Missing link of Benton MacKaye trail solved
 

Missing link of Benton MacKaye trail solved

A dicey section of the long-distance Benton MacKaye hiking trail that forced hikers to walk along the side of a…
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Aim high with annual Black Rock ascent
 

Aim high with annual Black Rock ascent

Trail runners will scramble, scratch and claw their way to the 5,810-foot summit of Pinnacle Park in Sylva during the…
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WCU cycling team brings regional race to Cullowhee
 

WCU cycling team brings regional race to Cullowhee

By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent About a year ago, Patrick O’Neal bought an old, chrome-rimmed Schwinn bicycle. He was just…
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Wading into a few of my favorite ‘dipper’ books
 

Wading into a few of my favorite ‘dipper’ books

Some books — novels, certain histories and biographies — deserve full immersion. We dive into them, plummet into their depths,…
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Spring beckons, but don’t forget the moment
 

Spring beckons, but don’t forget the moment

By John Beckman • Columnist After the hard winter of sub-zero temperatures, heavy snows and power outages our region and much…
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It’s not really about Obamacare
 

It’s not really about Obamacare

To the Editor: The drumbeat of complaints about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) from the political right wing leave me…
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Elect Robinson to replace Sen. Davis
 

Elect Robinson to replace Sen. Davis

To the Editor: I’m writing as a citizen and resident of Jackson County to voice my support for Ron Robinson…
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Government is always less efficient
 

Government is always less efficient

To the Editor: I was having an otherwise intelligent conversation with one of my more liberal acquaintances the other day…
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This state’s GOP has violated the Voting Rights Act
 

This state’s GOP has violated the Voting Rights Act

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Even authoritarian regimes like Russia’s pretend to respect the right to vote. The contrast with…
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Iglesias to bring laughs to Harrah’s
 

Iglesias to bring laughs to Harrah’s

Acclaimed comedian Gabriel Iglesias will perform at 7:30 p.m., March 22, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
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Encaustic demo at Gallery 86
 

Encaustic demo at Gallery 86

Artist t.e. siewert will hold an encaustic painting demonstration from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Gallery 86…
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‘Gentle Giant’ returns to Franklin
 

‘Gentle Giant’ returns to Franklin

Country music’s legendary “Gentle Giant” Don Williams will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at the Smoky Mountain Center…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

But, it’s only mid-March? I’m well aware of that, dear readers. Yes, it is mid-March, but 2014 is hitting the…
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Playing the sounds of your dreams
 

Playing the sounds of your dreams

He was a toddler with tenacity and talent. At three years old, Seth Taylor picked up his first guitar. Seeing…
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Somebody got some splainen to do
 

Somebody got some splainen to do

People say the corporate world has no soul. Corporations don’t give a rat’s behind about their employees, especially after they’re…
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Burns prescribed for Nantahala National Forest
 

Burns prescribed for Nantahala National Forest

The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct a series of prescribed burns over the next three to six weeks on…
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Whitewater season opens with NOC’s Glacier Breaker
 

Whitewater season opens with NOC’s Glacier Breaker

The Nantahala Racing Club Glacier Breaker is set for March 8-9 at the Nantahala Bridge Gates at the Nantahala Outdoor…
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Left loop of Tsali Trail system reopened
 

Left loop of Tsali Trail system reopened

The left loop of the Tsali Trail system has been reopened.  Last month, the U.S. Forest Service closed the trail…
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Classic hikes of the Smokies kicks off
 

Classic hikes of the Smokies kicks off

Friends of the Smokies’ first Classic Hike of the year will be to Little Cataloochee on Tuesday, March 11. Join…
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Park seeks volunteer citizen scientists
 

Park seeks volunteer citizen scientists

Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers need volunteers to help track nature’s calendar.
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Hops growing on the minds of Appalachian agriculture
 

Hops growing on the minds of Appalachian agriculture

Heidi Dunkelberg is determined to make hops synonymous with Western North Carolina. “I’ve got to figure it out,” she said.…
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Distilling the life of blues legend Robert Johnson
 

Distilling the life of blues legend Robert Johnson

I have always been fascinated by the folklore attending the too-short life of Robert Johnson, “King of the Delta Blues…
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Ron Robinson supports education for all
 

Ron Robinson supports education for all

To the Editor: Ron Robinson, a Democrat and Sylva businessman, has launched his campaign to become the next senator from…
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Do not encroach on our freedoms
 

Do not encroach on our freedoms

To the Editor: Our basic freedoms in the Bill of Rights are encroached on almost daily by some branch of…
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N.C. 107 is a plain disaster
 

