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Last call for Polar Plunge
Wade, dash, splash or take the full plunge into Lake Junaluska from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23…
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Bear Creek Lake on upper Tuck gets boat ramp, dock and pier
A boat ramp on Bear Creek Lake in the Tuckasegee area of Jackson County has been renovated by the N.C.…
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Float, boat or fish the Tuck
This spring, rolling down the Tuckasegee River will be, for the most part, as it has been in years past…
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1967 novel sheds light on obscure mass drowning
In recent years, I have become interested in an obscure incident that occurred in Jackson County in 1882 — the…
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Sample chocolate, support Bryson City’s library
Cooks of all things chocolate will square off at the “Sixth Annual Chocolate Cook-Off” from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Feb.…
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Whimzik wows with eclectic music, performance art combo
Whimzik will be having a DVD release performance at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Jackson County Public Library in…
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Is your pet Haywood’s next top model?
Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation has launched its annual pet photography contest.
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WNC flipping for pancakes
• The 56th annual “Pancake Day” will be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the First…
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Artists/vendors sought for regional festivals
Several festivals around Western North Carolina are encouraging local artists and vendors to sign up for celebrations and events throughout…
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Jungle king swings into WCU
A cold wind howls through the campus of Western Carolina University as the screams of a young woman echo from…
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We have to decide which side we’re on
To the Editor: Well over a half century ago, the infringements, abridgments and usurpations of government against our liberties ordained…
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Ball fields bad use of tourism money
To the Editor: Why on earth tap the tourism development funds in Haywood County for a ballpark that won’t result…
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Weakened slope laws could prompt lawsuits
To the Editor: This is an open letter to the Jackson County Planning Board and county commissioners. Things to consider: …
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Beware plastic power strips, and many thanks
To the Editor: It is hard to believe it was a month ago that our little house in Waynesville burned.…
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We need sanity in gun debate
To the Editor: As a gun owner, parent, teacher and American, I believe that there is no legitimate reason for…
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Macon County may need second pay study
To the Editor: I believe Macon County’s commissioners need to closely analyze and thoroughly discuss the results and proposals made…
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Obamacare will drag down health care
To the Editor: Recently, after a serious falling accident, I experienced medical treatment from our local health care system at…
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Downtown Sylva needs some help
To the Editor: Tourism, tourism and tourism are the three most important words to line the struggling businessmen’s pockets and…
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By chance, by sea, bye bye
By John Beckman • Columnist Thirty-five years ago, I moved into my first dorm room and this small-town lad had…
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Cherokee entertains idea of bear sanctuary
Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has postponed any action that would ban bear zoos from the…
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Conviction in toddler’s death just ‘one step’ on the families’ road to justice
A woman was sent to jail for nine years this week for her role in the death of toddler who…
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Clear sailing ahead for Haywood room tax hike
If anyone opposes an increase in Haywood County’s overnight lodging tax, they did not make their enmity known at Monday’s…
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Last week in Maggie: meeting melee, man banned from town hall and legal threats volleyed
A heated argument and near fight between two Maggie Valley residents — one of whom is banned from town hall —…
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New logo captures essence of Haywood Chamber
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce debuted a new logo this week, showing off more than a year of work…
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Rescinded grant miffs downtown Sylva property owner
After spending $200,000 to build a new parking lot shared by five downtown Sylva businesses, the property owner lost a…
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Counties hammered with requests for more school resource officers
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office made a pitch to commissioners this week for four additional sheriff’s deputies to be placed…
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From rap lyrics to bathroom graffiti, schools get tough on threats from students
In a new state of high alert, schools face tough choices when confronted by a threat from a student: is…
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Countdown to decision time
Several boards and bodies will formally vote in coming weeks on whether Lake Junaluska should become part of Waynesville, form its own town or continue as a sophisticated homeowner’s association. Here’s a look at who will be weighing in and…
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The players
Property owners: A survey was mailed to all 811 Lake Junaluska property owners last week, with a robust response rate so far. There are 765 homes at Lake Junaluska. About half are lived in year-round by their owners. Surveys also…
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Junaluska’s choices: the abridged version
Option 1: Join the town of Waynesville Pros: • Financial savings — This is the cheapest option, thanks to economies of scale. Residents would fork over town property taxes, but it would buy them all the services and amenities they…
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One foot in the past, one in the future, Junaluskans weigh the worth of their identity
When Ken Zulla hung up his IRS badge and retired to the well-groomed mountain hamlet of Lake Junaluska more than a decade ago, monthly sojourns to the local feed-and-seed store weren’t on the radar for his Golden Years. SEE ALSO:…
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Jackson salutes its new flag
Jackson County is no longer a banner-less government. County commissioners selected an official county flag this week from a pool…
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Sparring or fighting? Swain high schoolers suspended for unsanctioned “fight club”
Swain County School administrators began an internal investigation Friday after videos surfaced of a “fight club” among ninth grade boys…
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So long, courthouse maples
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners voted to cut down the stately maples trees that grace the grounds of the…
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New defibrillators carry big price tag in Macon
Macon County emergency vehicles will soon be equipped with new state-of-the-art cardiac defibrillators. Commissioners voted 3 to 2 this week…
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In celebration of spring, dead leaves, and an ornery epitaph
About once a year or less, I work up the nerve to publish poems in this space. Head for cover.…
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Wild game on the grill at wildlife club dinner
The Wildlife Club at Haywood Community College is hosting a wild game dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at…
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Parkway chief to retire
Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis has announced that he will retire on April 1 after 41 years in the National Park…
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Cataloochee road closed due to wash out
The gravel road leading into Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was washed out by recent heavy…
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Vandals hit park with paint and profanity
Vandals hit an area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as “the Sinks” — a popular roadside waterfall…
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Great count in your backyard
Of course, you’re no longer confined to your backyard like you were back in 1997 when the Great Backyard Bird…
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More trail talk…
A regional trails map showing hiking trails, greenways, public lands, rivers and other outdoor recreation landmarks in the seven western…
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Trail triage? Tough choices ahead as forest service weighs 1,600 miles in trail plan
For the past year, the National Forest Service has been taking inventory, collecting public input and meeting with outdoor interest…
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To be (born) or not to be
Since reading Ben Wattenberg’s The Birth Dearth 25 years ago, the subject of demography has fascinated me. This past week…
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All Cherokee bear zoos should be shut down
To the Editor: It’s about time that the USDA finally suspended operations at Chief Saunooke’s antiquated concrete pit in Cherokee.…
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Lake J property owners need more information
To the Editor: The article about the upcoming decision regarding possible annexation of Lake Junaluska by Waynesville in the Feb.…
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Gov. McCrory needs to put up or shut up
To the Editor: Thanks for standing up to the governor in your column about our state universities (“Majoring in philosophy?…
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This diplomacy stuff just isn’t that hard
By Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist Well, it seems that John Kerry is our new secretary of state, ready to…
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Two Waynesville sweepstake parlors charged as industry guns for a court fight
A Waynesville sweepstakes operator was charged with a criminal misdemeanor last weekend when she refused to shut down her machines,…
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Haywood wants to hike tourist tax to fund ballparks
Haywood County tourism leaders want to increase the tax on overnight lodging to fund special tourism-related capital projects, including a…
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