Archived (28944)
Children categories
A vow to open a few more books
New Year’s resolutions and I make for poor company. Like many reading this column, I have in the past made…
Read More
A song for young love: The Lettermen roll into Franklin
It was a 1963 station wagon with six musicians and their equipment. When Tony Butala reminisces about the beginning of…
Read More
This must be the place: Five years ain’t nothing, darling
Has it really been that long? When I looked at the calendar this week, I realized it said 2017, which…
Read More
What’s the value of a mural?
The Appalachian Mural Trail has developed a long-range plan to include these priceless murals and all future murals into a…
Read More
Parenting nostalgia during a big birthday week
It’s birthday week for the Barbee boys. Our two boys are exactly three years and one day apart, one born…
Read More
Celebrating the wit of Robert Burns
Although many poets and musicians have won awards, there is only one person who has a world-wide celebration every year…
Read More
We all need to get informed
To the Editor: Scott McLeod’s recent editorial “Looking more for ideology, less politics” (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/19140) truly resonated for me and I…
Read More
Why are white males left out?
To the Editor: When you write “Looking for more ideology, less politics,” what exactly does that imply? And when you…
Read More
Please keep your dogs leashed
To the Editor: I am writing this letter in hopes that people walking their pets will be more considerate to…
Read More
Appreciate the opinion
To the Editor: Mr. McLeod, am writing to commend your timely Opinion piece. You made a number of excellent points.…
Read More
Sylva shoe duo upholds the last of a dying trade
Mike Fitzgerald rarely skipped a beat as he darted spryly between his cobbler’s bench and the vintage, grime-coated machines anchoring…
Read More
Missing Clyde man found deceased
A Clyde man who has been missing since Jan. 3 has been found deceased.
Read More
Macon urges proper disposal of used needles
Sanitation workers in Macon County are worried about dangerous items that could be lurking in the household trash bags being…
Read More
Increased density coming to Howell Mill Road?
An oft-repeated concern expressed during meetings of the Haywood County Affordable Housing Task Force is the scarcity of buildable land…
Read More
Bryson City removes trees on Everett Street
Many Bryson City business owners were caught off guard last week when they noticed massive holes all along Everett Street…
Read More
Street trees replaced in Sylva
The streets of downtown Sylva are newly treeless after town crews excavated the red maples earlier this month, but the…
Read More
Town to pursue Calvary Street purchase
The town of Waynesville will move forward with plans to purchase three vacant, blighted lots straddling Calvary Street, despite interest…
Read More
Russ fuss prompts resolution
After holding two public hearings that drew large crowds of opposition, Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown and the board of aldermen…
Read More
Painting helps Swain County artist heal
Barbara Robinson can find artistic inspiration wherever she may be. Sometimes it’s looking out over Frye Mountain from her art…
Read More
Illegal dumping plagues Swain
Swain County recently spent more than $350,000 in order to better secure its trash site and cut down on sanitation…
Read More
Former gaming enterprise chairwoman to rejoin board
The Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise’s newest member will be anything but new to the business of casino management when she…
Read More
Cherokee hospital will see funding cut due to infection rates
According to a recent ranking from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority is one…
Read More
Board member removed from TWSA mid-term
Joe Ward’s term on the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority board came to an abrupt end last week when newly…
Read More
SMN reporter to cover Presidential Inauguration
Starting this week, The Smoky Mountain News will begin issuing a steady stream of coverage from the nation’s capital as…
Read More
Still time to sign up for ACA insurance policy
The planned repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act doesn’t seem to be impacting the numbers of people in Western North…
Read More
Rally to ‘save health care’ draws crowd to downtown Sylva
A crowd of more than 150 people took to the streets of downtown Sylva Sunday joining protestors in cities across…
Read More
Haywood struggling to retain teachers
For months now, a committee created by the Haywood County Board of Education has been looking for ways to entice…
Read More
Central Elementary generating interest from buyers
The building that once housed Central Elementary School may soon find new life in the private sector, if and when…
Read More
Nothing like old-time boardinghouses
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in January 2011. Are there boardinghouses still operating here…
Read More
Looking for more ideology, less politics
As the holidays drew to a close, I began preparing for the reporting we will do on the upcoming session…
Read More
Waiting in a winter wonderland
My wife was stranded in Mississippi. She was supposed to get home late on Friday night, but then the big…
Read More
Trump just too ignorant for the job
To the Editor: Is it just me? Or are any of your readers just a wee bit concerned about (this…
Read More
Rep. Meadows should have recused himself
To the Editor: The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language defines ethics as: “moral principles or code.” The Office of…
Read More
Not TDA’s job to hire downtown director
To the Editor: Given the recent suggestion in The Sylva Herald that the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority possibly fund…
Read More
Harrah’s recognized for environmental policies
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort earned recognition for reducing its environmental impact when Green Key Global bestowed it a 4-Key rating…
Read More
Drought severity lessens in WNC
Wet weather over the past week has put a dent in the severity of drought in Western North Carolina.
Read More
Bear baiting and more trapping policies among proposed wildlife rule changes
A public hearing seeking input on this year’s round of proposals from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will be held…
Read More
Hikers rescued after three days in the woods
A day hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest turned into a days-long ordeal culminating…
Read More
A growing mark: Outdoor school opens world’s largest wilderness medicine classroom in Cullowhee
Just north of Cullowhee, at the curvy, gravel terminus of Cane Creek Road, sits the building containing the world’s largest…
Read More
Books from different ends of the spectrum
Opposites attract, so the old saying runs. We’ve all known friends, husbands and wives, and lovers who match this adage,…
Read More
This must be the place: In the presence of the Founding Fathers
I decided to not wear the hardhat. Standing underneath the magnificent 215-foot high ancient rock arch at the Natural Bridge…
Read More
Winds of Change: The Infamous Stringdusters hit WNC
They are the bridge. In the bluegrass world these days, it seems there are two camps of thought and performance…
Read More
Another runway extension in the wings for Macon airport
With the last Macon County Airport runway extension project barely in the rearview, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has…
Read More
Dilapidated structures plaguing Franklin
Overgrown brush, rotting floors, collapsing roofs, vermin and asbestos. Dealing with deteriorating structures isn’t a new issue for the town…
Read More
Franklin facelift: Changes are coming to downtown Franklin
Downtown Franklin will be undergoing plenty of changes in 2017 and for the next few years as the town works…
Read More
Honor MLK with day of service
Citizens recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day since it was established in 1986, are encouraged to volunteer on the third…
Read More
Haywood Habitat accepting homeowner applications
Haywood Habitat for Humanity is seeking qualified homeowners for homes located in Haywood County.
Read More
Volunteers, athletes sought for Special Olympics
Haywood County Special Olympics officials are forming a Local Program Committee so that the program can reach more potential athletes…
Read More
WCU professor gets award for archaeological excellence
Western Carolina University’s Ben Steere, assistant professor of anthropology and co-director of Cherokee Studies Programs, is recipient of the Principal…
Read More
Focus groups needed to discuss Swain ER changes
Swain Community Hospital is looking for small groups of residents to be part of ongoing focus groups to discuss changes…
Read More
