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The Haywood shuffle: top county posts remain unfilled
Employee turnover in local governments is nothing new, but Haywood County’s recent rash of retirements and resignations has resulted in…
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Raleigh hotelier purchases Balsam Mountain Inn
A Jackson County landmark has changed hands.
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This must be the place: ‘Life being what it is…’
Ten years ago this week I left my native Upstate New York for my first journalism gig out of college…
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Haywood sheriff investigating two deaths in Fines Creek
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate two deaths that occurred in the Fines Creek area.
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Haywood’s assistant county manager resigns
In a statement issued by Haywood County moments ago, the resignation of Assistant County Manager Talmadge “Stoney” Blevins was announced.…
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If you’re reading this, then we thank you
In this holiday season, I have much to be thankful for. At least that’s the way I see it, though…
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GOP’s tribal loyalty will be its downfall
Many years from now, Americans are going to look back on the election of the 45th President Donald J. Trump…
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We must stop the coup
To the Editor: An American coup d’etat is in progress. There are no guns being fired, no booting out of…
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Is health care a right or commodity?
To the Editor: No one wants to talk about this question, least of all the folks who make our laws.…
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Tax cut is ill-conceived
To the Editor: I’m confused! The stock market is at all-time high and unemployment is lower than we have seen…
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A stealth attack on the working class
To the Editor: Unless Congress comes to its senses and rejects the misguided tax legislation currently being considered, working people…
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A German idealist sought refuge among the Cherokee
Christianus Gottlieb Priber was born in Zittau, Germany, where he was the son of a beerhouse owner. In October 1722,…
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A fire-forged laboratory: Scientists look to learn from 2016 wildfires
When rain finally quelled the wildfires running rampant through the Southeastern U.S. last year, the public was breathing a collective…
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At home in the snow
Muted under a blanket of fresh snow, the forests surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Western North Carolina stretch were quiet,…
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Parkway maintenance causes closures
Boom axe operations along the Blue Ridge Parkway will result in closures at various locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway…
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Buncombe makes clean energy pledge
Buncombe County Commissioners voted to commit to complete transition to clean and renewable energy during a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5.
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Rim Trail reopened following purchase
A portion of the Rim Trail near Hayesville that’s been closed since 2010 has now reopened to the public.
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New species found in Tennessee
A new fish species has been discovered in the South, with Tennessee Valley Authority biologists identifying the logperch, or Percina…
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Endangered fish found in new territory
A routine day of fish population monitoring turned exciting when Mainspring Conservation Trust biologists found a federally threatened fish in…
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New district ranger hired for Appalachian District
The Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest has a new district ranger following the hire of Richard Thornburgh,…
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Latest GSMA musical release earns Grammy nod
The Great Smoky Mountains Association’s newest musical release, “Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition,” earned a Grammy nomination recently…
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This must be the place: ‘I have been all over but I can’t help feeling stuck…’
The crunching kept catching my attention. After finding a scarce parking space, it was a short, careful stroll from the…
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Debut novel from SMN writer
Smoky Mountain News writer Holly Kays has introduced her new novel, Shadows of Flowers.
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Forget the frenzy, settle in with a book
For many of us, Christmas preparations require the endurance of a marathoner and the speed of a lab rat on…
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Macon League of Women Voters disbands: Members reflect on 27 years of work toward a well-informed community
An aging membership, the inability to recruit younger members, a lack of civic engagement and a shift away from nonpartisanship…
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Asheville LWV chapter picking up steam
While the Macon County League of Women Voters had to disband this year due to low membership and community involvement,…
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Spread of opioids puts strain on sheriff resources
On any given day, the Haywood County Detention Center is full of people suffering from substance abuse and/or mental illness…
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Sheriff receives grant to hire four new deputies
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $480,963 grant that will allow the department to hire four full-time…
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Canton Confederate Christmas controversy quashed
When Canton Alderman Dr. Ralph Hamlett recently proposed a parade entry policy that would limit inappropriate speech during the town’s…
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Pride of a nation: Cherokee wins first-ever state football championship
Pride-filled pandemonium reigned in Cherokee Saturday night, Dec. 8, as the victorious Cherokee Braves football team returned to town. Police…
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Mission back in network for BCBS policyholders
After a months’ long battle, Mission Health hospitals and its affiliates will be back in Blue Cross Blue Shield’s network…
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Franklin council, mayor sworn into office
Franklin’s new and returning councilmembers were recently sworn into office and immediately started conducting business during the December regular meeting.
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Brunch Bill one step closer to reality in Maggie Valley
As the town’s former police chief and also as a woman of faith, Maggie Valley Mayor Saralyn Price said last…
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Freshman retention dips at WCU
After years of steady upward progress, the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate at Western Carolina University dipped slightly for students who enrolled…
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Admissions interest rises at Western
When Chancellor David Belcher asked Sam Miller, Western Carolina University’s vice chancellor for students success, to tell the Board of…
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Haywood School Board to fill vacancy
After submitting applications, one of three men will be selected to fill a vacancy on the Haywood County School board…
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New home for Nudge City?
The Town of Waynesville solved one problem Nov. 28 by deciding where, exactly, video gaming parlors may in the future…
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Tribal Council removes alcohol commissioner
In a split decision, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted Dec. 7 to remove a member of the Tribal Alcoholic Beverage…
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Embracing the season: Cross-state trek presents challenge and reward for Asheville hiking legend
At 34, Jennifer Pharr Davis has conquered her fair share of long-distance hikes, and then some. Her 2011 hike of…
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Disc golf tournament raises money for nonprofits
A recent disc golf tournament in Waynesville earned nearly $2,000 to support Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood County Special Olympics.
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Land protected at Highlands of Roan
Land conservation in the Highlands of Roan area got a boost with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s purchase of 142…
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New trail opens in Murphy
The first phase in construction of a new trail system is now complete with the opening of the Piney Knob…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A long time coming
Some time around mid-September I added tic number 207 to my 2017 bird list. It was a merlin I saw…
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Send lawyers and rubles
To the Editor: Special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered more Russian characters mingling with Trump campaign officials than are found…
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Sexual violence and the workplace
By Buffy Queen • Guest Columnist “Sexual violence is a societal issue that requires systemic change. Sexual violence does not occur…
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Holiday traditions are worth their weight in gold
Growing up in Weaverville and living in Waynesville, I’m very comfortable with small town Christmases. I wouldn’t know how to…
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Homeless in Haywood for the holidays
I don’t really want to go into the domestic circumstances that led up to it, but even though I had…
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Beyond words: WCU community overflows with gratitude for Belcher’s leadership
Business as usual was a difficult thing to achieve at the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees meeting Friday, Dec.…
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Art of Music Festival gets boost from tourism agency
Balsam Range will be beefing up its annual Art of Music Festival next year thanks to a $35,000 grant from…
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