Haywood detective fired for theft
 

Haywood detective fired for theft

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has requested the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to conduct a…
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Haywood County Commissioners Kevin Ensley (left to right), Kirk Kirkpatrick, Bill Upton and Brandon Rogers chat before a meeting on Feb. 20, 2017. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Political or not, Haywood tax collector issue won’t go away

More than a year after a contentious public comment session during which the Haywood County Board of Commissioners weighed the…
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WCU chancellor search resumes
 

WCU chancellor search resumes

While the University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors has yet to release a revised search process for Western Carolina…
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The design concept for student apartments on the WCU Millennial Campus features a combination of wood, brick and rock on the building exteriors. Donated rendering
 

Housing shuffle planned at WCU

Student housing at Western Carolina University will see a massive shuffle over the coming years as university leadership looks to…
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An undated photo of Lamar Berry appears on the website of his company, International Marketing Systems. Valerie Oberle (right) appears at a meeting of the Maggie Valley Civic Association Sept. 4. Facebook live video
 

Allegations of fraud, failure haunt Ghost Town developer

For months, Valerie Oberle has been the public face of the three-person partnership supposedly taking shape at the long-shuttered Ghost…
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We need to know more about HCA’s plans
 

We need to know more about HCA’s plans

By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist The proposed Mission/HCA sale could be the most significant event — negative or positive…
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Eric Giles, Democratic candidate for Macon County Sheriff, speaks at a candidate forum April 26 at the Franklin Library.
 

Macon sheriff candidate gets Giglio order

Accusations of dishonesty and inappropriate behavior lodged against Macon County sheriff candidate Eric Giles have led the district attorney’s office…
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Cherokee from the heart: Beloved Woman reflects on a wandering life rooted in Cherokee language
 

Cherokee from the heart: Beloved Woman reflects on a wandering life rooted in Cherokee language

If anyone ever had an excuse to leave her hometown and never return, it would be Myrtle Driver Johnson.  Born…
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Hurricane Florence made landfall earlier today.
 

State of emergency in Haywood, Canton, Maggie Valley

Early on Sept. 14, a flurry of press releases from Haywood County, the Town of Maggie Valley and the Town…
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Hurricane Florence barrels towards the Carolinas on Sept. 12, 2018.
 

Hurricane Florence resources for Western North Carolina

Western North Carolina may not be over-“Flo”-ing with water just yet, but the region is awash in information about available…
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As the buckeyes fall, I await my old friend
 

As the buckeyes fall, I await my old friend

The sounds, the feel of the coming fall is always comforting, like reconnecting with an old and dear friend. It…
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My mission: outer order, inner calm
 

My mission: outer order, inner calm

My name is Susanna and I am terribly unorganized.  I’m not a messy person or a hoarder, just disorganized. My…
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Why waste money repaving a good road?
 

Why waste money repaving a good road?

To the Editor: Repaving a perfectly good Smoky Mountain Expressway appears to be another classic example of government wasteful spending.…
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Op-ed needs to be read by all Americans
 

Op-ed needs to be read by all Americans

To the Editor: This letter will by definition have to be somewhat brief to avoid backlash from those seeking bias…
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Why you should vote in all elections
 

Why you should vote in all elections

To the Editor: Decisions made at all levels of government (president and Congress in Washington, D.C., General Assembly in Raleigh…
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Vote to save the country
 

Vote to save the country

To the Editor: There has been a coup unfolding in the White House. Our Republic is in imminent danger of…
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The new state forest includes 9 miles of the 76-mile Foothills Trail.
 

Nine years yields new state forest: Headwaters State Forest will offer landowner education and primitive recreation

North Carolina got a new slice of public land last week when Headwaters State Forest was opened to the public…
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Subtropical Storm Alberto caused the upper parking lot retaining wall to collapse in May. Donated photo
 

Chimney Rock hike-in only

Chimney Rock State Park is now hike-in only following the start of work to stabilize its upper parking lot Sept.…
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Hearts-a-burstin with love… Don Hendershot photo
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Hearts are a-bursting

I started out the front door, in the early morning light the other day, to check on the whereabouts of…
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Tyler delivers another delightful novel
 

Tyler delivers another delightful novel

Years ago, my wife and I belonged to a Waynesville book club in which a couple would act as host…
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This must be the place: In pitch dark, I go walking in your landscape
 

This must be the place: In pitch dark, I go walking in your landscape

With a slight jog around an empty basketball court at the Waynesville Rec Center last Monday evening, I dribbled the…
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Angela Faye Martin.
 

‘Women Songwriters Showcase'

There will be a “Women Songwriters Showcase” held at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, in the Macon County Public Library…
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Randy Shull’s ‘Simultaneous Pattern.’
 

How do you define ‘America’?

