Language is illuminated in new memoir
 

Language is illuminated in new memoir

Once in a great while, something unexpected and exceptional crosses my desk. In this case it was a gift from…
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Resurrecting the joy of the holidays
 

Resurrecting the joy of the holidays

I have felt disconnected from the holidays ever since my mom passed away six years ago. Throw a divorce, two…
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Patricia Miller, owner of Affairs of the Heart in downtown Waynesville, has all kinds of gift items for those looking to take advantage of Shop Small Saturday.
 

Keeping it simple — and local

I was standing at my desk this morning looking forward to the coming Thanksgiving weekend with our grown children and…
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Fears of a politicized court system grow
 

Fears of a politicized court system grow

Maybe the change was an inevitable byproduct of our charged and contentious era.
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After elections, less hate, more love
 

After elections, less hate, more love

To the Editor: By the time you read this letter, we will have outcomes of the 2022 mid-term elections.
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SMN has lost a loyal friend
 

SMN has lost a loyal friend

To the Editor: Long-time Haywood County resident Kitty Phillips passed on Election Day this month.
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Sylva Sam messed up the view
 

Sylva Sam messed up the view

To the Editor: Driving through Sylva today I noticed the steps of the old courthouse beautifully decorated with rows of…
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Man found guilty of attempted murder in pig dispute
 

Man found guilty of attempted murder in pig dispute

A dispute about a pig that escalated into attempted murder ended last week with a Tuckasegee man ordered to serve…
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Jackson County man indicted on first-degree murder charge
 

Jackson County man indicted on first-degree murder charge

Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a former Cashiers resident this week for first-degree murder, Sheriff Chip Hall said. 
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Macon County votes ‘no’ on quarter-cent sales tax
 

Macon County votes ‘no’ on quarter-cent sales tax

Decisions about following through with the new Franklin High School project were always going to fall to a new board…
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Jim Smith took this photo of what is allegedly Bufkin’s truck trespassing on their property. The Smiths believe he was casing their home while on his delivery route.
 

Couple calls out FedEx after driver admits to 17 break-ins

A couple that owns a home near Highlands is speaking out after they say FedEx failed to act even after warned…
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Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is a journalist and podcast host examining Native American issues. Donated photo
 

Untangling the web: Leading Native journalist says ignorance on Native issues poses danger for tribes

As voting hours ended on Election Day 2020, talking heads waiting for results to roll in filled the TV airwaves…
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Put into service in 1925, Ela Dam is now the subject of a dam removal effort led by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Erin Singer McCombs photo
 

Mainspring signs agreement in dam removal effort

After months of discussion and deliberation, Mainspring Conservation Trust and Northbrook Carolina Hydro II have signed an agreement allowing Mainspring…
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Cherokee strengthens banishment law
 

Cherokee strengthens banishment law

In a unanimous vote during Annual Council Monday, Oct. 24, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed an ordinance to strengthen the tribe’s…
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Sebastian Cothran. Kyle Perrotti photo
 

Seeing green: Inexperienced tax collector-elect gears up for new role

Of the many Republican victories in the 2022 General Election amid a red wave washing over Western North Carolina that…
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Kick off the season with a Christmas home tour
 

Kick off the season with a Christmas home tour

After the Canton tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30 and the Christmas parade on Dec. 1, the festivities continue with…
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A popular Asheville indie/soul act, The Get Right Band will be one of the headliners at the inaugural 'Jingle Jam,' which will take place on Dec. 3 at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. (File photo)
 

‘Friendraiser:' REACH partners with Adamas Entertainment for Christmas benefit show

In a world mired with conflict and divisiveness, it can seem like there is little common ground to be found…
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Bloomingdale Bog Trail. (Garret K. Woodward photo)
 

This must be the place: And a man must forfeit all he owns for a glimpse at the reason why

I was about an hour behind schedule leaving my native Plattsburgh, New York, the truck aimed for Waynesville and greater…
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Kyria Neal Swayney
 

Information sought on runaway teen in Cherokee

The Cherokee Indian Police Department is seeking information about the whereabouts of Kyria Neal Swayney, a 16-year-old girl who was…
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Students search for aquatic life in the Oconaluftee River.   Scott Campbell/Casablanca Digital Media photo
 

Celebrating ‘Long Man’: Eastern Band Cherokees work together to care for their rivers

On a crisp autumn morning, the Yellowhill Community Center in Western North Carolina buzzed with excitement as more than 120…
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A snow machine blows snow onto one of Cataloochee’s ski slopes. Cataloochee Ski Area photo
 

Cataloochee opens

Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the season Monday, Nov. 14, after starting snowmaking with the onset of cold weather the…
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Principal Chief Richard Sneed stands with Coche Tiger, who will light the Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., at the signing event.
 

