Wildflower pilgrimage celebrates spring
 

Wildflower pilgrimage celebrates spring

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will kick off its 65th year of outdoors programming Tuesday, April 21, with the five-day event…
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Spiffed-up shelter hits the Macon County AT
 

Spiffed-up shelter hits the Macon County AT

With a higher-than-normal volume of thru-hikers expected next season, the Nantahala Hiking Club is getting prepared with upgrades to the…
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Commission calls on turkey hunters
 

Commission calls on turkey hunters

A study of lymphoproliferative disease virus, a malady affecting wild turkeys, is calling in help from hunters.
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Tribe granted authority over water standards
 

Tribe granted authority over water standards

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is now able to administer its own water quality certifications, becoming the 49th tribe…
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Tuck River cleanup puts out call for volunteers
 

Tuck River cleanup puts out call for volunteers

The nation’s largest single-day river litter removal will mark its 31st year Saturday, April 18.
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Weather watchers wanted for citizen science program
 

Weather watchers wanted for citizen science program

A network of amateur rain and weather spotters are contributing to the scientific understanding of niche weather patterns on a…
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Teacher scholarships available for nature summit
 

Teacher scholarships available for nature summit

Applications are open for teachers looking to attend the 2015 Family Nature Summit, based in Lake Junaluska.
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Cherokee to weigh in on fish conservation
 

Cherokee to weigh in on fish conservation

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold its annual meeting celebrating Earth Month at 6 p.m. Monday, April…
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WCU students win bass angling title
 

WCU students win bass angling title

A pair of Western Carolina University students took first this spring, in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional, presented…
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Two-hundred-mile foot race to loop western counties
 

Two-hundred-mile foot race to loop western counties

The Southeast’s most grueling team race will take off from Pink Beds Picnic Area in the Pisgah National Forest near…
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Bat protection prompts Smokies caving restrictions
 

Bat protection prompts Smokies caving restrictions

After closing the area in September to protect wintering bats, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen Whiteoak Sink…
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When the bats leave the belfry: Fungus cuts down bat population, sparks speculation on species, ecosystem future
 

When the bats leave the belfry: Fungus cuts down bat population, sparks speculation on species, ecosystem future

Sarah Davis loves bats. They’ve been the wintertime residents of Linville Caverns for as long as she can remember, a…
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Macon dodges insurance fund deficit
 

Macon dodges insurance fund deficit

More than 400 Macon County employees and their families will see a reduction in health care coverage and an increase…
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Macon passes noise ordinance
 

Macon passes noise ordinance

Macon County commissioners realize they can’t make everyone happy, but they hope some residents can now get some sleep with…
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Business is bustling in downtown Waynesville
 

Business is bustling in downtown Waynesville

Downtown Waynesville has had a flurry of changes lately. As previous tenants move out, new ones move in and improvements…
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Smoking now banned on Haywood property
 

Smoking now banned on Haywood property

All tobacco products will soon be banned from being used on county-owned property in Haywood County. Commissioners approved an amendment…
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Break-in reported at Swain election office
 

Break-in reported at Swain election office

No personal voter identification information was found missing following a break-in at the Swain County Board of Elections Office in…
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SCC celebrates 50 years; public invited to learn about programs
 

SCC celebrates 50 years; public invited to learn about programs

Southwestern Community College is celebrating its 50th year by inviting the public to see all the programs being offered to…
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SCC plans for Macon campus expansion
 

SCC plans for Macon campus expansion

Dr. Don Tomas likes to be ahead of the curve. As Southwestern Community College celebrates 50 years, Tomas, who has…
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Jail death sparks state investigations
 

Jail death sparks state investigations

It was about 5:15 p.m. on March 13 and Mark Leamon, a jailer at the Jackson County Jail, was in…
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Evergreen undergoes costly clean up of coal stacks under new air pollution rules
 

Evergreen undergoes costly clean up of coal stacks under new air pollution rules

The smokestacks at Evergreen Packaging paper mill in Canton will be significantly cleaner within four years thanks to $50 million…
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Lincoln assassination drama at HART
 

Lincoln assassination drama at HART

As part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the production of “The Actor and The Assassin” will hit…
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Jackson County students win Youth Art Month awards
 

Jackson County students win Youth Art Month awards

More than 60 Jackson County school students received awards for work exhibited at Western Carolina University during Youth Art Month.
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‘Peter Pan’ flies into WCU
 

‘Peter Pan’ flies into WCU

The School of Stage and Screen will close its 2014-15 Mainstage season with a high-flying production of the J.M Barrie…
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New art studio opens in Franklin
 

