GOP’s Trump problem won’t be easily resolved
 

GOP’s Trump problem won’t be easily resolved

I would wager that I despise politics just about as much as you do. Whatever your political affiliation, we would…
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Chief candidates square off: Debate gets candidates on record about issues
 

Chief candidates square off: Debate gets candidates on record about issues

Whether from a seat in the auditorium or at home on the couch, more than 1,000 Cherokee people blocked out…
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Blueberry identification is ‘difficult at best’
 

Blueberry identification is ‘difficult at best’

“It’s football time in Tennessee!” is what John Ward, the long-time announcer for the University of Tennessee, used to declare…
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Behind-the-scenes rescuers: Emergency management team gears up for autumn rescue season
 

Behind-the-scenes rescuers: Emergency management team gears up for autumn rescue season

Summer’s not quite over, but emergency responders in Haywood County are already practicing their skills in preparation for rescue season,…
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Macon Heritage fest to feature Plott hound lore
 

Macon Heritage fest to feature Plott hound lore

Learn about the fabled bear hunting dog — the Plott Hound — during a talk at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug.…
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Stocking suspended after disease found in trout
 

Stocking suspended after disease found in trout

Whirling disease has been confirmed in rainbow trout in the Watauga River in the Banner Elk area, and biologists are…
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Swain officer wins state boating award
 

Swain officer wins state boating award

A Bryson City man has been honored as North Carolina’s Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.  Brian Cookston, a…
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Experience life on the top
 

Experience life on the top

A guided hike to the top of Mount LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will provide an opportunity…
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Get schooled in wilderness
 

Get schooled in wilderness

A fall schedule of classes covering the principles of emergency response and responsible behavior in the backcountry will soon kick…
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Show off your horse, tractor and truck at the Haywood fair
 

Show off your horse, tractor and truck at the Haywood fair

The Haywood County Fair is coming up, and with it some opportunity for friendly competition. Consider putting your hat in…
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A traveler’s library; books read and unread
 

A traveler’s library; books read and unread

As some readers of this column may know, I have spent the past six weeks in Europe, specifically the British…
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Waynesville Craft Beer Faire is Aug. 15
 

Waynesville Craft Beer Faire is Aug. 15

The Waynesville Craft Beer Faire will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, on the baseball field…
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Do you want to fly model planes?
 

Do you want to fly model planes?

The Macon Aero Modelers will be hosting an AMA National Model Aviation Day celebration event at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug.…
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Tony Award musical at HART
 

Tony Award musical at HART

The Stephen Sondheim Broadway hit comedy “Company” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4-5 and at 3 p.m.…
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Cataloochee Ranch welcomes The Honeycutters
 

Cataloochee Ranch welcomes The Honeycutters

Americana/roots act The Honeycutters will perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Cataloochee Guest Ranch in Maggie Valley.
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I rolled the windows down and stuck my head out. The air was crisp and salty, with a slight hint of…
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Onstage at WCU
 

Onstage at WCU

Galaxy of Stars offers a variety of entertainment  A tribute to a comedic icon, a holiday show featuring the “Redneck…
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Haywood’s Good Samaritan Clinic to benefit from golf tournament
 

Haywood’s Good Samaritan Clinic to benefit from golf tournament

The annual Golf and Gala event hosted by Haywood Healthcare Foundation on Aug. 25 and 26 will feature five separate…
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Waynesville’s Russ Avenue gets rework of concrete bumper
 

Waynesville’s Russ Avenue gets rework of concrete bumper

Love it or hate it, the concrete median down the middle of Russ Avenue in Waynesville on the approach to…
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Maggie officials not pleased with DOT report
 

Maggie officials not pleased with DOT report

Maggie Valley leaders aren’t taking no for an answer after the North Carolina Department of Transportation said nothing could be…
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Mobile vendors finding permanent homes in WNC
 

Mobile vendors finding permanent homes in WNC

As the food truck fad filters into counties west of Asheville, local governments are trying to find a fair balance…
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Food trucks offer different flavors
 

Food trucks offer different flavors

Mobile vending is no longer limited to fast food staples like pizza, hamburgers and hotdogs.
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Gaming the system: Hunters snared in Operation Something Bruin claim legal proceedings were unjust
 

Gaming the system: Hunters snared in Operation Something Bruin claim legal proceedings were unjust

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern Hunters accused in a sweeping bear poaching sting in Western North Carolina have turned the…
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Bryson City considers closing Fry Street
 

Bryson City considers closing Fry Street

The Bryson City Board of Aldermen is formally asking for public input after mulling over the idea of closing Fry…
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Jackson hires new attorney position
 