Tribe, Forest Service sign co-stewardship agreement

A new agreement between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the U.S. Forest Service will allow the two entities…
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In the map released Nov. 10, only 19 of North Carolina’s 100 counties were free of any drought designation.  N.C. Drought Advisory Council map
 

Drought strengthens, but recent rains could reverse trend

The latest drought map released Nov. 10 shows strengthening drought in the mountain region, but significant rain from Tropical Depression…
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Located on the North Carolina side of the park, Balsam Mountain Campground and Heintooga Picnic Area sit at 5,300 feet. NPS photo
 

Water system upgrades to move forward at Balsam Mountain and Heintooga

An environmental assessment investigating potential impacts of water and wastewater system repairs at Balsam Mountain Campground and Heintooga Picnic Area…
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Tremont President and CEO Catey McClary and board members discuss the future of the second campus while visiting the Townsend property. Erin Rosolina photo
 

Tremont plans second campus

A $250,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Connected Communities Pilot Program will support development of a second campus for…
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Fallen leaves like this tulip-poplar leaf provide a natural fertilizer, as well as winter shelter for a variety of animals and insects. Adam Bigelow photo
 

Notes from a plant nerd: Pushing Leaves

Every year, the fallen leaves blanket the forest floor in the fall. And every spring the wildflowers have no trouble…
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The good and the bad: two book reviews
 

The good and the bad: two book reviews

À chacun son gout, as the French say: “To each his own,” or if you prefer, “There’s no accounting for…
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Compromise takes sacrifice, not unyielding principles
 

Compromise takes sacrifice, not unyielding principles

Leaders in a free republic should serve the common good. That’s why the U.S. system of government and our freedoms…
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Divisive politics isn’t the only way
 

Divisive politics isn’t the only way

Does the American political divide have to divide friends? Families? Communities? Or is there an alternative approach? 
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The ozone garden biomonitoring project at Purchase Knob is one of many different curriculum-based community science projects coordinated with Tennessee and North Carolina middle and high schools. Parks as Classrooms photo
 

Word from the Smokies: Parks as Classrooms offers unforgettable experiences

Courtney Lix grew up entwined in the natural and cultural history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park like a vine…
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Don’t let tunnel vision run your life
 

Don’t let tunnel vision run your life

To the Editor: Let me start by saying that on November 8 I worked the polls, and the views I…
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Why vote for the unqualified?
 

Why vote for the unqualified?

To the Editor: Could someone please explain to me why an experienced, qualified tax collector who has successfully run the…
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What I learned running for office
 

What I learned running for office

To the Editor: I would like to express my gratitude to the Macon County community for their support and encouragement…
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The results of the congressional races came in at an even 7-7 with Democrats and Republicans claiming an equal number of seats.
 

Republicans secure big victories, but their future in North Carolina is less certain

The predicted red wave washed over most of North Carolina’s elections last week, but now as it recedes and parties…
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Left to right: Kevin Corbin, Mike Clampitt, and Mark Pless.
 

Republicans dominate Western North Carolina races

The highly anticipated red wave hit Western North Carolina hard on Nov. 8, with Republicans retaining several crucial legislative seats and…
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Haywood 4 Good program announces enrollment
 

Haywood 4 Good program announces enrollment

The Haywood 4 Good community wellness program is pleased to announce a new feature: continuous enrollment. Participants may register for…
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Man faces murder charges in Kobe Toineeta death
 

Man faces murder charges in Kobe Toineeta death

The Cherokee community is mourning the death of Kobe Toineeta, 25, who died by homicide Friday, Nov. 11. 
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Seventeen candidates vie for two seats in special election
 

Seventeen candidates vie for two seats in special election

Voters in Cherokee’s Dec. 15 special election will choose from a crowded field of candidates seeking to fill two unexpected…
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No panhandling ordinance for Sylva
 

No panhandling ordinance for Sylva

Sylva will not update the Streets and Sidewalks section of its code of ordinances to include a section on panhandling…
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In a photo taken Feb. 1, black liquor deposits sit in the Pigeon River. AECOM photo
 

Evergreen logs nine environmental violations in 18 months

Sept. 27, 2021, was a day of constant phone calls and email notifications for Brendan Davey, regional supervisor at the…
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Edwards takes 11th Congressional District over Beach-Ferrara
 

Edwards takes 11th Congressional District over Beach-Ferrara

Hendersonville’s three-term Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards is moving up in the world, from Raleigh to Washington, after defeating his Democrat…
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Haywood Regional Medical Center names CEO
 

Haywood Regional Medical Center names CEO

Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that Chris Brown has been named chief executive officer (CEO), effective Nov. 28, 2022. 
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The Jackson County Board of Elections held a public meeting last Friday to inform the public about a counting mistake made on election night. JCBOE photo
 

Jackson Board of Elections corrects election night mistake

The Jackson County Board of Elections held a public meeting Friday, Nov. 11, to inform the public about a misstep…
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Vecinos receives federal USDA funding
 

Vecinos receives federal USDA funding

On Sept. 14, 2022, Vecinos, a free clinic for uninsured, low-income adults in Western North Carolina, received a $1 million…
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Jackson allocates funds for parks projects
 

Jackson allocates funds for parks projects

This month, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners took the next steps toward capital improvement and construction projects for parks…
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Sylva to fund Art Walk with municipal grant
 

Sylva to fund Art Walk with municipal grant

With the help of the Jackson County Municipal Grant, Sylva may soon be able to implement a Sylva Art Walk. 
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Sierra Hull. (File photo)
 

Choices and changes: A conversation with Sierra Hull

At just 31 years old, Sierra Hull is already a legend in the bluegrass world. With her signature songbird vocals…
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The North Country. (Garret K. Woodward photo)
 

This must be the place: One man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth all the temples this world pulls

I had about an hour window of no rain before the remnants of the tropical storm would slowly, but surely,…
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Bringing Van Gogh home: the value of art books
 

Bringing Van Gogh home: the value of art books

Recently I wrote an article on the American artist Edward Hopper and his vision of solitude and alienation. Though I…
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