A red trillium (Trillium erectum) blooms alongside the Appalachian Trail. Holly Kays photo
 

Trilliums, Trilliums, Trilliums

Trilliums are some of the most beautiful and iconic wildflowers in the world, and the Southern Appalachian Mountains are a…
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Wolfetown Tribal Council candidates share their vision
 

Wolfetown Tribal Council candidates share their vision

Six candidates are hoping to earn one of two seats in what is an extremely unusual election year for Wolfetown…
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The majority of local current expense funds pay for salaries and benefits.
 

HCS budgets for a changing school system

As Haywood County Schools hammered out its 2023-24 budget, administrators faced declining student population and the imminent end of COVID-era…
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A group takes an HCLT EcoTour in Whiteside Cove with view of Whiteside Mountain. Donated photo
 

Protecting the plateau

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust welcomes new director  For the first time in its 114-year history, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is saying…
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Lambert Wilson died Oct. 20, 2022, at El Camino Motel in Cherokee.
 

No charges filed in Lambert Wilson death

No criminal charges will be brought against a South Carolina resident who shot and killed Lambert Wilson last fall, according…
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Gordon Kaye. Donated photo
 

Search continues for missing man near Bryson City

Update: 4:47 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reduced the scale of the search for…
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Preliminary sketches submitted to the town of Waynesville show Aldi joining Harbor Freight Tools at the old Kmart site on Russ Avenue.
 

Multiple signs that Aldi is coming to Waynesville

A real estate marketing flyer along with correspondence between Waynesville’s Land Use Administrator Byron Hickox and an Asheville sign company…
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The Crawford parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road, shown here in yellow, is just south of the Francis Farm landfill.
 

EXCLUSIVE: Potential property shuffle puts Haywood County Schools in a pickle

A relatively routine rezoning request for a parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road has inadvertently revealed multi-million dollar plans by Haywood…
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On the road with Charles Frazier’s new novel
 

On the road with Charles Frazier’s new novel

Asheville’s award-winning author Charles Frazier has a new novel just out this month (“The Trackers,” Ecco/Harper Collins, April 2023, 324…
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Haywood Commissioner Terry Ramey has voted to spend millions in taxpayer money despite being delinquent on his own taxes.
 

Commissioner’s tax troubles go deeper than previously reported

New details from the Haywood County Tax Collector’s office show that Haywood Republican Commissioner Terry Ramey, who until recently hadn’t…
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A lazy afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
 

This must be the place: ‘Pack up all your dishes, make note of all good wishes’

Last Friday afternoon marked the first “Downtown After 5” on Lexington Avenue in the heart of Asheville. The unofficial kickoff…
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It’s largely up to public servants to be knowledgable about, and to comply with, public records laws in North Carolina.
 

It’s an ‘honor system’ — public records statute has troubling gap

Across the state of North Carolina, the public’s right to know what its elected leaders are doing remains foundational to…
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The Appalachian Trail stretches out toward the view at Max Patch. Holly Kays photo
 

An ounce of comfort: A.T. hikers share the extras they take on trail

II I don’t own a bathroom scale, which means I had no way of measuring the exact weight of the…
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The tail of a southern gray-cheeked salamander emits a greenish glow.  Jonathan Cox photo
 

Word from the Smokies: A salamander’s glow could shed light on a biological mystery

Three years ago, researchers from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota captured the attention of biologists around the world with…
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Since 1957, the old Pigeon Street school has served a marginalized component of the community.
 

Celebrate the Pigeon Center this Saturday

Once upon a time, the old school on Pigeon Street was a striking symbol of divisiveness and inequality.
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Painttown Tribal Council candidates share their vision
 

Painttown Tribal Council candidates share their vision

Six candidates are hoping to earn one of two seats up for election in this year’s race for Painttown Tribal…
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GREAT Grant approved for Jackson
 

GREAT Grant approved for Jackson

Last week, the Jackson County Commissioners approved a GREAT Grant agreement that will fund a project to connect more than…
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File photo
 

Tribe adopts overdose tracking tool

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has become the first tribal nation to adopt a tool that gives real-time updates…
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Help fill the West Fork of the Pigeon with trout
 

Help fill the West Fork of the Pigeon with trout

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood…
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Pick your plants at Lake Junaluska
 

Pick your plants at Lake Junaluska

The Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale and the Corneille Bryan Native Garden plant sale will be held together 8 a.m.…
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Sylva allows chickens
 

Sylva allows chickens

Residents in the Town of Sylva will be able to keep poultry in the downtown business district after commissioners voted…
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Franklin A.T. Council welcomes new supporter
 

Franklin A.T. Council welcomes new supporter

Gracious Plates Restaurant in Franklin is the newest A.T. Supporter in Franklin, recognized by the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council.…
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Report armadillo sightings
 

Report armadillo sightings

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to know about any armadillo sightings in North Carolina as biologists continue to study…
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World-class floral display coming to N.C. Arboretum
 

World-class floral display coming to N.C. Arboretum

Immerse yourself among tens of thousands of flowers during “Bloom with a View,” running May 1-14 at the N.C. Arboretum…
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Chicago soul-rocker Neal Francis will hit the stage at Bear Shadow on April 29 in Highlands.
 

Sentimental garbage: Neal Francis to play Bear Shadow festival

Sitting backstage at the Asheville Music Hall, Neal Francis takes a moment to collect himself and think about where he…
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Ellen Pitt organized the press conference on the Jackson County Historic Courthouse steps. She was joined by law enforcement from around the region.
 

Law enforcement rallies support for DWI bills

As the May 4 deadline for crossover approaches in the North Carolina General Assembly, a last-minute push has begun to…
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John Chapman Sr. with his son following his graduation from Pisgah High School.
 

