The Sunday ban: Hunters hope to lift 1869 hunting law
 

The Sunday ban: Hunters hope to lift 1869 hunting law

Many hunters in Western North Carolina are hoping that an 1869 law banning hunting on Sunday might finally be lifted.
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A Nose for Books  Tiny, small-town bookstore attracts big-time authors
 

A Nose for Books Tiny, small-town bookstore attracts big-time authors

By Michael Beadle Cyrano’s Bookshop in downtown Highlands may be all of 700 square feet, but that hasn’t stopped its…
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Three from the vault
 

Three from the vault

By Chris Cooper I’m beginning to notice a relationship between the acquisition of “new” used CDs at my place of…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

NPR’s All Songs Considered Podcast Admittedly, I’ve been slow to catch on to the iPod revolution. I received a green,…
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A darkness that resides
 

A darkness that resides

Coronado by Dennis Lehane. William Morrow Publishers, 2006. $24.95 — 232 pages.
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Campaign kicks off to replace historic Francis Mill’s waterwheel
 

Campaign kicks off to replace historic Francis Mill’s waterwheel

The Francis Mill Preservation Society in Haywood County is gearing up for a major campaign to replace the metal wheel…
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Community Assurance Statement
 

Community Assurance Statement

The following statement was provided to The Smoky Mountain News following a meeting of the Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospital…
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Divided Franklin board OKs Super Wal-Mart
 

Divided Franklin board OKs Super Wal-Mart

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer With the announcement of plans to bring a new Wal-Mart Supercenter to Franklin, some…
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Mayor wants windfall from watershed invested
 

Mayor wants windfall from watershed invested

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The Town of Sylva has begun surveying the Fisher Creek watershed in anticipation of…
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Phoenix says doctor recruitment going well
 

Phoenix says doctor recruitment going well

Phoenix Emergency Physicians is making progress rounding up a new set of emergency room doctors to work at Haywood Regional…
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Physicians seek solution to HRMC-ER dispute
 

Physicians seek solution to HRMC-ER dispute

The Haywood County medical community was expected to voice its disatisfaction Tuesday night with a move by Haywood Regional Medical…
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Sylva discusses downtown parking woes
 

Sylva discusses downtown parking woes

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Parking along Sylva’s downtown Main Street is a challenge.
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WCU students help with Cullowhee church plans
 

WCU students help with Cullowhee church plans

The competition between Western Carolina University students to win a building contract at a Cullowhee church was just for fun,…
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What are the issues, and what’s being done about them?
 

What are the issues, and what’s being done about them?

Emergency room doctors at Haywood Regional Medical Center have been on a collision course with hospital administration since a brand-new…
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Journal to remember
 

Journal to remember

Maintaining a nature journal has been one of my ongoing, albeit intermittent, preoccupations. Keeping such a journal assists me in…
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The joy of jogging was the eating
 

The joy of jogging was the eating

There was a time, about 18 years and 80 pounds ago, that I actually enjoyed jogging. I was never exactly…
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Reinstating draft could be a good thing
 

Reinstating draft could be a good thing

Jan. 20, 1961. Inauguration Day. The words that stuck in the minds and hearts of all citizens: “Ask not what…
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Bush attitude toward global warming is growing stale fast
 

Bush attitude toward global warming is growing stale fast

When the administration of George Bush argued Nov. 29 before the Supreme Court that the EPA did not have the…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

“A Man for All Seasons” Robert Bolt’s award-winning play was released as a movie in 1966, winning six Academy Awards…
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Then & Now: Project catalogs the ongoing artistic value of what was once mere necessity
 

Then & Now: Project catalogs the ongoing artistic value of what was once mere necessity

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The Craft Revival: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present Web site is located…
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Frankly eye-opening
 

Frankly eye-opening

Militant Islam in America by Marshall Frank. Fortis Books, 2006. 198 pages. This morning (Dec. 9), I sat down to…
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Public forum shows loss of community confidence in HRMC leadership
 

Public forum shows loss of community confidence in HRMC leadership

By Becky Johnson • Staff Writer Community outrage with Haywood Regional Medical Center continues to escalate over a move by…
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Q&A with Haywood ER doctors
 

Q&A with Haywood ER doctors

Haywood Emergency Physicians held a two-hour town hall style meeting Tuesday night to answer questions about the termination of their…
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Biodiesel station opens in Cullowhee
 

Biodiesel station opens in Cullowhee

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The delivery of 3,000 gallons of B-20 biodiesel manufactured by Smoky Mountain Biofuels made…
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Doctor's resolution
 