N.C. 107 is a plain disaster

To the Editor: Jackson County's main business corridor, Highway 107 South, is a disaster.   By allowing all the main…
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Local tourism leaders aren’t qualified
 

Local tourism leaders aren’t qualified

To the Editor: In response to Mr. Robert Jumper's letter in the Feb. 19 edition and the Jackson County TDA,…
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Ridgetop houses are too common
 

Ridgetop houses are too common

To the Editor: Regarding Clark Lipkin's guest opinion column in the Feb. 26 opinion, I find it incredulous that he…
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Tools to help cope with an uncertain future
 

Tools to help cope with an uncertain future

“The less you know, the more you believe.” – Bono Quality journalism is a powerful force. I’ve been fortunate to…
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Beachcombers find parts of lost research balloon equipment
 

Beachcombers find parts of lost research balloon equipment

The seventh Western Carolina University physics research balloon to be launched to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere – Cat…
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Appointment process for advisory boards comes under fire
 

Appointment process for advisory boards comes under fire

The informal process for picking people to serve on the planning board in Jackson County has come under scrutiny, prompting…
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Haywood chamber to drive economic development
 

Haywood chamber to drive economic development

The daunting challenge of courting industry, cultivating entrepreneurs, helping businesses expand — and ultimately adding new jobs to the economy…
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Jackson’s optimistic cheerleader
 

Jackson’s optimistic cheerleader

After a few months on the job, Jackson County’s economic development director laid out the landscape for community leaders. He…
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No more Mr. Nice Guy
 

No more Mr. Nice Guy

With the bottomed-out real estate market still stagnant, some property owners are having trouble seeing the point of paying property…
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Officers push boundaries in quest for probable cause
 

Officers push boundaries in quest for probable cause

A big one got away in Cherokee earlier this year when the case against a drug dealer was thrown out…
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Fire at Cherokee motel under investigation
 

Fire at Cherokee motel under investigation

The cause of a fire that caused substantial damage to the Pageant Inn in Cherokee last week is being investigated. 
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Haywood commissioners on a quest for a better courthouse lawn
 

Haywood commissioners on a quest for a better courthouse lawn

Nearly a year after cutting down the historic maple trees in front of the Haywood County Courthouse, the lawn still…
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County races: Haywood
 

County races: Haywood

Haywood County Haywood Commissioners  What’s up for election? Three out of five seats on the county board.  About the race:…
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County races: Jackson
 

County races: Jackson

Jackson County  Jackson Sheriff  About the race:  This promises to be one of the most hotly contested elections in the…
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County races: Macon
 

County races: Macon

Macon County Macon Commissioners What’s up for election: One seat in the Highlands district and two seats in the Franklin…
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County races: Swain
 

County races: Swain

Swain County Swain Commissioners What’s up for election? All five seats on the county board are up for election, including…
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Statewide races
 

Statewide races

U.S. Congress About the race: This used to be a toss-up district, but clever redrawing of voting boundaries by the…
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A voter’s guide to the 2014 WNC election
 

A voter’s guide to the 2014 WNC election

Stories from the 2014 midterm election:
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Voucher legislation hits roadblock
 

Voucher legislation hits roadblock

After a morning of arguments from both sides of the school voucher debate, N.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood ordered…
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Schools rebut charge of impeding efforts to start secular club
 

Schools rebut charge of impeding efforts to start secular club

Haywood County Schools’ attorney has countered accusations that Pisgah High School administrators allegedly hampered a student’s attempt to form a…
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‘Trail Magic’ party at Nantahala Brewing
 

‘Trail Magic’ party at Nantahala Brewing

The Trail Magic No. 7 Release Party will be March 14-15 at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City.
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McMahan, Nicholson solo shows
 

McMahan, Nicholson solo shows

Mountain Faith fiddler Summer McMahan will perform at a release party for her new solo album, “The Story of My…
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Celtic concert in Bryson City
 

Celtic concert in Bryson City

The sixth annual Celtic concert featuring Bean Sidhe will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday March 13, at the Smoky…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

Pouring its first pints in October 2013, Innovation Brewing in Sylva was created by Nicole Dexter and Chip Owen. The…
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Sewing traditions together: Weaver attracted by all facets of ancient art
 

Sewing traditions together: Weaver attracted by all facets of ancient art

Sitting at her loom, weaver Amy Tromiczak feels right at home. “It’s an amazing thing. You’re making cloth, and I…
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Gypsies conjure memories of the past
 

Gypsies conjure memories of the past

When I was a boy growing up in south-central Virginia during the early 1950s, my home was situated near a…
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