Haywood Farmers Market offers those on food assistance more bang for their buck
 

Haywood Farmers Market offers those on food assistance more bang for their buck

People on food assistance can make their money go further when buying produce at the Historic Haywood Farmers Market in…
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Bird flu fears cause farm tour cancellation
 

Bird flu fears cause farm tour cancellation

Fears of introducing the bird flu to North Carolina farms prompted the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to cancel its annual…
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Peek into camping trips past
 

Peek into camping trips past

A showcase of restored vintage camping trailers will raise money for Haywood Waterways Association’s youth education programs, 11 a.m. to…
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All hail the monarch butterfly
 

All hail the monarch butterfly

Throughout the United States, monarch butterflies are an iconic sight. Their striking orange-and-black pattern, their annual 3,000-mile flight south to…
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Eagle eye
 

Eagle eye

A pair of young archers recently earned bragging rights at the 4-H West District Shooting Sports Tournament.
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Lake J’s Inspiration Point unmasked
 

Lake J’s Inspiration Point unmasked

Inspiration Point — a garden on the grounds of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center tucked away near the Lambuth…
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New land conservation projects completed in Haywood
 

New land conservation projects completed in Haywood

More than 200 acres in the Sandy Mush area — located at the convergence of Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties…
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More than a walk: Conservation, tourism groups expect A.T. onslaught following movie release
 

More than a walk: Conservation, tourism groups expect A.T. onslaught following movie release

Bill Bryson and Steven Katz didn’t really know what they were getting into when they began their Appalachian Trail journey,…
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Tourism figures point to a post-recession recovery
 

Tourism figures point to a post-recession recovery

Recently released figures on the impact of tourism in Western North Carolina are encouraging. More visitors are spending more money,…
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Lawmakers simply need to do more for education
 

Lawmakers simply need to do more for education

Editor’s note: The following letter was recently sent to all members of the North Carolina General Assembly As students and…
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We need more veggie options in schools
 

We need more veggie options in schools

To the Editor: With the new school year just starting, parents’ attention is on school clothes, supplies and lunches. Yes,…
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Sanders has unique vision for U.S.A.
 

Sanders has unique vision for U.S.A.

To the Editor: Like many across America, I’ve become very tired of politicians of both parties talking out of both…
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Of bears and bees
 

Of bears and bees

I am not nearly so frustrated with my black oil sunflower seed-addicted bruin neighbor as I was after his little…
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“A Walk in the Woods” movie hits theaters
 

“A Walk in the Woods” movie hits theaters

A movie chronicling the adventure of a pair of middle-aged men attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail hits the theaters…
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Spectacular fall color predicted for WNC
 

Spectacular fall color predicted for WNC

Drier-than-normal conditions during 2015 will translate into one of the best shows of fall color in years, according to Western…
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Hiker’s death likely a suicide, autopsy says
 

Hiker’s death likely a suicide, autopsy says

The death of a prominent Sylva hiker whose body was found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in June…
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Fundraiser to support Cullowhee River Park
 

Fundraiser to support Cullowhee River Park

A fundraiser to support the effort to create a river park along the Tuckasegee River in Cullowhee will be held…
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Paddling competition coming to Cullowhee
 

Paddling competition coming to Cullowhee

A family-friendly paddling competition featuring a variety of categories will be held on a flatwater portion of the Tuckasegee River…
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Make mud, not war: A good time had by all at Waynesville Mud Run
 

Make mud, not war: A good time had by all at Waynesville Mud Run

I’ve never been a huge fan of any sport that hinges on an ability to run swiftly or handle a…
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Collection manages to combine horror and comedy
 

Collection manages to combine horror and comedy

There aren’t many successful horror fiction writers who are described as comical and/or whimsical. The terms seem incompatible. You don’t…
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Waynesville handcuffed from running off carousing squatters occupying town park
 

Waynesville handcuffed from running off carousing squatters occupying town park

There are few places in Waynesville folks are afraid to go after dark. But the sagging blue canopy slung beneath…
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Jackson ABC board set to buy Cashiers store
 

Jackson ABC board set to buy Cashiers store

It’s been just over a year since the Cashiers ABC store opened its doors, but the store’s renting days are…
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Meadows addresses grant workshop
 

Meadows addresses grant workshop

Representatives from three dozen fire departments, rescue squads, law enforcement units and emergency service operations convened in Waynesville Monday for…
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Whittier farmers float idea for vacant factory’s future
 

Whittier farmers float idea for vacant factory’s future

Ideas surrounding the fate of a vacant factory building in Whittier have been swirling since Jackson County commissioners started taking…
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Folkmoot Center could be a longshot as stop-gap location for Shining Rock
 

