Archived (28881)
Children categories
Some gifts are always keepers
Kayden is doing her very best not to tell me about the preparations she and mom and Jack have made…
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Shuler shows that he will vote his conscience
Those who supported Heath Shuler’s bid to represent this region in Congress probably did not believe the detractors who spent…
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Donors honored for conservation easements
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust honored those that donated land and conservation agreements in 2006 at a recent celebration.
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Electric vehicles
Most people tend to think of electric (EVs) and hybrid (HEVs) vehicles in the same sphere, but the two are…
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How ‘bout the trout?
By Michael Beadle Fishing for something fun to do this weekend? Head downstream to the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds for the…
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The rhythm method weekend
By Chris Cooper It’s been a year at least since I did a live show review, and it’s likely that…
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Recommended diversions
Traveling Wilburys Re-release On June 12 the Traveling Wilburys re-released the supergroup’s two albums along with (depending on whether you…
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Literature deprived
Certain genres of literature fare better when critically judged by the standards of that particular genre rather than by any…
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Women to watch
By Chris Cooper In the mid 90’s it would’ve been nearly impossible to write about “new to the scene” female…
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Recommended diversions
A Man, A Can, A Plan My youngest son and I have gotten a kick out of using this cookbook…
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A clean miss
Gun Show Nation: Gun Culture and American Democracy by Joan Burbick. New Press, 2007. 288 pages. While teaching Latin at…
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Bryson City touted as third best ‘Outdoor Town’ in America
Bryson City’s tourism leaders have long touted this Swain County town as the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Great Smoky…
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Unrealized dreams: Much heralded 1999 agreement fails to deliver for workers
When Howard Taylor heard what workers at Blue Ridge Paper Products were being offered as part of a pending buyout…
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Rise in dog bites sparks concerns
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Walking his dog in a Waynesville neighborhood one summer evening several weeks ago, fear…
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The mysterious art of dowsing
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Searching for the term “dowsing” on the Internet will bring up all kinds of…
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New life for an old Sylva graveyard
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer After decades of neglect, an overgrown hill in Jackson County holding the remains of…
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Whittier golf course to re-open
Following months of course reconstruction, Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier will re-open 9 holes of golf this weekend.
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The elusive hellbender
Have you ever noticed that once you start thinking about something or someone you haven’t seen in awhile, it’s not…
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Bar fight in the Blue Ridge – the battle for the 11th District
By John Armour You’d think that what happens in Western North Carolina, in the 11th Congressional District, isn’t very important…
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Waynesville building fits well with downtown
A government building for a mountain town that looks like it belongs in the mountains? Funny how that is going…
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Bush goes south of the border for popularity
By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Concerned Americans await the concluding acts of the political drama the president and his…
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We can’t stop the changes
Some have charged that the true, underlying sentiment among those who support stringent development regulations in Jackson County — and…
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Life too often revolves around the minutiae
By Stephanie Wampler Stuff. Life is all about the stuff, isn’t it? We have stuff to amuse us, educate us,…
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Working triple time in Jackson County
By Nancy Geiger • Guest Columnist My daughter, Brittany, is staying at Western Caroina Univesity this summer. The hotel she…
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Chattooga at the crossroads
A recurring debate between camps in the Chattooga River controversy is how many paddlers would actually come to the river.…
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The hype on hybrids
Editor’s note: Naturalist Don Hendershot is writing a series of columns exploring the use of alternative energy and fuels. …
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The hardest tree in North America
I wrote a tribute to the black locust tree some time back. It’s time to take another look. This time…
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Hiking club rolls out two new trail challenges
To celebrate its 90th anniversary, the Carolina Mountain Club Challenge committee has added two new hiking challenges this year to…
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Sign-up for behind-the-scenes look at the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is beginning a new program that allows nearby residents, business people, teachers and community…
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Conservancy adds on to protected Roan Mountain lands
A 601-acre tract in Avery County near Roan Mountain has been purchased and conserved by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.…
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Arrrggghh – a wintry mix
Limeade, tequila and cointreau is not a wintry mix — that is a margarita; something you may resort to when…
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National A.T. gathering making the trek to Cullowhee this summer
A large Appalachian Trail gathering is coming to Western Carolina University this summer, and local trail clubs hosting the week-long…
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150 and counting: WCU grad student research helps get a handle on impacts of mounting numbers of elk
By Jill Ingram • Guest writer, WCU public affairs office Covering long distances in and around Cataloochee Valley, a Western…
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Kerouac still matters, though the perspective has shifted
Of all the Beat writers of the 1940s and 1950s — Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, John Clellon Holmes, Gary Snyder,…
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We need to keep track of all firearms
To the Editor: I miss Martin Luther King. His enlightened reason and fervent advocating for equal rights is sorely missed.…
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Timber harvest at Devil’s Courthouse a good idea
To the Editor: Nature abhors a vacuum. Mother Nature assures change. Organisms are constantly adapting, changing, improving, evolving. Understand-ing life…
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Last issue of SMN painted a vivid picture
To the Editor: How incredibly serendipitous that your newspaper of Jan. 23 should headline the flooding and landslides that occurred…
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More than ever, schools need forest service money
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist When the 1911 Weeks Act was passed, allowing the federal government to purchase land…
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Upcoming improvement projects on I-40
Tunnel projects to delay work on I-40 The N.C. Department of Transportation will perform work on three tunnels in the…
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Medical foundation appoints new chairman
The Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees recently appointed Laura Leatherwood as the new chairman of the board.…
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Hope on the horizon: Hung up by park service, Swain’s cash settlement has been in limbo
A long overdue $4 million payment may finally make its way to Swain County after languishing for the past year…
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The biggest little show in Haywood
Editor’s Note: Given the national debate over gun legislation and controversy swirling around gun shows in particular, The Smoky Mountain…
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Wait for it…a tourism tagline coming soon for Jackson County
The newly formed Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is taking on the task of “branding,” an important first step for…
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Smokies landslide could deal crushing blow to tourism if road repairs drag on
A rain-induced landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park left a gaping hole in U.S. 441, but its impact…
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Can the digital age save the Cherokee language? The halls of Facebook, Google and texting
Susan Gathers was kicked back in the student union one afternoon, her thumbs poised over her smart phone, simultaneously bantering…
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Haywood TDA introduces site tailored to lodging owners
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has launched a new website with information specifically for lodging owners.
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Audit finds vacation rentals dodging the lodging tax
A company hired by the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has found a dozen businesses that have been evading a…
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County likely to take over reins of new Jackson economic commission
Although Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission has not met in several years, all its board members’ terms have expired and…
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Is Cashiers ABC store a sure bet? Sylva weighs whether to cast its lot with county’s new liquor store endeavors
As Jackson County officials craft plans to open a liquor store in Cashiers, possibly as soon this summer, they must…
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Lake Junaluska winnows options as merger window narrows
Lake Junaluskans got their first glimpse this weekend at what it would take for the community to become its own…
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