Reflections on May 2 – what’s really going on?
By Lee Shelton Those who stated that Haywood County Commission Chairman Mark Swanger, who lost in last week’s primary election,…
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Get over the fear and say it: ZONING is GOOD
Note to all candidates seeking office in Western North Carolina, and all their constituents: repeat these words, over and over…
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Get ready for the backroom abortionists
Three cheers for crime. If moralists have their way, it will only get worse. How coincidental that within three short…
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Baseball’s scapegoat
San Francisco Giant outfielder Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player of this era, and one can make a good…
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Mixed drinks won’t be good for Sylva
By Jason Kimenker • Guest Columnist What makes Sylva great? The people of rural Sylva, North Carolina are as unique…
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Taylor tangled in Abramoff’s web
The recent revelations about Rep. Charles Taylor’s ties to a lobbyist who has confessed to federal bribery charges is a…
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Forging a wise immigration bill
Amnesty? In the immigration controversy that is dividing Congress and the nation, this has become the most misused term in…
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Changing budget laws would save taxpayer money
The words still ring in my ears, coming as they did from a teacher who had spent years playing by…
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Lottery funding formula needs to be changed now
It’s past time to keep rehashing the same old arguments about whether having a state lottery is a good idea.…
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Slaves to titillating news and ....
You have already read or heard about the three guys who were arrested for “operating” — yeah, I guess the…
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A public grace worth emulating
By Stephanie Wampler I didn’t know her. I never met her. I haven’t even read that much about her. I…
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Media consolidation just ain’t good
It happened months back, but the request was typical of what we hear everyday in this business: will you do…
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There are many good reasons to get slope ordinances on the books
There’s no more pressing issue in this region than enacting ordinances to control steep slope development. If we snooze on…
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Savoring the coming political season
When the political season cranks up, as it’s about to, this business gets a lot more fun. I’m one of…
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So many reasons to oppose forest sale
“This is an administration that believes in natural resource exploitation, and hang any future cost to the public owners. This…
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Radical Islam is infiltrating U.S.
By Marshall Frank “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” — Ariel…
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We admired Andy but related to Barney
We lost Barney Fife last week. When the news came that Don Knotts had died of pulmonary and respiratory failure…
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Power carries a yoke of responsibility
By Michael Beadle • Columnist The recent worldwide protests against cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed have given humanity a…
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No loaves, just fish ... sticks
I pride myself on being a good cook. After 10 years of effort, I have finally mastered homemade cinnamon rolls.…
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Banning tobacco in schools shouldn’t be so difficult
There’s really not much to say except this: why has it taken so long? The Haywood County School Board apparently…
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With Mike gone, train’s call is truly lonesome
Mike and I were not exactly a match made in heaven. In fact, I didn’t think we were much of…
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A thank you for helping hands
Editor’s note: Barbara McCarty worked on a flood task force that allocated more than $800,000 in private donations to victims…
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Open government always a good thing
It’s easy for elected leaders to say they support open government. Proving that support is something altogether different and more…
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TDA board on track, confident in director
By Dori Pope • Guest columnist I recently had the honor and exciting challenge of being voted the Chair of…
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Time for change at Cherokee’s ‘Unto These Hills’
“It’s going to be a bit of a change, but change is not always bad. This is just one little…
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Small towns make for different news
I remember the specific moment in my journalism career when I sealed my future as a small-town newspaperman. I was…
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A primer on the right way to use a gun
By Sarah Kucharski On a chilly, rain soaked Sunday morning the last weekend of January I stood under a peaked,…
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Religion and public schools a volatile mix
When a high school biology teacher in Macon County asked students to compare evolution and creation from a scientific perspective,…
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Customers say restaurant grades matter
Editor’s note: Last week The Smoky Mountain News cover story was about cleanliness at restaurants and what health department inspectors…
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Looking in on the iPod cocoon
It is now official. I am not young anymore. I guess I should have paid more attention to the signs,…
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The difference between precaution and fear
By Lee Shelton I found Scott McLeod’s column, “Living in Fear....” , in theJan. 18 issue of the Smoky Mountain…
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The vicarious lives of parents
I wasn’t very good at sports when I was a kid. I wanted to be good — the star of…
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Celebrating culture and the need for a library
There are many worthwhile upshots from The Sounds of Jackson County recording project, but two stand out among them: one,…
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There were valid reasons for Horton’s departure
(Editor’s note: Haywood County Manager Jack Horton tendered his resignation to the board of commissioners on Jan. 3. The three…
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Storytime just didn’t work out for me
By Stephanie Wampler One day last year, I had high hopes for a glorious time at the library. I envisioned…
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Time apparently not right for casino alcohol sales
The proposal to hold a referendum on whether alcohol could be sold at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino was withdrawn before it…
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Living in fear of ... everything
It started over a discussion about the merits of that sanitizing gel that is now so often found in restrooms,…
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A long history culminates in one tumultuous day
When Haywood County Manager Jack Horton was asked to resign or be fired last week, it was, potentially, a watershed…
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The goose won’t keep laying golden eggs without proper care
By Lee Shelton The town limits of Maggie Valley encompass only 1.8 square miles, and there is only one commercial…
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Empowered by Dr. Phil to entertain Jack
I’ve become hooked on Dr. Phil. Don’t ask me how it happened because I don’t know. He caught me unawares,…
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Words of warning, words of wisdom
At a time when weather and the environment is making all the news headlines and is rendering hundreds of thousands,…
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Methane gas project at old landfill is all good
It’s not always about the money, at least not at first. That’s a point to keep in mind as the…
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Newspapers in need of iPod moment
We in the newspaper business are supposed to be having the bejesus scared out of us because of the power…
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Nurture your spirit, and the details will take care of themselves
By Jason Kimenker • Guest Columnist Winter has arrived, and the holiday season is in full swing. Wonderful and warm…
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Not so long ago, we treated liars differently
By Kirk Adcock • Guest Columnist I would first like to thank Gen. Geoffrey Higgenbotham (“Playing politics at the expense…
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Count on me to lead the Grinch Fan Club
About this time each year, when the days and tempers get short and the traffic lines get long — when…
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Watershed decision was right on target
Bryson City leaders avoided the temptation to sell off their watershed land for development, instead opting to follow through with…
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Hemp and the rule of law
It looks like the old adage “necessity is the mother of invention” may bear fruit (or gas) when it is…
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Jackson, others need to learn to plan
By John Edwards • Guest Columnist Positive planning by developers, government officials and local citizens could be of great benefit…
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Remember the privilege of giving
By Bill Nolte • Guest Columnist Last week I was providing my ongoing parental taxi service. I can’t remember if we…
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