Trump eyes Medicare, Social Security cuts
To the Editor: Lately. through observing the news media, I have seen mass support for gun ownership and confirmation of…
Read More
Let’s open the Parkway
To the Editor: Despite the social distancing, wearing masks, stay at home orders, and all of the CDC stats and…
Read More
UNC-Charlotte remembers Riley Howell, shooting victims
I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. As a city, a nation, and a…
Read More
Lost health insurance during COVID-19 Pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of jobs, income and health insurance coverage for millions. Some life changes,…
Read More
Firefighters respond to two Graham County fires
Firefighters responded to two wildfires late April 14 near Fontana Lake in Graham County. Both fires are burning on U.S.…
Read More
Cocooning just isn’t easy for some
If you haven’t noticed, the boomers are having a hard time staying home during this pandemic. Doing nothing and performing…
Read More
Be careful what you wish for
To the Editor: How strange is it that some of you are becoming the thing you hate the most? In…
Read More
Not enough lipstick to cover this pig
To the Editor: Trump’s attack on the WHO (World Health Organization) is classic Trump. Make bad decisions and then blame…
Read More
Frontline heroes deserve our thanks
To the Editor: The “front line” people who risk their lives and health (both mental and physical) to help safeguard…
Read More
Advice to stay sane during the insanity
Hannah McLeod, a new writer for The Smoky Mountain News, shares her advice for staying calm and connected during the…
Read More
A glimmer of light, perhaps, in the darkness
Way back, way back, like three or four weeks ago, our little company was on track for its best year…
Read More
Right now, life as an otter sounds pretty good
Can we all admit that this quarantine is getting a little weirder every week? The rules for what we can…
Read More
Raise concerns if you have them
To the Editor: These are challenging days for everyone. This is particularly true for the long-term healthcare community. Whether you…
Read More
Thank You Haywood County
To the Editor: For the past several weeks, Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) has been busy preparing for COVID-19 to…
Read More
Actions to save us from COVID-19 Pandemic
This moment is unprecedented. In North Carolina, COVID-19 will likely infect millions, kill thousands, leave thousands unemployed and devastate families…
Read More
Getting married in the time of coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic hit us all differently. For some of us, it blew to pieces what was otherwise a normal,…
Read More
History lessons being learned the hard way
By Jerry DeWeese • Guest Columnist | When in grade school, I wondered why my teachers spent so much time…
Read More
Finding Easter in the COVID-19 era
Growing up, my family spent the week of Easter at Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had…
Read More
Health care is a human right
To the Editor: This is in response to last week’s story, “Democratic candidates in WNC call for immediate Medicaid expansion”…
Read More
We need leadership from Washington
To the Editor: Thank you for your complete coverage of the worst national health disaster of my long life. President…
Read More
Why all the out-of-state plates?
To the Editor: I realize there are illiterate people in this world but, really, who hasn’t heard or read the…
Read More
Trump was too slow to react
To the Editor: Regarding the letter writer in the April 1 issue, blaming the news media for our current problems,…
Read More
Lessen COVID-19 impact on small businesses
Social distancing is taking its toll on North Carolina’s small businesses. We don’t have state-specific numbers, but a new survey by…
Read More
Supporting efforts to keep our community healthy
Our community — along with communities around the world — is navigating unprecedented challenges as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues…
Read More
Distracting yourself during social distancing
I have a childhood friend from Chicago — we nicknamed him “Lucky” — who messed up bad and deserved what…
Read More
It’s time to be the hero in your own life
Guys aren’t supposed to sit and wait. Guys are supposed to take action, to get things done. Yet we seldom…
Read More
The days just drone by, listlessly
I am thinking of a scene in the movie “Fargo” that captures exactly how I am feeling a couple of…
Read More
A good time to share hope
To the Editor: While I applaud the federal government for the passage of their Coronavirus Stimulus Packages to ease the…
Read More
Democrats, media want to blame Trump
To the Editor: Congratulations to the politicians and the news media! You have been able to take a serious virus…
Read More
Local food pantries in need
Dear Haywood County Neighbors, Haywood’s Outdoor Pantries wants you to know about one of the ways that members of our…
Read More
How to learn and grow during corona
As all the events we look forward to each spring get canceled, we have to look inward and be creative…
Read More
Finding our way without a map
The helplessness is the thing that’s making all of us so uneasy. Like being pushed along by a wave that…
Read More
Like a virus, emotions are contagious
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a new executive order stating schools would remain closed through May 15 due to…
Read More
Living in the time of Corona
By Bob Scott, Mayor of Franklin I woke up this morning with the feeling I was in a murky, alternate…
Read More
On main street, things won’t ever be the same
The world changed over the weekend, especially on main street. And it likely won’t ever again look the same as…
Read More
In trying times, the cream rises to the top
If it feels like we’ve seen this all before, it’s because we have. All of a sudden, we are all…
Read More
Trump’s pardons tell a story
To the Editor: Is it possible Donald Trump and the Republican Party he seems to have successfully hijacked have (together)…
Read More
Demand nuclear disarmament now
To the Editor: In September 2019, I attended a meeting “Nuclear Disarmament Now: What can we do?” Prior to this…
Read More
Budget passage critical for Western Carolina
You often hear that North Carolina’s public universities are the “crown jewel” of the state. While this is indeed true,…
Read More
Helping kids keep out some of the noise
I’m a child of the 1980s. With side ponytails on full hairsprayed display, my big sister and I kept busy…
Read More
There is no defense for hypocrisy
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist | One of the defenses I have heard most often offered for support for…
Read More
Plenty of room in the arena
I became aware of a Facebook group recently called “Finding Solutions — Waynesville.” On the surface it appeared this group was…
Read More
The rubble heap that was our basement
It has been over a week since my son had seven boys stay overnight at our house to celebrate his…
Read More
No newspapers? No thanks
To the Editor: Imagine a world without your local newspaper. Imagine a world without any newspapers. Where would you get…
Read More
Expand Medicaid without work mandate
To the Editor: At the recent Waynesville Town Board meeting on Feb. 11, there was a motion to support Medicaid…
Read More
Bad choices will make things worse
By Steve Wall • Guest Columnist | There are over 200 cases of coronavirus that have appeared in Italy, with…
Read More
Thanks for the reminder
To the Editor: I want to thank Scott McLeod for his encouragement to all of us in his “From the…
Read More
Some political ads are not helpful
To the Editor: One of the blessings or curses of too many philosophy classes at university is an appreciation for…
Read More