Taking a stand when it’s good and bad all at once
(Editor’s note: All the characters in this column are fictitious) Guy walks into his local taproom and is gratified to see…
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Frody stares down the reaper, again!
“What’s wrong with your dog?” If I were an 8-year-old boy on a beach vacation with my family and saw…
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Relying on friends and signs from the universe
January is an annoying month for many people. The hoopla and excitement of the holidays has ended. The weather is…
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The trap of correlation — how science works
Grant Wahl, a well-known sportswriter, collapsed and died while reporting at the World Cup Soccer Tournament in Qatar. He was…
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VA — the best care anywhere!
To the Editor: To crib part of a title from Phillip Longman’s book — “Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care…
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When success is about making communities better
Sometimes an idea hatches first as a kind of mental knot that doesn’t reveal itself but causes me a bit…
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I’ll go for tornados over plane crashes
I’m trying to get a little work done early one morning, sipping on my first cup of coffee, still in…
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Keeping Trump from Trump
To the Editor: “Nothing can work damage to me except myself; the harm that I sustain I carry about with me…
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I owe Rockwell an apology
Working at a newspaper requires thick skin. I’m a columnist and lifestyle writer, so I don’t get nearly as much…
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Let speeders pre-pay for the privilege
I think most of you would agree that there are more people speeding, and speeding faster on the highways with…
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Don’t be fooled; climate change is real
To the Editor: A recent letter in the Waynesville Mountaineer claimed that climate change is a myth.
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A sure sign of our moral decay
To the Editor: The headlines read — “Texas governor & others bus immigrants to VP house, and drop them in freezing…
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Your one and only Christmas 2022
As they say, “What screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s…
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Trying to tell all sides of the story
Sorry to burst your bubble but this is not a high-quality newspaper. Your version of journalism is laughable at best.…
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The uniforms are all part of growing up
Our son, Jack, is a senior in high school, which means that we are already well into the “season of…
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Omnibus Bill adds too much debt
To the Editor: I’ve thought of writing for some time but outdoor sports were more important to me. As a long-time…
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Trimming the tree and taking stock
My grandfather once told me that on Christmas Eve his family would go find a tree in the woods and…
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Can we slow the gentrification of WNC?
Dinner conversation last night with a young couple who live in New Zealand but are here for the holidays —…
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Standing up for suffering women everywhere
Woman, life and freedom. These three words have inspired millions of Iranian women and others internationally. Unfortunately, all of this…
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Word from the Smokies: The staying power of Smokey Bear
Many people of a certain age have a special affection for Smokey Bear, or “Smokey the Bear,” as he has…
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There’s more to life than politics — amen to that
I was blasting classic Rolling Stones in my truck yesterday at a few minutes before 5 p.m. when the phone rang.…
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N.C. Treasurer puts politics ahead of humanity’s future
Can morality play a role in capitalism? Should it? Human society has, of course, wrestled with this dilemma for centuries.
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Is it Trump or the Constitution?
Donald Trump is many things most people wouldn’t want in a neighbor, co-worker or son in-law. He’s uncouth, lecherous, manipulative,…
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The truth about climate change is staring us down
The truth, even when it’s staring you down Clint Eastwood style, is easier to ignore than to act on. Just…
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For the love of those gathered at the feast
My wife and I were truly blessed to have our children, some relatives and close friends gathered for Thanksgiving, which…
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Free speech trumps party politics any day
To the Editor: Here I am, a constitutional conservative who for 40-plus years has voted, held office, and worked as a…
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Will Trump answer to the American people?
To the Editor: A college football coach will tell you there are three basic units that comprise a football team: offense,…
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It may be time to amend Constitution
To the Editor: Rob Schofield in last week’s Smoky Mountain News decried the current Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)…
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Resurrecting the joy of the holidays
I have felt disconnected from the holidays ever since my mom passed away six years ago. Throw a divorce, two…
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Keeping it simple — and local
I was standing at my desk this morning looking forward to the coming Thanksgiving weekend with our grown children and…
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Fears of a politicized court system grow
Maybe the change was an inevitable byproduct of our charged and contentious era.
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After elections, less hate, more love
To the Editor: By the time you read this letter, we will have outcomes of the 2022 mid-term elections.
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SMN has lost a loyal friend
To the Editor: Long-time Haywood County resident Kitty Phillips passed on Election Day this month.
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Sylva Sam messed up the view
To the Editor: Driving through Sylva today I noticed the steps of the old courthouse beautifully decorated with rows of…
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Compromise takes sacrifice, not unyielding principles
Leaders in a free republic should serve the common good. That’s why the U.S. system of government and our freedoms…
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Divisive politics isn’t the only way
Does the American political divide have to divide friends? Families? Communities? Or is there an alternative approach?
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Word from the Smokies: Parks as Classrooms offers unforgettable experiences
Courtney Lix grew up entwined in the natural and cultural history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park like a vine…
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Don’t let tunnel vision run your life
To the Editor: Let me start by saying that on November 8 I worked the polls, and the views I…
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Why vote for the unqualified?
To the Editor: Could someone please explain to me why an experienced, qualified tax collector who has successfully run the…
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What I learned running for office
To the Editor: I would like to express my gratitude to the Macon County community for their support and encouragement…
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Older generations are failing the young
Did you know a family in Denmark uses, on average, four single-use grocery bags per year while American families use…
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A subtle eclipse, a reminder of what we’ve lost
As Lori and I walked our dog through the roads in our subdivision this morning before sunrise, Election Day, we…
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