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The way things could have been
 

The way things could have been

Back some 30 years ago when I still had some tenuous claim to academic respectability (I taught literature), my teaching…
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About the candidates
 

About the candidates

Bob Cathey Cathey worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 34 years in timber inventory and currently serves on the…
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Beale resigns from planning board
 

Beale resigns from planning board

Citing his candidacy for county commissioner, Macon County planning board chairman Ronnie Beale announced his resignation last Wednesday (Sept. 27)…
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Stance of Bethel sewer separates Cathey, Holbrook
 

Stance of Bethel sewer separates Cathey, Holbrook

A long-standing controversy over extending water and sewer lines to the semi-rural community of Bethel could be a defining issue…
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Commissioners weigh in on Bethel sewer debate
 

Commissioners weigh in on Bethel sewer debate

A survey conducted by the Bethel Community Club asked candidates for the Haywood County Board of Commissioners to weigh in…
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The energy debate: Taylor pushes increased drilling, while Shuler looks to alternative fuels
 

The energy debate: Taylor pushes increased drilling, while Shuler looks to alternative fuels

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Prices at the gas pump began falling last month with the announcement that a…
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Jackson Green Energy Park opens
 

Jackson Green Energy Park opens

The Jackson County Green Energy Park will celebrate the opening of Phase 1 of the park with an open house…
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How do you feel about America’s current energy policy? Do you think drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a good idea?
 

How do you feel about America’s current energy policy? Do you think drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a good idea?

Taylor: Each time we visit the gasoline pump, it is clear that the U.S. has become overly dependent on foreign…
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Haywood proposal would regulate slope construction
 

Haywood proposal would regulate slope construction

Slope proposal • Cut-and-fill slopes taller than 40 feet are not allowed.
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Planning issues dominate Macon election
 

Planning issues dominate Macon election

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Macon County commissioner candidates fielded several questions about growth and the county’s future during…
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The peculiar grace of the mink
 

The peculiar grace of the mink

“On a morning in October, when a light mist hung over the pond, a mink appeared following this path beside…
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Do what it takes to protect battered women
 

Do what it takes to protect battered women

There was so much blood all over the place that her home looked more like a slaughterhouse. That’s what she…
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The needy suffer for the wasteful spending politicians
 

The needy suffer for the wasteful spending politicians

By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Just over a month remains before voters make the decision who will rise and…
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Segways deserve a place on the greenway
 

Segways deserve a place on the greenway

The answer to the problem with Segways on the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin is not to enact an outright…
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Seeing is bee-living
 

Seeing is bee-living

School students who visited the Haywood County Fair last week learned all about bees at a traveling bee hive exhibit…
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Fall in the garden
 

Fall in the garden

The onset of fall marks the end of the active gardening season for most. It also marks the beginning of…
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Falling for autumn
 

Falling for autumn

The furnace has been on a couple of nights already to take the chill off. Driving home from Asheville the…
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Simple living
 

Simple living

By Kathleen Lamont Buying local produce enables you to: • Eat fresher, better tasting, and healthier foods.
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Another eventful day in Bryson City
 

Another eventful day in Bryson City

The whistle of the excursion train on the far side of the river shrieked three times. From where I sat…
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Wooden bats only in Waynesville softball league
 

Wooden bats only in Waynesville softball league

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer an old school, “wooden bat” softball league this summer. The organizational meeting…
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Sylva man given state conservation award
 

Sylva man given state conservation award

A retired Western Carolina University professor and Jackson County environmentalist has been given top honors for his work in education…
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Students and teachers make the Smokies their classroom
 

Students and teachers make the Smokies their classroom

This summer was no waste for teachers and students who enrolled in a Great Smoky Mountains Park program that put…
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Conservationist recognized for Dillsboro Dam work
 

Conservationist recognized for Dillsboro Dam work

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have honored a Duke Energy scientist for his work in helping to restore aquatic…
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Folkmoot center gardens get TLC
 

Folkmoot center gardens get TLC

Main Street Waynesville wasn’t the only place to get a spit and polish before visitors and performers from around the…
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Take a journey into space and back in time
 

Take a journey into space and back in time

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will host a program about the role of the astronomical site in the Pisgah National…
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Taking the smart out of growth
 

Taking the smart out of growth

North Carolina House Bill 94 (Amend Environmental Laws) has passed the House and Senate and awaits the governor’s signature. HB…
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Breaking the mold: Triathlons now starring the aquabike
 