Folkmoot Center could be a longshot as stop-gap location for Shining Rock

Shining Rock Classical Academy’s continued hunt for somewhere to temporarily house the fledgling charter school come Jan. 1 has inevitably…
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Elected police chief question under review in Cherokee
 

Elected police chief question under review in Cherokee

A bid to make the Cherokee police chief’s position an elected one isn’t dead, but Tribal Council has voted to…
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Bryson City under new management
 

Bryson City under new management

When Josh Ward was earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental health, he never thought it would lead him to running…
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For Russ Avenue redesign, Waynesville wants a Cadillac, DOT counters with a Buick
 

For Russ Avenue redesign, Waynesville wants a Cadillac, DOT counters with a Buick

A grandiose plan to remake Waynesville’s Russ Avenue commercial corridor into a tree-lined boulevard has gotten a little less grandiose.
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SWC initiatives give unified voice to the region
 

SWC initiatives give unified voice to the region

Less money and stiffer competition for grants means that Western North Carolina needs to have a solid plan in place…
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Southwestern Commission: Collectively leading the region for 50 years
 

Southwestern Commission: Collectively leading the region for 50 years

One day they were operating out of the community center building in Sylva and the next they were moving into…
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Sylva business to close following owner’s arrest
 

Sylva business to close following owner’s arrest

After nearly 30 years in business, Sylva’s Jewelry Outlet on Main Street is scheduled to close Sept. 15.
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Mission Health expands footprint in Haywood
 

Mission Health expands footprint in Haywood

Mission Health opened a new $7 million medical complex in Haywood County this week offering an array of health care…
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Proud past, progressive future: Canton Labor Day celebrates 109 years
 

Proud past, progressive future: Canton Labor Day celebrates 109 years

It is the heartbeat of a town and its people. While some communities pride themselves on their Christmas, 4th of…
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So, why Canton?
 

So, why Canton?

It’s a question I get a lot. “Why do you like Canton so much?”
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In her own words
 

In her own words

Strolling Main Street in downtown Canton mid-morning, the steam stacks of nearby Evergreen Packaging rise high into another bluebird sky…
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Memories for a lifetime
 

Memories for a lifetime

Sitting down next to each other, it’s pretty apparent that Pat and Zeb Smathers are father and son.
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Bluegrass, barbecue at Francis Mill
 

Bluegrass, barbecue at Francis Mill

The Francis Mill Preservation Society will celebrate the preservation of the 128-year-old mill during the 10th annual Music at the…
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Seven Clans Rodeo rides into Cherokee
 

Seven Clans Rodeo rides into Cherokee

The Seven Clans Rodeo will be held Sept. 4-5 at the intersection of U.S. 19/441 in Cherokee. Gates open at…
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Dazzling Dahlias
 

Dazzling Dahlias

The fourth annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival will be Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Highlands Rec Park and Civic Center.
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Chinese acrobats onstage in Cullowhee
 

Chinese acrobats onstage in Cullowhee

The Golden Dragon Acrobats will bring the 2,000-year tradition of Chinese acrobatics to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.…
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Wildlife photo exhibit in Macon
 

Wildlife photo exhibit in Macon

There will be a wildlife photography exhibit showcasing the works of Ed & Cindy Boos through the month of September…
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Folk Festival returns to Lake Junaluska
 

Folk Festival returns to Lake Junaluska

Mountain music, dancing and tradition will be on display once again as the 45th annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival celebrates…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

With the cornfields as high as an elephant’s eye, apples just ripe for the pickin’ and the last of the…
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This is one ride I’m not gonna miss
 

This is one ride I’m not gonna miss

Some of them arrive four or five days early, packed up and just sitting there on the Haywood County Fairgrounds…
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Macon citizens want to help the homeless
 

Macon citizens want to help the homeless

To the Editor: Thank you Macon County. It was truly humbling to see the community turnout for the Homeless Symposium.…
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You can choose your own worldview
 

You can choose your own worldview

To the Editor: I am a human being, a member of a family, an American, and a Democrat, in that…
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Trump may be best choice for president
 

Trump may be best choice for president

To the Editor: Traditionally, Americans have sent lawyers to congressional offices in Washington. The assumption was that they would be…
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Granting opportunity available for farmers
 

Granting opportunity available for farmers

Grants to help famers offset the risk of trying something new are available through the WNC Agricultural Options program, which…
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Comment period still open on fracking drinking water study
 

Comment period still open on fracking drinking water study

The public comment period for a 1,000-page study of the effects of hydraulic fracturing — known as “fracking” — on drinking…
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