Early to the woods
 

Early to the woods

Due to contractual obligations with the Forest Service I have been in the woods a little earlier than usual this…
Read More

Comment

Spring openings in the Smokies
 

Spring openings in the Smokies

Spring is here, and facilities closed for the winter are opening up accordingly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. …
Read More

Comment

Commission wants to lift bear baiting restriction
 

Commission wants to lift bear baiting restriction

A proposed rule change allowing hunters to bait black bears with unprocessed food throughout the entire hunting season will be…
Read More

Comment

Snowmaking crew makes the top cut
 

Snowmaking crew makes the top cut

Cataloochee Ski Area is a finalist for the I AM a Snowmaker Award, given annually by SAM Magazine and HKD…
Read More

Comment

Take your pick of ranger programs
 

Take your pick of ranger programs

Spring ranger programs have begun in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, giving visitors a chance to explore the Smokies…
Read More

Comment

Lace it up
 

Lace it up

A slate of challenging long-distance races will be coming to the Smokies this spring, meaning it’s time to get back…
Read More

Comment

Stocked trout waters to open
 

Stocked trout waters to open

Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters throughout Western North Carolina will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 2.
Read More

Comment

Easter on the trail
 

Easter on the trail

This Easter marked an important milestone for Jerry Parker, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker who completed the 2,160-mile trail before it…
Read More

Comment

A new meaning for ‘study lounge’: WCU installs solar panel and hammock lounge combo with sustainability funds
 

A new meaning for ‘study lounge’: WCU installs solar panel and hammock lounge combo with sustainability funds

When Earth Day rolls around this year, students at Western Carolina University will be able to celebrate with a bit…
Read More

Comment

The arts thrive only if we support them
 

The arts thrive only if we support them

“The arts are so incredibly vital to a quality of life, smart business and the health of a community. The…
Read More

Comment

Questions for the legislature
 

Questions for the legislature

By Dave Waldrop • Guest Columnist The North Carolina legislature has abandoned its responsibilities to public education under the guise…
Read More

Comment

What lessons from the 2016 primary?
 

What lessons from the 2016 primary?

By Chris Cooper • Guest Columnist If I had to use one word to describe the North Carolina primary, it…
Read More

Comment

On being a columnist for a small-town newspaper
 

On being a columnist for a small-town newspaper

Three months into this, I’ve decided that being a columnist for The Smoky Mountain News is potentially more challenging than…
Read More

Comment

Swain County to sue federal government over North Shore Road settlement money
 

Swain County to sue federal government over North Shore Road settlement money

After waiting for years to get the money promised to them, the Swain County commissioners made a unanimous decision last…
Read More

Comment

Community Kitchen moving to new facility
 

Community Kitchen moving to new facility

The Community Kitchen in Canton works hard to make sure no one in the community goes hungry, and now the…
Read More

Comment

In Russ Avenue’s shadow: Neighbors fear commercial creep, struggle with identity crisis
 

In Russ Avenue’s shadow: Neighbors fear commercial creep, struggle with identity crisis

Waynesville leaders are weighing whether to expand the commercial footprint of Russ Avenue, an issue that has pitted neighbors against…
Read More

Comment

Franklin man shoots, kills his 22-year-old son
 

Franklin man shoots, kills his 22-year-old son

Macon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of 22-year-old Hunter Curtis after he was shot and killed by his…
Read More

Comment

Whittier farmers make an offer on Drexel plant
 

Whittier farmers make an offer on Drexel plant

The future of the old furniture factory in Whittier has been through more than its share of twists and turns…
Read More

Comment

Dog owners rejoice over park drainage project
 

Dog owners rejoice over park drainage project

While the Waynesville dog park’s temporary closure this week might have canines a little bit antsy, dog owners are rejoicing…
Read More

Comment

Cullowhee planning committee appointed
 

Cullowhee planning committee appointed

Nearly a year after Jackson County passed zoning standards for Cullowhee, the ordinance is set to get ground-tested with the…
Read More

Comment

Jackson will borrow millions to fix school facilities
 

Jackson will borrow millions to fix school facilities

Leaking roofs, failing heating systems and broken pipes in Jackson County Schools will get some much-needed attention after commissioners voted…
Read More

Comment

HCC to take over business incubator space
 

HCC to take over business incubator space

It will be a bittersweet transition for Smoky Mountain Development Corporation executive director Allan Steinberg. On one hand, he has…
Read More

Comment

Commissioners under the gun to pass shooting range rules
 

Commissioners under the gun to pass shooting range rules

Rules governing where commercial outdoor shooting ranges can go in Haywood County would provide security and peace of mind for…
Read More

Comment

Regional banking powerhouse Entegra finalizes deal for Old Town Bank
 

Regional banking powerhouse Entegra finalizes deal for Old Town Bank

Old Town Bank shareholders overwhelmingly approved the sale of the start-up bank headquartered in Waynesville last week, ending its nine-year…
Read More

Comment

Gaming commissioners argue for their jobs back
 

Gaming commissioners argue for their jobs back

After being ousted from their jobs when the September elections brought a new Tribal Council and executive administration, the three…
Read More

