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There are plenty of good reasons to vote for Hillary
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both have their liabilities, but his are so much more…
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N.C. leaders remain – indignantly – on wrong side of HB2
When it comes to HB2, our state’s Republican leadership will eventually prove to be on the wrong side of history.…
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Wrecker service denied location in Sylva
A vacant lot along the gateway to Sylva from Dillsboro will stay empty for a while longer following the town…
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Engineers say burn building needs to be replaced
Last month Macon County commissioners said they wanted a second opinion on the remaining lifespan of the first responder training…
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WCU faculty set new precedent for standing up to political influence of big donors
Western Carolina University faculty tasked with overseeing a $2 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation had their work cut…
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WCU faculty closely monitoring $2 million Koch gift
A firestorm over a $2 million gift from political operative Charles Koch ignited the campus of Western Carolina University last…
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Haywood County high-impact development ordinance passes
Children, the elderly, the ill, the mentally challenged and the incarcerated in Haywood County all have at least one thing…
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Waynesville annexes charter school property
The Town of Waynesville’s area increased by 2.82 acres last week with the annexation of a parcel at 1023 Dellwood…
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Cherokee council votes to keep vans gifted from Washington Redskins
A pair of Mercedes-Benz vans that The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation once bestowed upon the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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No elk allowed: Two-mile fence keeps elk off dairy farm following winter shooting of seven animals
These days, bovines — not elk — are the only cows wandering around the Ross dairy farm in Jonathan Creek.
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Growing elk population triggers landowner conflicts, land conservation efforts
Elk may be the most polarizing animal in Western North Carolina right now, but William Carter has kept a closer…
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Upcoming political forums and debates
If you are undecided or just want more information about the Nov. 8 election, there are plenty of opportunities to…
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State candidates speak to Macon residents
Every election cycle, the Macon County League of Women Voters aims to educate its community about local and state candidates…
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Finding the root of your rhythm
The RPMs hovered around 4,000, the truck huffing and puffing up the steep hillside. Approaching Sam’s Gap (elevation 3,760 feet)…
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True patriotism comes in many colors
We drove through the small town of Clyde on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 11, right in the midst of the commemoration…
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Finding my way in this season of change
Not long ago my front porch was a barren, pathetic place with a few pieces of hard, wooden furniture, zero…
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I remember John Snow, and what GOP did to him
To the Editor: I remember John Snow. For those that don’t, he was the three-term state senator from this district who…
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Hillary does not deserve support of women
To the Editor: In the August 31 edition of The Smoky Mountain News, guest columnist Hannah McLeod asked “Where are…
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Rep. Meadows should open up discussions
To the Editor: I was one of the people who was turned away from Rep. Mark Meadows’ meeting at the…
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Hiking for Hope: Robbinsville man raises $70,000 for children with A.T. hike
It was nighttime in the White Mountains, and Steve Claxton was pretty sure he wouldn’t make it till morning. Rain…
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Explore N.C. wildlife online
A revamped website is allowing people to discover North Carolina’s natural heritage in new ways through the N.C. Natural Heritage…
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Grant supports Cherokee-infused environmental education
Classroom lessons focusing on Cherokee culture and ecology of the Great Smoky Mountains will expand to schools in seven Western…
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Must have been an omen
When I checked my email Friday morning (9/9), I had a message from Chris Kelly, mountain wildlife diversity biologist with…
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Putting a face on the growing white underclass
For decades, the lot of poor white Americans has worsened. Marriage rates have plummeted while out-of-wedlock births have skyrocketed. Unemployment,…
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WCU’s Mountain Heritage Day
Celebrating Southern Appalachian culture through concerts, living-history demonstrations, competitions and awards programs, Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day will be…
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Fangmeyer Theater open house
The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville is finally ready to show off its new second main stage, the Daniel…
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Trump promises to ‘fix’ problems
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke to a packed Asheville Civic Center on Monday as boisterous supporters cheered him on…
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Local politicians speak at Trump rally
Some local Republicans got their brief fling with fame during Donald Trump’s campaign rally Monday in Asheville.
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COMMENTARY: Fear and voting in Ashevegas
For 223 years, the highest office in the land has been passed from one man to another without bloodshed or…
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COMMENTARY: The Donald and The Doomed converge in Asheville
“You’re a Nazi,” the 20-something female screamed into the face of an elderly veteran. The veteran shrugged off the comment…
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The biker politic
Motorcyclists have always been a distinct subset of the American population, long before they gained infamy in Hunter S. Thompson’s…
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Cat museum looking for volunteers
A museum honoring the American house cat is set to open soon in Jackson County, but cash and volunteer hours…
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WCU to host congressional, state legislative debates
Western Carolina University’s Public Policy Institute and Department of Political Science and Public Affairs are seeking questions from voters to…
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Jackson board tweaks cell tower ordinance
After surviving the first application process under the new wireless communication rules, Jackson County commissioners directed the planning board to…
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Huge success for Canton Labor Day fest
The longest running Labor Day festival in the South is meant to commemorate the contributions of the organized labor movement…
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Investigation results in 26 drug arrests
Macon County Sheriff’s Office concluded “Operation Thunderstruck” on Sept. 9 with 26 arrests for drug-related offenses while three suspects are…
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Franklin to dole out funds to community charities
Fourteen Macon County charities are vying for a piece of Franklin’s $40,000 nonprofit funding pool, but not all organizations will…
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Meadows introduces bill to save floating houses
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, introduced a bill last week to halt the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plan to ban floating…
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Case dismissed in council pay raise suit
A lawsuit seeking to declare illegal a controversial Tribal Council decision to issue its members pay raises has been dismissed…
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Cherokee give $50,000 to oppose North Dakota pipeline
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians threw its support behind the cause of the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota…
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Elk hearing draws a crowd
A minor adjustment to elk depredation rules brought 70 people — about 40 of them college students — out to…
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Asheville Regional Airport improvements continue
Geography and population conspire to make much of Western North Carolina a terrible place for an airport; west of Asheville,…
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Choose Booze? Haywood County appears poised to end dry spell
This November, voters will have another choice to make at the polls — whether to allow beer and or wine…
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A hint of autumn, a sense of pride
When we got out of the car on Sunday at the parking area in Jackson County at the end of…
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So this is what hell feels like
Beware, gentle readers. This story is not for the faint of heart. It is a story of betrayal, corruption, and…
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We should welcome political refugees
To the Editor: Widespread reports of Muslim terrorist activity in the media of late, and the incessant drumbeat of political…
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I love living in a small town
To the Editor: I have said many times that I love living in a small town; yesterday, something happened that…
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Homebuilding company wants to sell Plott Balsam tract for conservation
High in the Plott Balsams, there’s a swath of property riddled with panoramic views, sparking waterfalls and high-elevation solitude that…
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Carbon offsets program starts
A relaunched carbon offsets program will give business, organizations and individuals in Western North Carolina a way to turn their…
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