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Initial North Shore Road payment clears Senate
Swain County inched a notch closer this month toward seeing a cash settlement in lieu of the long-promised North Shore…
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Maggie Valley mayor’s race pits long-time foes
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Forget the presidential election — the biggest race to watch in the coming months…
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Sweet bubby bush
I recently received an email from a reader who asked, “Could you write about the sweet bubby bush? That’s the…
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What is wrong with teaching in the US?
In 1991, 30-year veteran and master teacher John Taylor Gatto resigned immediately after being named “Teacher of the Year” in…
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Vote on Southern Loop postponed
Opponents of the Southern Loop have questioned whether the controversial highway should be included on a list of top priority…
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Blessed, demented genius
By Chris Cooper The picture you see when you flip open the new Moolah Temple Stringband CD shows singer/guitarist/found-sound alchemist…
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Mumpower first to formally challenge Shuler
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer With no word yet from former U.S. House Rep. Charles Taylor on his decision…
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Ain’t no mountain high enough: 2007 Blue Ridge Relay challenges local runners through two states and two days of sun, sweat and cheers
By Michael Beadle Several Western North Carolina running teams recently concluded the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay Race from Grayson Highlands…
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Chick lit, chauvinism and modern Ireland
Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy. Knopf, 2007. 352 pages. Recently my sister asked me if I had met anyone, which…
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State says mill discharge does not require public notification
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A clean water advocacy group is questioning why an accidental discharge of a paper-making…
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The Super Wal-Mart land rush: Discount retail giant brings rising property prices
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Roger Winge knew a good deal when he spotted one. Before Super Wal-Mart had…
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Changing electorate could shake up Sylva election
The race for the Sylva town board this fall could speak volumes about the changing demographics of the town —…
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Ending the curse of Babel may be our only, best chance
By Arthur Hancock Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than…
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Southern Loop opposition mounts
Jackson County residents opposed to the construction of the Southern Loop — a new major highway that would bisect Jackson…
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Hicks declared winner in contested Cherokee vote
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Supreme Court ruled Saturday that a new election…
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What’s in a permit?
Duke Energy must get a permit from the N.C. Division of Water Quality before it can tear down the Dillsboro…
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Jackson library to go atop courthouse hill
A decade of debate over where to build a new library in Jackson County was put to rest this week.…
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Giant Van Halen rock lands in NC
By Armando Basulto • Guest Writer There is something vaguely depressing about watching your nostalgia for your adolescent years transformed…
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Swain urged to tap into motorcycle tourism
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The roar of motorcycles is a familiar sound in the mountains of Western North…
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Where pots (and a cat) are thrown: The Flying Cat Studio is one of 20 Haywood County art studios that will host open house events this weekend
By Michael Beadle If you’re lucky enough to visit the Flying Cat Studio just off U.S. 276 in Jonathan Creek,…
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In the wake of death, new life
By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist Much has been written in this paper and others about what is causing our…
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The new face of Waynesville: Town’s land use plan holds firm under pressure
When Doug Anderson unfurled the blueprints for his latest assignment — a new Bojangles’ going up in Waynesville — he…
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Haywood’s League of Women Voters fosters non-partisan involvement
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Voters can thank the recently formed Haywood County League of Women Voters for the…
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DOT needs to hit the brakes on Southern Loop
There’s one fundamental reason the Southern Loop needs more discussion before it is considered a done deal — the simple…
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What magazines would work best for Swain?
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Advertising was the hot topic of discussion at the second meeting of the recently…
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Waynesville candidates make their cases
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Over 50 people came out to hear Waynesville’s next mayor speak at the this…
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Recommended diversions
Raising Sand Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player…
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Dillsboro dam debate rages on
A plan by Duke Energy to tear down the century-old Dillsboro dam drew a crowd of opponents to a public…
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It’s all over but the texting
By David Curtis The 21st Century arrived at the Curtis residence this past Friday. We have evolved from caveman, cavewoman…
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Hoss: clawing their way to the top
Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one…
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NC birding trail wings its way to the mountains
Site nominations for the mountain region of the North Carolina Birding Trail kicked off Oct. 1. Sites for the coastal…
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In the heat of summer, it’s every tomato for itself
By Stephanie Wampler With a long flash of silver, the golf club revolved in a wide, smooth arc. The glinting…
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Taking stock of our local treasures
By Kathleen Lamont There has been a lot of planning, talking and meeting lately regarding the buzzword of the decade:…
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Not such a safe place
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace. Nan A. Talese, 2007. 255 pages “Let’s drop the big one and see what happens.”…
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Shrills in the night
When I was growing up in the tobacco-farming portion of the southern Virginia piedmont, there were many haunted outbuildings throughout…
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Zeke was a friend I won’t forget
Dogs have been a part of my life since I was a boy. My first dog — part one thing,…
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Learn about seed saving and lending
A program on the local seed lending library in Jackson County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 8…
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Learn to identify plants from the best
Dr. Dan Pittillo will lead a two-part workshop on plant identification beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6 at the…
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Carnivorous plant tour in Highlands
The Highlands Botanical Garden will offer a free tour focusing on carnivorous plants of the Southern Appalachians at 10:30 a.m.…
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Teachers and students become park rangers
Local teachers and students will return to school with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from a summer working…
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15K trail run at Camp Daniel Boone
The Daniel Boone Scramble 15k Trail Run will take place on Aug. 11 at Camp Daniel Boone in Haywood County.…
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Teddy Roosevelt helps J-MCA raise money
Joe Wiegand, regarded as the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, will bring the conservation-minded president to life during a fundraising…
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‘Why do you love AT’ video contest
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) — to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the completion of the AT — is hosting…
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GSMNP visitation trending upward
Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the rise, a good sign for Western North Carolina counties…
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Appalachian Trail turns 75
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest hiking-only footpath in the…
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Classic hike series heads to Mt. Cammerer
The Friends of the Smokies next “Classic Hike of the Smokies” will be to the top of Mt. Cammerer, where…
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Main Street Mile in Waynesville is Aug. 10
The third annual Main Street Mile will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 in downtown Waynesville. The event…
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Biking the Trail of Tears
Seven members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and 16 members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma recently participated in…
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From the darkness to the light – literally
Legend has it that curious fishermen watching trout seemingly disappear into Humpback Mountain back in 1822 discovered an entrance into…
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Bicycle touring light Overnight trips take the pressure off planning, purchasing
By Jack Moore • Contributor J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” and he may as well…
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