LATEST NEWS
Water over the bridge: Fontana Dam’s controversial past and TVA’s changing legacy
Pedestrian access to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Fontana Dam begins with a metal turnstile, then a long stretch of sidewalk. Suffocating humidity marked my July 27 entry. The tour required long pants as a safety measure, and I was sweating by the time we entered the building.
But the interior, featuring three massive generators churning…
Keep reading
Jackson County talks Flock
Flock cameras captured data from 1.2 million vehicles in Jackson County from June 30, 2026, to July 30, 2026, according to Sheriff Doug Farmer. Of those 1,190,043 total…
Suit filed against EBCI, tribal officials for breach of contract
Collete, Barry and Corey Coggins filed a lawsuit on July 22 against Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks and EBCI Secretary of Operations Anthony…
Jackson commissioners vote to put school bond to public hearing
Jackson County just moved one step closer to putting the $105 million school bond referendum on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.
At last week’s normally scheduled…
Swain County Sheriff’s Office faces backlash over conference
It was revealed during an Aug. 4 Swain Commission meeting that Sheriff Brian Kirkland invited three deputies and their families on a five-night trip to Myrtle Beach to…
Subscribe to our newsletter
Be the first to know about breaking news, articles, and updates.
Outdoors
Air time: Haywood County bike track brings out riders of all ages
High speed and big air were the orders of the day, and Haywood County’s BMX riders were happy to oblige.
On Aug. 8, the long-awaited Raccoon Creek Bike…
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
We’re only human: A conversation with Hayes Carll
In January 2017, I was 31 years old and wandering the vast landscape of Texas for the very first time. Entering the Lone Star State via Texarkana, I’d find myself in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Galveston and Houston along the unrelenting journey.
Throughout that entire experience, my most cherished memory was…
This must be the place
This must be the place: ‘The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own’
Hello from my parent’s farmhouse on the Canadian Border in Upstate New York. The 1820 brick structure is awfully quiet, especially since I’m the only one wandering around the property, seeing as my folks are currently up on the coast of Maine on their yearly summer trek to our old stomping grounds, a place in…
This must be the place: ‘In a minute I’ll be free, and we’ll be splashing in the sea’
Hello from the Restaurant Bonaparte in the depths of Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Partly cloudy skies. A warm breeze drifting throughout streets and backalleys over 400 years old. A glass of sauvignon blanc and hearty conversation. Fine French cuisine and nowhere to be but here, and now.
I found myself here today on a simple whim by my mother who, yesterday evening, turned to me…
Partner content: Taste of Local
Thursday, June 18 • 3pm-6pm
Ingles Markets — 151 Smokey Park Highway — Asheville
Complimentary Samples (Limited Availability)
Keep reading
Partner content: what to ADD to your meals
White rice is a good source of carbohydrates and a handy and versatile grain to keep on hand as it stores well.
Here are 5 things you can do with white rice:
Keep reading
Partner content: Health, Humidity and Hydration
White rice is a good source of carbohydrates and a handy and versatile grain to keep on hand as it stores well.
Here are 5 things you can do with white rice:
Keep readingPartner content: Taste of Local
Thursday, June 18 • 3pm-6pm
Ingles Markets — 151 Smokey Park Highway — Asheville
Complimentary Samples (Limited Availability)
Keep readingOpinion
This journey had some eye-opening insights
“Pretzels.”
The young woman and her companion had rolled into the same trailside establishment as us and slid wearily off their bikes, but no one had told us…
letters to the editor
The road to Iran runs through Israel
Steven Berner’s letter (SMN, July 15, 2026) was spot on…
Silence is not an option
I’m a lifetime member of the American Legion and the…
‘Why support Illegal immigration?’
As I participated Saturday — on the square in Bryson…