Comment

Planning board digs into rules for industrial development
 

Planning board digs into rules for industrial development

Take a drive around the mountain roads of Western North Carolina and it probably won’t be long before a tight…
Read More

Comment

Fracking protections a key consideration in ordinance revision
 

Fracking protections a key consideration in ordinance revision

When the state opened the doors for hydraulic fracturing — called “fracking” — in 2014, a flood of public opinion…
Read More

Comment

Sacrosanct gun rights hotly debated in Haywood
 

Sacrosanct gun rights hotly debated in Haywood

Gun supporters turned out en masse this week urging Haywood County commissioners to allow concealed guns on county property, from…
Read More

Comment

When disagreeing could still be eloquent
 

When disagreeing could still be eloquent

“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” — George Orwell, 1984 For the past year, Americans have endured…
Read More

Comment

WCU students join The Heritage Calendar project
 

WCU students join The Heritage Calendar project

There will be Catamount paw prints on the next edition of a calendar highlighting North Carolina’s African-American heritage as Western…
Read More

Comment

Creative arts workshop retreats
 

Creative arts workshop retreats

From the beginning Cullowhee Mountain Arts (CMA) has been committed to hosting high-quality workshops taught by instructors with national and…
Read More

Comment

Jackson celebrates NC Beer Month, Ale Trail
 

Jackson celebrates NC Beer Month, Ale Trail

Whether you enjoy sipping a smooth golden ale, something hoppy or a dark IPA, Jackson County’s craft breweries have you…
Read More

Comment

This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I remember that guy.
Read More

Comment

Mountain Born & Bred: Haywood journalist releases collection
 

Mountain Born & Bred: Haywood journalist releases collection

Turning the steering wheel onto Johnson Street, one quickly leaves the unrelenting bustle of two-way traffic along N.C. 110. Immediately,…
Read More

Comment

New candidates allowed to sign up in congressional race
 

New candidates allowed to sign up in congressional race

North Carolina will hold a separate election on June 7 for the congressional primary, which means it’s not too late…
Read More

Comment

Time for spring migrants in the mountains
 

Time for spring migrants in the mountains

The cove we live in has been alive with birds for several weeks now. As alive with birds as it’s…
Read More

Comment

Stomach illness reported on the A.T.
 

Stomach illness reported on the A.T.

Stomach bugs, possibly norovirus, have been reported among Appalachian Trail thru-hikers in Georgia and the Great Smoky Mountains this season.
Read More

Comment

Assault on BlackRock crosses the finish line
 

Assault on BlackRock crosses the finish line

Saturday dawned chilly and foggy at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, but that didn’t stop 73 people from completing the strenuous…
Read More

Comment

Friends of the Smokies gets new director
 

Friends of the Smokies gets new director

Friends of the Smokies has a new North Carolina director after Anna Lee Zanetti took the reins this week.
Read More

Comment

Celebrate the A.T. season
 

Celebrate the A.T. season

Every year, trail towns and businesses in Western North Carolina anticipate the influx of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers that stream through…
Read More

Comment

Fake it till you make it
 

Fake it till you make it

“So, are you here as a reporter or as a biker?” asked one of the 100-plus shorts-wearing, bike-bearing people converged…
Read More

Comment

Feeling the vibe: Mountain bikers converge in WNC to learn, network and explore Tsali trails
 

Feeling the vibe: Mountain bikers converge in WNC to learn, network and explore Tsali trails

The parking lot at Tsali Recreation Area was full of bikes Friday evening — more than 100 of them, strapped…
Read More

Comment

Tragedy at Frank Lloyd Wright’s house
 

Tragedy at Frank Lloyd Wright’s house

In this story, I am God. — Frank Lloyd Wright The title of this nonfiction work, Death in a Prairie…
Read More

Comment

Me and your pet rabbit can now share a meal
 

Me and your pet rabbit can now share a meal

A few weeks ago, I suddenly developed a thirst that I could not seem to quench. No, this is not…
Read More

Comment

Wilderness and recreation areas are good for WNC
 

Wilderness and recreation areas are good for WNC

By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist Setting aside a modest portion of the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest as Wilderness and National…
Read More

Comment

Sometimes you wonder why
 

Sometimes you wonder why

To the editor: I wonder: • Why do people in the so-called “Bible belt” seem to trust guns more than God?…
Read More

Comment

Let’s get the ‘dump Presnell’ train rolling
 

Let’s get the ‘dump Presnell’ train rolling

Let the campaign to unseat Rep. Michele Presnell begin. During her two terms in office Presnell has been an obstructionist…
Read More

Comment

Macon Commissioners honor Sunshine Week
 

Macon Commissioners honor Sunshine Week

In the spirit of celebrating Sunshine Week, the Macon County Commissioners announced a decision to support and encourage transparency and…
Read More

Comment

Woman gets 70 months for trafficking meth
 

Woman gets 70 months for trafficking meth

Jamie Lynn Swartz, 36, formerly of Sylva, will serve 70 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release…
Read More

Comment

Cherokee implements full-circle rehabilitation for drug recovery
 

Cherokee implements full-circle rehabilitation for drug recovery

It’s been a while since the old Mountain Credit Union building in Cherokee saw foot traffic from people looking to…
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.