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Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:03

Land trust earns top honors

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has received national accreditation for its work in protecting treasured lands.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:02

Smokies offers Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike and presentation

Folks interested in hiking a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and learning a bit more about the storied path have a chance to chat with a MST guru in the Smokies Saturday, May 4.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 02:00

Backpackers cautioned to keep food away from bears

As spring and backpacking season returns to the mountains, so does bear danger in the woods. A recent bear encounter, in which a bear got a hold of food that was hung from a tree, has prompted the U.S. Forest…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:59

When it rains – the tough go hiking

We’ve had a good run in the watershed. The Town of Waynesville has sponsored spring and fall guided hikes in its 8,000-plus acre watershed since 2007. The hikes provide a great way for residents and other interested parties to see…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:56

Get your green on

EcoFest will showcase more than four dozen demonstrators, vendors, information booths and organizations sharing tips and practical advice on how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Below is just a small sample. 
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:53

EcoFest to put ‘green’ living at your finger tips

Haywood County is about to experience its newest festival: EcoFest, an ode to sustainability, agriculture and the environment. This year will be the first that EcoFest is taking place and will feature musical performances, kids’ games, demonstrations and vendors showcasing…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:48

For your culinary and reading pleasure

Most booklovers have suffered that “Oh, no” moment when a friend, with nothing but the best of intentions, presses an unfamiliar book into their hands with the words, “Read this — you’ll love it.” We receive the book with a…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:42

When will Americans learn that ‘blowback’ is real?

In 1953, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, at the urging of the British M16, overthrew democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. In a declassified report completed in 1954 on the 1953 operation, “blowback” for the first time entered the…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:41

MedWest Haywood appreciates volunteers

To the Editor: A smile, a touch, a simple “how are you today?” are some of what I hear and see every day as I walk the halls of Medwest Haywood. Rain, sunshine or snow, those smiles are the ever-present…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:41

Don’t allow filling in of floodplain

To the Editor: I am a local biologist and an avid outdoorsman and spend a great deal of my time for both business and pleasure in the stream.  Historically, we have abused our floodplains all over the world. In many…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:40

Tell your reps to vote against fracking

To the Editor: Most of us have heard the term fracking by now. In states where this underground energy extraction method is being used, the track record is not good for the folks who live there. Contamination of drinking water,…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:39

Despite failure, time will come for gun legislation

The defeat of gun control legislation in the Senate wasn’t as much surprising as it was disappointing. This is one of those issues — like gay rights or even limits on tobacco advertising and use — that will eventually gain…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:32

Stamp out hunger with mail carrier food drive

Mail carriers in Haywood County will collected non-perishable food items for the National Letter Carriers’ “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive on Saturday, May 11. Place canned goods or other non-perishable items in your mailbox before the mail carrier stops by…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:28

Tuscola students aim to bring clean water to Uganda

When Sydney Bridges sets out to do something, she doesn’t give up. A 10th grader at Tuscola High School in Haywood County, Bridges is currently spearheading a fund-raising campaign to build a clear water well in Kampala, Uganda.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:26

Conservation funding on the rocks in state budget forecast

The state fund that helped conserve miles of riverfront, protect thousands of acres of undeveloped mountainsides and build countless sewer and water projects in Western North Carolina is hanging on by a thread.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:24

Firefighter safety versus right to build steep driveways

The Jackson County Planning Board debated where to draw the line between safety and individual rights last month in its ongoing rewrite of steep slope rules. Specifically, should driveways to homes on steep slopes have to meet safety standards?
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:22

Bill could move legal notices from newspapers to the Internet

In several counties in Western North Carolina, a showdown between the printed word and the digital age could soon take place. A bill has passed the N.C. Senate that allows some town and county governments in the region to opt…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:21

Gone, but not forgotten: Confederate Flag issue in Haywood could re-emerge soon

Haywood County commissioners may soon revisit the unsettled issue of whether Confederate Flags can be flown on the lawn of the historic Waynesville courthouse. County commissioners were caught in a maelstrom last year when a philosophical debate broke out between…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:20

HCC moves forward with law enforcement, emergency responder training site

The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees has given preliminary approval for the construction of a training facility for law enforcement and emergency service workers.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:18

The fine print of ‘paid for by’ line debated by tourism funding arm

If the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is footing the bill for a magazine ad, brochure, sign — you name it — the tourism agency deserves recognition, tourism board members reaffirmed last week.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:16

Window is closing for stalled room tax increase in Haywood

A state bill that would raise Haywood County’s lodging tax is still sitting idly in committee in Raleigh with no signs of going up for a vote soon in the General Assembly.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:16

Sweepstakes industry chalks up tiny victory with uncertain bearing

A convenience store owner in Macon County was let off the hook by a judge for four misdemeanor charges of operating illegal sweepstakes machines — but it will have little or no bearing on the state’s ban on the machines.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:14

Flying club encounters turbulence in shared plane venture

Shortly after takeoff, the Smoky Mountain Flying Club is having to re-route its course.  The flying club nearly lost an $11,000 non-refundable down payment on an airplane after a deal with investors went bad.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:13