A somber journey: After losing son over a decade ago, Waynesville man still seeks solace

The immediate grief of having to bury a child seems insurmountable, and the lifetime of what-ifs seem like enough to…
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We’ll trust commissioners on library controversy
 

We’ll trust commissioners on library controversy

To the Editor: Mr. Dan Kowal’s second letter to the editor  (April 12 edition of The Smoky Mountain News) is…
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Marigold Showers (left) alongside Alexis Black and Beulah Land on stage at Lazy Hiker. Sylva Belles Drag photo
 

The show must go on: NC bill would ban drag in public

“I’d like to add one more thing,” Marigold Showers said. She is sitting with her back to the garage-style window…
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What happened to all the smiles?
 

What happened to all the smiles?

During a recent trip to the grocery store I noticed that everyone looked stone faced. The only people who were…
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Canton's Labor Day headliner has more than 25 Top 40 entries on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
 

Canton Labor Day Festival headliner announced

Canton’s 115th annual Labor Day Festival — the oldest in the South — could take on a more somber tone…
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Character counts: a review of James Rosen’s ‘Scalia’
 

Character counts: a review of James Rosen’s ‘Scalia’

He was good friends with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He taught shooting to another justice, Elaine Kagan, and…
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N.C. 151 near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
 

This must be the place: ‘To rouse the spirit of the earth, and move the rolling sky’

Dropping my girlfriend off at her house in West Asheville, it was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon. She was headed…
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Recently opened in downtown Sylva, Meatballs Pizzeria specializes in artisan Neapolitan and Roman styles.
 

Slice of the dream: New Sylva pizzeria comes full circle

Sliding into a booth at Meatballs Pizzeria in downtown Sylva, Crystal Pace and Santiago Guzzetti gaze out onto a bustling…
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Macon will remain in Fontana Regional Library
 

Macon will remain in Fontana Regional Library

After a contentious meeting with an outpouring of input from the public, Macon County commissioners have decided to work with…
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Five state legislators, including (left to right) Mike Clampitt, Mark Pless, Karl Gillespie, John Bell and Jennifer Balkcom visited flood-damages sites across Haywood County.
 

Legislative tour focuses on lingering flood impact

Nearly two years after rains from Tropical Storm Fred inundated Haywood County and flooded parts of Bethel, Canton, Clyde and…
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Character counts: a review of James Rosen’s ‘Scalia’
 

Character counts: a review of James Rosen’s ‘Scalia’

He was good friends with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He taught shooting to another justice, Elaine Kagan, and…
Read More

Comment

Life without the phone? Simply unimaginable
 

Life without the phone? Simply unimaginable

I hear tell of people, a precious few, who are not permanently tethered to their phones, people who are able to…
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Tribe approves $64 million for cannabis enterprise
 

Tribe approves $64 million for cannabis enterprise

F Following more than an hour of discussion capping off months of debate, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted April 6…
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Horses strain toward the finish line during the Cherokee Stakes honoring the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on opening day April 1. Revolutionary Racing Kentucky photo
 

Inaugural quarterhorse races held in Kentucky

More than $1 million in purses was awarded and thousands of fans attended the first races resulting from the Eastern…
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The Hoyle house still lives in my memories
 

The Hoyle house still lives in my memories

Shortly after I went to work for the Eastern Band of Cherokees back in the 1980s, my wife got employment…
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The common toothwort (left) and cut-leaved toothwort are related species of early spring flowers in the Southern Appalachians. Adam Bigelow photo
 

Long in the Toothwort

There are three species of toothwort (Cardamine spp.) in the woods of Southern Appalachia, two of which are very common…
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Ecologists found healthy populations of aquatic bugs in Pinnacle Park. Equinox Environmental photo
 

Planning for plants: Botanical survey complete for Pinnacle Park

Sylva has received the results of an in-depth botanical survey of Pinnacle Park revealing that the property is a bonanza…
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Mainspring will hold a series of events celebrating trees and the outdoors this Arbor Day weekend. Paul Rysz photo
 

Celebrate Arbor Day with Mainspring

Mainspring Conservation Trust will celebrate Arbor Day weekend with a slate of events ranging from a foraging walk to a…
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DLiA turns 25
 

DLiA turns 25

Discover Life in America, a nonprofit dedicated to learning as much as possible about the diverse species in the Great…
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View from Waterrock Knob. File photo
 

Parkway conservation project earns national recognition

The Blue Ridge Parkway has received the 2023 Byway Organization Award for Viewshed Improvement from the National Scenic Byway Foundation…
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Chronic wasting disease affects cervids, a group of animals that includes deer and elk. File photo
 

Deer, elk disease spreads to more N.C. counties

New detections of Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal ailment affecting cervids like deer and elk, have been reported in Cumberland…
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Juanita Wilson (right) and Bob McCollum, co-chairs of the Nikwasi Initiative, plant a tree along the Barbara McRae Cherokee Heritage Apple Trail. Holly Kays photo
 

Cherokee Heritage Apple Orchard opens in Franklin

A grand opening celebration for the Barbara McRae Cherokee Heritage Apple Orchard will be held 4-6 p.m. Friday, April 28,…
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An agent handles illegal drugs.
 

The endless war: How drugs come into WNC and what, if anything, can be done about it

It’s the inevitable result of human nature. Addiction has impacted almost every American — even those who’ve never suffered from…
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The Canton paper mill, seen here from Pisgah High School, is expected to start layoffs on June 9.
 

Canton will get mill’s whistles, other historic artifacts

The town of Canton won’t quite look, feel or smell the same once the century-old paper mill finally closes later…
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