Jackson hires new attorney position

After more than four years as Jackson County’s attorney, Jay Coward will soon yield his spot as the county’s legal…
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Feds arrest Sylva businessman
 

Feds arrest Sylva businessman

A longtime Sylva business owner was arrested on federal charges after agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and…
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Jackson County approves additional greenway bridge costs
 

Jackson County approves additional greenway bridge costs

Jackson County commissioners approved moving forward with the installation of the Locust Creek pedestrian bridge even though the cost is…
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The steep slope rewrite, now a shadow of its former self, is back for a final chapter in Jackson
 

The steep slope rewrite, now a shadow of its former self, is back for a final chapter in Jackson

The rollicking steep slope debate in Jackson County may finally be put to rest next month after three years of…
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Cherokee court hands out first-ever sentence to non-Indian
 

Cherokee court hands out first-ever sentence to non-Indian

What in most courts would have been a simple case of violating a domestic violence protective order was a landmark…
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Shining Rock hires local lawyer for land negotiations
 

Shining Rock hires local lawyer for land negotiations

Despite resistance from surrounding landowners, Shining Rock Classical Academy is moving forward with plans to set up Haywood County’s first…
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Charter school enrollment a moving target as opening day approaches
 

Charter school enrollment a moving target as opening day approaches

The guessing game of how many students will jump ship from Haywood County Schools to attend a new charter school,…
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A murder story unlike any other you’ve read
 

A murder story unlike any other you’ve read

In recent years, literary works that are classified as “investigative reporting” have not only become best sellers, but have lingered…
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Art, craft festival in Dillsboro
 

Art, craft festival in Dillsboro

The Dillsboro Arts & Crafts Market will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, on Front…
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Student film festival in Highlands
 

Student film festival in Highlands

The second annual Best of Controlled Chaos Film Festival will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Martin Lipscomb Performing…
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Blueberry lovers unite in Cherokee
 

Blueberry lovers unite in Cherokee

The Blueberry Festival will be held fro 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Cherokee Indian Fair…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It’s the only place I feel at home. The open road. Once it gets into your system, you’ll spend the rest…
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All’s fair in beer and lore
 

All’s fair in beer and lore

Is Stacy J. Cox disliked by Western North Carolina craft beer lovers? “I think so, but I don’t know why,”…
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Another constitutional crisis for Obama
 

Another constitutional crisis for Obama

To the Editor: Dear House and Senate national representatives: Are you going to allow Obama to precipitate another constitutional crisis…
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Ashamed of Cherokee Bear Zoo
 

Ashamed of Cherokee Bear Zoo

To the Editor: I am a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee who has not lived in Cherokee since…
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Some concerns about charter school
 

Some concerns about charter school

To the Editor: Since the proposed Shining Rock Classical Academy Charter School has been in the news lately, I would…
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The public – not the newspaper – deserves to know
 

The public – not the newspaper – deserves to know

I’m sure the founders of Haywood County’s new charter school — Shining Rock Classical Academy — never imagined a week…
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Fly fishing museum aims to spur tourism, preserve angling history in Cherokee
 

Fly fishing museum aims to spur tourism, preserve angling history in Cherokee

It’s been more than 10 years since Alen Baker decided, while recuperating from surgery, to pass the time by writing…
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A look inside the museum
 

A look inside the museum

Step inside Cherokee’s newest museum, and the scent of freshly cut wood and tranquil lighting will immediately greet you with…
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From pies to model planes, Haywood Fair calls entries
 

From pies to model planes, Haywood Fair calls entries

It’s that time again — get together your best garden produce and crafty handiwork to enter in the Haywood County…
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Smokies offers hands-on science for high school interns
 

Smokies offers hands-on science for high school interns

Several local teenagers were among those who recently completed a six-week internship in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Bird flu fears trigger precautionary measures
 

Bird flu fears trigger precautionary measures

Fears that the bird flu could spread to North Carolina have prompted the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services…
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Ash killer arrives in WNC, firewood must stay put in Graham
 

Ash killer arrives in WNC, firewood must stay put in Graham

Emerald ash borers recently found in a Graham County trap mark the invasive insect’s first appearance in Western North Carolina…
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Panthertown gets improved parking area
 

Panthertown gets improved parking area

Improvements to the crowded trailhead parking on the east side of Panthertown Valley, a recreation area in the Nantahala National…
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Public comment open for state wildlife plan
 

Public comment open for state wildlife plan

A plan to guide wildlife management in North Carolina for the next 10 years is being developed and public input…
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Company for coffee
 

Company for coffee

Due to the generosity of great friends Bill and Elaine Cave of Asheville, my family has enjoyed a summer respite…
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