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Celebrating the wit of Robert Burns
Although many poets and musicians have won awards, there is only one person who has a world-wide celebration every year…
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We all need to get informed
To the Editor: Scott McLeod’s recent editorial “Looking more for ideology, less politics” (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/19140) truly resonated for me and I…
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Why are white males left out?
To the Editor: When you write “Looking for more ideology, less politics,” what exactly does that imply? And when you…
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Please keep your dogs leashed
To the Editor: I am writing this letter in hopes that people walking their pets will be more considerate to…
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Appreciate the opinion
To the Editor: Mr. McLeod, am writing to commend your timely Opinion piece. You made a number of excellent points.…
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Sylva shoe duo upholds the last of a dying trade
Mike Fitzgerald rarely skipped a beat as he darted spryly between his cobbler’s bench and the vintage, grime-coated machines anchoring…
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Missing Clyde man found deceased
A Clyde man who has been missing since Jan. 3 has been found deceased.
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Macon urges proper disposal of used needles
Sanitation workers in Macon County are worried about dangerous items that could be lurking in the household trash bags being…
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Increased density coming to Howell Mill Road?
An oft-repeated concern expressed during meetings of the Haywood County Affordable Housing Task Force is the scarcity of buildable land…
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Bryson City removes trees on Everett Street
Many Bryson City business owners were caught off guard last week when they noticed massive holes all along Everett Street…
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Street trees replaced in Sylva
The streets of downtown Sylva are newly treeless after town crews excavated the red maples earlier this month, but the…
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Town to pursue Calvary Street purchase
The town of Waynesville will move forward with plans to purchase three vacant, blighted lots straddling Calvary Street, despite interest…
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Russ fuss prompts resolution
After holding two public hearings that drew large crowds of opposition, Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown and the board of aldermen…
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Painting helps Swain County artist heal
Barbara Robinson can find artistic inspiration wherever she may be. Sometimes it’s looking out over Frye Mountain from her art…
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Illegal dumping plagues Swain
Swain County recently spent more than $350,000 in order to better secure its trash site and cut down on sanitation…
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Former gaming enterprise chairwoman to rejoin board
The Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise’s newest member will be anything but new to the business of casino management when she…
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Cherokee hospital will see funding cut due to infection rates
According to a recent ranking from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority is one…
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Board member removed from TWSA mid-term
Joe Ward’s term on the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority board came to an abrupt end last week when newly…
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SMN reporter to cover Presidential Inauguration
Starting this week, The Smoky Mountain News will begin issuing a steady stream of coverage from the nation’s capital as…
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Still time to sign up for ACA insurance policy
The planned repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act doesn’t seem to be impacting the numbers of people in Western North…
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Rally to ‘save health care’ draws crowd to downtown Sylva
A crowd of more than 150 people took to the streets of downtown Sylva Sunday joining protestors in cities across…
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Haywood struggling to retain teachers
For months now, a committee created by the Haywood County Board of Education has been looking for ways to entice…
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Central Elementary generating interest from buyers
The building that once housed Central Elementary School may soon find new life in the private sector, if and when…
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Nothing like old-time boardinghouses
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in January 2011. Are there boardinghouses still operating here…
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Looking for more ideology, less politics
As the holidays drew to a close, I began preparing for the reporting we will do on the upcoming session…
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Waiting in a winter wonderland
My wife was stranded in Mississippi. She was supposed to get home late on Friday night, but then the big…
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Trump just too ignorant for the job
To the Editor: Is it just me? Or are any of your readers just a wee bit concerned about (this…
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Rep. Meadows should have recused himself
To the Editor: The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language defines ethics as: “moral principles or code.” The Office of…
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Not TDA’s job to hire downtown director
To the Editor: Given the recent suggestion in The Sylva Herald that the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority possibly fund…
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Harrah’s recognized for environmental policies
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort earned recognition for reducing its environmental impact when Green Key Global bestowed it a 4-Key rating…
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Drought severity lessens in WNC
Wet weather over the past week has put a dent in the severity of drought in Western North Carolina.
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Bear baiting and more trapping policies among proposed wildlife rule changes
A public hearing seeking input on this year’s round of proposals from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will be held…
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Hikers rescued after three days in the woods
A day hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest turned into a days-long ordeal culminating…
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A growing mark: Outdoor school opens world’s largest wilderness medicine classroom in Cullowhee
Just north of Cullowhee, at the curvy, gravel terminus of Cane Creek Road, sits the building containing the world’s largest…
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Books from different ends of the spectrum
Opposites attract, so the old saying runs. We’ve all known friends, husbands and wives, and lovers who match this adage,…
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This must be the place: In the presence of the Founding Fathers
I decided to not wear the hardhat. Standing underneath the magnificent 215-foot high ancient rock arch at the Natural Bridge…
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Winds of Change: The Infamous Stringdusters hit WNC
They are the bridge. In the bluegrass world these days, it seems there are two camps of thought and performance…
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Another runway extension in the wings for Macon airport
With the last Macon County Airport runway extension project barely in the rearview, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has…
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Dilapidated structures plaguing Franklin
Overgrown brush, rotting floors, collapsing roofs, vermin and asbestos. Dealing with deteriorating structures isn’t a new issue for the town…
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Franklin facelift: Changes are coming to downtown Franklin
Downtown Franklin will be undergoing plenty of changes in 2017 and for the next few years as the town works…
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Honor MLK with day of service
Citizens recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day since it was established in 1986, are encouraged to volunteer on the third…
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Haywood Habitat accepting homeowner applications
Haywood Habitat for Humanity is seeking qualified homeowners for homes located in Haywood County.
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Volunteers, athletes sought for Special Olympics
Haywood County Special Olympics officials are forming a Local Program Committee so that the program can reach more potential athletes…
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WCU professor gets award for archaeological excellence
Western Carolina University’s Ben Steere, assistant professor of anthropology and co-director of Cherokee Studies Programs, is recipient of the Principal…
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Focus groups needed to discuss Swain ER changes
Swain Community Hospital is looking for small groups of residents to be part of ongoing focus groups to discuss changes…
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To tax or not to tax? Waynesville considers adding another tax-exempt parcel
It isn’t often that citizens avail themselves of the public comment session offered by local governments.
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Only opposition heard for Walnut Street widening
Although work on the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s proposed improvements to Russ Avenue won’t begin until 2022, Waynesville residents…
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Canton dives in to pool project
Town of Canton officials faced a “sink or swim” moment Jan. 3 when, in a special public hearing, they had…
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Neglected Canton dogs still need homes
In a case that stunned Western North Carolina residents last November, 137 dogs were found being kept in varying states…
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Sequoyah Fund embezzler sentenced
Embezzling nearly $1 million from The Sequoyah Fund in Cherokee will land the organization’s former executive director in federal prison…
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