Smokies investigates racially charged vandalism on Foothills Parkway
Racially charged vandalism in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has prompted an investigation searching for those responsible.
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Waynesville rec opens additional facilities
The Waynesville Recreation Center and Old Armory will reopene for additional activities at 30 percent capacity at 7 a.m. Tuesday,…
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Jackson rec announce reopening plans
The Jackson County Recreation Centers in Cullowhee and Cashiers will reopen on Monday, Sept. 14, but with significant operational changes.
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Mild fall color display predicted for WNC
The fall color forecast is looking dim for 2020, according to the annual prognostication offered by Western Carolina University biology…
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Drive through Winter Lights
The annual Winter Lights event at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville will be offered as a drive-thru experience this year…
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Online ag classes offered for youth
An online series of agriculture workshops for kids ages 8 to 11 will soon launch for the fall, offering a…
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Man dies following cardiac distress in the Smokies
A man was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac event on Friday, Sept. 25, along Laurel Creek Road in the…
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From end to end: Against ATC wishes, thru-hikers summit Katahdin
When Karly Jones began the Appalachian Trail on Feb. 27, the weather was cold and the trail crowded. She quickly…
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Local youth show strong at livestock expo
Several local youth have been named winners at the WNC Youth Livestock Expo, which took place at the WNC Ag…
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Photo prompts concern about conditions at Max Patch
An updated and expanded version of this story is now available here. A widely circulated drone photo showing Max Patch…
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Fairview teen wins national volunteer award
Fairview resident Virginia Ward has received the 2019 Youth Award as part of the George and Helen Hartzog Awards for…
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Drowning victim found in Big Creek area
Emergency responders have found the body of a 25-year-old man reported missing at 7:36 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, after falling…
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Smokies telethon canceled, donations still needed
Due to the pandemic, Friends of the Smokies has had to cancel its annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, which…
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Haywood’s biggest pizza party: Pizza nights at Ten Acre Garden grow community
At 5 p.m., the August sun is hot and high overhead as my husband and I walk through the hodgepodge…
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Beyond the waterfalls: Asheville writer releases first written history of DuPont State Forest
Danny Bernstein’s fascination with DuPont State Recreational Forest began soon after she moved to Asheville in 2001. “The first hike…
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Hemlock initiative to continue
On Sept. 2, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and WNC Communities Executive Director Jennifer Ferre cosigned a pledge to continue support…
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Smokies deputy chosen for NPS superintendent job in California
Clay Jordan will soon leave the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after landing a job as superintendent of Sequoia and…
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Conservation projects protect key National Forest inholdings
Two parcels totaling 219 acres will eventually be added to the Nantahala National Forest thanks to a recently completed conservation…
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Legacy in the land: Terry Rogers inducted to WNC Agricultural Hall of Fame
Nobody who knew Terry Rogers was surprised by the sprinkling of jokes that pervaded his acceptance speech. One was a…
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More facilities reopen in the Smokies
Previously closed facilities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the first time…
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Tour de Smokies fundraising challenge begins
At midnight Friday, Sept. 4, a pair of experienced Smokies hikers embarked on a 900-mile challenge in the Great Smoky…
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Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation
Law enforcement is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred just before 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near milepost 364…
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AmeriCorps members complete trail work
High-priority trail work on the Black Mountain Crest Trail in the Nantahala National Forest is now complete thanks to a…
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Scouts practice shooting skills
After a weeklong virtual campout in July, Cub Scouts from Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties converged at Camp Daniel…
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GSMA publishes children’s chapter book
A new fictional chapter book for young readers is now available from the Great Smoky Mountains Association.
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Road closed for logging operations
Courthouse Creek Road, located on the Pisgah Ranger District near Pisgah Forest, is closed to motorized use through Dec. 31.
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Erosion issues ongoing at Millennial Campus
Despite multiple outstanding environmental violations, a new student housing complex located on Western Carolina University’s Millennial Campus off Killian Road…
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Smokies cyclist dies following accident
A cyclist passed away in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week following an accident on a downhill section…
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Cataloguing biodiversity: WCU lands grant for biological collections
A collection of 47,000 plants and animals currently tucked away in various rooms of Western Carolina University’s Stillwell building will…
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With 900-mile challenge, hikers hope to raise $60K
A pair of experienced Smokies hikers will soon embark on a 900-mile challenge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Report unsolicited seed shipments
Numerous people in North Carolina have reported receiving unrequested shipments of seeds from foreign sources, and the N.C. Department of…
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Change of plans for Master Gardener classes
The Haywood County Master Gardener course typically offered from January through April each year will move to August through October…
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Lake Junaluska cancels 5K
Lake Junaluska’s Friends of the Lake 5K will not take place in 2020.
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Duke pauses aerial spray program following complaints
Angela Faye Martin’s husband Brent had already left the house to scout a future hike for the guide service they…
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Smokies resource education chief named
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash has named Stephanie F. Kyriazis as the park’s new Deputy Chief of…
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Bringing backcountry to the back door: Early plans unveiled for Chestnut Mountain park
The project may still be in its early stages, but plans are beginning to take shape for the 448-acre park…
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Congress passes legislation to fund parks, conservation
President Donald Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law on Tuesday, Aug. 4, guaranteeing funding for much-needed maintenance…
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Mainspring hires new employee
Rachel Newcomb has been hired as a conservation outreach associate for Mainspring Conservation Trust.
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Mainspring conserves Cherokee mound
A culturally significant 40-acre property in Macon County has now been conserved, thanks to Mainspring Conservation Trust.
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More Parkway facilities reopen
The Blue Ridge Parkway has reopened four previously closed campgrounds in North Carolina and Virginia, but some seasonal facilities remain…
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National forests welcome new leadership
In the midst of a summer characterized by coronavirus-related disruptions on top of the closing of the public comment phase…
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New Kids in Parks Trails created in Robbinsville
The Cheoah Ranger District on the Nantahala National Forest has two new Kids in Parks TRACK Trails, designed to turn…
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Volunteers show up big for creek cleanup
Haywood Waterways Association saw its biggest group of litter pickup volunteers ever when 22 people showed up July 11 to…
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‘Part of history’: Canary Coalition dissolves after 20 years
After 20 years at the forefront of clean air efforts in Western North Carolina, The Canary Coalition is no more. …
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Speak on the future of Chestnut Mountain
An online forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, will seek public input to help shape plans for the Chestnut…
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Environmental organizations sue over NEPA changes
The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing 16 environmental organizations in a lawsuit claiming that the Trump administration illegally cut…
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Fires Creek inholding conserved
Mainspring Conservation Trust has sold 49 acres of land at the headwaters of Laurel Creek to the U.S. Forest Service.
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Franklin butterfly garden’s honors long-time volunteer
Kay Coriell, a longtime supporter of Franklin’s greenway along the Little Tennessee River, has been honored for her efforts by…
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Outdoor Leadership alum honored at SCC
A graduate of Southwestern Community College’s Outdoor Leadership Program who now holds the title of outdoor recreation planner with the…
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Parkway Foundation welcomes new Trails & Views manager
Audrey Pearson is the new Trails & Views Forever Program manager at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
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