Presentation to focus on conservation strategy
 

Presentation to focus on conservation strategy

Join Mainspring Conservation Trust on March 18 for a presentation on conservation strategy in Western North Carolina by Mainspring Conservation…
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Waynesville park reopens after damage
 

Waynesville park reopens after damage

Allens Creek Park in Waynesville is open once again after being closed due to necessary cleanup efforts following recent adverse…
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Prescribed burns scheduled for Cataloochee
 

Prescribed burns scheduled for Cataloochee

Officials plan to burn approximately 96 acres in Cataloochee Valley at Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week. Weather permitting,…
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MST hosts annual membership meeting
 

MST hosts annual membership meeting

Join the Mountains to Sea Trail community for an annual membership meeting — a meeting that will also offer opportunities…
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Public input sought for trail rehab project
 

Public input sought for trail rehab project

The Nantahala Ranger District is seeking public input to implement trail rehabilitation and repairs along with other work within the…
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All of us can help fight drug addiction
 

All of us can help fight drug addiction

To the Editor: With interest, I read the article “Combating the Opioid Crisis” with interest in the February 22 issue…
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Both sides of Depot Street, from Boundary Street to Richland Creek, are home to small businesses. Haywood GIS photo
 

Spreading it around: Waynesville pushes plans for prosperity in Frog Level, Hazelwood

Waynesville’s North Main Street has been an important economic engine for the town and the county for decades, and the…
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The November General Election is now less than eight months away. File photo
 

Quiet western Primaries signal November's partisan battles, voter frustration

While the March 5 Primary Election was relatively quiet in the west — with few races and even fewer competitive…
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Haywood County Schools Superintendent Trevor Putnam said that despite budget cuts, the district has maintained as many mental health services as it couild. File photo
 

HCS mental health services report

Haywood County Schools has increased the number of people it employs to care for and monitor students’ mental health this…
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New commissioner for Macon
 

New commissioner for Macon

The Macon County Commission will see one new member seated in December after Barry Breeden beat incumbent Paul Higdon to…
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Haywood County’s jail has been running at or near capacity for years. File photo
 

Installment financing contract for Haywood jail approved

Haywood County commissioners have taken the final financial step in the long process toward approving a jail expansion, all but…
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Ulrich plans to complete his project in October by playing at 70 more Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries. Donated photo
 

Professor honors fallen WWI soldiers through 'Last Post' bugle tribute

In the West Flanders region of Belgium, there are several thousand graves of British Commonwealth soldiers who never made it…
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Russ Avenue construction starts in Waynesville
 

Russ Avenue construction starts in Waynesville

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has begun work on one of the busiest roads in Haywood County that…
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Swain TDA names new director
 

Swain TDA names new director

The Swain County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) announced the appointment of its new director, Sarah Conley. 
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Drop-in childcare returns to Waynesvlle Rec Center
 

Drop-in childcare returns to Waynesvlle Rec Center

The Waynesville recreation center has reopened its childcare rooms and has its drop-in childcare program back up and running. 
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Scott Low will play Highlands March 7. Donated photo
 

Appalachian blues: A conversation with Scott Low

At 46, Scott Low has a lot to be thankful for. Beyond his enduring career as a beloved singer-songwriter in…
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A unique self-help guide: ‘The Artist’s Way’
 

A unique self-help guide: ‘The Artist’s Way’

It’s always beneficial to revisit a classic and Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” (J. P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1992, 272 pages) is…
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Jake is the son of HCAC Executive Director Tonya D. Harwood. Donated photo
 

Haywood Arts differently abled exhibition

In 2004, my life was completely changed when one of my twin boys was born with Down Syndrome. Initially, I…
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Bird in Hand will play Bryson City March 15. File photo
 

Americana, folk at Mountain Layers

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company…
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HCC Foundation Professional Crafts fundraiser
 

HCC Foundation Professional Crafts fundraiser

The Haywood Community College Foundation inaugural “Evening of Art” event to support the needs of HCC’s Professional Crafts program will…
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The Get Right band will play Waynesville March 9. File photo
 

Rock rolls into Scotsman

Celebrating the fourth anniversary of Adamas Entertainment, Spiro Nicolopoulous Blues Apocalypse will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 8, with…
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Often mistaken for wasps, black soldier flies are harmless to humans and found worldwide. Amy Dickerson photo
 

Soldiers for sustainability: Common fly could help address pollution, boost sustainability

They can eat just about anything and multiply like crazy. They live all over the world, in a variety of…
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Holly Kays. File photo
 

Keep telling the story

When I first arrived in Western North Carolina just after New Year’s Day, 2014, I wasn’t planning to stay. 
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Among the 29 acres protected is scenic farmland. Donated photo
 

Land protected in Sandy Mush

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) closed on a conservation easement to protect 29 acres of farmland.
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The Smokies yet again earned the designation of the country’s most visited national park. File photo
 

Smokies see increased visitation

Last week, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023,…
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Smoky Mountain Beekeepers Association President Fred Crawford shows how bees build cells in a hive. Kyle Perrotti photo
 

