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Downtown Sylva needs some help
To the Editor: Tourism, tourism and tourism are the three most important words to line the struggling businessmen’s pockets and…
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By chance, by sea, bye bye
By John Beckman • Columnist Thirty-five years ago, I moved into my first dorm room and this small-town lad had…
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Cherokee entertains idea of bear sanctuary
Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has postponed any action that would ban bear zoos from the…
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Conviction in toddler’s death just ‘one step’ on the families’ road to justice
A woman was sent to jail for nine years this week for her role in the death of toddler who…
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Clear sailing ahead for Haywood room tax hike
If anyone opposes an increase in Haywood County’s overnight lodging tax, they did not make their enmity known at Monday’s…
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Last week in Maggie: meeting melee, man banned from town hall and legal threats volleyed
A heated argument and near fight between two Maggie Valley residents — one of whom is banned from town hall —…
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New logo captures essence of Haywood Chamber
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce debuted a new logo this week, showing off more than a year of work…
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Rescinded grant miffs downtown Sylva property owner
After spending $200,000 to build a new parking lot shared by five downtown Sylva businesses, the property owner lost a…
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Counties hammered with requests for more school resource officers
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office made a pitch to commissioners this week for four additional sheriff’s deputies to be placed…
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From rap lyrics to bathroom graffiti, schools get tough on threats from students
In a new state of high alert, schools face tough choices when confronted by a threat from a student: is…
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Countdown to decision time
Several boards and bodies will formally vote in coming weeks on whether Lake Junaluska should become part of Waynesville, form its own town or continue as a sophisticated homeowner’s association. Here’s a look at who will be weighing in and…
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The players
Property owners: A survey was mailed to all 811 Lake Junaluska property owners last week, with a robust response rate so far. There are 765 homes at Lake Junaluska. About half are lived in year-round by their owners. Surveys also…
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Junaluska’s choices: the abridged version
Option 1: Join the town of Waynesville Pros: • Financial savings — This is the cheapest option, thanks to economies of scale. Residents would fork over town property taxes, but it would buy them all the services and amenities they…
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One foot in the past, one in the future, Junaluskans weigh the worth of their identity
When Ken Zulla hung up his IRS badge and retired to the well-groomed mountain hamlet of Lake Junaluska more than a decade ago, monthly sojourns to the local feed-and-seed store weren’t on the radar for his Golden Years. SEE ALSO:…
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Jackson salutes its new flag
Jackson County is no longer a banner-less government. County commissioners selected an official county flag this week from a pool…
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Sparring or fighting? Swain high schoolers suspended for unsanctioned “fight club”
Swain County School administrators began an internal investigation Friday after videos surfaced of a “fight club” among ninth grade boys…
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So long, courthouse maples
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners voted to cut down the stately maples trees that grace the grounds of the…
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New defibrillators carry big price tag in Macon
Macon County emergency vehicles will soon be equipped with new state-of-the-art cardiac defibrillators. Commissioners voted 3 to 2 this week…
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In celebration of spring, dead leaves, and an ornery epitaph
About once a year or less, I work up the nerve to publish poems in this space. Head for cover.…
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Wild game on the grill at wildlife club dinner
The Wildlife Club at Haywood Community College is hosting a wild game dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at…
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Parkway chief to retire
Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis has announced that he will retire on April 1 after 41 years in the National Park…
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Cataloochee road closed due to wash out
The gravel road leading into Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was washed out by recent heavy…
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Vandals hit park with paint and profanity
Vandals hit an area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as “the Sinks” — a popular roadside waterfall…
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Great count in your backyard
Of course, you’re no longer confined to your backyard like you were back in 1997 when the Great Backyard Bird…
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More trail talk…
A regional trails map showing hiking trails, greenways, public lands, rivers and other outdoor recreation landmarks in the seven western…
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Trail triage? Tough choices ahead as forest service weighs 1,600 miles in trail plan
For the past year, the National Forest Service has been taking inventory, collecting public input and meeting with outdoor interest…
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To be (born) or not to be
Since reading Ben Wattenberg’s The Birth Dearth 25 years ago, the subject of demography has fascinated me. This past week…
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All Cherokee bear zoos should be shut down
To the Editor: It’s about time that the USDA finally suspended operations at Chief Saunooke’s antiquated concrete pit in Cherokee.…
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Lake J property owners need more information
To the Editor: The article about the upcoming decision regarding possible annexation of Lake Junaluska by Waynesville in the Feb.…
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Gov. McCrory needs to put up or shut up
To the Editor: Thanks for standing up to the governor in your column about our state universities (“Majoring in philosophy?…
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This diplomacy stuff just isn’t that hard
By Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist Well, it seems that John Kerry is our new secretary of state, ready to…
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Two Waynesville sweepstake parlors charged as industry guns for a court fight
A Waynesville sweepstakes operator was charged with a criminal misdemeanor last weekend when she refused to shut down her machines,…
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Haywood wants to hike tourist tax to fund ballparks
Haywood County tourism leaders want to increase the tax on overnight lodging to fund special tourism-related capital projects, including a…
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Brewery trademark battle may have bittersweet ending
Two breweries that nearly found themselves pitted against each other in a trademark lawsuit may soon make amends in the…
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Swain County hits the jackpot with Golden LEAF grants
Swain County could receive as much as $2 million in , one-time grant funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation for…
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Cherokee ups the ante for early landslide repairs to Smokies road
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the National Park Service are offering up to a $500,000 incentive for early…
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WCU hastens Millennial build-out
In an effort to speed development of its Millennial Campus, Western Carolina University plans to lease the 344-acre tract to…
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Growth prompts call for Cullowhee land-use plan
Cullowhee community members have been making their case for nearly a year now that this pseudo-college town needs land-use planning…
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River park could catapult Old Cullowhee revitalization
Champions of Cullowhee revitalization are chipping away at a lofty plan to create a vibrant college downtown centered on the…
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Waynesville resident celebrates life after transplant
Life Share of the Carolina’s and a local organ donation recipient are hosting a Transplant Party to celebrate the lives…
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Stellar lumberjack team carves out a niche at HCC
Haywood Community College leaders are collecting donations to give its lumberjack club a facility worthy of its prestige.
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A mixed bag of home building signals hope for 2013
It may still be too soon to declare an economic rebound, but recent construction data may point toward a housing…
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HCC unveils new Professional Arts and Crafts center
With her hands fluttering like a hummingbird, Dana Claire loops skeins of colored yarn around a large pegboard. Claire has…
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Exhibit focusing on artists as critics, curators and writers
The Fine Art Museum will host a “Third Thursday” reception for a new exhibit, “Critology,” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb.…
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Mardis Gras king and queen contest raises funds for Haywood School Foundation
The fundraising race is on among several business and civic leaders in Haywood County who are competing for the title…
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‘Rashomon’ brings Japanese tale and sword fighting to stage
Stage and screen students from Western Carolina University will perform the classic drama “Rashomon” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20,…
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HART greets Valentine’s Day with marriage musical
The Broadway Musical “I Do, I Do” is coming to the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville at 7:30 p.m.…
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It’s all, really, about the tadpoles
The kids are doing their best to amuse themselves there at the water’s edge, but they are past restless. Something…
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Ushering in a new era in Maggie Valley
A whole lot of residents and business owners are excited — and that’s putting it mildly — about Ghost Town’s…
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The lamentable loss of Appalachian yard junk
By Brent Martin The most popular subject of conversation in mountain communities today deals with the hollows and ridge tops…
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