Cherokee chief vetoes marijuana study; council upholds veto
 

Cherokee chief vetoes marijuana study; council upholds veto

Just over a month after voting unanimously to study the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana on the Qualla Boundary,…
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Horseshoe Rock phenomenon attracts writers’ attention
 

Horseshoe Rock phenomenon attracts writers’ attention

“As for the Horseshoe Rock, it is one of those curving balds of solid rock. The depressions found on the…
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NC leaders balk at federal carbon control plan
 

NC leaders balk at federal carbon control plan

North Carolina has issued a draft plan to comply with federal carbon-control rules, but the plan falls short of federal…
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Naturalist to give sneak peak at upcoming book
 

Naturalist to give sneak peak at upcoming book

Naturalist and historian George Ellison will preview his upcoming collection of essays, Literary Excursions, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9,…
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Lawsuit claims Wildlife Service not doing enough for wolves
 

Lawsuit claims Wildlife Service not doing enough for wolves

A lawsuit alleging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is falling down on its job to protect the world’s only…
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Rockslide temporarily closes 14 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway
 

Rockslide temporarily closes 14 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway

A rockslide has kept the 14-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Maggie Valley and Cherokee closed for a…
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Meteors, stars and planets, oh my!
 

Meteors, stars and planets, oh my!

Crisp wintry weather makes for perfect sky-watching weather, and the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman is planning a pair…
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Trail improvements coming to Fontana: Work begins on $380K trail project
 

Trail improvements coming to Fontana: Work begins on $380K trail project

National forest trails around Fontana Village are in for an overhaul, thanks to a federal grant that’s putting the final…
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‘Dead White Guys’ ideas still relevant
 

‘Dead White Guys’ ideas still relevant

Whatever our denominations or religious beliefs, many of us are familiar with the old adage of this season: “Peace on…
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Art After Dark in Waynesville
 

Art After Dark in Waynesville

The final Art After Dark of the year will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, in…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It’s awfully quiet in here. As the rest of the newspaper heads out the door for home (or somewhere they used…
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Tapping into the next level: Boojum Brewing celebrates one year, signs distribution deal
 

Tapping into the next level: Boojum Brewing celebrates one year, signs distribution deal

It’s been a dream come true for Kelsie Baker. “This first year has really been a whirlwind of learning and…
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HRMC praised for patient care
 

HRMC praised for patient care

To the Editor: This is in praise of our new hospital, “new” meaning the Haywood Regional Medical Center, now run…
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Politicizing at WCU is just a bad idea
 

Politicizing at WCU is just a bad idea

To the Editor: It is my understanding from an article written in the Asheville Citizen Times that Western Carolina University…
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This holiday, it’s a family united
 

This holiday, it’s a family united

When I was 12 years old, there were few things I liked better than the Dallas Cowboys. Definitely my Farrah…
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Investing in what’s best about WNC
 

Investing in what’s best about WNC

While I was living in Elizabethtown in southeastern North Carolina in 1988, Walmart opened a brand-new store. Most everyone was…
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LEARN program established at WCU
 

LEARN program established at WCU

Western Carolina University, in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University, received $1.8 million from the…
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Fulghum named Innovator of the Year
 

Fulghum named Innovator of the Year

Cheryl Fulghum, Haywood Community College’s distance learning coordinator, was recently named Innovator of the Year, Western Region by the NC…
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Jackson leaders plan for growing court needs
 

Jackson leaders plan for growing court needs

The start of business Thursday, Dec. 10, will mean the coming-to-order of five different court sessions in Jackson County, a…
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Jackson rec board pushes for indoor pool
 

Jackson rec board pushes for indoor pool

It’s been more than two years since Jackson County finished a recreation master plan declaring an indoor pool a top…
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Company looks to revive Cashiers development
 

Company looks to revive Cashiers development

In the nearly eight years the Cashiers-area Chinquapin development has been around, just 30 of the planned 200 lots have…
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Schools sue state for diverting education funding to inmates
 

Schools sue state for diverting education funding to inmates

School systems across the mountains are signing on to a lawsuit against the state to recoup hundreds of thousands of…
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Cell tower companies eye Jackson
 

Cell tower companies eye Jackson

An application to build a new cell tower in Cashiers is back on the table, after the company, Crown Castle,…
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Macon Bank acquires Old Town under new name of Entegra
 

Macon Bank acquires Old Town under new name of Entegra

Old Town Bank, a local start-up bank based Waynesville, is selling to Macon Bank, a regional bank headquartered in Franklin,…
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Broyhill upbringing brought peace to Brunck
 