Join Smoky Mountain Beekeepers for a series of talks

Red maples are popping, and it appears spring has sprung. As the weather improves, local beekeepers’ hives are buzzing back…
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Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest hikes, work projects
 

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest hikes, work projects

March brings unstable weather in the mountains, but it can also ushers in occasional springlike conditions. A pair of events…
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Samples were taken from 22 diverse locations. File photo
 

Biotech leader contributes $90,000 to study microbial life in Smokies

Microbial Insights has donated over $90,000 worth of advanced microbial analyses to support Discover Life in America’s research initiatives within…
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March kicks off 2024 ozone season
 

March kicks off 2024 ozone season

March 1 marked the beginning of the 2024 ozone season as state and local environmental agencies renew their daily air…
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Road maintenance shuts down roads in WNC recreation area
 

Road maintenance shuts down roads in WNC recreation area

The U.S. Forest Service is working on road maintenance and improvement projects in the Fires Creek Recreation Area near Hayesville.
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WNC outdoors recreation survey highlights economic impact of industry
 

WNC outdoors recreation survey highlights economic impact of industry

The MADE X MTNS Partnership released the results of the Western North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Participation Survey, conducted in partnership with the…
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Learn about conservation in WNC
 

Learn about conservation in WNC

The speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will continue this month with a presentation explaining the role…
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Join educational hike March 18
 

Join educational hike March 18

A UNC-Asheville geology professor will lead an educational hike March 18. 
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Green Energy Park returns to normal hours
 

Green Energy Park returns to normal hours

After completing its maintenance cycle, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will resume normal operations and will be open…
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Michell Hicks. File photo
 

Challenging false claims and legislative barriers

As keepers of our traditions and sovereignty, we vehemently oppose any attempts to exploit or appropriate the rich cultural legacy…
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Finding alignment on the anniversary of COVID
 

Finding alignment on the anniversary of COVID

Many folks seem out of alignment these days, and I’ve been thinking about why that may be. The uncertainty and…
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Time to abolish Electoral College
 

Time to abolish Electoral College

To the Editor: In this country we don’t vote for a president. There is an intermediary called an elector whom…
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GOP seeks to divide, not to lead
 

GOP seeks to divide, not to lead

To the Editor: Nikki Haley, in a February 21 interview with National Public Radio, said: “I think what’s really important…
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A kayak-view photo looks upstream from the paper mill site in Canton. Anna Alsobrook/MountainTrue photo
 

Continuing the cleanup: Pigeon River slowly bounces back as mill environmental violations mount

Once Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill shut down for good, people wondered how the Pigeon River and the aquatic life…
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New leadership for Haywood County Schools: Finance director returns, two schools see new principals
 

New leadership for Haywood County Schools: Finance director returns, two schools see new principals

The Haywood County School Board approved several personnel recommendations last week that saw the return of a previous finance director…
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Legal Action sought for injuries in Haywood explosive fire safety drill
 

Legal Action sought for injuries in Haywood explosive fire safety drill

Conrad & Scherer, a litigation firm with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has filed a lawsuit against Fireblast Global,…
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JCPS will install over 100 new security cameras. File photo
 

Jackson County Schools receives safety grant

Jackson County Schools will install over 100 new security cameras throughout the school system after it received over a quarter…
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Woody, Jamison win race for Jackson County School Board
 

Woody, Jamison win race for Jackson County School Board

Incumbent Wes Jamison and newcomer Gayle Woody have won the race for Jackson County Board of Education.
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Young, Breeden win seats for Macon Commission
 

Young, Breeden win seats for Macon Commission

The Macon County Commission will see one new member seated in December after newcomer Barry Breeden beat out incumbent Paul…
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Hornsby has lived in Macon County since 2018 and has practiced law in the region since 2004.
 

Hornsby wins new district court seat

Macon County attorney Virginia Hornsby will be a district court judge at the end of the year.
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Kenneth Parton, left, an incumbent, finished second in the Republican primary behind newcomer Tanner Lawson, right.
 

Incumbent Parton, newcomer Lawson win Swain County Commission Republican primary

Incumbent Kenneth Parton and newcomer Tanner Lawson have won the Swain County Commission Republican primary.
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North Carolina's 11th Congressional District contains the westernmost counties in the state.
 

Edwards prevails in NC-11

First-term incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) will go on to face Democrat Caleb Rudow in the November General Election after…
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Miles ahead, miles to go: despite a year of progress, post-mill challenges remain in Canton
 

Miles ahead, miles to go: despite a year of progress, post-mill challenges remain in Canton

Not a lot of people remember the date the whistle last blew or the date the last workers put their…
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The paper mill at the heart of Canton for 115 years closed for good on June 8, 2023 just three months after the closing was first announced.
 

Folded: chronicling the closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill

History will whisper through the mountain mists that once upon a time, Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill in Canton stood as…
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The Stecoah Valley Center is an arts and cultural hub for the tightly knit mountain community. Its ‘An Appalachian Evening’ live music series turns 25 years old in 2024. The building itself was constructed as a schoolhouse in 1926. File photos
 

That mountain sound: 'An Appalachian Evening' celebrates 25 years

Celebrating a quarter-century this coming summer, the “An Appalachian Evening” live music series at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center…
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