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. It…
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Leaders need to do more to stop carnage
By Stephen Wall • Guest Columnist I was disappointed to read Interim Superintendent Bill Nolte's post on the Haywood County…
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Can’t we just talk about gun legislation?
Last week, a United Airlines flight attendant forced a passenger with a small dog to put the dog in an…
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