Reflections of a 9/11 mental health volunteer
By Scott Hinkle • Guest Columnist | Twenty years ago on September 14, I was one of only two passengers…
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Finding an antidote in baseball
Aside from the global darkness of a pandemic, political strife, natural disasters and the impending anniversary of 9/11, there is…
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The time to act on climate change is now
By Steve Wall • Guest Columnist | The place — Canton; the time — 7 a.m.; the date — September…
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Why WNC remains vulnerable to flooding
By Milton Ready • Guest Columnist | Psst! Have you heard that remnants of Tropical Storm Fred passed over Western…
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Climate alarmism is not based in reality
By Patrick Gleason • Guest Columnist | The alarmist rhetoric and proclamations found in Mary Jane Curry’s recent column published…
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Pay close attention to these names
To the Editor: Pay close attention to the following names: Darin Hoover, Rosario Pichardo, Nicole Gee, Hunter Lopez, Daegan Page,…
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SMN opinion pages are required reading
To the Editor: The opinion pages of the August 18 edition of your excellent paper should be required reading.
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Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility
To the Editor: In the Aug. 11 edition, a letter from a Franklin man was posted in both print and…
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Cawthorn should think before he speaks
To the Editor: For many years I served as a Child Medical Examiner for Haywood County. I was also a…
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Devastation all around, but there is a light
The time stamp on the photo from my iPhone reads 7:29 a.m. It was Wednesday, Aug. 18, a mountain morning…
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It’s an important time to remain vigilant
By Mark Jaben • Guest Columnist | Two big things are happening in Haywood County this week. First, a tremendous…
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The social impact of personal decisions
To the Editor: Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve heard many rationalizations to justify the decision not to get…
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We should restrict lies, misinformation
To the Editor: Americans have created for themselves quite a quandary trying to interpret both the literal and the intended…
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Who has fallen prey to politics?
To the Editor: While I welcome the mandatory masking decision the Haywood County School Board made during its Aug. 21…
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There is no middle ground with Covid
With the Delta variant raging across the state and school systems in every direction hurriedly moving to mask mandates for…
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A new generation’s Saigon moment
By William Hite • Guest Columnist “You have all the watches, but we have all the time.” — Taliban adage It’s…
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Letter made curious, inaccurate claims
To the Editor: When I first read Jim Gaston's letter to The Smoky Mountain News claiming to champion independent thinking…
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The truth is not as simple as it seems
So here’s a reality of the explosion of information that we all live with today: it is now more difficult…
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When distractions — and watchful angels — soothe grief
They say the weeks leading up to the anniversary of a loved one’s death are harder than the day itself. …
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Don’t let states restrict voting
To the Editor: Most Americans would agree a free and fair election system is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Yet…
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Time to stop the Fear and repression
To the Editor: Today, the mask debate has become so ludicrous that many people still falsely think it’s “safety first” to wear…
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The ‘new normal’ just isn’t acceptable
“It’s the new normal.” It was the husband who had spoken. The couple we had encountered were lean, fit and…
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Sometimes the plan is to not have a plan
There is the dream my wife has every so often that haunts her. She’s on vacation and it’s the last…
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Cawthorn too inept to be in Congress
To the Editor: Every time Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks, I am reminded of the movie “Billy Madison” and the line:…
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Giveaways get votes
To the Editor: Lately we hear praise of Democrats and Joe Biden for spending trillions of dollars in aid to…
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What Covid taught us about infrastructure
By Peter Nieckarz • Guest Columnist | We seem to be collectively breathing a sigh of relief as the COVID-19…
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Our epic RV adventure
This week’s column comes to you from a campground picnic table in Hershey, Pennsylvania. My boyfriend and I are on…
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Cawthorn’s hypocrisy is maddening
To the Editor: Representative Madison Cawthorn’s latest newsletter is a case study in hypocrisy and misinformation. While extolling the anniversary…
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Thanks for the quality journalism
To the Editor: I would like to thank The Smoky Mountain News for the article “Back to the Blue” (July 14-20, 2021).
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Letter’s claims illustrate our current problems
To the Editor: As I read the letter about unemployment insurance in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News…
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Real data about the job market
To the Editor: The letter by Ms. Subic “Stop the checks, get to work” in the July 14 issue of…
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Rep. Cawthorn’s rhetoric is dangerous
To the Editor: As a former Public Health Director in his district with over 30 years of public health experience,…
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Chickens make a stand despite our efforts
Five chickens appeared one bright summer morning in our driveway. I was still half asleep, stumbling through my morning routine…
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Let’s talk about all the visitors
In the middle of the tourism season, is there any way to politely state the obvious: this region is being…
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Stop the checks, get to work
To the Editor: In response to the article, “Where Are the Workers?” Well, you can thank your President Biden for…
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A shared space, a shared responsibility
By Casey Quarterman • Guest Columnist | For six years I have been working as a Wilderness Ranger in the…
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Let them be your crystal ball
Years ago during a teeth cleaning, an older dental hygienist offered some advice. She told me to let other people…
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Summer nights: baseball, dogs and workout prep
There are three dogs in this bed: a very old miniature dachshund curled up on one corner, a very young…
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Why won’t GOP tax the wealthy?
To the Editor: When you start having to pay higher taxes at the gas pump, pay extra for your electric…
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