Railroad right of way claim could stall business expansion
 

Railroad right of way claim could stall business expansion

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer A Dillsboro business owner’s recent attempt to purchase and develop land near the Great…
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Becoming one with the multi-taskers
 

Becoming one with the multi-taskers

By Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist Multi-tasking? Not me. Or so I’ve always thought.
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Leadership is all about good ideas
 

Leadership is all about good ideas

Ideas. Those who have them become leaders and gravitate to places where they can implement them. All of the counties…
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Osteoporosis is real – get tested
 

Osteoporosis is real – get tested

By Darcia Bondurant I would like to think of myself as a healthy, 46-year-old woman. My weight, blood pressure, blood…
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Tammy deserved better
 

Tammy deserved better

Mother’s Day was probably not everything Tammy had hoped for. She may have had visions of sleeping in until 9…
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Finding the forest less logged
 

Finding the forest less logged

For three years, Josh Kelly has been stalking forests in the Southern Appalachians in search of unmapped old-growth forests and…
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Horse outfitters apply for Panthertown permits
 

Horse outfitters apply for Panthertown permits

The U.S. Forest Service has been working on a master recreation plan for Panthertown Valley for more than two years…
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Of valleys and lilies
 

Of valleys and lilies

I was leading a program for the Theosophical Society at Lake Junaluska on May 6. We were touring the Corneille…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

Ebay Egad, it’s more addictive than heroin. My family always had a penchant for what some might refer to as…
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Child’s Play: Swain youth is champion picker
 

Child’s Play: Swain youth is champion picker

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer At age 12, Seth Taylor is a quiet, tanned, tow-headed boy. He seems well…
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IN Review
 

IN Review

By Chris Cooper The Wilders: Throw Down Reading about bandleader Ike Sheldon’s love/hate relationship with old-time music is almost as…
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A Melange of murder and myth
 

A Melange of murder and myth

If you have a TV, you probably know that the film version of Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel is scheduled for…
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Blue Ridge banking on cool cartons
 

Blue Ridge banking on cool cartons

The war on soft drink vending machines in schools has found an unexpected ally in Haywood County. Blue Ridge Paper…
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Achtung Elf! Lessons in learning a foreign language
 

Achtung Elf! Lessons in learning a foreign language

By Michael Beadle One thing that paralyzes American tourists about visiting foreign countries is the language barrier.
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Crafty, curious Codetalkers
 

Crafty, curious Codetalkers

By Chris Cooper To say that Col. Bruce Hampton has carved a colorful swath through the music industry is likely…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

A+ arts schools Call me biased, but Central Elementary School in downtown Waynesville is a great place. All three of…
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The Swiss experience
 

The Swiss experience

By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain News Writer Michael Beadle recently traveled to Europe. The following is the first…
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Discovering the dawn
 

Discovering the dawn

In April I began working a few weekend hours in a bookshop in Asheville. Having operated my own bookstore for…
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Celebrating 10 years as an A+ school
 

Celebrating 10 years as an A+ school

By Michael Beadle Central Elementary School capped its 10-year anniversary as an A+ school Friday, May 19, with students, parents,…
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‘Not guilty’: Michelle Gibson freed after jury rejects second-degree murder, manslaughter charges
 

‘Not guilty’: Michelle Gibson freed after jury rejects second-degree murder, manslaughter charges

Michelle Gibson, a single mother charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 8-year-old son, Devin, was found not…
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One mother’s struggle: Gibson hits dead-end in quest to balance childcare and work
 

One mother’s struggle: Gibson hits dead-end in quest to balance childcare and work

When Michelle Gibson showed up at her son’s second-grade classroom with balloons, ice cream and a decorated birthday cake signed…
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An outpouring of support
 

An outpouring of support

When Rose Smith read about the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy left in a car in the parking lot…
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Swain teacher fills vital role for Latino students
 

Swain teacher fills vital role for Latino students

By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on some of the issues faced by…
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The ridge named blue
 

The ridge named blue

Last week, we reviewed current theories concerning the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains about 250 million years ago. And we…
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An encore for mama
 

An encore for mama

By Joanne Meyer • Guest Columnist A soft, spring breeze wafted through the open window, sending a sheer, cafe curtain…
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Selling the library out for all the wrong reasons
 