Broyhill upbringing brought peace to Brunck

Roberta Brunk could have easily become a victim of circumstance. Growing up in an abusive home and being moved around…
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Broyhill provides family setting for foster kids
 

Broyhill provides family setting for foster kids

Linda Morgan, executive director at Broyhill Children’s Home in Clyde, said she’s seen the pendulum swing many times during her…
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Couple opens their home, heart for foster children
 

Couple opens their home, heart for foster children

As Caroline Kernahan talked about why she wanted to be a foster parent, her 4-year-old daughter Claire climbed into her…
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Foster home shortage a challenge for WNC counties
 

Foster home shortage a challenge for WNC counties

Donna Lupton, director of social work in Haywood County, admits that fostering a child or teen isn’t for everyone.
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In search of a forever home: Number of children in foster care on the rise
 

In search of a forever home: Number of children in foster care on the rise

In a perfect world, every child would have a loving family and a safe home to return to at the…
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Sign ups are underway for commissioner seats
 

Sign ups are underway for commissioner seats

As candidate sign-ups get underway, Swain County commissioner incumbents plan to seek another term.
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Haywood primary offers platter of party positions
 

Haywood primary offers platter of party positions

The race for Haywood County commissioner has begun to take shape with the candidate sign-up period now officially underway, with…
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Parkway Foundation recognized for tourism contributions
 

Parkway Foundation recognized for tourism contributions

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was recently awarded the Tourism Excellence Award from by the N.C. Travel Industry Association.  “We’re…
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Get outside for the holidays
 

Get outside for the holidays

The Blue Ridge Parkway is supporting fresh air over shopping malls to launch the Christmas season, offering two excuses to…
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Grant protects Haywood farm with easement
 

Grant protects Haywood farm with easement

The Glance Cove Farm in the Crabtree area of Haywood County will keep its agricultural character for a long, long…
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Projects to close Parkway sections
 

Projects to close Parkway sections

A pair of tunnel closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway will impact travel and trail access beginning Dec. 1 and…
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Watch Santa practice his chimney technique
 

Watch Santa practice his chimney technique

Santa Claus will start training for the big day with rappels down Chimney Rock 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,…
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Coming down the mountain: Cataloochee turns attention to user experience
 

Coming down the mountain: Cataloochee turns attention to user experience

It’s a feeling that Chris Bates can’t shake. “Being outside, in the winter, on the mountain — there’s nothing like it,”…
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Half a hunert
 

Half a hunert

There’s nothing I like better than mixing pleasure with pleasure.  Last weekend, I got to spend three wonderful nights in…
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Irving still churning out sublime writing
 

Irving still churning out sublime writing

Avenue of Mysteries is John Irving’s fourteenth novel and it marks another amazing tale from an author who has been…
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Cullowhee Mountain ARTS gala
 

Cullowhee Mountain ARTS gala

A benefit for Cullowhee Mountain ARTS, the “Gala Imagine” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the…
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Dailey & Vincent to bring 	holiday cheer to Franklin
 

Dailey & Vincent to bring holiday cheer to Franklin

Award-winning bluegrass band Dailey & Vincent will kick off the holiday show season with their Christmas Show at 7:30 p.m.…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

What happened, America? Since when are we such a disheartened country? Sure, you might not want the Syrian refugees here. And…
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Christmas in Appalachia
 

Christmas in Appalachia

As the temperatures drop in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with…
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Is the free market free for everyone?
 

Is the free market free for everyone?

To the Editor: “I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows…
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Does Lake Junaluska need Waynesville?
 

Does Lake Junaluska need Waynesville?

To the Editor: Here we go again. Another article (Nov. 18 Smoky Mountain News or at www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/16735) regarding the annexation…
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Now is the time to finish Green Energy Park
 

Now is the time to finish Green Energy Park

To the Editor: Currently, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park is not self-sustaining. Neither are parks and public schools. Perhaps if…
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A banquet table of issues, one bite at a time
 

A banquet table of issues, one bite at a time

So much going on locally and around the world that it’s just a tough week to bear down on a…
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Planning director search hits a roadblock
 

Planning director search hits a roadblock

Jackson County had been without a planning director for half a year when commissioners sent out a job offer this…
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Brasstown Possum Drop gets bad news in court
 

Brasstown Possum Drop gets bad news in court

Brasstown might be facing another possumless Possum Drop this year after a Wake County judge shot down the state’s motion…
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Council pledges support for extending language immersion program
 

Council pledges support for extending language immersion program

With the school year nearing its midpoint, sixth-graders at New Kituwah Academy in Cherokee are starting to ask an increasingly…
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