A litter of five red wolves was recently born in eastern North Carolina’s wild population. Red Wolf Recovery Program photo
 

Red wolf litter born in the wild

A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.
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A blue arrow signals a bend in the path on Kingfisher Trail. Holly Kays photo
 

HCC opens new Dahlia Ridge Trail System

When A.L. Freedlander issued the 1966 fundraising challenge that birthed the Haywood Community College campus in Clyde, he envisioned a…
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Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke addresses commissioners during a May 15 board meeting.
 

Haywood commissioners support tax hike to fund school resource officers

Absent any meaningful gun legislation by the North Carolina General Assembly or by Congress, the cost of protecting Haywood County’s…
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The old Kmart plaza on Russ Avenue has suddenly become a hotbed of activity.
 

Old Kmart plaza sold

Less than two weeks after a story in The Smoky Mountain News revealed that a real estate marketing flyer along with…
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North Carolina’s abortion bill sailed through the General Assembly last week.
 

Abortion bill will test Republican supermajority

It’s been a little over a year since a draft of the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling was leaked, and a…
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Embracing the sisterhood of motherhood
 

Embracing the sisterhood of motherhood

Last weekend, I flew to Phoenix for a conference. During the four-hour flight, I sat beside a lap child, which…
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Django was a wanderer, a free spirit
 

Django was a wanderer, a free spirit

This morning was one of those times when Django being gone hit home, when I got a little emotional thinking…
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Journalism is cesspool of propoganda
 

Journalism is cesspool of propoganda

To the Editor: Journalism used to be an honorable profession, but over the past two decades or so has become…
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The Princess Theatre in Decatur, Alabama opened in 1919.
 

This must be the place: ‘Windswept stars blink and smile, another song, another mile’

Hello from Room 209 at the Home2 Suites by Hilton on the outskirts of downtown Decatur, Alabama. It’s Monday morning.…
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An Alabama native, Abe Partridge has become a beloved folk singer-songwriter in the Americana/indie realms.
 

Love in the dark: Abe Partridge brings the good word to WNC

A former Baptist preacher and military veteran, Abe Partridge is now regarded as one of the most unique and captivating…
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Avery Pittman won first place in the Western Carolina University College of Business Pitch Competition.
 

Student wins WCU College of Business pitch competition

Avery Pittman, a first-year entrepreneurship and interior design major from Startown, won first place in the Western Carolina University College…
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Meetings set to discuss Waynesville historic preservation
 

Meetings set to discuss Waynesville historic preservation

The Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will host a pair of public meetings to discuss the preparation of a…
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Teen driver law changes take effect
 

Teen driver law changes take effect

Upon passage of a bill by the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced changes to…
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Jonathan A. Wyles
 

Man pleads guilty to child sex crimes

A South Carolina man who used social media to groom then entice an underage teen to meet him in both…
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This selfie is the last known photo of Austin Gayne.
 

Car show reminds people to slow down and move over

Following her son’s death, a Haywood County mom is on a mission to get people to slow down and move…
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Birdtown Tribal Council candidates share their vision
 

Birdtown Tribal Council candidates share their vision

fF Five candidates are running for a term representing Birdtown on Tribal Council for the next two years.
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Cannabis funding vetoed
 

Cannabis funding vetoed

UU Upholding a veto from Principal Chief Richard Sneed, on May 4 the Cherokee Tribal Council reversed an April decision…
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Lambert Wilson died Oct. 20 in a shooting at El Camino Motel in Cherokee. Holly Kays photo
 

DA finds Lambert Wilson shooting was self-defense

M More than six months after beloved Swain County educator was shot and killed  at his motel in Cherokee, District…
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Tribal members march down Tsali Blvd. in Cherokee in honor of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Holly Kays photo
 

Remembering the stolen: Gathering honors those lost to missing and murdered indigenous women epidemic

The fourth annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relative Walk and Vigil held in Cherokee Friday, May 5, aimed to do…
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The new health sciences building is responsible for increased opportunities, and costs, at Haywood Community College.
 

‘Cornerstone of the community’: HCC budgets for the coming year

Haywood Community College has long been a foundation of education and job training in the region; the college will celebrate…
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Hawthorn Heights is located in Bryson City but provides services to all seven Western North Carolina counties.
 

Jackson approves juvenile crime prevention funding plan

Three Jackson County programs will receive funding from the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council to help reduce and prevent juvenile crime.
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Dive into the interconnected world of birds and insects
 

Dive into the interconnected world of birds and insects

Explore the love-hate relationship between birds and insects during a talk from Balsam Mountain Trust Executive Director Michael Wall at…
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William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City
 

William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City

Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at…
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Connect to the spirit of the Smokies
 

Connect to the spirit of the Smokies

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who…
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Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program
 

Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field…
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Volunteers pick up trash during a previous cleanup. Donated photo
 

Polish up the Pigeon

Pick up the Pigeon River during a cleanup 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in Canton.
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Laurel Falls is crowded during a Friday in August 2021. NPS photo
 

Environmental Assessment for Laurel Falls plan out for comment

An Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan is out for…
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Active search stops for missing man
 

Active search stops for missing man

After an extensive 11-day search, on May 6 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park halted its active field search for…
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A peony flower opens in the morning light at Wildcat Ridge Farm. Holly Kays photo
 

One thousand peonies

Each May, Crabtree couple invites the public to drink in field of blooms  Ricardo Fernandez Battini and his wife Suzanne…
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Snapping turtles have long, saw-toothed tails. Fred Coyle photo
 

Up Moses Creek

Snapper, Part I  Snapping turtles have been on my mind this spring after one showed up in our pond. Its…
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Haywood Rep. Mark Pless, seen here in February, has been pursuing partisan elections in his district since 2022.
 

