Trail work at Alum Cave results in temporary closures
 

Trail work at Alum Cave results in temporary closures

A two-year trail restoration project began this week on Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, meaning…
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Land conservation organization restores next-door land
 

Land conservation organization restores next-door land

A contaminated property next to Land Trust for the Little Tennesse’s office in Franklin could have a brighter future now…
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New bear regulations in place for Pisgah National Forest
 

New bear regulations in place for Pisgah National Forest

Backpackers in several popular areas of Pisgah National Forest are now required to use bear canisters when staying overnight, following…
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Park gets new deputy superintendent
 

Park gets new deputy superintendent

With Superintendent Cassius Cash now settled into his new role, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a permanent deputy…
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Runners take the streets in Waynesville half marathon
 

Runners take the streets in Waynesville half marathon

Close to 175 people tackled the inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon in Waynesville this weekend, coming from as…
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Break-ins reported along the Parkway
 

Break-ins reported along the Parkway

A rash of break-ins to cars parked along the Blue Ridge Parkway on its way through Asheville has rangers asking…
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Parkway weather now online
 

Parkway weather now online

A new website aims to help Blue Ridge Parkway visitors better plan their attire for a day in the high…
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Farmers market season launches
 

Farmers market season launches

Growing season is upon us, and that means farmers of all stripes are harvesting produce to sell. Farmers markets around…
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Haywood farmers market now more accessible to low-income people
 

Haywood farmers market now more accessible to low-income people

The Haywood Historic Farmers Market hopes to open its selection to an even larger portion of the population by exercising…
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A Mother’s Day bouquet: Ten quotes and comments on motherhood
 

A Mother’s Day bouquet: Ten quotes and comments on motherhood

Back in the days when I still believed in Santa Claus (well, actually I still believe, I just no longer…
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QuickDraw art benefit at Laurel Ridge
 

QuickDraw art benefit at Laurel Ridge

The WNC QuickDraw will be from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.
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A night of games, fun at Casino Royale
 

A night of games, fun at Casino Royale

Casino Royale Night, a benefit for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation's Drug Abuse Coalition, will be held from 6 to 11…
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WNC entrepreneurs win at WCU innovation conference
 

WNC entrepreneurs win at WCU innovation conference

Entrepreneurs and owners of existing small businesses from around Western North Carolina shared $7,000 in prize money to help launch…
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Wilson brings jazz, swing to Classic Wineseller
 

Wilson brings jazz, swing to Classic Wineseller

The Russ Wilson Quartet will host an evening of jazz standards, swing and blues at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16,…
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Youth talent contest winners announced
 

Youth talent contest winners announced

The 18th Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest was held at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival on Saturday, April…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I don’t get it. I woke up this morning (April 28) and listened to the news. I heard of the…
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Bottling your dreams: Nantahala Brewing celebrates five years
 

Bottling your dreams: Nantahala Brewing celebrates five years

It’s a recent Saturday afternoon at Nantahala Brewing Company in downtown Bryson City. With bluebird skies overhead and the mountains…
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Baltimore and the failure of liberalism
 

Baltimore and the failure of liberalism

To the Editor: As events unfold in Baltimore, the failure of liberal ideologies becomes clear. We’ve also seen the failures…
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FOX News has been bad for the country
 

FOX News has been bad for the country

To the Editor: Imagine that in 2015, you, as an American citizen, don’t feel at home in your own town.…
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GOP is the party of higher taxes
 

GOP is the party of higher taxes

To the Editor: The people have been told for years, particularly by Republican candidates running for the General Assembly, “We…
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The longer it lasts, the more meaningful it becomes
 

The longer it lasts, the more meaningful it becomes

Dozing in and out of sleep on the flight home from Leon, Nicaragua, I was thinking about circles. More to…
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N.C. Superior Court judge to double as tribal court justice
 

N.C. Superior Court judge to double as tribal court justice

Bradley Letts will have to keep his day job, but the Superior Court Judge will soon begin serving as a…
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Swain forms animal control committee
 

Swain forms animal control committee

Swain County commissioners are moving forward with their plan to address the lack of animal control by putting together an…
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Swain commissioners: False alarm law needs common sense approach
 

Swain commissioners: False alarm law needs common sense approach

Swain County Commissioners are moving forward with a false alarm ordinance with the understanding that the sheriff’s office will enforce…
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Jackson’s planning director departs after a short but good run
 

Jackson’s planning director departs after a short but good run

In a mere four years, Jackson County Planner Gerald Green has wrestled with just about every controversial land-use issue you…
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Sid’s on Main closes: New restaurant moving in
 

