Cawthorn’s hubris not surprising
To the Editor: By now, it’s disappointingly clear that Madison Cawthorn, the Republican candidate to represent N.C. District 11 in…
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Support Parsons for Swain Commissioner
To the Editor: Roger Parsons is running for re-election as Swain County commissioner and is a lifelong resident of Swain…
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Cawthorn should support ACA
To the Editor: It is disappointing to see a young, politically inexperienced but passionate and courageous gentleman like Madison Cawthorn…
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Pardon me while I scream
To the Editor: “The Constitution is not a suicide pact” is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln as he defended…
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Are politicians non-essential?
To the Editor: Would the governor, his staff, his advisors, and cabinet make different decisions if they were determined to…
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Cunningham responds to Tillis attacks
Ever since my days in Scouts, I’ve loved hiking, backpacking, and traveling in Western North Carolina. As adults, my wife…
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I serve every Franklin resident
To the Editor: As the Mayor of Franklin, I represent every man, woman and child in the town, regardless of…
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What would the Founding Fathers do?
To the Editor: “He has erected a multitude of new officers and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our…
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Have you been sprayed by Duke?
To the Editor: Duke Energy, through a contractor, has started aerial spraying of herbicides over the rights-of-way for their transmission…
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Stop using MLK defense
To the Editor: Heather Hyatt Packer would have Haywood County’s School superintendent resign for posting a meme on his Facebook…
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Is this a fit Commander-in-Chief?
To the Editor: The first duty of our Commander in Chief, Donald Trump, is to protect the people of these…
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Look to the stars and beyond
I’ve been looking at the stars a lot lately. It started several weeks ago. It was 10:18 p.m. on a…
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Sen. Tillis disappointed his opponent turned down debate
Opinion from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC | The people of Western North Carolina are traditionally denied a front-row seat to…
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Let’s try to avoid pitfalls when school reopens
By Dale Carpenter • Guest Columnist | North Carolina public schools will reopen while the COVID-19 Pandemic is still with…
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As consultants, beach week is a bit calmer these days
Edisto Beach, SC — As if this year weren’t already weird enough, my son is in the bathroom of our…
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Moe Davis qualified to serve in Congress
To the Editor: As a long-time resident of Haywood County and former contributor to your paper now residing in an…
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Superintendent Nolte should resign
To the Editor: Haywood County’s School Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte sent shock waves through a decent percentage of the community…
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Political opinion, not common sense
To the Editor: The Oxford dictionary has a couple of different definitions of common sense; my favorite being “good judgment…
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Who is your neighbor? Being Black in Waynesville
By Brandi Hinnant-Crawford • Guest Columnist | In 2014, on my 30th birthday, I got a call from my former department head…
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Haywood County Schools needs some lessons
To the Editor: I am writing this to the Haywood County School Board and the citizens of Haywood County. My…
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Half of 2020 is behind us, thank goodness
I was walking my animal last night at sunset, enjoying the evening views and cool temps, thinking back to the…
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Wishful thinking won’t get us out of this
Before wading into the murk of America’s bizarre tug of war with itself in the year of COVID-19, let’s first…
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Act now and vote absentee
To the Editor: I hope every eligible North Carolina resident plans to vote in the November election; the opportunity to…
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Trump is not fit for office
To the Editor: Major news sources inform us that Russian operatives have paid mercenaries to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.…
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Substance still matters in politics
Haywood County resident Lynda Bennett was beaten badly in the Republican runoff primary for Congress last week against 24-year-old political…
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Songbirds, stars and the Fourth of July
Every morning around 5:15, the birds start chirping outside my window. The past several months I’ve been trying to figure…
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Forest plan lacks water quality measures
To the Editor: The Nantahala and Pisgah national forests are the headwaters of seven major river systems, providing drinking water…
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Pipeline is a threat to Appalachian Trail
To the Editor: The Appalachian Trail, spanning nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, maintains a natural mystique that cannot…
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Leadership needed to take down monuments
To the Editor: I moved to Jackson County in January of 2013 and have been in love with everything about…
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Taking monuments down is just a mistake
To the Editor: Giving in to the misguided desire to remove statues and monuments, which Black Lives Matter admits is…
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People exaggerate COVID-19 suffering
To the Editor: In today’s America, we find ourselves facing the continued onslaught of biased reporting and erroneous “expert” advice…
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Separating truth from fiction
To the Editor: An early lesson that a child hears is “tell the truth” and “honesty is the best policy.”…
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Invest in people to strengthen community
To the Editor: By leaving households without reliable internet access, the marginalization of Southern Appalachia will perpetuate. Without a good connection to…
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Some people just don’t get it
To the Editor: A reader’s letter in the last issue complained about mainstream media and a limited view of events…
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Considerations for racial justice policies
To the Editor: All candidates for office: please, please reimagine justice for everyone and provide us a clear and comprehensive…
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For news, look beyond ‘The Frame’
To the Editor: The “Frame” is the view of the world news you get from the Main-Stream Media (MSM). The…
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Restorative justice helps all involved
To the Editor: Seeing people take to the streets to demand reform of the police system is gratifying. Yes, we…
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Looking for answers in a time of uncertainty
By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist | I am in the market for a good, slightly used, Ouija Board. I…
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Walter moves on to a far greener cow pasture
Maybe we should have named our beagle-mix Lazarus, so often did he seemingly come back from the dead over the…
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Raising boys against the grain
Good girls are raised to be quiet, dainty and accommodating. Real boys are raised to be competitive, successful and tough.…
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Commissioner Pless acting like a third-rate politician
To the Editor: When it comes to the internet, I am the first to proclaim myself as a troll. Although…
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We can atone for our sins
To the Editor: Donald Trump talks about making America great again. But he ignores two sins that haunt America. Those…
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Moe Davis best option for 11th District
To the Editor: Don’t know who to vote for yet on Nov. 3 for Rep. Mark Meadows’ vacant U.S. House…
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Inequality comes in many flavors
To the Editor: Inequality plays out in all aspects of American life. For the past few weeks we have been…
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Graduates, you’ll miss this place we call home
By Liam McLeod • Guest Columnist | To the high school Class of 2020, congratulations! There is nothing more exciting than completing…
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Language has changed but racism remains
Though we are as divided as we have ever been as a country, the one thing we seemed to be…
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Bill of Rights born in June
To the Editor: On June 8, 1789, James Madison (who is considered by many historians to be the Father of…
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