Time to clear the desk of books waiting for review
 

Time to clear the desk of books waiting for review

For many reasons, this summer in particular afforded many opportunities for reading. During a 60-hour stay at Figure Eight Island,…
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Galaxy of Stars back in the saddle with Riders in the Sky
 

Galaxy of Stars back in the saddle with Riders in the Sky

With a mix of Western song classics and zany send-ups, Riders in the Sky will return to the Western Carolina…
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RailFest rolls into Bryson City
 

RailFest rolls into Bryson City

The 13th annual RailFest will be held Sept. 12-14 at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad depot in Bryson City. 
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Youth Arts Festival coming to Dillsboro
 

Youth Arts Festival coming to Dillsboro

The 6th annual Youth Arts Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Jackson…
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Phillips, Craig and Dean to play Franklin
 

Phillips, Craig and Dean to play Franklin

Christian music group Phillips, Craig and Dean will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at the Smoky Mountain Center…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

How do you do it? I get asked this question quite often. Folks, whether friends, family or strangers, approach me and…
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Never giving up Hope
 

Never giving up Hope

Tracy O’Neil has a lot less weight on his shoulders these days. “We never accepted that we could lose the…
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Tillis out of step on birth control issue
 

Tillis out of step on birth control issue

To the Editor: Thom Tillis is one slick fellow. During his debate with Sen. Kay Hagan last Wednesday, he slithered…
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Evergreen paper and the fracking debate
 

Evergreen paper and the fracking debate

By Avram Friedman Last year Becky Johnson of The Smoky Mountain News interviewed me about Evergreen Packaging’s plans to convert…
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Beer town bragging rights go west of Asheville
 

Beer town bragging rights go west of Asheville

I heard about this story from the Facebook crowd, so I imagine some of you have already read it. There…
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Pisgah Inn contract renewed
 

Pisgah Inn contract renewed

Bruce O’Connell was pretty surprised to see Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods appear at his door Sept. 8. The…
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Interim CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center shares take-away impression after first few weeks
 

Interim CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center shares take-away impression after first few weeks

It hasn’t take long for the interim CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center to pick up on the hospital’s biggest…
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Cash mobs Sylva
 

Cash mobs Sylva

More than 100 shoppers flocked to downtown Sylva on Sept. 5, dollars in hand, to flood the fire-damaged district with…
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Haywood candidates take sides on emergency management ordinance
 

Haywood candidates take sides on emergency management ordinance

Six candidates are vying for three seats in the Haywood County commissioners race. They fall in two tidy camps when…
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Sylva extends reach, approves ETJ expansion
 

Sylva extends reach, approves ETJ expansion

In an effort to assure aesthetic uniformity beyond town borders, Sylva’s commissioners have begun expanding the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The…
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Clash of the titans: The race for Jackson’s big chair
 

Clash of the titans: The race for Jackson’s big chair

This year’s race for Jackson County commissioner chairman is a rematch between two familiar figures. Each have claimed the title…
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New HCC complex to offer a gamut of response training
 

New HCC complex to offer a gamut of response training

A $4 million public safety facility will be constructed at Haywood Community College over the next two years, providing police,…
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Fracking opponents prepare for battle
 

Fracking opponents prepare for battle

It was back to school for a group of staunch fracking opponents on Friday, Sept. 5. The corner conference room…
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Fracking panel draws crowd in Franklin
 

Fracking panel draws crowd in Franklin

A walk through the parking lot was all that was necessary to see that a diverse crowd had gathered to…
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WNC shale gas study cancelled
 

WNC shale gas study cancelled

Western North Carolina is no longer on State Geologist Ken Taylor’s schedule for this fall’s tour de hydrocarbons in North…
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Peeling back the layers: A closer look at proposed fracking regulations
 

Peeling back the layers: A closer look at proposed fracking regulations

Anyone who’s read a newspaper, turned on a TV or listened to chitchat in a grocery store sometime over the…
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U.S. House candidates square off at WCU
 

U.S. House candidates square off at WCU

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, went head-to-head with Tom Hill, D-Zirconia, his challenger for the 11th District Congressional seat, in a…
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Cherokee wants Franklin leaders to turn over historic site
 

Cherokee wants Franklin leaders to turn over historic site

Cherokee leaders have formally asked the town of Franklin to turn over Nikwasi Mound, the latest turn of events in…
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Sylva ETJ public hearing tomorrow
 

Sylva ETJ public hearing tomorrow

Sylva commissioners will hold a public hearing tomorrow, Sept. 4, on expanding its extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. An expanded ETJ…
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And then there were none
 

And then there were none

“As I traveled on, the air was literally filled with pigeons. The light of noon-day was obscured as by an…
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Reliving the Plott Hound legacy
 

