Weigh in on WNC transportation planning
 

Weigh in on WNC transportation planning

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants your feedback on its Draft 10-Year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which identifies the…
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Let commissioners hire tax collector
 

Let commissioners hire tax collector

To the Editor: I read the recent letter by Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and would just like to say…
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Comment

Mental health should be covered
 

Mental health should be covered

To the Editor: While the ACA is being re-considered I am asking why did we allow the insurance industry to…
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Party fracturing not necessarily bad
 

Party fracturing not necessarily bad

To the Editor: We know that the modern newspaper, in fact all media, feeds on controversy, some of it made…
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‘Born in Franklin’ may never be heard again
 

‘Born in Franklin’ may never be heard again

At some point in the future, here’s something you might never hear again: “I was born in Franklin.” Look no…
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This just isn’t going to get any better
 

This just isn’t going to get any better

“What? Over? Did you say ‘over’? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans…
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N.C. Senate back dangerous measure that could re-write U.S. Constitution
 

N.C. Senate back dangerous measure that could re-write U.S. Constitution

By Martin A. Dyckman • Guest Columnist Russian paratroopers dropping on the White House lawn could scarcely do more damage…
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Comment

Moonshine stills weren’t the only stills
 

Moonshine stills weren’t the only stills

All this spring, golden birch catkins were dangling throughout the woodlands of the Smokies region. These are the male, pollen-carrying…
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Voices from the trail: A.T. thru-hikers talk about trail names, motivations, and the on-trail experience
 

Voices from the trail: A.T. thru-hikers talk about trail names, motivations, and the on-trail experience

My pack was plenty heavy as I set out north on the Appalachian Trial from Carvers Gap, but with my…
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Cataloochee volunteers needed
 

Cataloochee volunteers needed

Volunteers are needed to help rangers manage traffic and establish safe wildlife viewing areas in the Cataloochee Valley area of…
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Drought beats a retreat
 

Drought beats a retreat

Severe drought is nearly vanquished in North Carolina, with the number of counties in that designation the lowest it’s been…
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The new local food guide is here
 

The new local food guide is here

The new Local Food Guide from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is here, including more than 800 listings of places…
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Smokies trails see status changes
 

Smokies trails see status changes

Closures and openings have resulted in status changes for some trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Comment

The art of making it: HCC ‘Crafting Your Success’ summit
 

The art of making it: HCC ‘Crafting Your Success’ summit

So, you have the talent, imagination and output of an artist. But, do you also have the drive, business savvy…
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This must be the place: ‘In my heart, I am just a boy …’
 

This must be the place: ‘In my heart, I am just a boy …’

It was during the first sip of my second beer when it struck me. “Let’s go see Dave Davies.”
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New bluegrass book
 

New bluegrass book

Diving into the rich, vibrant and controversial history of bluegrass music, If You Can’t Play, Get Off the Stage: Bluegrass…
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Need I say more? The power of wit
 

Need I say more? The power of wit

When verbally attacked and left speechless by an assailant, who among us has not long afterwards pondered the mot juste…
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Comment

Down in the flood
 

Down in the flood

CeCe Hipps is one of the very few people in North Carolina who can say that she was at the epicenter of the two most significant postwar economic expansions in the state. 
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The past, present, and future of Haywood County’s economic development
 

The past, present, and future of Haywood County’s economic development

A new business or a new family moving to town isn’t solely due to the luck of the draw. Likewise, a shuttered mill or dilapidated neighborhood isn’t solely due to being dealt a bad hand.
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Cherokee court ruling declines to uphold Grand Council votes; Supreme Court to review decision
 

Cherokee court ruling declines to uphold Grand Council votes; Supreme Court to review decision

A recent ruling from the Cherokee Tribal Court has called the authority of Grand Council into question. Temporary Associate Judge Sharon Tracey Barrett denied a request for a court order stopping Tribal Council from pursuing impeachment against Principal Chief Patrick Lambert, though 84 percent of enrolled members who cast ballots during an April 18 Grand Council session voted to repeal the impeachment legislation.
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Cavy-crazed crowd convenes, competes
 

Cavy-crazed crowd convenes, competes

The stakes were as high as the hopes last weekend as competitors from across North America came together at the…
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Comment

New fire districts approved despite opposition
 

New fire districts approved despite opposition

Lake Junaluska residents opposed to a new Waynesville Fire District in their neighborhood will get one anyway, after a 2-1…
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Haywood County may dip into fund balance
 

Haywood County may dip into fund balance

Haywood County commissioners have set a date for the required public hearing in advance of passing next year’s budget —…
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Comment

More staff, higher pay boost Jackson schools budget request
 

More staff, higher pay boost Jackson schools budget request

With an eye to improving student performance and employee retention, Jackson County Public Schools has upped its budget ask to…
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Comment

Lopsided allocation favors SCC project over Jackson County Schools
 

Lopsided allocation favors SCC project over Jackson County Schools

Jackson County Schools has found itself at the back of the line to get a piece of the quarter-cent sales…
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Comment

Baby deliveries to cease  at Angel Medical
 

Baby deliveries to cease at Angel Medical

A difficult decision for Mission Health will now present a difficult decision for expecting mothers in Macon County.  With Mission’s…
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Mission to invest $45 million for new hospital in Franklin
 