Persistent Pless pushes partisan polling play

Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless is closer than ever to getting partisan local elections in his district — part of…
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Principal Chief Richard Sneed vetoed the decision, citing concerns regarding the project's cost, as well as where the money may come from.
 

Chief vetoes cannabis enterprise funding

Following a veto from Principal Chief Richard Sneed, the Cherokee Tribal Council today reversed an April decision that allocated $64…
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Crypto vending machines have popped up in convenience stores around Western North Carolina.
 

Haywood seeks to ‘get ahead’ of cryptocurrency mining

The relatively recent rise of cryptocurrency, its associated strain on utility infrastructure and its potential to disrupt the peace and…
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Matt Walksler is the curator of Dale's Wheels Through Time.
 

Free entry for Haywood residents at Wheels Through Time

Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday…
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Jason Isbell performed at the Bear Shadow Music Festival in Highlands.
 

This must be the place: ‘The people came and listened, some of them came and played’

Hello from Room 5218 in the Falls Cottage King Suite at the Old Edwards Inn in downtown Highlands. It’s late…
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Opening last fall, Angry Elk Brewing in Whittier features over a dozen handmade craft ales.
 

Pint of passion: New WNC brewery sparks camaraderie

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Greg Wasik saw firsthand that trademark sense of community at neighborhood taverns around the Motor…
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Waynesville changes name of governing board
 

Waynesville changes name of governing board

The Town of Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen will now be known as the Town Council, after an April 25 vote…
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Staggered terms adopted in Waynesville
 

Staggered terms adopted in Waynesville

This year’s election for seats on Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen — recently re-styled as “Town Council” — will proceed with…
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Can’t go wrong with a ‘Literary Mother’s Day’
 

Can’t go wrong with a ‘Literary Mother’s Day’

Don’t worry. We’re not going to explore the relationship of Mrs. Bennet with her daughters in “Pride and Prejudice” or…
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GOP should not politicize debt ceiling
 

GOP should not politicize debt ceiling

To the Editor: During the Trump administration, bipartisan votes increased the debt ceiling three times, without conditions. Now that a…
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Most vote for those ‘they know nothing about’
 

Most vote for those ‘they know nothing about’

Editor’s note : State House Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, wrote this column to describe why he filed a bill that…
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Thanks for the gift of music
 

Thanks for the gift of music

The nicest thing my mother ever did for me was buy me a stereo I didn’t deserve. I was a…
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The Blue Ridge Parkway winds up toward Waterrock Knob. File photo
 

Stretch out on Waterrock

Take a leisurely hike to the Waterrock Knob overlook for sunset yoga with Tara Scarborough at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, May…
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The Linville Gorge fire reached 12 acres before humid conditions allowed firefighters to take an indirect approach in their response. USFS photo
 

Lightning responsible for Linville Gorge fire

Lightning ignited a wildfire in the Linville Gorge Wilderness last week, but humid conditions and rainfall allowed firefighters to take…
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The Community Club Council smiles after a resolution authorizing a referendum vote on the proposed constitution passed Tribal Council April 6. However, the measure faces additional hurdles before finding a place on the ballot. Holly Kays photo
 

Cherokee constitution effort faces hurdle

AA proposed constitution for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is facing opposition from the EBCI Attorney General’s Office following…
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Brian Railsback. Donated photo
 

WCU professor named Smokies writer in residence

Brian Railsback, an English professor at Western Carolina University, has received the 2023 Steve Kemp Writers’ Residency from the Great…
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Pride Parade participants march down Main Street during the inaugural Sylva Pride Parade.
 

Sylva considers sponsoring pride

The Town of Sylva has decided that only town-sponsored events can warrant closing Main Street. Now, the town board will…
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DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser speaks to Haywood Community College President Shelley White. Holly Kays photo
 

DEQ secretary visits Canton

During a visit to Canton Tuesday, May 2, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser met with a room…
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Wildlife Commission, DOT, pledge to work together on wildlife crossings
 

Wildlife Commission, DOT, pledge to work together on wildlife crossings

A recently signed memorandum of understanding between the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Department of Transportation signals the…
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The property in question is located across the road from Franklin High School.
 

Confusion surrounds Higdon Property

At the April 24 meeting of the Macon County School Board, confusion surrounding the county’s intent to purchase the Higdon…
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