Heart of the matter

tg soldiersheartIt’s the sound of the ancient mountains, the unique people and rich culture of Southern Appalachia. It’s the sound of Soldier’s Heart.

Family-run Christmas tree farm stakes out its roots

tg tomsawyerWhen Myra Sawyer looks around the Sawyer Family Farmstead, she couldn’t image living anywhere else in the world.

Holding heritage in his hands

tg muddabbersIt was a summer job that literally molded itself into a future.

Razing the sweepstakes: Police handcuffed in latest standoff with successor of video gambling

coverSweepstakes-style video gambling is making bold forays into the rural communities of Western North Carolina, back for yet another skirmish in the decade-long war against the betting devices. 

State lawmakers have tried to ban them. Police have tried to bust them. Judges have tried to reprimand them. 

Brewing the next chapter

art frDuring the last 20 years, the Western North Carolina craft beer scene has exploded. 

While Asheville’s nearly 20 breweries earned it the “Beer City USA” title, a loud rumble has also echoed out of the small towns west of the metropolis. Waynesville, Sylva and Bryson City have all thrown their hats into the craft beer ring.

Regional DOT chief demoted to new position

fr setzerThe regional head of the N.C. Depart-ment of Transportation has been demoted after nine years at the helm of road building decisions in the mountain’s far western counties.

WNC leaders worry that region will be left behind economically

coverWestern North Carolina business and political leaders are wondering who will go to the mat for them to attract new and expanding businesses now that the N.C. General Assembly has severed ties with two important rural economic development entities.

 “Who is going to be our advocate, and where are we going to find funds?” said Ron Leatherwood, a member of Haywood County’s Economic Development Commission. “Someone has got to fill that void.”

Rural Center cut may negatively affect WNC

A recent government audit of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center has divided much of the state. 

In search of ‘White Lightnin’: Moonshine in Southern Appalachia

coverIt was the only thing he knew how to do. It was the only thing he wanted to do. 

Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton was a moonshiner, through and through. Meandering the thick woods surrounding Maggie Valley, and points beyond in Southern Appalachia, Sutton gained a reputation throughout the Southeast as the maker of the finest ‘shine ever created. For decades, he kept making liquor even after being caught on a handful of occasions. 

Being in the right place at the right time

op frEver know you are in a good place at the right time? Every now and then that sentiment — about living Western North Carolina right now — overwhelms me.

I’ve been messing around with newspapers and journalism in some form or another since I was 13. It’s a vocation that puts one in contact with all kinds of people and takes one to all kinds of places. So I’m mostly beyond those “gee whiz” moments that are often part of the job.

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