Selling the library out for all the wrong reasons

Back last fall, about the time the Jackson County Library controversy mutated into an issue with all of the appeal…
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The test, and nothing but the test
 

The test, and nothing but the test

I don’t bash public schools. My wife’s a teacher, my children have gotten a great education at these schools, and…
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Remembering the Mother Town
 

Remembering the Mother Town

By Michael Beadle Kituhwa. To the Cherokee, it represents one of the most sacred sites in the world, the first…
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The phoenix has crashed
 

The phoenix has crashed

In 2005 the ivory-billed woodpecker rose from the ashes of extinction on the merits of an announcement from the Cornell…
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Recycling gets a boost in the Smokies
 

Recycling gets a boost in the Smokies

Thanks to a new recycling trailer, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closer to its goal of diverting half…
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Trout Unlimited: Brook trout need help
 

Trout Unlimited: Brook trout need help

A report by Trout Unlimited documenting the continued decline of brook trout has given rise to concerns over water quality…
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Riverwild
 

Riverwild

A blistering fight over whether paddling should be allowed along the upper stretch of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River…
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The Naturalist's Corner — Thunderstorm
 

The Naturalist's Corner — Thunderstorm

The other evening with toddler and infant asleep, my wife and I found ourselves alone as a thunderstorm rolled over…
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A gem from Charlotte’s crown
 

A gem from Charlotte’s crown

By Chris Cooper Some songwriters have the gift of saying volumes with very little. They don’t need to spell it…
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Quilting art: The Shady Ladies bring a new spin to an ancient craft with upcoming show
 

Quilting art: The Shady Ladies bring a new spin to an ancient craft with upcoming show

By Sarah Kucharski The Shady Ladies, a diverse group of quilters based in Haywood County, are gearing up for their…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

Mental Floss For those who love collecting trivia in bite-sized tidbits, look no further than Mental Floss magazine, the sugar-coated…
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Life in the (really) fast lane
 

Life in the (really) fast lane

By Michael Beadle Welcome to the Autobahn: land of the speedy, home of the brave. You have to be brave…
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Zeitgeist of Germany, circa 2006
 

Zeitgeist of Germany, circa 2006

By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain News Writer Michael Beadle recently traveled to Europe. The following is the second…
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Hard times and happy days
 

Hard times and happy days

On March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office. Frank C. Davis, the author of My C.C.C. Days, says…
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Critics say FERC not tough enough on Duke
 

Critics say FERC not tough enough on Duke

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s draft environmental assessment recommending removal of the Dillsboro…
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Macon superintendent departs amid harassment suit
 

Macon superintendent departs amid harassment suit

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Macon County schools personnel director Tamra Tisdale has filed a sexual harassment suit against…
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Momentum builds to challenge TDA
 

Momentum builds to challenge TDA

Dissatisfaction among the Haywood County tourism industry with the way tourism tax dollars are spent has long been a constant…
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Sylva residents rate quality of life high
 

Sylva residents rate quality of life high

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer “Overall, citizens seem fairly satisfied with the quality of life in the town of…
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Doin’ the TDA shuffle: Haywood, Maggie Valley tourism entities ponder merger
 

Doin’ the TDA shuffle: Haywood, Maggie Valley tourism entities ponder merger

A tug-of-war over the $600,000 in tourism tax money in Haywood County and how it is used to lure travelers…
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A world without end
 

A world without end

Two weeks ago, we reviewed current theories about the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains about 250 million years ago, as…
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The art of the graduation speech
 

The art of the graduation speech

A few years ago, I was asked to give the keynote speech for an area high school’s graduation ceremony. At…
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Personal heart therapy with Homer Harris
 

Personal heart therapy with Homer Harris

I have found that not being able to hear in a crowded room is a constant frustration. Usually, when people…
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Making Jennings Randolph proud
 

Making Jennings Randolph proud

Jennings Randolph does not leap from the pages of history. Perhaps he should. His likeness is not found on any…
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Gibson case highlights larger problems
 

Gibson case highlights larger problems

When the jury came back with a not guilty verdict in the case against Michelle Gibson, many across the country…
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