Mission to invest $45 million for new hospital in Franklin

Along with the announcement to stop labor and delivery services at Angel Medical Center, Mission Health also announced plans to…
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Comment

Harris prepared to deliver more babies
 

Harris prepared to deliver more babies

With the current expansion of its New Generations Family Birthing Center, Harris Regional Hospital couldn’t be in a better position…
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Comment

Community backlash ensues following AMC decision
 

Community backlash ensues following AMC decision

Macon County residents have made a clear statement that they oppose Mission Health’s decision to discontinue labor and delivery services…
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A big thank you to Rep. Mark Meadows
 

A big thank you to Rep. Mark Meadows

All citizens of western North Carolina owe a big “thank you” to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and the Freedom Caucus…
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Comment

Thanks for the help with Panthertown
 

Thanks for the help with Panthertown

To the Editor: Friends of Panthertown and Mainspring Conservation Trust would like to thank all of our donors, including Jackson…
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Comment

Corporations are not U.S. citizens
 

Corporations are not U.S. citizens

To the Editor: Are you sick of government ignoring the people it was meant to represent? Do you want your…
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Comment

Votes will help Haywood Schools
 

Votes will help Haywood Schools

To the Editor: The Haywood County Schools Foundation is a participant in “A Community Thrives” project sponsored by Gannett, USA…
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Comment

The solution is to destroy all nukes
 

The solution is to destroy all nukes

To the Editor: Back in 1979, then National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski received a middle-of-the-night phone call with the alarming…
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Comment

Haywood GOP does battle with anarchists
 

Haywood GOP does battle with anarchists

To the Editor: It was odd to be reminded of the Spanish Civil War when reading your article about the…
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Comment

Don’t throw baby out with bathwater
 

Don’t throw baby out with bathwater

To the Editor: In a recent Q&A in The Mountaineer, Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, seemed very light on specifics related…
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Comment

Connecting pets and people: PAWS swoops in to shelter puppy mill rescues
 

Connecting pets and people: PAWS swoops in to shelter puppy mill rescues

A large-scale rescue effort involving multiple animal welfare agencies resulted in the removal of more than 400 animals from a…
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Comment

Thankful to have been a teacher
 

Thankful to have been a teacher

At 37, I’m still sorting out what I want to be when I grow up.  When I was 8, I…
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Comment

The Naturalist's Corner: Overwhelmed
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Overwhelmed

There are bucket lists and then there are bucket lists. As parents, the bucket lists we envision for our kids…
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Comment

Mountain bikes roll into Swain High
 

Mountain bikes roll into Swain High

A fleet of new mountain bikes has come home to roost at Swain County High School, thanks to a donation…
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Comment

Donation will help fire recovery
 

Donation will help fire recovery

A $25,000 donation from the National Park Foundation will help the many Tennessee residents who lost their homes following the…
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Comment

Great Smoky Mountains Association gives $2 million to the Smokies
 

Great Smoky Mountains Association gives $2 million to the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains Association had its best year every for sales and membership in 2016, allowing the organization to…
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Comment

Panthertown land purchase finalized
 

Panthertown land purchase finalized

A 16-acre property adjacent to Panthertown Valley Backcountry Area has been conserved following Mainspring Conservation Trust’s April 21 closing on…
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Comment

Sylva passes renewable energy resolution
 

Sylva passes renewable energy resolution

Sylva’s commissioners unanimously passed a resolution calling for a statewide commitment to eliminate fossil fuels during their meeting Thursday, April…
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Comment

Pedal the mountains
 

Pedal the mountains

Western North Carolina’s rural roads have drawn their fair share of cyclists who are ready to roll. Weekly rides are…
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Comment

A desperate tale, beautifully written
 

A desperate tale, beautifully written

“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry And satisfy the needs of the oppressed, Then your light will…
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Comment

Folkmoot's Cultural Conversations: A more equitable community
 

Folkmoot's Cultural Conversations: A more equitable community

Over the course of the six Cultural Conversations sessions I participated in at Folkmoot, our diverse little group — sitting…
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Comment

Tools of the Trade: GE grants Pisgah High $100K for industrial education
 

Tools of the Trade: GE grants Pisgah High $100K for industrial education

Advanced manufacturing and machining in Western North Carolina just got a huge boost from a Fortune-500 multinational conglomerate with more…
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Comment

Impeachment stalled
 

Impeachment stalled

Tribal Council will have to change the date set for Principal Chief Patrick Lambert’s impeachment hearing for the third time — if, that is, the Cherokee Tribal Court allows the impeachment to move forward.
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Grand Council vs. Tribal Council: Disagreement over Grand Council’s authority spurs lawsuit
 

Grand Council vs. Tribal Council: Disagreement over Grand Council’s authority spurs lawsuit

It’s safe to say that the Cherokee Tribal Council is not scurrying to incorporate the decisions of Grand Council into its future actions. Tribal Council held a special-called meeting Wednesday, April 19 — the day after Grand Council was held — in which it set a new impeachment hearing date to comply with a recent order from the Cherokee Supreme Court and shot down an amendment…
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