Breaking the mold: Triathlons now starring the aquabike

No, it’s not Aquaman’s preferred mode of commuting; nor the latest urban workout trend or new-fangled underwater gym equipment. The…
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Novel covers death, love, and all points in between
 

Novel covers death, love, and all points in between

Priscille Sibley’s The Promise of Stardust (ISBN 978-0-06-219417-6, 399 pages, $15.99) is a fine first novel by a woman who…
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Illustrator to hold demos in Bryson City
 

Illustrator to hold demos in Bryson City

The Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the Swain County Center for…
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Dharma teachings offered in Cullowhee on Aug. 3
 

Dharma teachings offered in Cullowhee on Aug. 3

Dharma teacher Trish Thompson, ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh and a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor, will offer a workshop…
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Dining out for The Bascom
 

Dining out for The Bascom

“Dining for The Bascom” will be from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the Lakeside Restaurant in Highlands. …
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Renowned illusionist family brings spectacle to Franklin
 

Renowned illusionist family brings spectacle to Franklin

Spencers Theatre of Illusion will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Smoky Mountain Center for…
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Downtown Waynesville goes to the dogs
 

Downtown Waynesville goes to the dogs

The 8th annual Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Sign up…
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Tanner exhibition at Gallery 86
 

Tanner exhibition at Gallery 86

Painter Kel Tanner will have a solo exhibition from Aug. 7 to Sept. 2 at Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery…
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Pop Ferguson brings the blues to Stecoah Arts Center
 

Pop Ferguson brings the blues to Stecoah Arts Center

The Pop Ferguson Blues Review will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center…
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The Black Crowes come to Harrah’s
 

The Black Crowes come to Harrah’s

Legendary southern rock group, The Black Crowes, performs at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I wanted to be close to the source. When I was 20 years old, I decided to become a writer.…
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Festival honors moonshine, Popcorn Sutton
 

Festival honors moonshine, Popcorn Sutton

The 4th Annual Popcorn Sutton Summer Jam will be from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, and 11 a.m.…
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In search of ‘White Lightnin’: Moonshine in Southern Appalachia
 

In search of ‘White Lightnin’: Moonshine in Southern Appalachia

It was the only thing he knew how to do. It was the only thing he wanted to do.  Marvin…
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State GOP leaders are bought and paid for
 

State GOP leaders are bought and paid for

To the Editor: In a recent letter to the Editor, Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-Wilmington, changed his name for the weekly…
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Runway widening will harm rural valley
 

Runway widening will harm rural valley

To the Editor: An article in a local paper on July 5 states that the Macon County Airport Authority met…
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Jake brakes are a needed safety measure
 

Jake brakes are a needed safety measure

To the Editor: I absolutely object to the conclusions in your article about Jake brakes in last week’s edition of…
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GOP-led legislature has wrong priorities
 

GOP-led legislature has wrong priorities

To the Editor: The Republicans in Raleigh have approved their “tax reform” and budget, and we will suffer for both. …
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Being in the right place at the right time
 

Being in the right place at the right time

Ever know you are in a good place at the right time? Every now and then that sentiment — about…
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Women in Business to host ‘Your Performance on Stage’ luncheon
 

Women in Business to host ‘Your Performance on Stage’ luncheon

The Haywood Chamber of Commerce Women in Business group will host “Your Performance On Stage … Flourish, Engage, Inspire” from…
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School supply and clothing drives abound
 

School supply and clothing drives abound

Keller Williams Realty of Waynesville is holding its annual children’s clothes swap next weekend. Drop off new or gently used…
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Macon Schools may cut teacher bonuses to save positions
 

Macon Schools may cut teacher bonuses to save positions

To deal with a gaping budget shortfall, Macon County Schools might raid the local salary bonus it historically awards its…
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Volunteers glean picked-over fields to feed the hungry
 

Volunteers glean picked-over fields to feed the hungry

At the end of every crop’s season, farmers pick the fruits or vegetables that are pretty enough to sell in…
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Handpicked appointments fill Jackson boards
 

Handpicked appointments fill Jackson boards

It’s not the strength of your resume — it’s who your friends are. 
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Cullowhee: meet your makers
 

Cullowhee: meet your makers

Jackson County Commissioners have begun naming a task force that will shepherd Cullowhee along the way to becoming a bonafide …
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