Doctor's resolution

Here is a copy of the resolution, which was passed by the Medical Executive Committee on Dec. 6 and affirmed…
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Jackson County mulls EDC participation
 

Jackson County mulls EDC participation

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Two years have passed since the Jackson County Commissioners suspended their participation with the…
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Land for Tomorrow wins Jackson support
 

Land for Tomorrow wins Jackson support

Jackson County Commissioners passed a resolution Monday night (Dec. 18) encouraging the state General Assembly to provide funding for the…
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Mediation needed, says medical staff: Doctors vote 50-2 to ask HRMC administration to find ‘win-win’ solution
 

Mediation needed, says medical staff: Doctors vote 50-2 to ask HRMC administration to find ‘win-win’ solution

The Haywood County medical community sent a strong message at a countywide meeting of doctors last Tuesday night (Dec. 12).…
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Moratorium stops high-rises
 

Moratorium stops high-rises

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Macon County Commissioners unanimously approved a moratorium on high-rise development Monday, giving county planning…
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Affordable college is available
 

Affordable college is available

By Bill Rhodarmer I read with interest a recent column in a local news publication concerning the high cost of…
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Temporary high-rise ban a wise move
 

Temporary high-rise ban a wise move

The last thing Macon County — or any of the counties west of Asheville — needs is a high-rise condominium…
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Winter workout
 

Winter workout

By Michael Beadle Just because the temperatures drop and days grow shorter doesn’t mean you have to give up your…
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The Naturalist's Corner
 

The Naturalist's Corner

Winter solstice
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Survey shows more mountain residents  enjoy the outdoors
 

Survey shows more mountain residents enjoy the outdoors

A statewide survey to gauge support for making hunting on Sundays legal revealed some interesting side statistics on outdoor recreation.
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Hospital board stands by ER decision
 

Hospital board stands by ER decision

A new set of doctors will take over emergency room operations at Haywood Regional Medical Center at midnight on the…
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Speace’s style still rings true
 

Speace’s style still rings true

Something I’ve noticed over the years is that the longer you’re on this planet, the smaller said planet seems to…
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Five questions
 

Five questions

Tell us about what you do. How did you learn what you do? What are your duties day-to-day? What about…
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Hospital board stands by ER decision
 

Hospital board stands by ER decision

Despite outcry from the medical community and general public, the hospital board of Haywood Regional Medical Center has stood by…
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Selling national forest land is just a bad idea
 

Selling national forest land is just a bad idea

The proposed sale of U.S. Forest Service land to find money for counties who have lost revenue from declining timber…
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Jackson commissioners take control of airport authority appointments
 

Jackson commissioners take control of airport authority appointments

Jackson County Commissioners last week strategically deferred making a decision about who would become the newest member of the Jackson…
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Give the lasting gift of independent media
 

Give the lasting gift of independent media

Several years ago, as Christmas approached, I remember my youngest daughter saying, “I can’t imagine what I want for Christmas;…
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It is a sad day, indeed
 

It is a sad day, indeed

Thursday night, the Haywood Regional Medical Center Board chose to breach the hospital’s contract with Haywood Emergency Physicians rather than…
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Reality, outcomes and education spending
 

Reality, outcomes and education spending

This deserves emphasis, given the central role that public education plays in North Carolina political debate: our schools have vastly…
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Emergency physicians air concerns, hear public input at community forum
 

Emergency physicians air concerns, hear public input at community forum

Haywood Emergency Physicians expressed concern at a public forum last Tuesday night (Dec. 19) about the turnover of emergency room…
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The news of 2006
 

The news of 2006

2006 was a big year for news in the mountains. From the economy to the world of politics, there’s been…
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Winter workout and wear
 

Winter workout and wear

By Rachel Tomlinson With the winter season in full swing, dressing appropriately to prevent cold injuries is often overlooked, especially…
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New fish species gets boost from Fish and Wildlife grant
 

New fish species gets boost from Fish and Wildlife grant

The sickle-fin redhorse, a new species of fish recently discovered that dwells in only a handful of rivers in WNC,…
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Resolving to go green(er)
 

Resolving to go green(er)

The only New Year’s resolution that I know I have kept came after a particularly devastating New Year’s morning back…
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Outside in 06
 

Outside in 06

The Smoky Mountain News Outdoors section has printed scores of news about the environment, adventure sports and outdoor activities in…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

Traditions It’s over now, but the 24 hours between Christmas Eve afternoon, say around 6 p.m., and the evening of…
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