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The landscapes of our lives
By Michael Beadle Shafts of sun pierce through a misty forest. A thick river of fog rolls through ancient mountains.…
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Raging rockabilly courtesy of Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys
By Chris Cooper “Timeless” is one of those words tossed around a lot in reference to music. Everybody wants to…
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Recommended diversions
Book By Book Michael Dirda, a reviewer for The Washington Post Book World and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for…
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Sifting through the stack
For many people, autumn means more than colorful leaves and blue, crisp days. For them fall is, like spring, a…
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An open letter to Sylva
Most of us in the course of a week find a reason to go to downtown Sylva. We may go…
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Candidates evenly split on North Shore Road
Some voters in Swain County consider the North Shore Road a litmus test for candidates in the county commissioners race…
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Case management key issue in DA’s race
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The race for District Attorney is garnering what some may say is an unusual…
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Differences are obvious, say Haire, Carpenter
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The candidates for the District 119 House race describe themselves as polar opposites.
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How do you stand on the North Shore Road issue?
Charles Taylor: The federal government should live up to its 60-year-old commitment to Swain County residents and complete the North…
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What is the North Shore Road?
The North Shore Road is proposed to go through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Bryson City to Tennessee…
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The road ends here
If Congressman Charles Taylor is defeated in two weeks, it could spell the end of plans to build a road…
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Swain challengers question spending
All five seats on the Swain County Board of Commissioners are up for election this year. The winners will serve…
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Ancient animals of the Blue Ridge
Names of places throughout the Blue Ridge country pay tribute to the familiar wildlife of the region: Bear Wallow Stand…
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Optimisim reigns at Blue Ridge
The ups and downs across a graph that tell of a business’ profits and losses may not be very interesting,…
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Finding ways to help the innocent
Over the last two decades, the number of drug-affected infants has been growing. It is estimated that as many as…
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A survival guide for direct-to-consumer ads
By Mark Jaben In the 1970s, a book written about a doctor’s internship experience, The House of God, reached near…
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Using development to save mountain farms
Not too long ago there occurred an unlikely meeting of the minds. Sylva developer John Beckman and Whittier farmer William…
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Recesses in nature: Bryson City group sets up new caving club
By Michael Beadle There are still dark corners in this world yet to be explored.
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Winter means waterfowl at Lake Junaluska
Anyone who follows the Naturalist’s Corner knows that I have devoted much ink to the birds one might encounter at…
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Keith Presnell
1. What specific legislation or policies are at the top of your list? Jobs, to make sure we have infrastructure…
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Three commission seats up for grabs in Macon
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Macon County’s three Democratic commissioners are facing a challenge from three Republican contenders in…
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Voters need to look closely at the Good Governance Legion
By Lee Shelton As the Nov. 7 election date approaches, the “Good Governance Legion” is, again, “banging their noise makers”…
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Smith thrills in his new dark suspense
“The Ruins does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches.” — Stephen King The Ruins by Scott…
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The value of endorsements
Come Nov. 7, voters will choose candidates based on many different factors. In almost all cases, those choices will be…
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Mixed allegiances make Haywood race especially difficult to call
The scene at Haywood County commissioner meetings today is quite different from that four years ago. In the year prior…
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The horrifying beauty of Halloween made simple
“Excuse me, miss, but did you happen to see a princess and a small cow come through here a minute…
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How ‘bout them toad suckers? Ain’t they clods?
When my wife came home the other evening, she asked if I had heard about the toad-sucking dog on NPR.
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Simple living
By Kathleen Lamont Have you heard? The recent marriage of sustainable food production and big business is on the rocks.
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Macon sheriff's race
Robert Holland, 39, has been Macon County Sheriff for four years and with the sheriff's department since 1991. He is…
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Spotlight on Endangered Species in WNC
Green Salamander — Although listed by the state as endangered and recognized as a species of concern by the U.S.…
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Paying for the purchase
Here’s how Swain County plans to pay for the school land purchase.
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Cowee Mound preserved for future generations, historic interpretation
Cowee Mound, a 71-acre site in Macon County and once a major Cherokee village, will be preserved thanks to a…
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Some critical of price paid for Swain land
The price of a recent land purchase by Swain County for school expansion has raised some eyebrows among candidates running…
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Saving before endangering: Federal bill could help prevent species from becoming listed as endangered
If you’re not careful, you could miss it.
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Most Swain candidates cite need for land planning
As growth and development accelerate in Swain County, discussion over the need for road and slope regulations has increasingly taken…
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Five vie for three seats on Haywood board
There are five candidates running for three seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. Kirk Kirkpatrick, Democrat, attorney Kirkpatrick…
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Taylor’s touts congressional clout on campaign trail
By Michael Beadle It’s a chilly fall morning in downtown Bryson City, and U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor steps up into…
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Shuler camp presses message that change is needed
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer It’s 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, and Andrew Whalen, 11th Congressional District candidate Heath…
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Candidates divided on county’s role in initiating planning efforts
All five candidates running for Haywood County commissioner say they support a proposed slope development ordinance, which is poised for…
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From the pick of the old time pickin’ litter
By Chris Cooper Rafe Stefanini: Ladies Fancy Rafe Stefanini is something of a walking encyclopedia of old-time fiddle and banjo…
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Old instruments sing again: Community band effort provides new homes for neglected instruments
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Jacob Clark, a sixth-grader at Waynesville Middle School, likes the trumpet. “It’s easy to…
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Recommended diversions
Freakonomics OK, I’m often late to the game, but this book published a few years is just fascinating. While working…
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Occupational reading
Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers by Amy Stewart. Algonquin Books, 2006.…
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Bonfoey keeps seat in tight race against Forga
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Mike Bonfoey defeated Republican challenger Donna Forga 34,445 to 29,771 to retain his position…
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Democrats sweep commissioners race
It was a tight race between two candidates running for Swain County commission chairman, but Chairman Glenn Jones hung on…
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Haire keeps 119th House seat
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer District 119 incumbent Phil Haire, D-Sylva, has once against defeated Marge Carpenter, R-Waynesville, for…
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Kirkpatrick, Upton and Curtis in Haywood
An unusually large margin separated Democratic and Republican candidates in the Haywood County commissioners race, suggesting that Republican candidates were…
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Help for those with mental illness: Waynesville couple helps start local NAMI chapter
By Michael Beadle When John and Suzanne Gernandt’s son Matthew began showing signs of schizophrenia, it might have been misread…
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