LATEST NEWS
Copper landline customers will keep service for now: Will broadband expand fast enough to keep WNC connected?
As telecommunication giants accelerate the nationwide phaseout of legacy copper phone lines, several Western North Carolina residents are receiving notice that the landlines they have relied on for decades are nearing retirement.
Nantahala resident Susan Carpenter got one of these letters from her phone company, Verizon, and at a September Macon County Commissioners meeting, asked,…
Keep reading
Mease, Howell vie for Haywood sheriff
Haywood County will have a new sheriff for the second time this decade. Mark Mease, a Republican, and Tyler Howell, a Democrat, are Haywood County natives whose families…
Three seek Swain commission chair
Three Swain County Commission Chair candidates hope to replace Republican interim chair Jay Kirkland, appointed after Kevin Seagle’s resignation on Aug. 31, 2025, who is running for a…
Cooper’s campaign barrels through Asheville as Whatley’s ad dollars dwindle
Former Gov. Roy Cooper brought his “Make Stuff Cost Less Tour” to Asheville on Saturday, Oct. 3, hot on the heels of reports that a national Republican super…
Jackson releases Flock records
Jackson County has spent $34,828.51 since 2024 on Flock Safety hardware, according to documents The Smoky Mountain News has obtained through public records request.
In April 2024, the…
Subscribe to our newsletter
Be the first to know about breaking news, articles, and updates.
Outdoors
The Joyful Botanist: A century of articles
There are are 100 counties in North Carolina. Before they were eliminated, there were 100 pennies in a dollar. 100 degrees centigrade is the boiling point of water.…
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Spotfin-goers connect with nature, community, creativity
Focused on how nature and creativity merge as reflections of individual and collective purpose, the recent Spotfin Art & Nature Gathering — named for the Spotfin Chub, a freshwater minnow native to Western North Carolina — was held Sept. 25-26 at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
Eventgoers could try printmaking, collaging,…
This must be the place
This must be the place: ‘I don’t know what to believe, sometimes I even forget’
Hello from American Legion Post 912 in Rouses Point, New York. As I’m currently sipping a cold draft beer, I’ve been in continual conversation with the familiar faces of my youth, those elderly folks and people I graduated high school with, many of which I haven’t seen in years, all of which I cross paths…
This must be the place: ‘Blow up your TV, throw away your paper, go to the countryand build you a home’
Hello from Room 512 at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Annapolis, Maryland. It’s almost 11 a.m. Checkout time. Hit the elevator button and wait. Exit into the empty lobby. Place the room keys on the front desk and say thank you to the person behind the counter. Grab one more free coffee for the road. Onward.
I was in the mid-Atlantic region this past…
Partner content: Howell for Haywood
As Haywood County continues to navigate regional growth, rural public safety needs, and changing community expectations, local law enforcement strategy has taken center stage. Experienced law enforcement professional Tyler Howell brings a grounded, policy-focused perspective to the conversation surrounding the future of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. With nearly two decades in active service—spanning patrol,…
Keep reading
Partner content: Old Rules vs New Reality
Recently I asked a question on my social media channels:
“What is a nutrition “rule” you grew up with, but now question – or maybe even realize was flawed and now you know better?”
Old rule – ‘Low fat and fat-free ice cream, cookies and cakes are good for you!’
Reality – We’ve realized when…
Keep reading
Partner content: What to Eat When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
We all have those days when we get home and just don’t feel like making dinner, but of course we still need to eat. What do you do? Do you hit the drive through? Go out for dinner? Make a meal of leftovers?
Or do you try and get creative with items you have on…
Keep reading
Partner content: UnitedHealthcare investment aims to expand care access in Western North Carolina
Getting health care is not always as simple as finding a doctor. For people who are uninsured, live in rural areas or need language support, the path to care can be more difficult – especially when specialty services are involved. This is especially true for individuals in Western Carolina who are still feeling the impact…
Keep readingOpinion
My old buddy was his own man
A few years ago, I wrote a column about my oldest friends, and how back in those days in the South, we didn’t tell other men we loved them.…
letters to the editor
My own Trump naming project
Whew! It’s getting hard to keep up with the Trump…
The problem with ‘The Trump’ dividend
At the recent Republican mid-term rally in Texas, Trump offered…
Constitution is worth celebrating
As Constitution Day just recently passed (Sept. 17), it is…
We just want to feel loved
The gifted and recognized poet, Maya Angelou, once wrote, “I’ve…