Hogs have long been an Appalachian staple
 

Hogs have long been an Appalachian staple

Hog Holler, Hog Branch, Hog Camp Branch, Hog Cane Branch, Hog-eye Branch, Hogback Gap, Hogback Holler, Hogback Knob, Hogback Ridge,…
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The Web is changing us in more ways than we know
 

The Web is changing us in more ways than we know

In Reclaiming Conversation, author Sherry Turkle notes that significant changes sometimes come to our daily lives without our noticing, until…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

That song — you know that song — came over the stereo and I felt my shoulders relax.
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Go tell it on the mountain: Living room concert series sparks curiosity, camaraderie
 

Go tell it on the mountain: Living room concert series sparks curiosity, camaraderie

Heading west on Highway 76, the last of the warm sunshine falls behind the silent Blue Ridge Mountains. With the…
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Waynesville institution to close its doors after three generations, 88 years
 

Waynesville institution to close its doors after three generations, 88 years

A devoted customer stood at the counter at Walker Service chatting with Clayton Cathey before picking up his truck for…
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Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center
 

Major renovation planned for Harris’ New Generations Birthing Center

A $5.5 million renovation and expansion of the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital will soon be…
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Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella
 

Harris brings OB doctors under one umbrella

Harris Regional Hospital is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering babies in the mountains, a legacy it has pledged…
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Restoring unity important, say Waynesville leaders
 

Restoring unity important, say Waynesville leaders

Waynesville leaders made a pact last week to work cooperatively in choosing a new town manager, despite the rift among…
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Haywood to consider moratorium on outdoor shooting ranges
 

Haywood to consider moratorium on outdoor shooting ranges

Backlash from rural residents in Haywood County who fear an indoor shooting range proposed in their midst will disrupt their…
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From worst-case scenario to sinking reality: the evolution of closing a school
 

From worst-case scenario to sinking reality: the evolution of closing a school

The potential closing of Central Elementary School in Waynesville due to a massive, sudden budget shortfall for Haywood County Schools…
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Overbuilt? School consolidation targets Central Elementary as collateral damage
 

Overbuilt? School consolidation targets Central Elementary as collateral damage

A feasibility report on the potential closure of Central Elementary School in Waynesville was released by Haywood County Schools last…
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Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs
 

Jackson schools map out millions in capital needs

Jackson County Public Schools wants more than $12 million for improvements to its facilities through 2020, but despite the big…
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Charter school chairwoman steps down
 

Charter school chairwoman steps down

Tara Keilberg, a founding board member for the Shining Rock Classical Academy, has resigned from her post as chairwoman on…
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Jackson homeless shelter short on cash
 

Jackson homeless shelter short on cash

Things are coming down to the wire for Jackson County’s only homeless shelter. Without a fast infusion of cash, Jackson…
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Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson
 

Tax value notices to be issued in Jackson

Some Jackson County property owners might find themselves doing a doubletake when notice of their updated property value comes in…
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MADD advocate honored for lives she’s touched
 

MADD advocate honored for lives she’s touched

A Haywood County woman who has dedicated the past dozen years to a crusade against driving while impaired was honored…
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Commissioners look to secure Macon County Courthouse
 

Commissioners look to secure Macon County Courthouse

Before it becomes a mandate from a judge, Macon County commissioners are looking to make improvements to security at the…
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Clayton Davis to join Maggie town board
 

Clayton Davis to join Maggie town board

After interviewing seven people Monday night, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen unanimously chose Clayton Davis to fill a two-year…
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Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids
 

Saturday school on tap for Haywood County kids

Haywood County Schools have pulled the trigger on Saturday school, announcing that this Saturday (Jan. 30) will be a snow…
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GALLERY: Snow Storm Jonas in Haywood County
 

GALLERY: Snow Storm Jonas in Haywood County

Allen Newland with A Shot Above aerial photography took these shots on Sunday, Jan. 24, showing the aftermath of Snow…
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Canton working to restore water to residents
 

Canton working to restore water to residents

Many residents in Canton and Clyde were without water overnight as a result of an 8-inch waterline break yesterday and…
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Can I move?
 

Can I move?

