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Voting in North Carolina just got easier
The U.S. Justice Department gave final approval last week to a new North Carolina law allowing people to register and…
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Voter rolls in Swain get house cleaning
The Swain County Board of Elections last week purged 110 voters from its rolls who had listed their voting address…
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Burning down the house
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke. Algonquin Books, 2007. 305 pages. Some writers come…
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All in a day’s work
One of the more interesting and entertaining early descriptive accounts of the southern mountains is contained in a diary kept…
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Recommended diversions
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Ah, the old TV cartoons from childhood...The Smurfs. The Super Friends. Scooby Dooby…
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Jackson cyclist continues on his journey across US
A.J. Rowell of Cullowhee is ticking off the miles on his transcontinental bike ride from the Arctic Ocean back home…
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Case between McClure, Jackson County rages on
A lawsuit against Jackson County for disbanding the Jackson County Airport Authority two-and-a-half years ago is headed for another round…
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Vick a poster child for depraved stars
Has any professional athlete ever made more a mess of his life than Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick? At the…
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On being Heath Shuler
The Smoky Mountain News caught up with Rep. Heath Shuler at his home in Haywood County. Here’s what he had…
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Truth is, Sloe Gin fizzed
By Chris Cooper Robben Ford: Truth Not many guitarists can meld the harmonic sensibilities of jazz with the visceral punch…
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Passion for pewter: Riverwood Pewter continues eight decades of family tradition
By Michael Beadle It’s been called the poor man’s silver, but its shine and durability have made it prized in…
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The perilous world of mussels
Decades ago, fresh water mussels littered the river bottoms of Western North Carolina. River otter and muskrats ate them, Cherokee…
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Keep me in the dark
Scott McLeod, my editor, tossed an Aug. 20, 2007, New Yorker on his desk and said there was a good…
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Deed faux pas gives animal shelter to airport
Jackson County accidentally gave away the county’s animal shelter to the Jackson County Airport Authority 10 years ago, and now…
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The ‘perfect’ hunter and fisherman — if I do say so myself
Samuel J. Hunnicutt was one of the original characters of the Smokies region before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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King Of The Smokies Triathlon set for Lake J on Sept. 1
The King of the Smokies sprint and international distance triathlons will be held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center…
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Talk looks at learning outside the classroom
Dr. Karen Kandl, associate director at the Highlands Biological Station, will speak on “Biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians: Learning outside…
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Labor Day LakeAlooza party at Fontana Village
Fontana Village Resort will host a LakeAlooza party on Labor Day weekend. A full day of water activities at Fontana…
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Public television show focuses on environmental issues
This American Land, a new weekly half-hour series that delves into key environmental issues, is now airing on UNC-TV every…
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High school students complete WCU bike trek
Eleven high school students from Western North Carolina had an opportunity to learn about biology and ecology this summer as…
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Volunteer needed at Oconaluftee
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help the park staff by roving the River Trail, Mountain…
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Photography classes turn the eye to nature in WNC
A field photography program that includes four Wednesday morning shoots, three evening group critiques and field discussions will be held…
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Aug. 16 telethon is great chance to help the Smokies
It’s amazing what can happen in just 60 minutes. Each year, the Friends Across the Mountains telethon showcases inspiring images…
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DuPont forest trip for seniors
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip for seniors to DuPont State Forest near Brevard on Sept.…
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Interactive fishing map released
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recently added a new interactive map to its website that identifies more than 500 public…
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Plant-insect symbiosis focus of hike
Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a “Sweet Summer Nectar” hike to the meadow near Sams Knob beginning at 10…
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Stoked for storks
As we started over the bridge on the Isle of Palms Connector, I noticed a line of large black and…
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AT celebrates 75 years
As the legend goes, Earl Shaffer, the first man to hike the Appalachian Trail from end-to-end in 1948, used leather…
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Rare book harkens back to a different time
Ramblin’ in Rabun is a reprint of a delightful book that was written down in Clayton, Ga., some 40 years…
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Reading Room news briefs
Real-life mystery talks focus Margaret Dunbar Cutright, author of A Case for Soloman, will be at Blue Ridge Books in…
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Letter writers were simply off the mark
To the Editor: A pair of letters in this (last) week’s Smoky Mountain News made me check the calendar to…
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Let’s restore common sense in November
To the Editor: Last Saturday afternoon, Aug. 11, hundreds of people traveled to Jackson County to attend a rally which…
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We need laws to control loud, dangerous pets
To the Editor: What an ignorant letter (“People, not dogs, are the problem,” Aug. 1, The Smoky Mountain News) written…
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It’s important to protect the golden goose
To the Editor: As Western North Carolina strives to attract more businesses into this area, a major selling point is…
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Valid criticism better than false accusations
To the Editor: I have been in such a state of shock over a letter published in your newspaper (“Obama…
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Raymond Fairchild and a vanishing tradition
By Charles and Cynthia Seeley • Guest Columnists I am a visitor to Maggie Valley. My husband, two friends and…
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Jackson revisits development rules along U.S. 441
Jackson County leaders appear to be backing down from a lofty vision to transform U.S. 441 leading to Cherokee into…
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State senate candidates stake out positions
Verbal sparring over key campaign issues in this fall’s state senate race was lively and pointed between N.C. Sen. Jim…
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Trading autonomy for security: Lake Junaluska weighs whether to merge with town of Waynesville
When Tom Sigmon tells people in Charlotte that he only lives there part-time, they often ask where he spends the…
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Jackson task force mired down in finer points of merging two tourism entities into one
A task force charged with creating guidelines for a joint Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is still struggling to figure…
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Room tax on the rise, a sign of hope in the tourism industry
Many counties are seeing an increase in tourism-related spending this year, but most have still not bounced back to their…
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Team weight-loss competition starts soon
The Franklin Angel Medical Center is hosting the kick-off for its third team weight-loss competition 9 a.m. Aug. 25 in…
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Cat adoption fee lowered for five days in August
The Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Waynesville is lowering the fee to $5 to adopt cats five months or older.…
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HRMC Foundation presents its 21st annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala
The HRMC Foundation is hosting its 21st annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala, a two-day fundraiser Aug. 28-29 to benefit…
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HCC trustees narrowly split on whether to expand their search for new president
The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees have apparently rejected five finalists in its search for a new college president…
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For bargain price, Haywood County is proud new owner of shuttered prison
For a little less than the cost of a cup of coffee, Haywood County is buying the small, closed-down state…
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MedWest-Haywood to fill key slots
The county is looking to fill five open positions on MedWest-Haywood’s hospital authority board during a critical time when the…
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Maggie to loosen sweepstake machine regulations
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen will vote this week whether to relax restrictions on sweepstakes machines for businesses that…
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Low values prompt reval delay
Real estate prices have taken such a drastic plunge in Macon and Jackson counties — which once boasted the highest…
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Going once, going twice … Local banks still feeling hangover from unprecedented boom and bust
As Macon Bank scurried to get in on the ground floor of the real estate heyday in the mountains, it…
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