William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City
 

William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City

Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at…
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Connect to the spirit of the Smokies
 

Connect to the spirit of the Smokies

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who…
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Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program
 

Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field…
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Volunteers pick up trash during a previous cleanup. Donated photo
 

Polish up the Pigeon

Pick up the Pigeon River during a cleanup 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in Canton.
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Laurel Falls is crowded during a Friday in August 2021. NPS photo
 

Environmental Assessment for Laurel Falls plan out for comment

An Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan is out for…
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Active search stops for missing man
 

Active search stops for missing man

After an extensive 11-day search, on May 6 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park halted its active field search for…
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A peony flower opens in the morning light at Wildcat Ridge Farm. Holly Kays photo
 

One thousand peonies

Each May, Crabtree couple invites the public to drink in field of blooms  Ricardo Fernandez Battini and his wife Suzanne…
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Snapping turtles have long, saw-toothed tails. Fred Coyle photo
 

Up Moses Creek

Snapper, Part I  Snapping turtles have been on my mind this spring after one showed up in our pond. Its…
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Haywood Rep. Mark Pless, seen here in February, has been pursuing partisan elections in his district since 2022.
 

Persistent Pless pushes partisan polling play

Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless is closer than ever to getting partisan local elections in his district — part of…
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Principal Chief Richard Sneed vetoed the decision, citing concerns regarding the project's cost, as well as where the money may come from.
 

Chief vetoes cannabis enterprise funding

Following a veto from Principal Chief Richard Sneed, the Cherokee Tribal Council today reversed an April decision that allocated $64…
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Crypto vending machines have popped up in convenience stores around Western North Carolina.
 

Haywood seeks to ‘get ahead’ of cryptocurrency mining

The relatively recent rise of cryptocurrency, its associated strain on utility infrastructure and its potential to disrupt the peace and…
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Matt Walksler is the curator of Dale's Wheels Through Time.
 

Free entry for Haywood residents at Wheels Through Time

Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday…
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Jason Isbell performed at the Bear Shadow Music Festival in Highlands.
 

This must be the place: ‘The people came and listened, some of them came and played’

Hello from Room 5218 in the Falls Cottage King Suite at the Old Edwards Inn in downtown Highlands. It’s late…
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Opening last fall, Angry Elk Brewing in Whittier features over a dozen handmade craft ales.
 

Pint of passion: New WNC brewery sparks camaraderie

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Greg Wasik saw firsthand that trademark sense of community at neighborhood taverns around the Motor…
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Waynesville changes name of governing board
 

Waynesville changes name of governing board

The Town of Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen will now be known as the Town Council, after an April 25 vote…
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Staggered terms adopted in Waynesville
 

Staggered terms adopted in Waynesville

This year’s election for seats on Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen — recently re-styled as “Town Council” — will proceed with…
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Can’t go wrong with a ‘Literary Mother’s Day’
 

Can’t go wrong with a ‘Literary Mother’s Day’

Don’t worry. We’re not going to explore the relationship of Mrs. Bennet with her daughters in “Pride and Prejudice” or…
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GOP should not politicize debt ceiling
 

GOP should not politicize debt ceiling

To the Editor: During the Trump administration, bipartisan votes increased the debt ceiling three times, without conditions. Now that a…
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Most vote for those ‘they know nothing about’
 

Most vote for those ‘they know nothing about’

Editor’s note : State House Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood, wrote this column to describe why he filed a bill that…
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Thanks for the gift of music
 

Thanks for the gift of music

The nicest thing my mother ever did for me was buy me a stereo I didn’t deserve. I was a…
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The Blue Ridge Parkway winds up toward Waterrock Knob. File photo
 

Stretch out on Waterrock

Take a leisurely hike to the Waterrock Knob overlook for sunset yoga with Tara Scarborough at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, May…
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The Linville Gorge fire reached 12 acres before humid conditions allowed firefighters to take an indirect approach in their response. USFS photo
 

Lightning responsible for Linville Gorge fire

Lightning ignited a wildfire in the Linville Gorge Wilderness last week, but humid conditions and rainfall allowed firefighters to take…
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The Community Club Council smiles after a resolution authorizing a referendum vote on the proposed constitution passed Tribal Council April 6. However, the measure faces additional hurdles before finding a place on the ballot. Holly Kays photo
 

Cherokee constitution effort faces hurdle

AA proposed constitution for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is facing opposition from the EBCI Attorney General’s Office following…
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Brian Railsback. Donated photo
 

WCU professor named Smokies writer in residence

Brian Railsback, an English professor at Western Carolina University, has received the 2023 Steve Kemp Writers’ Residency from the Great…
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Pride Parade participants march down Main Street during the inaugural Sylva Pride Parade.
 

Sylva considers sponsoring pride

The Town of Sylva has decided that only town-sponsored events can warrant closing Main Street. Now, the town board will…
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DEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser speaks to Haywood Community College President Shelley White. Holly Kays photo
 

DEQ secretary visits Canton

During a visit to Canton Tuesday, May 2, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser met with a room…
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Wildlife Commission, DOT, pledge to work together on wildlife crossings
 

Wildlife Commission, DOT, pledge to work together on wildlife crossings

A recently signed memorandum of understanding between the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Department of Transportation signals the…
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The property in question is located across the road from Franklin High School.
 