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to announce a year-long exhibition inspired by…
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For the love of the arts: Macon County Art Association
 

For the love of the arts: Macon County Art Association

Following the passing of her husband last year, after a lengthy illness, Betsey Sloan was looking for an outlet, something…
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WCU students flood the center of campus after returning from summer break. WCU photo
 

WCU breaks enrollment records — again

Western Carolina University’s enrollment hit an all-time high this fall for the seventh out of the past eight years, with…
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Franklin residents protest last spring after Mission Health announced it would be closing labor and delivery at Angel Medical Center. Residents are now worried about the impact HCA’s purchase of Mission will have on their community hospital. File photo
 

Franklin board holds off on hospital purchase input

Franklin Town Council members decided to hold off on providing input to the attorney general regarding HCA Healthcare’s impending $1.5…
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Hurricane Florence will soon make its way to the eastern seaboard. NOAA photo
 

Hurricane prep begins in Western North Carolina

As The Smoky Mountain News went to print Tuesday, a potentially catastrophic storm was barreling down on the Carolinas, with…
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LEADing the way: Jail diversion program aims to address opioid crisis
 

LEADing the way: Jail diversion program aims to address opioid crisis

Between 1999 and 2016, more than 12,000 people in North Carolina died from opioid overdoses.  Not only are families losing…
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CJ Deering and Rick Marvin have been hired as peer support specialists to work with inmates inside the Haywood County Detention Center. Jessi Stone photo
 

Peer specialists go inside jail to assist inmates

Being incarcerated and not knowing what your future may hold is a terrifying experience, but being released from jail and…
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Cherokee strengthens free press law
 

Cherokee strengthens free press law

Free press law in Cherokee got a little more free following Tribal Council’s passage of amendments to the tribe’s Free…
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FBI agents raided Cherokee’s Qualla Housing Authority in February 2017. Holly Kays photo
 

McCoy alleges political motivation in marriage fraud prosecution

While the federal marriage fraud case that’s been the topic of much discussion on the Qualla Boundary over the past…
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Ghost Town sale still not final
 

Ghost Town sale still not final

Slow progress and a string of broken promises from new Ghost Town operator and former Disney exec Valeria Oberle haven’t…
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A graphic rendering from design company LS3P shows what SCC’s new health sciences  building will look like upon completion in 2021. Donated image
 

SCC health building gets $2 million grant

Southwestern Community College’s planned health sciences building has earned recognition for its economic development potential — with dollar signs attached. 
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Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews (left) confers with his predecessor David Francis at a meeting of the Haywood Commissioners. File photo
 

Haywood County tax office fiasco continues

Recent uproar over dozens of tax payments improperly waived by Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews seemed to be quieted…
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Trooper saves drowning woman
 

Trooper saves drowning woman

A North Carolina State Trooper and a few good Samaritans helped save the life of a woman caught in rapids…
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Slight slip for Haywood Schools rank
 

Slight slip for Haywood Schools rank

Achieving high academic performance levels is one thing, but maintaining them is quite another, and after two straight years ranked…
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A rainbow of relaxation awaits at the Waynesville Salt Room. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Waynesville Salt Room now open

Why don’t Polish salt miners ever get sick? No, it’s not a joke, according to Marisa Spagnoli, owner of Waynesville…
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The staff of Smoky Mountain Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy Ben Rickert, (from left) Erik Watkins, Robyn Duncan, Carlyle Schomberg, Mary Curtis McCracken, Blake Queen and Gabe Peterson. Donated photo
 

Coaching you through it: Physical therapy can tackle number of ailments

A majority of people wait until they’re ordered to undergo physical therapy after a surgery or injury, but physical therapy…
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Tribal members choose their starts and seeds during the Community Garden Kit Giveaway. The kits include a variety of traditional and heirloom seeds. Donated photo
 

Cherokee program yields harvest of self-reliance

With harvest season underway, members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are now reaping the benefits of a springtime…
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Sitting: Could it be as bad for your body as smoking?
 

Sitting: Could it be as bad for your body as smoking?

By Dr. Tara Hogan, D.C. • Guest writer According to the Mayo clinic’s experts, sitting too often can cause a…
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Get fit: Challenge asks all in WNC to ramp up activity
 

Get fit: Challenge asks all in WNC to ramp up activity

This year’s eight-week WNC Get Fit Challenge is set to return Monday, Sept. 10, challenging not just Jackson County residents…
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Nervous to try yoga?
 

Nervous to try yoga?

By Jerica Rossi • Guest writer While people were walking into class, I heard a woman whisper to her friend, “I’m…
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Everyone goes Keto: Health experts explain potential risks
 

Everyone goes Keto: Health experts explain potential risks

It seems like every year there’s a new fad diet people swear is the panacea for quick weight loss. This…
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Journey toward positivity
 

Journey toward positivity

By Wende Goode • Guest writer Negativity surrounds us, is embodied in us. Until a couple of years ago, I…
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Kim’s Pharmacy in Waynesville offers a variety of CBD products for people and pets. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Don’t be confused about CBD

Despite pages and pages of published studies and hundreds or thousands of anecdotes extolling the benefits of cannabidiol, it’s the…
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The American worker is not getting their due
 

The American worker is not getting their due

Every Labor Day we celebrate the American worker. We wax nostalgic about the bygone days of the great American middle…
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A good story is food for the soul
 

A good story is food for the soul

I’ve always been fascinated by storytellers and the stories they tell. As a small child, I loved hearing my parents,…
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McManus (left) and Miller finish a climb in the mountains near Frisco, Colorado. Donated photo
 

Like an old friend: Two decades of rock climbing getaways build friendship, identity for Sylva woman

Twenty years ago, Erin McManus and her friend Amy Miller were 22-year-olds fresh out of college, with no jobs, no…
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