Cherokee bear zoos get reprieve from tribe for now

After months of debate and protest, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Tribal Council voted to let the bear zoos on the Qualla Boundary remain open, although it was not unanimous.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:11

Waynesville, Lake Junaluska hammer out details of merger

The town of Waynesville has a large checklist to tackle in the coming months before Lake Junaluska is officially added to the town limits.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:10

Sylva Walmart sign decision pending

Sylva town leaders once again have a public hearing on the docket to decide the fate of oversized Walmart signs, but are once again wondering whether representatives of Walmart will stand them up.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:07

New Sylva women’s center a dream come true for WNC doctor

Dr. Janine Keever still remembers that do-or-die moment in her undergrad chemistry class like it was yesterday. The grades just came back on her first exam of the year, and it wasn’t pretty. Her dream of medical school seemed to…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:03

More hellos than goodbyes: Topography forces cell phone companies to weigh cost-benefit of erecting new towers

As long as Realtor Sammie Powell leans back in his chair in his home office, he can talk on his cell phone all day long. But as soon as he stands up to reach for something across his desk, his…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:02

Franklin a host site for Chick-fil-A Leadercast

The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin is hosting a one-day leadership event from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 10 for those who want to move forward as a leader. The simulcast event will be broadcast…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 01:01

New high-tech training center to be a feather in Franklin’s cap

A state-of-the-art training facility built by Drake Software is the latest addition to Macon County’s economic landscape.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:59

State debates drug testing for aid recipients

A bill that recently passed the state Senate would take social assistance away from anyone using drugs by requiring state aid recipients to take a mandatory drug test.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

‘Dusty Roads’ photo exhibit opens in Canton

Photographer Barbara Sammons will be showcasing an exhibit of her work from May 7 to July 31 at the Canton Branch Library. Titled “Dusty Roads and More,” the exhibit will offer a collection of photographs of old cars, tractors, wildlife…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

J. Creek Cloggers kick into the summer

The J. Creek Cloggers are gearing up for a lively summer festival season. A high-energy dance team based out of Haywood County, the group keeps the mountain tradition alive of clogging, audience participation square dances and broom dances.  Members demonstrate…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

David Holt partners with local musicians for Jackson concert

The legendary David Holt and local gospel group Mountain Faith will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Coulter Hall at Western Carolina University as a benefit for the Jackson County chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians. 
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

Dog lovers unite for trifecta of good times in Sylva

Woofstock, a benefit festival for ARF (the Humane Society of Jackson County), will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

Nominations open for Mountain Heritage Award

Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization that has played a prominent role in the preservation or interpretation of Southern Appalachian history and culture. Letters of…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

Reba McEntire to play Harrah’s

Legendary country singer Reba McEntire will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

HCC Crafts students debut work

The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit some their best work at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville through June 23.
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

WNC breweries medal big in beer competition

All five North Carolina breweries west of Asheville medaled in the recent Carolinas Championship of Beer during the Hickory Hops Festival.   “It’s a testament that we are all in it for the long haul, that we will strive to…
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 00:00

Waynesville galleries get ready to paint the town for the season’s first art walk

If the litmus test of a community’s health is how strong its art scene is, then, by the looks of it, Waynesville is in tip-top shape. Hundreds will take to the streets of downtown this Friday evening for the first…
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 02:05

Cliff swallows return

That’s the news. Our common breeding swallows have always been purple martins, barn swallows, and northern rough-winged swallows. To a lesser extent, tree swallows also breed here, where there are suitable tree cavities or boxes. Cliff swallows are another matter. 
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 02:00

Sign up for the WNC trail event of the decade

A national convergence of Appalachian Trail fans and hiking enthusiasts will descend on Western Carolina University this summer for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial conference. This year, the large gathering will be held July 19 through July 26 in Cullowhee.…
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 02:00

Bugle Corp recognized for their volunteerism

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Friends of the Smokies is recognizing the work of the Elk Bugle Corps. The team of volunteers rove Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and help educate the hordes of visitors…
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:56

Protected watershed offers rare public hike

A guided hike to the usually off-limits Waynesville watershed will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27. During the three- to five-mile hike, naturalist Don Hendershot will talk about the surrounding flora and fauna, and Peter…
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:55

Protestors call for action on global warming

A group of about 30 demonstrators gathered last Monday at the public fountain on Main Street in downtown Sylva to demand state politicians take action to address climate change. The rally was one of a series of public gatherings around…
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:53

Winter floods close some Smokies trails, repairs pending

A section of the Noland Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed to hikers and horseback riders through May 2, as crews repair flood damage from the past winter.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:52

Races, paddling, music and more at NOC

Visitors to the Nantahala Gorge this weekend can take in a full lineup of freestyle paddling competitions, outdoor activities, film screenings, live music and family activities.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:51

Be a responsible ramp picker this spring

Spring means ramp season in Western North Carolina, but the ramp population in Southern Appalachians is being hurt by over-harvesting.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:50

Have what it takes to be a junior ranger?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the National Junior Ranger Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:49

Homecoming

The blue-headed vireo sang to me of spring sometime around the first week of April. Blue-headeds are generally the last “non-resident” songbird we hear in the fall (sometimes into November) and the first we hear in the spring — probably…
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