Remember the scene in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” where the Kid was asked by an old miner (I…
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Power plant plans to be discussed at public hearing
 

Power plant plans to be discussed at public hearing

A public hearing on Duke Energy’s plan to build two new power plants to replace its soon-to-retire Asheville coal plant…
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Date set for Smokies Half Marathon
 

Date set for Smokies Half Marathon

The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon will send runners all around Waynesville on Saturday, May 14 — and for…
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Hike 100 miles of Smokies trail in 2016
 

Hike 100 miles of Smokies trail in 2016

Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash has issued a challenge to all hardy souls wishing to join him in celebrating the National…
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To hunt or not to hunt: Elk season proposal debated at public hearing
 

To hunt or not to hunt: Elk season proposal debated at public hearing

Should North Carolina start thinking about a hunting season for elk?  If the crowd that turned out to the N.C.…
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Voters will ultimately decide if firing was a mistake
 

Voters will ultimately decide if firing was a mistake

Former county commissioner, mayor and longtime Haywood County political player/observer Mary Ann Enloe was dead on in her column last…
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Believe it or not, fear can kill you
 

Believe it or not, fear can kill you

To the Editor: Startling new findings show that if you are a middle-aged white person, your life expectancy is dramatically…
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Thankfully, we are about over Obama’s reign
 

Thankfully, we are about over Obama’s reign

To the Editor  Closing the stable after the horse has bolted describes Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech last…
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If it means reconnecting with my gypsy soul, I’m in
 

If it means reconnecting with my gypsy soul, I’m in

One Friday night in October my husband and I were dining at the bar at Frog’s Leap when I realized…
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Nine apply for Maggie Valley alderman seat
 

Nine apply for Maggie Valley alderman seat

In a surprising last-minute turnout, nine Maggie Valley residents have submitted applications to be considered for a board of aldermen…
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Fallen officer to be namesake of new justice center
 

Fallen officer to be namesake of new justice center

Tony Lossiah was a good man, a quiet guy with a caring heart. He loved his family and worked hard…
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No charges will be filed in Jackson jail suicides
 

No charges will be filed in Jackson jail suicides

No charges will be filed following suicides at the Jackson County Detention Center in November 2014 and March 2015, District…
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What’s next in the Waynesville town manager debate
 

What’s next in the Waynesville town manager debate

Waynesville leaders interviewed two potential candidates Tuesday night to serve as an interim town manager following the dismissal of Town…
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Low morale cited in vote to fire Waynesville town manager
 

Low morale cited in vote to fire Waynesville town manager

Waynesville Town Manager Marcy Onieal was fired last week in a 3-2 split vote by the town board following a…
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Koch money at WCU remains under scrutiny
 

Koch money at WCU remains under scrutiny

A Western Carolina University professor with ties to the ultra-conservative Koch brothers political network worked behind the scenes with outside…
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A yes or no please: Has the state school budget been cut?
 

A yes or no please: Has the state school budget been cut?

Democratic candidates who pledge to fight for more education funding could resonate with parents witnessing the impacts of the funding…
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Blame game flares up in school closure debate
 

Blame game flares up in school closure debate

Alert: A public meeting on the possible closure of Central Elementary School has been moved from Tuesday to Wednesday due to concerns over lingering hazardous road conditions. The new meeting time is 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The potential closure…
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Update: Massive cuts on the way for Haywood schools
 

Update: Massive cuts on the way for Haywood schools

News that a beloved elementary school might close next year grabbed headlines last week, but shuttering Central Elementary School in Waynesville won’t be enough to make up for the $2.4 million budget shortfall Haywood County Schools is facing next school…
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Fired WCU worker wins wrongful termination suit
 

Fired WCU worker wins wrongful termination suit

After a former employee won a lawsuit claiming that Western Carolina University had fired him without cause, the university is…
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Community colleges also stand to benefit from bond passage
 

Community colleges also stand to benefit from bond passage

Though community college leaders aren’t allowed to take an official position on whether they support the $2 billion Connect NC…
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Bond could give higher education an influx of funds
 

Bond could give higher education an influx of funds

Despite the large number of politicians that will be on the ballot March 15, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee probably…
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Infrastructure bonds garner bipartisan support
 

Infrastructure bonds garner bipartisan support

On March 15, North Carolina voters will be asked whether they support borrowing $2 billion to fund a backlog of…
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Macon commissioners pass on wilderness resolution
 

Macon commissioners pass on wilderness resolution

Macon County commissioners maintained their stance against creating more wilderness areas in the county despite The Wilderness Society’s attempt to…
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Free clinic to serve uninsured in Swain County
 

Free clinic to serve uninsured in Swain County

Dr. Frank VanMiddlesworth is on a mission to bring free medical care to the uninsured in Swain County and improve…
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Start off with something old, something new
 

Start off with something old, something new

With the new year now upon us, it strikes me that “something old” and “something new” is appropriate for this…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

There are singers, there are performers, and then there’s Laura Reed.  Wandering the numerous floors and stages of New Mountain…
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Healing the mountains, healing the people
 

Healing the mountains, healing the people

Byron Ballard is one misunderstood witch. “There is this whole cultural mythology that witches aren’t human. They’re seen as these…
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