Russ Avenue construction starts in Waynesville
 

Russ Avenue construction starts in Waynesville

A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has begun work on one of the busiest roads in Haywood County that…
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Swain TDA names new director
 

Swain TDA names new director

The Swain County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) announced the appointment of its new director, Sarah Conley. 
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Drop-in childcare returns to Waynesvlle Rec Center
 

Drop-in childcare returns to Waynesvlle Rec Center

The Waynesville recreation center has reopened its childcare rooms and has its drop-in childcare program back up and running. 
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Bird in Hand will play Bryson City March 15. File photo
 

Americana, folk at Mountain Layers

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company…
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HCC Foundation Professional Crafts fundraiser
 

HCC Foundation Professional Crafts fundraiser

The Haywood Community College Foundation inaugural “Evening of Art” event to support the needs of HCC’s Professional Crafts program will…
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The Get Right band will play Waynesville March 9. File photo
 

Rock rolls into Scotsman

Celebrating the fourth anniversary of Adamas Entertainment, Spiro Nicolopoulous Blues Apocalypse will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 8, with…
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Often mistaken for wasps, black soldier flies are harmless to humans and found worldwide. Amy Dickerson photo
 

Soldiers for sustainability: Common fly could help address pollution, boost sustainability

They can eat just about anything and multiply like crazy. They live all over the world, in a variety of…
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Holly Kays. File photo
 

Keep telling the story

When I first arrived in Western North Carolina just after New Year’s Day, 2014, I wasn’t planning to stay. 
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Among the 29 acres protected is scenic farmland. Donated photo
 

Land protected in Sandy Mush

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) closed on a conservation easement to protect 29 acres of farmland.
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The Smokies yet again earned the designation of the country’s most visited national park. File photo
 

Smokies see increased visitation

Last week, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023,…
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Smoky Mountain Beekeepers Association President Fred Crawford shows how bees build cells in a hive. Kyle Perrotti photo
 

Join Smoky Mountain Beekeepers for a series of talks

Red maples are popping, and it appears spring has sprung. As the weather improves, local beekeepers’ hives are buzzing back…
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Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest hikes, work projects
 

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest hikes, work projects

March brings unstable weather in the mountains, but it can also ushers in occasional springlike conditions. A pair of events…
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Samples were taken from 22 diverse locations. File photo
 

Biotech leader contributes $90,000 to study microbial life in Smokies

Microbial Insights has donated over $90,000 worth of advanced microbial analyses to support Discover Life in America’s research initiatives within…
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March kicks off 2024 ozone season
 

March kicks off 2024 ozone season

March 1 marked the beginning of the 2024 ozone season as state and local environmental agencies renew their daily air…
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Road maintenance shuts down roads in WNC recreation area
 

Road maintenance shuts down roads in WNC recreation area

The U.S. Forest Service is working on road maintenance and improvement projects in the Fires Creek Recreation Area near Hayesville.
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WNC outdoors recreation survey highlights economic impact of industry
 

WNC outdoors recreation survey highlights economic impact of industry

The MADE X MTNS Partnership released the results of the Western North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Participation Survey, conducted in partnership with the…
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Learn about conservation in WNC
 

Learn about conservation in WNC

The speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will continue this month with a presentation explaining the role…
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Join educational hike March 18
 

Join educational hike March 18

A UNC-Asheville geology professor will lead an educational hike March 18. 
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Green Energy Park returns to normal hours
 

Green Energy Park returns to normal hours

After completing its maintenance cycle, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will resume normal operations and will be open…
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A kayak-view photo looks upstream from the paper mill site in Canton. Anna Alsobrook/MountainTrue photo
 

Continuing the cleanup: Pigeon River slowly bounces back as mill environmental violations mount

Once Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill shut down for good, people wondered how the Pigeon River and the aquatic life…
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New leadership for Haywood County Schools: Finance director returns, two schools see new principals
 

New leadership for Haywood County Schools: Finance director returns, two schools see new principals

The Haywood County School Board approved several personnel recommendations last week that saw the return of a previous finance director…
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Legal Action sought for injuries in Haywood explosive fire safety drill
 

Legal Action sought for injuries in Haywood explosive fire safety drill

Conrad & Scherer, a litigation firm with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has filed a lawsuit against Fireblast Global,…
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JCPS will install over 100 new security cameras. File photo
 

Jackson County Schools receives safety grant

Jackson County Schools will install over 100 new security cameras throughout the school system after it received over a quarter…
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Woody, Jamison win race for Jackson County School Board
 

Woody, Jamison win race for Jackson County School Board

Incumbent Wes Jamison and newcomer Gayle Woody have won the race for Jackson County Board of Education.
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Young, Breeden win seats for Macon Commission
 

Young, Breeden win seats for Macon Commission

The Macon County Commission will see one new member seated in December after newcomer Barry Breeden beat out incumbent Paul…
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Hornsby has lived in Macon County since 2018 and has practiced law in the region since 2004.
 

