Poor leadership will drag down the state
To the Editor: Once again Jim Mueller, vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Party enlightens us with his Tea…
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Judicial hearings should remain open to public
To the Editor: When sponsors can’t give a good reason for proposed legislation, it usually means there are bad ones. It’s…
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You can’t take a ‘pig in a poke’ to the bank
It’s difficult for me to believe that the new leadership in Raleigh would purposely sacrifice development in the state’s rural…
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Saving specialty license plates great for WNC
The General Assembly’s renewal of the specialty license plates for North Carolina drivers surprised many only because it seemed such…
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It’s painful, but state is on the right path
To the Editor: On Monday this first week of August, a group of people showed up in Raleigh complaining about…
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Some things Macon citizens may not know
To the Editor: I’ve had several citiznes ask me why I voted against this or that. It’s time to clear the…
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Waynesville Jake break laws good for in town
To the Editor: Referencing the article of two weeks ago about the Jake brakes in Waynesville and in reply to…
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Haywood residents can take part in research
To the Editor: When I was told I had cancer, I wondered what caused it. I had always been very…
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State GOP leaders are bought and paid for
To the Editor: In a recent letter to the Editor, Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-Wilmington, changed his name for the weekly…
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Runway widening will harm rural valley
To the Editor: An article in a local paper on July 5 states that the Macon County Airport Authority met…
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Jake brakes are a needed safety measure
To the Editor: I absolutely object to the conclusions in your article about Jake brakes in last week’s edition of…
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GOP-led legislature has wrong priorities
To the Editor: The Republicans in Raleigh have approved their “tax reform” and budget, and we will suffer for both. …
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Being in the right place at the right time
Ever know you are in a good place at the right time? Every now and then that sentiment — about…
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Keeping college affordable
Some time this holiday weekend, my nephew Sterling will come for a visit at my mother’s house. He’s a high…
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Cullowhee traffic woes deserve attention
To the Editor: Had I been a student at Western Carolina Teachers College (WCTC) in the late 1920s, I might…
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We are going wrong way on abortion issue
To the Editor: I am old enough to remember the time before Roe v. Wade was passed. Almost every family…
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Rep. Presnell should keep out of merger
To the Editor: We are thankful for The Smoky Mountain News coverage of the Lake Junaluska-Waynesville merger process. I am…
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N.C. should take politics out of redistricting
By Martin Dyckman Blackbeard, North Carolina's most famous pirate, was a fitting precursor to the modern brigands at Raleigh. As…
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Expanded Macon runway is a bad idea
To the Editor: An article in a local paper stated that the Macon County Airport Authority met in early July…
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Legislature leading us down to new depths
“Thank you sir, may I have another.” The line by Kevin Bacon from the now-classic film “Animal House” kept popping…
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High mileage, some rust, still running
By John Beckman • Columnist I’ve had quite a few cars on the road in the past 40 years, and I’ve…
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DOT decision could finally lay the Southern Loop to rest
I’m not sure it represents a new philosophy or perhaps is just an acknowledgement of reality, but the decision by…
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A great country needs a wise immigration policy
By Doug Wingeier • Guest Columnist In a previous letter, I described how devastating to human beings our current immigration system…
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Cowee disaster is a moving story
To the Editor: My appreciation goes to Gary Carden and Dave Waldrop from “The Liar’s Bench;” George Frizzell of the…
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Phone questions not a good business practice
To the Editor: MedWest, the company that has taken over our local hospitals as well as many local medical practices,…
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Teaching people to care about conservation
To the Editor: I would like to share with your readers what I have come to realize are fundamental objectives…
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Hoping Lake J – and its infuence – will be around for 200
The Lake Junaluska Assembly is marking its 100th anniversary this year, and a plethora of activities will take place at…
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A moving ‘Liar’s Bench’ performance
Editor’s note: Marie Cochran attended the production of the “Liar’s Bench” on June 20 at the Mountain Heritage Center on…
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We must pass immigration reform
To the Editor: As Congress wrestles with immigration reform, it appears that folks of all political stripes are convinced that…
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‘Hazelwood haircut’ is a destructive practice
To the Editor: I wanted to reply to the “Did That Used to be a Tree?” article in the June…
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Liberal arts education pays different dividends
To the Editor: Bob Wilson’s recent column in a local publication condemning a liberal arts college education is full of…
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N.C. headed toward Third World status
To the Editor: North Carolina is now a state role model — a model for what will happen when a…
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At 14, we’re no longer a baby in the business
There’s just not much exciting about turning 14, but that’s what The Smoky Mountain News turned a couple of weeks…
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Bush attitude toward global warming is growing stale fast
When the administration of George Bush argued Nov. 29 before the Supreme Court that the EPA did not have the…
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Even in tight times, libraries deserve priority funding
By Doug Woodward • Guest Columnist What entity in our community serves the needs of every one of our citizens, whether…
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Wilderness Society had key role in Hall Mountain
To the Editor: Thank you for your coverage of the historic return of Hall Mountain to the Cherokees (www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/10467). While the…
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Pay on, Jackson residents, pay on
To the Editor: It is true I have been accused of being a negative person concerning a few of the…
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GOP ‘progress’ takes this state backwards
To the Editor: Recently I saw Ralph Laughter, chairman of Macon County’s “Me Party.” We talked about his letter to…
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GOP leadership wasting money, time and more
To the Editor: The 2013 legislation coming out of Raleigh is bad enough to cause sleepless nights and worried man…
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Let’s stop the senseless civilian deaths
To the Editor: At this Memorial Day time of year, we not only honor veterans but also mourn the recent tragic loss…
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Rep. Meadows becomes Tea Party poster boy
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows would like us to think of him as a “moderate or centrist Republican” (SMN,…
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Cutting courthouse trees was a disgrace
To the Editor: I have returned to Waynesville for the summer. I drove past the courthouse and could not believe…
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The boys of summer are, after all, just that – boys
It was a great day for a picnic … or a baseball game. The sun hung there above the horizon…
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Legislative moves will harm rural N.C.
To the Editor: We are well into this Legislature’s session. The governor has put forward his budget. The Senate has proposed…
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Spend fund balance and cut property tax rate
To the Editor: Macon County commissioners can re-sponsibly reduce the property tax. The county manager’s proposed 2014 general fund budget…
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Jackson did not spend $50,000 wisely
To the Editor: My first reaction to the county brand “Play On” was that it must be April 1. Quickly…
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Voucher system will hurt public schools
To the Editor: Sponsors of House Bill 944, the school voucher bill, proposed certain changes during the bill’s first committee…
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Macon should use fund balance, cut tax rate
To the Editor: In 2010, the Macon County Board of Commissioners, under the leadership of then Chairman Ronnie Beale, voted…
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GOP-led legislature making huge strides
To the Editor: North Carolinians are fortunate to now have a legislature that is making historic strides towards fiscal responsibility…
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Graduate programs in music are worth saving
To the Editor: The committee at Western Carolina University charged with evaluating academic programs issued its report on May 22.…
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