Reliving the Plott Hound legacy

A program titled “Touching the Face of History: The Story of the Plott Hound” will be held at 6:30 p.m.…
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Cashiers adventure race kicks off second year
 

Cashiers adventure race kicks off second year

Runners looking for a wilderness challenge will get their chance with the Second Annual Cashiers Trail Mix Mountain Run Experience…
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Bryson City Bicycles snags national honor
 

Bryson City Bicycles snags national honor

Bryson City Bicycles has been named one of America’s Best Bike Shops of 2014. Awarded by the National Bike Dealers…
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Nantahala Kids Club introduces youth to paddling
 

Nantahala Kids Club introduces youth to paddling

Nantahala Kids Club, a program designed to engage kids in paddling, will kickoff a six-week outdoor recreation program Sept. 8.
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Waynesville mom takes on Iron Man
 

Waynesville mom takes on Iron Man

Waynesville resident Jennifer Jacobsen recently crossed the finish line of the Ironman Louisville, a challenging race that involves a total…
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Fracking debate heats up in WNC
 

Fracking debate heats up in WNC

The fracking issue is exploding in Western North Carolina as a public hearing on proposed oil and gas rules in…
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Fish food: Aquaponics offers full-circle farming
 

Fish food: Aquaponics offers full-circle farming

Tucked away along a squirrely offshoot of Jonathan Creek Road, Dennis “Bear” Forsythe’s 15-by-15-foot greenhouse is like his own private…
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A dark world explored by a gifted writer
 

A dark world explored by a gifted writer

In case you haven’t noticed, let me call your attention to a disturbing fact regarding current Appalachian literature: some critics have been…
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ArtShare returns to Haywood
 

ArtShare returns to Haywood

Because of its success last year, the Haywood County Arts Council is bringing back its planned giving exhibition, ArtShare, from…
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Art Talk welcomes Hardin Sept. 12
 

Art Talk welcomes Hardin Sept. 12

The Jackson County Arts Council will be sponsoring an Art Talk by local artist and board member Clint Hardin that…
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‘The Odd Couple’ to hit HART stage
 

‘The Odd Couple’ to hit HART stage

A production of Neil Simon’s Broadway hit “The Odd Couple” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5-6 and at…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

They were stuck. Sitting around the bar at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva, the members of rockabilly band Rumble Seat…
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Rester brings horn talents to WCU
 

Rester brings horn talents to WCU

Guest artist James Rester, principal horn player with the Reading Symphony Orchestra and Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, will perform a recital…
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Crafting the future —  Dillsboro at 125
 

Crafting the future — Dillsboro at 125

Joe Frank McKee knows what Dillsboro is capable of. “It’s a fighting town,” he said. “There are more craftsmen involved…
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GOP has not kept its promises
 

GOP has not kept its promises

To the Editor: How can you tell if a politician is lying .... his lips are moving. It’s an old joke;…
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PETA got it right at Osborne Farm
 

PETA got it right at Osborne Farm

To the Editor: As one who blew the whistle on Osborne Farm Inc., I can attest that PETA’s footage shows…
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Celebrating this region’s culture part of our identity
 

Celebrating this region’s culture part of our identity

Anyone who reads The Smoky Mountain News regularly knows we emphasize in-depth, investigative stories when that’s what is called for…
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The chronic complainers will never change
 

The chronic complainers will never change

Some people complain all the time, about everything. They complain about the weather, the price of gasoline, their neglectful friends,…
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Celebration of women in Methodism at Lake J
 

Celebration of women in Methodism at Lake J

A Celebration of Women in Methodism will begin at the World Methodist Museum at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at…
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Date set for prison renovation weekend
 

Date set for prison renovation weekend

After winning a nationwide voting contest to land a $50,000 prize, Haywood Pathways Center is looking for volunteers to pitch…
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Macon alters ball field plans to avoid Cherokee gravesite
 

Macon alters ball field plans to avoid Cherokee gravesite

The Parker Meadows project is taking a slight turn after the discovery of a Cherokee gravesite launched a series of…
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Shakeup on Main Street: Franklin aims for Main Street Program makeover
 

Shakeup on Main Street: Franklin aims for Main Street Program makeover

The Franklin Main Street Program has been soaking up some criticism lately, and the issues came to a head at…
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What’s in a name? Town pride muddies selection of new Haywood tourism logo
 

What’s in a name? Town pride muddies selection of new Haywood tourism logo

In a never-ending quest to lure tourists to Haywood County, the county tourism agency has once again changed the logo…
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Amid controversy, Canton changes alcohol ordinances
 

Amid controversy, Canton changes alcohol ordinances

The Canton Town Board has recently made changes to their alcohol ordinances, allowing for the option of public consumption at…
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District Attorney race: No rest for the weary
 

District Attorney race: No rest for the weary

Few put as much thought into their to-go morning coffee as Jim Moore. Most of us grab whatever’s on the…
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