Sid’s on Main closes: New restaurant moving in

After a solid three-year run in Canton, Sid’s on Main is closing, leaving a huge vacancy in downtown.
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Franklin approves Siler road apartments
 

Franklin approves Siler road apartments

Plans for a 60-unit apartment complex in Franklin are moving forward after Workforce Homestead received approval for a special permit…
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Franklin mayor warns of tough budget year
 

Franklin mayor warns of tough budget year

Now that town aldermen have a preliminary budget in front of them, the Franklin leaders are ready to begin an…
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Macon schools request $7.9 million from county
 

Macon schools request $7.9 million from county

As the Macon County budget process gets under way, education spending will be one of the meatier items up for…
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Fracking regulators served with lawsuit
 

Fracking regulators served with lawsuit

A section of legislation giving the Mining and Energy Commission the authority to decide which local ordinances are OK and…
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Jackson County comes up short on $4.8 million ask from school district
 

Jackson County comes up short on $4.8 million ask from school district

Leaking roofs, technology needs and impending state cuts prompted Jackson County Schools to put out a hefty ask to the…
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Haywood Schools prepare for the worst as it awaits funding word from state
 

Haywood Schools prepare for the worst as it awaits funding word from state

Haywood County Schools will cut its budget by $900,000 next year, plus tap its cash reserves to the tune of…
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Bringing the past to life
 

Bringing the past to life

When Kim Sutton puts on his Civil War attire, he’s immediately transported to an era when a national conflict held…
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Civil War commemoration attracts history fans
 

Civil War commemoration attracts history fans

For 10 years, museum curator Jackie Stephens has prepped The Shelton House for Civil War commemorations.
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Take a Civil War tour in Haywood County
 

Take a Civil War tour in Haywood County

With the help of Civil War enthusiasts in Haywood County, The Shelton House Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts has put…
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The Fall of Will Thomas
 

The Fall of Will Thomas

William Holland Thomas, a self-made, prominent businessman, a revered chief in the Cherokee tribe, a politician and a colonel in…
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Like a Good Neighbor: The Eastern Cherokee and the Confederacy
 

Like a Good Neighbor: The Eastern Cherokee and the Confederacy

Not all the Eastern Cherokee supported the Confederacy. Several served with the Union army during the Civil War and were…
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Last man standing: Waynesville makes history with an untidy ending to an untidy war
 

Last man standing: Waynesville makes history with an untidy ending to an untidy war

Union Col. William Bartlett tried to keep his cool as he watched his bitter, battle-hardened Confederate enemies riding down Main…
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Chief candidates weigh in on issues
 

Chief candidates weigh in on issues

It’s election season in Cherokee, and with the long-time chief Michell Hicks opting not to seek re-election, five candidates are…
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Evacuation at Tuscola: All OK after threatening email sent to high school
 

Evacuation at Tuscola: All OK after threatening email sent to high school

Things are back to normal at Tuscola High School after an emailed threat prompted a complete evacuation of the school…
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Cumberland Island National Seashore
 

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island, which is composed of Great Cumberland Island (the national seashore) and Little Cumberland Island (private), is one of…
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Falconer to share the wonders of birds of prey
 

Falconer to share the wonders of birds of prey

A discussion on falconry and the importance of birds of prey to a healthy ecosystem — as well as a…
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Excursion series offers a full gamut of activities
 

Excursion series offers a full gamut of activities

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will kick off its annual lineup of eco tours to ecologically important areas throughout the region…
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Coveted viewing slots for Smokies firefly show to go live
 

Coveted viewing slots for Smokies firefly show to go live

The time is drawing near for synchronous fireflies to once more light up the night in the Smokies, and the…
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National forest sites open for spring
 

National forest sites open for spring

With warmer weather comes the opening of a lengthy list of campgrounds and recreation sites in the Nantahala and Pisgah…
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Pedal like a girl: Women give mountain biking a try
 

Pedal like a girl: Women give mountain biking a try

Four years ago, Jennie Wyderko — then finishing up her undergrad at Virginia Tech — had barely even touched a…
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A withering cultural critic takes aim
 

A withering cultural critic takes aim

In Withering Slights: The Bent Pin Collection (National Review Books, 2015, ISBN 978-0-9847650-3-4, 186 pages, $24.95), Florence King demonstrates once…
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Creating a healthier future
 

Creating a healthier future

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have embarked on exciting futures for our hospitals and communities.   Early this…
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The kids cope with Lucy the tomcat’s gender crisis
 

The kids cope with Lucy the tomcat’s gender crisis

Sixth grade was not so kind to my daughter. She did better than she expected on the social part —…
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