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Smokies Association finishes $3.4 million investment in N.C.
The opening of the Swain County Visitor Center in downtown Bryson City this year represented the culmination of a $3.46…
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Hike against hunger: Whittier man hikes A.T. to celebrate 65th birthday, raise money for food pantry
Hiking the Appalachian Trail had been in the back of Andy Smith’s mind for a while, ever since a coworker…
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Country noir masterpiece gets its due — again
One of the things that I admire about the New York Review of Books is a special honor that they…
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Faster than thought: two book covers
By Steve Ellis • Guest Columnist As we leave this political season, which has been nasty, brutal and long, I’d…
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This is no time to devalue our wild heritage
By Bill McLarney • Guest Columnist We humans are highly skilled and devilishly clever. We can create ball fields, schools,…
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Commissioners get an earful about wilderness resolution
A roomful of hunters and hikers turned out at last week’s Macon County Commissioners meeting. It was the first meeting…
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Forest users debate pros and cons of potential wilderness recommendations
Out of the gate, the U.S. Forest Service’s first stab at listing potential wilderness areas in the Pisgah and Nantahala…
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Ridgetop towers OK’d in draft Jackson ordinance
Cell phone towers will now be allowed on Jackson County ridgetops — at least according a draft ordinance that’s on…
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Tribe’s new justice center opens
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will open its new state-of-the-art, $26 million Cherokee Justice Center on Dec. 17 following…
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Politics aside, county attorney search conducted out of fairness in Jackson
Jackson County commissioners will decide in the coming weeks whether to keep Jay Coward on board as their county attorney.…
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Folkmoot named a Top Ten Festival by USA Today
Folkmoot USA was recently named a Top Ten Festival by USA Today, the only festival in the state of North…
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Noise ordinance in the works for Macon
A noise ordinance could be in Macon County’s future as the planning board starts in on writing a set of…
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‘Play On’ poised to go online
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority will launch its new website that will support its “Play On” branding campaign at…
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Haywood to patch up Pigeon Center, albeit reluctantly
When Haywood County put up $35,000 to replace a chronicly leaky roof on the Pigeon Community Center in Waynesville, it…
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Former, current tax collectors build rapport
The outgoing and incoming tax collectors in Haywood County appeared shoulder to shoulder at the podium of the Haywood County…
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Macon finalizes property values
Macon County’s tying up the loose ends on a property revaluation that will likely cause tax hikes for some and…
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Waynesville’s electric system is a cash cow for the town, but can the good fortune continue?
If Waynesville has a dirty little secret, it’s this: a cash cow runs through its power lines. Of course, it’s…
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Bomb threat disrupts WCU graduation
A bomb threat was received by the Jackson County 911 office shortly before the beginning of Western Carolina University’s fall…
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In murky aftermath of bid snafu, truckers jostle for trash contract
A tug of war between two Jackson trucking companies over a high-stakes contract for hauling trash was settled last week…
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HCC builds desk for Forest Service
Haywood Community College Professional Crafts Wood instructor Brian Wurst and students recently finished a project for the U.S. Forest Service…
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‘John Parris’ Christmas’ returns to Webster
The Webster Historical Society will present its 4th annual “John Parris’ Christmas” at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the…
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Carolina Brass to play Waynesville
Carolina Brass will feature a variety of holiday and classical songs at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Waynesville…
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Balsam Range, Meals on Wheels raise $12K
On Dec. 6, acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range began it Winter Concert series with The Molly Tuttle Trio at The…
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This must be the place
I’ve always felt the greatest gift is the gift of music. Though I’ve never been a huge fan of receiving…
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Maggie Valley venue enters second act
With one flick of a light switch, Grier Lackey is illuminating a dream. “What do you think?” he said with…
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WCU dorm gets LEED certification
Western Carolina University’s Harrill Residence Hall has become the university’s second building to be LEED-certified for its comprehensive energy-efficient and…
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Giving Tuesday nets Smokies $18,000
Friends of the Smokies raised more than $18,000 for Great Smoky Mountains National Park on GivingTuesday, far more than its…
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Smokies hires superintendent
For the first time since Dale Ditmanson retired in January 2014, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a permanent superintendent.…
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Franklin greenway gets some extra acreage
The Little Tennessee Greenway will offer users a bit more space to enjoy the outdoors following Dick and Melissa Jones’…
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Graffiti for a good cause
Ten high school students from the Haywood Community Learning Center recently armed themselves with colorful spray paint to mark the…
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Tuscola takes all in FFA event
Tuscola High School students dominated Future Farmers of America’s Land Judging competition this year. The competition tests students’ ability to…
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Trail crews drill for backcountry emergencies
Appalachian Trail license plate funds are helping to make the woods a little safer for the volunteers who maintain the…
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A feathery Christmas: Birders head outdoors for annual bird count
There’s plenty of tradition and symbolism that goes along with the holiday season, but for birders no tradition is more…
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Extreme commenting on plan for national forests
Yogi Berra said it best — “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” When I read Holly Kays’ Nov. 12…
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Start your holiday shopping at the bookstore
For all of you who haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, for you who scorn Black Friday, who keep telling…
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Letter writer needs help connecting the dots
To the Editor: I certainly hope Santa brings Bob Wilson a “Connect the Dots” book — he could use the…
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Time for many to relearn tolerance
To the Editor: The letter “Democrats hurting African Americans” (SMN, December 3) confuses race with economics. The implication that Democrats…
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Plutocrats drive modern GOP agenda
To the Editor: It’s amusing to hear Republicans and other reactionaries describe Democrats and the Democratic Party. Contrary to their fiction-based…
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What do people really want?
Dr. Graeme Potter • Guest Columnist As one of the practicing, board-certified OB/GYNs in the community who provide prenatal care, I’ve…
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Hard to believe that it has been 14 years
I am in my office between classes, eating egg drop soup out of a little plastic container with a white…
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Scottish heritage alive in Franklin
Scotland’s roots run deep in Western North Carolina. Since before this country’s inception, Scottish immigrants have been migrating to these…
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Glenville latest lake confirmed for walleye mercury contamination
A new health advisory was issued this month warning people about mercury levels in walleye fish in Lake Glenville. This…
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WCU board approves tuition hike
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees approved a schedule of tuition and fees for the 2015-16 academic year that…
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Bust takes down gambling houses in east Haywood
A months-long undercover investigation led to a raid of three underground gambling parlors in Haywood County last week. The private…
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Sylva’s police sensitive to national conversation
Sylva Commissioner Danny Allen had a question. He’d been watching what was happening with the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, and…
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Legal or not? Cherokee council votes themselves a pay raise, public protests
There wasn’t much discussion in the chamber Oct. 14 when Cherokee Tribal Council passed its budget for 2014-15. But as…
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Mini library on Main Street promotes reading in Franklin
Those who frequent downtown Franklin may have noticed an odd-looking birdhouse taking up residence outside town hall in recent months,…
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Higher pay the answer to high turnover among deputies
Hoping to combat a steady departure of officers, Haywood County entry-level deputies will see a 5 percent raise starting in…
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SCC releases SSNs
Southwestern Community College has inadvertently released students’ social security numbers to a private research company. The college is reporting that…
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Confiscated pet monkey won’t settle for standard menu at Haywood animal shelter
An Old World pigtail macaque monkey taken away from its owner in Waynesville now has a new home at a…
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