Hornsby wins new district court seat

Macon County attorney Virginia Hornsby will be a district court judge at the end of the year.
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Kenneth Parton, left, an incumbent, finished second in the Republican primary behind newcomer Tanner Lawson, right.
 

Incumbent Parton, newcomer Lawson win Swain County Commission Republican primary

Incumbent Kenneth Parton and newcomer Tanner Lawson have won the Swain County Commission Republican primary.
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North Carolina's 11th Congressional District contains the westernmost counties in the state.
 

Edwards prevails in NC-11

First-term incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) will go on to face Democrat Caleb Rudow in the November General Election after…
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Miles ahead, miles to go: despite a year of progress, post-mill challenges remain in Canton
 

Miles ahead, miles to go: despite a year of progress, post-mill challenges remain in Canton

Not a lot of people remember the date the whistle last blew or the date the last workers put their…
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The paper mill at the heart of Canton for 115 years closed for good on June 8, 2023 just three months after the closing was first announced.
 

Folded: chronicling the closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s Canton paper mill

History will whisper through the mountain mists that once upon a time, Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill in Canton stood as…
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Carolina Mountain Club builds trail at North Canton Elementary
 

Carolina Mountain Club builds trail at North Canton Elementary

The tangle of trees and vines beyond the playground fence at North Canton Elementary School used to be a no-go…
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Camping fee increase proposed for Parkway
 

Camping fee increase proposed for Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is proposing a significant increase to camping fees, with public comments accepted through Friday, March 15. 
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A group of volunteers stands ready to stock. Trout Unlimited photo
 

Help fill the West Fork 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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Birders watch the lake for avian residents. MountainTrue photo
 

Meet the birds of Lake Chatuge

Join MountainTrue’s 18th annual caravan around the Lake Chatuge shoreline to view a variety of birds 7:30-9:30 a.m. Saturday, March…
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Laurel Rematore. File photo
 

Smokies Life CEO to retire

Following CEO Laurel Rematore’s announcement that she intends to retire at the end of 2024, Smokies Life, formerly known as…
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Schoolhouse falls. File photo
 

Show girl power on the trail

Celebrate International Women’s Day with a hike and trail workday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Cold…
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A CSA box from Encompass Farm contains a variety of produce. ASAP photo
 

Sign up for food from the farm

Celebrate CSA Month by lining up your source for fresh fruits and vegetables this growing season, with a CSA Fair…
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Bears becoming accustomed to human trash creates danger for them and for their human neighbors. Beth Pape photo
 

Bear with bears

Dive into the natural history of black bears at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at the Reuter Center at the…
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A section of the Appalachian Trail beckons hikers.
 

‘Glamp’ the Smokies

The Great Smokies Eco-Adventure, a fundraising event for Discover Life in America, will be held April 21-23 near Gatlinburg. 
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Go the extra mile for trail maintenance
 

Go the extra mile for trail maintenance

A new Carolina Mountain Club trail crew, dubbed the Extra Mile Crew, has been formed to work on trail sections…
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Explore the MST
 

Explore the MST

Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail will hold its annual gathering May 3-5 at Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, with…
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Shoot sharp
 

Shoot sharp

Learn the fundamentals of archery during a youth program 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Cashiers/Glenville…
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An estimated 8,000 black bears live in the mountain region. Bill Lea photo
 

Wildlife Commission approves bear season expansion, deer season shift

During its Feb. 22 meeting, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to adopt a slate of proposed rule changes for…
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After winnin the vote, Tessa Sellers is likely to move up from her district court seat to superior court. Kyle Perrotti photo
 

District Court judge one step closer to moving up to Superior Court

Attorneys in Western North Carolina now know who will likely hold the farthest west superior court seat. 
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Haywood County's jail expansion project has been under discussion since before the Coronavirus Pandemic. File photo
 

Considerable apprehension haunts Haywood jail expansion project

With several critical deadlines approaching and the cost of construction only going up, Haywood County commissioners spent more than two…
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Housing needs dire and growing in Jackson
 

Housing needs dire and growing in Jackson

The Development Finance Initiative has conducted a housing needs assessment for Jackson County, and while the findings won’t be surprising…
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This rendering shows the existing and proposed façades of the Balsam Falls Brewing building on Mill Street. MSSA photo
 

Mill Street revitalization plan moves forward

The Town of Sylva is embarking on a five-year plan to revitalize Mill Street with updated façades as part of…
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Coach Josh Brooks (second from right) returns to Franklin’s football program after less than a year away. Donated photo
 

Brooks returns to Franklin football

Josh Brooks will return as head coach for Franklin High School football after players implored the school board to reinstate…
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Abby Bentley, a teacher Pisgah High School, was given the award by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Donated photo
 

WCU alumna, Haywood educator is state's 'Beginning Teacher of the Year'

A local teacher has won a prestigious award given to new educators in the field. Abby Bentley, a science teacher…
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Youth groups from around the Southeast converged on the retreat. Donated photo
 

Lake Junaluska hosts regional youth groups

Lake Junaluska hosted youth groups from across the Southeast recently during its annual Winter Youth Retreats.
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