New art studio opens in Franklin

Colorful Creations, a “Paint Your Own Pottery” studio owned by Jimbo and Stacy Ledford, recently opened in Franklin.
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Oyster, seafood festival returns to Maggie Valley
 

Oyster, seafood festival returns to Maggie Valley

The Smoky Mountain Oyster & Seafood Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at…
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Canton concert to benefit Community Kitchen
 

Canton concert to benefit Community Kitchen

Country/southern rocker Joe Lasher Jr. will perform at 7 p.m. April 18 at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. Tickets are…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It’s my favorite place to sit. In a diner, tucked away in a booth, with a notebook, pen and endless…
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In search of the perfect word: Literary festival returns to WCU
 

In search of the perfect word: Literary festival returns to WCU

A writer looking at a blank page is a like a painter staring at a fresh canvas, a sculptor facing…
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Put the forest first!
 

Put the forest first!

I was commiserating with a friend who works for the Forest Service just after it was announced that they were…
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Clingmans Dome Road opens for the year
 

Clingmans Dome Road opens for the year

Clingmans Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened last week, six days ahead of its scheduled April…
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Bike rodeo comes to Jackson County
 

Bike rodeo comes to Jackson County

The Jackson County Bike Rodeo is calling all kids to come out 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11,…
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Locals take gold and silver in Assault on BlackRock
 

Locals take gold and silver in Assault on BlackRock

The fifth annual Assault on BlackRock trail race is now in the rearview mirror, with 82 brave souls battling freezing…
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Solarize WNC forums demystify solar energy for the masses
 

Solarize WNC forums demystify solar energy for the masses

A forum on how to transition to solar energy will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at the…
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Life in bear country: Bear encounter sparks camping closure, bear canister requirement
 

Life in bear country: Bear encounter sparks camping closure, bear canister requirement

A pair of hikers camped near the Lower Falls in Graveyard Fields got a rude awakening March 16 when a…
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An outlandish life makes for hilarious novel
 

An outlandish life makes for hilarious novel

Irish novelist Kennedy Marr is making millions of dollars through the sale of his books and as a Hollywood scriptwriter.…
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Catch the Spirit of Appalachia awards scholarships
 

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia awards scholarships

At its annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner on March 20, the board of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia in Jackson County…
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Photography, folk art exhibit at Gallery 86
 

Photography, folk art exhibit at Gallery 86

A creative photography and folk art exhibit, “Memories — Past, Present and Future” will be showcased April 6-28 in Gallery…
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All three Cherokee tribes partnering for ‘Cherokee Days’
 

All three Cherokee tribes partnering for ‘Cherokee Days’

One year after hosting a highly successful event at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., the…
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Gypsy jazz, swing at Classic Wineseller
 

Gypsy jazz, swing at Classic Wineseller

The 9th Street Stompers will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.
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Loretta Lynn to hit Harrah’s stage
 

Loretta Lynn to hit Harrah’s stage

Country music legend Loretta Lynn will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

My friend died yesterday. Way up in New York State, 1,000 miles or so away from me, my friend passed…
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One day at a time
 

One day at a time

Don’t hire C.J. Deering. “I don’t know why people hire me,” she laughed. “Maybe I’m just lucky, maybe they see…
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I quit teaching because I love children
 

I quit teaching because I love children

To the Editor: Recently, I had to make a tough but necessary decision. As I entered my 23rd year of…
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Finally, we know just what road we are traveling on
 

Finally, we know just what road we are traveling on

“She can wiggle her toes.” This text message — a simple statement of fact pertaining to my mother — would…
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A son grows up, a father faces the future
 

A son grows up, a father faces the future

My cousin has always been an inspiration. Wilton Collins Jones Jr. — he’s always been called “Corky” — is one…
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Waynesville pulls the plug on housing commerce, tourism agencies in old town hall
 

Waynesville pulls the plug on housing commerce, tourism agencies in old town hall

A plan to turn Waynesville’s old town hall into a visitor center and the headquarters for a suite of tourism,…
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Swain retirement dispute referred to state
 

Swain retirement dispute referred to state

When the Swain County Board of Elections didn’t get the response it wanted from the county commissioners, it decided to…
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Food trucks to roll into Canton
 

Food trucks to roll into Canton

Tina Tuten was in tears when she left the Canton Board of Alderman meeting last week, but luckily for her…
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Teachers fight to restore public education funds
 

Teachers fight to restore public education funds

Third-grade teacher Carolyn Cope deals with many stresses day in and day out —making sure her students are happy and…
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