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Sylva considers loosened alcohol ordinance
Alcohol could start showing up at some downtown Sylva events if town commissioners approve an ordinance slated for public comment…
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Some say Sylva’s sign fees are too high
For some people, spending free time cross-referencing town fee schedules would be as boring as watching paint dry. But for…
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Haywood residents favor land-use planning
Haywood County residents support land-use planning by a large margin, according to the results of a recent telephone survey.
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Food trucks and festoon lights run afoul of building codes
When David Young pulled a food truck onto the lot of Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden in downtown…
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In search for new Waynesville town manager, acting skills are a plus
Town manager hopefuls wanting to run one of Western North Carolina’s largest, most progressive towns will need more than budget…
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Corruption found in preliminary Cherokee audit results
Principal Chief Patrick Lambert bore the look of a man on a mission when he presented Tribal Council with a…
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New light on Salem Witch Trials
Back in 1954, when I was a freshman at Western Carolina Teachers College (now WCU), the college’s drama department launched…
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Graceful ferns a fiddling
“Marvel for a moment at the fern fiddlehead. It stands like a watch spring coiled and ready to unwind ……
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A day in the life of a mountain bike guidebook author
By Jim Parham • Contributing writer People have all kinds of preconceived notions of what it’s like to write a trail…
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Long live the hard copy trail guide
Google the name of almost any trailhead in Western North Carolina, and you’re likely to come up with pages of…
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A life of exploration: Swain County trail guide duo reflects on 25 years in business
The outdoors have been a powerful force in the lives of Jim Parham and MaryEllen Hammond. The Nantahala River was…
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Buggy photography to be illuminated
Bug-loving photographers will get the inside scoop on photographing insects through a presentation from Kefyn Catley, a biology professor at…
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WNC land trusts surpass conservation goal
In the past five years, the 10 land trusts of Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Forever coalition have collectively completed…
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Haywood art entities come together
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) recently solidified partnerships with Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) and The Strand at 38…
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WCU Road Works for organizations, communities
Western Carolina University has a new free outreach program called WCU Road Works that will present theatrical, music, film and…
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New sculpture at The Bascom
Artist John Kenneth Melvin will break ground on a new site-specific sculpture at the entrance of The Bascom art center’s…
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Beloved locomotive returns to Bryson City
After long awaited anticipation Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) is excited to announce that the historic #1702 Steam Engine will…
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Hammering away at your dreams: Blacksmithing program expands Green Energy Park’s vision
Stepping into the blacksmithing studio at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro last Saturday, the continuous sound of…
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Early to the woods
Due to contractual obligations with the Forest Service I have been in the woods a little earlier than usual this…
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Spring openings in the Smokies
Spring is here, and facilities closed for the winter are opening up accordingly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. …
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Commission wants to lift bear baiting restriction
A proposed rule change allowing hunters to bait black bears with unprocessed food throughout the entire hunting season will be…
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Snowmaking crew makes the top cut
Cataloochee Ski Area is a finalist for the I AM a Snowmaker Award, given annually by SAM Magazine and HKD…
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Take your pick of ranger programs
Spring ranger programs have begun in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, giving visitors a chance to explore the Smokies…
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Lace it up
A slate of challenging long-distance races will be coming to the Smokies this spring, meaning it’s time to get back…
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Stocked trout waters to open
Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters throughout Western North Carolina will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 2.
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Easter on the trail
This Easter marked an important milestone for Jerry Parker, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker who completed the 2,160-mile trail before it…
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A new meaning for ‘study lounge’: WCU installs solar panel and hammock lounge combo with sustainability funds
When Earth Day rolls around this year, students at Western Carolina University will be able to celebrate with a bit…
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The arts thrive only if we support them
“The arts are so incredibly vital to a quality of life, smart business and the health of a community. The…
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Questions for the legislature
By Dave Waldrop • Guest Columnist The North Carolina legislature has abandoned its responsibilities to public education under the guise…
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What lessons from the 2016 primary?
By Chris Cooper • Guest Columnist If I had to use one word to describe the North Carolina primary, it…
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On being a columnist for a small-town newspaper
Three months into this, I’ve decided that being a columnist for The Smoky Mountain News is potentially more challenging than…
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Swain County to sue federal government over North Shore Road settlement money
After waiting for years to get the money promised to them, the Swain County commissioners made a unanimous decision last…
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Community Kitchen moving to new facility
The Community Kitchen in Canton works hard to make sure no one in the community goes hungry, and now the…
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In Russ Avenue’s shadow: Neighbors fear commercial creep, struggle with identity crisis
Waynesville leaders are weighing whether to expand the commercial footprint of Russ Avenue, an issue that has pitted neighbors against…
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Franklin man shoots, kills his 22-year-old son
Macon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of 22-year-old Hunter Curtis after he was shot and killed by his…
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Whittier farmers make an offer on Drexel plant
The future of the old furniture factory in Whittier has been through more than its share of twists and turns…
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Dog owners rejoice over park drainage project
While the Waynesville dog park’s temporary closure this week might have canines a little bit antsy, dog owners are rejoicing…
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Cullowhee planning committee appointed
Nearly a year after Jackson County passed zoning standards for Cullowhee, the ordinance is set to get ground-tested with the…
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Jackson will borrow millions to fix school facilities
Leaking roofs, failing heating systems and broken pipes in Jackson County Schools will get some much-needed attention after commissioners voted…
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HCC to take over business incubator space
It will be a bittersweet transition for Smoky Mountain Development Corporation executive director Allan Steinberg. On one hand, he has…
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Commissioners under the gun to pass shooting range rules
Rules governing where commercial outdoor shooting ranges can go in Haywood County would provide security and peace of mind for…
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Regional banking powerhouse Entegra finalizes deal for Old Town Bank
Old Town Bank shareholders overwhelmingly approved the sale of the start-up bank headquartered in Waynesville last week, ending its nine-year…
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Gaming commissioners argue for their jobs back
After being ousted from their jobs when the September elections brought a new Tribal Council and executive administration, the three…
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Planning board digs into rules for industrial development
Take a drive around the mountain roads of Western North Carolina and it probably won’t be long before a tight…
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Fracking protections a key consideration in ordinance revision
When the state opened the doors for hydraulic fracturing — called “fracking” — in 2014, a flood of public opinion…
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Sacrosanct gun rights hotly debated in Haywood
Gun supporters turned out en masse this week urging Haywood County commissioners to allow concealed guns on county property, from…
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When disagreeing could still be eloquent
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” — George Orwell, 1984 For the past year, Americans have endured…
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WCU students join The Heritage Calendar project
There will be Catamount paw prints on the next edition of a calendar highlighting North Carolina’s African-American heritage as Western…
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Creative arts workshop retreats
From the beginning Cullowhee Mountain Arts (CMA) has been committed to hosting high-quality workshops taught by instructors with national and…
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