Be intentional in protecting earth
To the Editor: Many of us in Jackson County volunteered to pick up litter recently as part of Jackson County’s…
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Lemon’s book is well worth a read
To the Editor: Whether or not you are a fan of TV anchor and journalist Don Lemon, his latest book…
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Gun rights are absolute
To the Editor: A quote that will live in infamy! On April 8, 2021, Comrade Joe Biden laid bare the…
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My own 1971 history project
My boyfriend and I recently bought a vintage house. It was built in 1971. When the realtor gave us a…
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The benefits of Community Response Teams
By Hannah Minick • Guest Columnist | To say that we are currently living in unprecedented times is an understatement,…
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Past time to hike minimum wage
To the Editor: While lawmakers at the federal level stall on a $15 per hour minimum wage, let’s remember that…
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Doing your part on Earth Day 2021
To the Editor: Since last Earth Day the Atlantic hurricane season saw a record number of storms and the rapid…
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Why I volunteer
To the Editor: Why do we do it? Why do stand out in the rain, wind, snow, and hot sun…
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Sometimes, the urge to just go is irresistible
They didn’t know where they were going, their only waypoint the “S” on the compass rose. They were both from…
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Corridor K a model for future highway projects
WaysSouth, a regional nonprofit organization working to protect the unique heritage and environment of the Southern Appalachians by promoting sustainable…
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Biden’s gun control proposal a good one
To the Editor: President Joe Biden has recently made very appropriate reference to the need for strengthened gun control legislation.
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Corbin should vote for Medicaid expansion
To the Editor: I read the March 30 article “Senator Corbin again leads health care push.” The article makes clear…
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The people your God created?
To the Editor: Calling Ken Burns! Calling Ken Burns! We need you to get busy on a new documentary. It…
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Cleveland County casino coverage great
To the Editor: Although I am not a resident of your area, I am very grateful for your articles on…
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Put an end to the filibuster
To the Editor: I’m a citizen and voter from Sylva, and we all know it’s time to put an end…
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GOP election tactics threaten our republic
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist | A political party that stakes its future on allowing fewer people to vote…
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Libraries extend beyond four walls
It’s National Library week, and for someone who loves books and was the child of a librarian, this week is…
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Apartment complex just doesn’t fit
To the Editor: Sylva is a beautiful small town. It is its small-town charm and beautiful surroundings that brings people…
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Compromise on new jail project urged
Bob Clark • Guest Columnist | The request to the Haywood County commissioners from the Sheriff’s Department for $15 million…
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Emerging from a difficult year of COVID-19
By Dr. J. Scott Hinkle • Guest Columnist | The COVID-19 crisis is winding down. This time last year we…
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Our republic’s future depends on virtue
To the Editor: I’m beginning to understand what Benjamin Franklin meant when encountering a woman on the street following the…
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Educational system is in real trouble
To the Editor: I have often been critical of our educational system for being more enamored of trendy fashions than…
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A healthy, diverse media landscape is a good thing
We who live in Western North Carolina are fortunate in many ways. We know that. It’s a beautiful place with…
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Stop Asian Hate
To the Editor: As a member of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community in Jackson County, the attack…
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Canceling our freedom of speech
To the Editor: Protecting our freedom of speech may be one circumstance where liberals, conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents virtually all…
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Vaccination volunteers, staff were wonderful
To the Editor: I can’t recall ever writing a letter to the editor in all my 64 years; but I…
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Finally, back to school for all
I’ve missed chaotic mornings fighting for the bathroom, looking for shoes under beds, packing lunches, slinging bagels in the toaster…
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A glimmer, and it sure feels nice
A year later. We’re still mourning the deaths and illnesses, the disruption of life as we knew it, the months…
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A modest proposal for reviving Ghost Town in the Sky
By Case Brown • Guest Columnist | The on-and-off again investment deals for the embattled Ghost Town amusement park are…
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Another view on childhood poverty
To the Editor: In last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News the editor gave us his thoughts of the…
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Let’s do away with Electoral College
To the Editor: In the recent election Joe Biden received a majority of 7.1 million popular votes and 74 Electoral…
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A long overdue plan to cut childhood poverty
The Covid relief bill now working its way through Congress will mark a transformation in the way this country treats…
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Getting my hands dirty and loving it
I moved from Maggie Valley to Waynesville last fall. My house in Maggie was on the side of Soco Road…
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Let’s honor a different history
To the Editor: I am so sick of hearing this argument that we’re “changing” or “erasing” history by changing statues…
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Trump is a threat
To the Editor: The other day a friend of mine made this remark: “I never want to hear Trump supporters…
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Cawthorn should have stayed to vote
To the Editor: I’m writing to express my outrage regarding Madison Cawthorn’s bogus attempt to defend his proxy vote when…
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Voting rights bill deserves support
To the Editor: Voting records show that North Carolina and Haywood County had the largest voter turnout ever in the…
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How many visitors are too many?
The Smokies region is an outdoor mecca that attracts millions of people each year. For better or worse, that onslaught…
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The ‘Sap is Risin’ and a life well lived
By Randy Siske • Contributing writer | Our “Breakfast Club” started eating together in 2006 just because we went to…
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Election fraud evidence is slim to none
To the Editor: I am alarmed by the variety and sheer numbers of claims of election fraud we still see,…
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Letter writer has her facts wrong
To the Editor: This is in response to the recent letter by Carol Adams of Glenville: “Trump was 1,000 Percent…
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Getting vaccinated also helps others
To the Editor: On behalf of the Haywood County Senior Democrats, I would like to express our profound gratitude to…
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Falling hard for pandemic puppy love
I’d always heard having a puppy was a little like having a baby. I’ve learned over the past two months…
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Who can you trust to tell the truth?
Another poll, another reality check for the media: Americans don’t trust us. The question that comes to mind, for me,…
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Cawthorn cares only about Cawthorn
To the Editor: In the six weeks since being sworn in as North Carolina’s new 11th District representative in Congress,…
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Media gives lies too much power
To the Editor: America has failed to punish Trump, the ex-president who has done so much harm to our country.
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Trump deserved to be impeached
To the Editor: Senator Patrick Leahy (eight-term Democratic senator from Vermont) recently wrote a column charging former President Trump with…
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Persistence pays off in rebel mascot issue
When I read that Annie McCord-Wilson was among those leading the charge to have the rebel removed as the mascot…
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Introducing triple-win climate solutions
By Mary Jane Curry • Guest Columnist “Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.” — William Wordsworth, 1798…
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