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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Applicants wanted for Maggie board vacancy
 

Applicants wanted for Maggie board vacancy

Despite the recent election, the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen still has an empty seat to fill.
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Hawthorn Heights opens new Bryson City shelter
 

Hawthorn Heights opens new Bryson City shelter

While the former Hawthorn Heights teen shelter presented a number of challenges, the only challenge for teens moving into the…
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SBI investigates former SCC employees
 

SBI investigates former SCC employees

A State Bureau of Investigations probe is looking into possible wrongdoing on the part of a pair of former Southwestern…
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SCC gears up to get rid of lead contamination near shooting range
 

SCC gears up to get rid of lead contamination near shooting range

After measuring lead levels of more than 200 times the state limit for safety near its shooting range, Southwestern Community…
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Jackson tourism board considers Webster mayor for director job
 

Jackson tourism board considers Webster mayor for director job

If the selection panel’s pick gets the backing of the full board, Jackson County’s likely to have a new tourism…
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Macon commissioner to seek state office
 

Macon commissioner to seek state office

Macon County Commission Chairman Kevin Corbin announced his plans Monday night to run next year for the North Carolina House…
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Take a stroll, read a book: Franklin nonprofit to install StoryWalks around town
 

Take a stroll, read a book: Franklin nonprofit to install StoryWalks around town

Franklin will soon be joining other communities around the world who are incorporating a love for reading with a love…
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Meet John Burgin, the wizard of Hazelwood
 

Meet John Burgin, the wizard of Hazelwood

From the outside, John Burgin looks like a lucky guy, a guy in the right place at the right time…
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Plans under way for Plott hound art piece in Hazelwood
 

Plans under way for Plott hound art piece in Hazelwood

Hazelwood will soon be home to a sculpture of a Plott hound, the fabled bear-hunting breed steeped in local lore…
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Maxed out: parking crunch in Hazelwood will soon be fixed
 

Maxed out: parking crunch in Hazelwood will soon be fixed

Waynesville is stepping up to the plate to solve a parking bottleneck in Hazelwood Village, with plans to double the…
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Back in the saddle: Once given up for dead, Hazelwood is beating the odds one small business at a time
 

Back in the saddle: Once given up for dead, Hazelwood is beating the odds one small business at a time

It was barely 11 a.m. and Hazelwood was hopping. The scent of freshly roasted coffee beans spilled out of Smoky Mountain…
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Support small businesses Saturday
 

Support small businesses Saturday

What would Western North Carolina’s small towns be like without a strong base of small businesses?
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Democrats scramble to recruit candidates for Haywood commissioner contest
 

Democrats scramble to recruit candidates for Haywood commissioner contest

The ballot for Haywood County commissioner could be a sparse one based on rumblings of who’s running — and more…
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Chinquapin among our most interesting, graceful plants
 

Chinquapin among our most interesting, graceful plants

In 1900 about 35 percent of the deciduous forest in the Southern Appalachians was comprised of American chestnut (Castanea dentata).
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Thanksgiving events planned at Fontana
 

Thanksgiving events planned at Fontana

A week of fall fun will celebrate Thanksgiving at Fontana Village, with a schedule of events including hiking, hunting and…
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Franklin wants help with bike and pedestrian planning
 

Franklin wants help with bike and pedestrian planning

A survey to find out what can be done to make walking and biking in Franklin easier and safer is…
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Trout Unlimited donation will help Smokies trout
 

Trout Unlimited donation will help Smokies trout

Fish habitat and the brook trout populations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a $19,000 boost thanks to…
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License plate grants open for A.T. projects
 

License plate grants open for A.T. projects

A total $30,000 in grants for Appalachian Trail related projects in North Carolina is up for grabs thanks to proceeds…
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Federal bill could change funding for outdoor rec projects
 

Federal bill could change funding for outdoor rec projects

If a bill recently introduced to Congress passes, a federal fund used to support parks and open spaces across the…
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Former Congressman Taylor recognized for forestry career
 

Former Congressman Taylor recognized for forestry career

Former Congressman and Brevard resident Charles H. Taylor was recently named 2015 North Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year by…
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Ski season starts at Cataloochee
 

Ski season starts at Cataloochee

Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the winter last weekend, kicking off the first run of the season at 8:30 a.m.…
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Rare salamander found in new area
 

Rare salamander found in new area

The rare green salamander had never been documented in the Highlands area before, but a September excursion to the Overflow…
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