Confusion surrounds Higdon Property

At the April 24 meeting of the Macon County School Board, confusion surrounding the county’s intent to purchase the Higdon…
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A red trillium (Trillium erectum) blooms alongside the Appalachian Trail. Holly Kays photo
 

Trilliums, Trilliums, Trilliums

Trilliums are some of the most beautiful and iconic wildflowers in the world, and the Southern Appalachian Mountains are a…
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Wolfetown Tribal Council candidates share their vision
 

Wolfetown Tribal Council candidates share their vision

Six candidates are hoping to earn one of two seats in what is an extremely unusual election year for Wolfetown…
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The majority of local current expense funds pay for salaries and benefits.
 

HCS budgets for a changing school system

As Haywood County Schools hammered out its 2023-24 budget, administrators faced declining student population and the imminent end of COVID-era…
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A group takes an HCLT EcoTour in Whiteside Cove with view of Whiteside Mountain. Donated photo
 

Protecting the plateau

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust welcomes new director  For the first time in its 114-year history, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is saying…
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Lambert Wilson died Oct. 20, 2022, at El Camino Motel in Cherokee.
 

No charges filed in Lambert Wilson death

No criminal charges will be brought against a South Carolina resident who shot and killed Lambert Wilson last fall, according…
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Gordon Kaye. Donated photo
 

Search continues for missing man near Bryson City

Update: 4:47 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reduced the scale of the search for…
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Preliminary sketches submitted to the town of Waynesville show Aldi joining Harbor Freight Tools at the old Kmart site on Russ Avenue.
 

Multiple signs that Aldi is coming to Waynesville

A real estate marketing flyer along with correspondence between Waynesville’s Land Use Administrator Byron Hickox and an Asheville sign company…
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The Crawford parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road, shown here in yellow, is just south of the Francis Farm landfill.
 

EXCLUSIVE: Potential property shuffle puts Haywood County Schools in a pickle

A relatively routine rezoning request for a parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road has inadvertently revealed multi-million dollar plans by Haywood…
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On the road with Charles Frazier’s new novel
 

On the road with Charles Frazier’s new novel

Asheville’s award-winning author Charles Frazier has a new novel just out this month (“The Trackers,” Ecco/Harper Collins, April 2023, 324…
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Haywood Commissioner Terry Ramey has voted to spend millions in taxpayer money despite being delinquent on his own taxes.
 

Commissioner’s tax troubles go deeper than previously reported

New details from the Haywood County Tax Collector’s office show that Haywood Republican Commissioner Terry Ramey, who until recently hadn’t…
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A lazy afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
 

This must be the place: ‘Pack up all your dishes, make note of all good wishes’

Last Friday afternoon marked the first “Downtown After 5” on Lexington Avenue in the heart of Asheville. The unofficial kickoff…
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It’s largely up to public servants to be knowledgable about, and to comply with, public records laws in North Carolina.
 

It’s an ‘honor system’ — public records statute has troubling gap

Across the state of North Carolina, the public’s right to know what its elected leaders are doing remains foundational to…
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The Appalachian Trail stretches out toward the view at Max Patch. Holly Kays photo
 

An ounce of comfort: A.T. hikers share the extras they take on trail

II I don’t own a bathroom scale, which means I had no way of measuring the exact weight of the…
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The tail of a southern gray-cheeked salamander emits a greenish glow.  Jonathan Cox photo
 

Word from the Smokies: A salamander’s glow could shed light on a biological mystery

Three years ago, researchers from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota captured the attention of biologists around the world with…
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Since 1957, the old Pigeon Street school has served a marginalized component of the community.
 

Celebrate the Pigeon Center this Saturday

Once upon a time, the old school on Pigeon Street was a striking symbol of divisiveness and inequality.
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Painttown Tribal Council candidates share their vision
 

Painttown Tribal Council candidates share their vision

Six candidates are hoping to earn one of two seats up for election in this year’s race for Painttown Tribal…
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GREAT Grant approved for Jackson
 

GREAT Grant approved for Jackson

Last week, the Jackson County Commissioners approved a GREAT Grant agreement that will fund a project to connect more than…
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File photo
 

Tribe adopts overdose tracking tool

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has become the first tribal nation to adopt a tool that gives real-time updates…
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Help fill the West Fork of the Pigeon with trout
 

Help fill the West Fork of the Pigeon with trout

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood…
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Pick your plants at Lake Junaluska
 

Pick your plants at Lake Junaluska

The Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale and the Corneille Bryan Native Garden plant sale will be held together 8 a.m.…
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Sylva allows chickens
 

Sylva allows chickens

Residents in the Town of Sylva will be able to keep poultry in the downtown business district after commissioners voted…
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Franklin A.T. Council welcomes new supporter
 

Franklin A.T. Council welcomes new supporter

Gracious Plates Restaurant in Franklin is the newest A.T. Supporter in Franklin, recognized by the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council.…
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