Friends’ guided hike explores the Smokies
 

Friends’ guided hike explores the Smokies

Learn how the Boogerman Loop got its unique name, walk along old stone walls that once protected gardens and home…
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Volunteer weather observers needed
 

Volunteer weather observers needed

New volunteers to help form a national network of home-based and amateur rain spotters are needed. This is part of…
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Bat disease found in Haywood County
 

Bat disease found in Haywood County

White-nose syndrome, a deadly disease responsible for the deaths of millions of bats in eastern North America, has been discovered…
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Lace up those tennis shoes for Junaluska running event
 

Lace up those tennis shoes for Junaluska running event

Registration is now open for a bunny run, 5K and 10K at Lake Junaluska starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April…
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Running program just for kids
 

Running program just for kids

Beginning April 24, kids in Haywood County will have an opportunity to be a part of a national running program…
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Flyfishing tips and techniques offered at Jackson library
 

Flyfishing tips and techniques offered at Jackson library

Robert Satterwhite will offer an introduction to Western North Carolina flyfishing at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the community room…
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Time to get that boat out and hit the water
 

Time to get that boat out and hit the water

The eighth-annual Nantahala Open will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Nantahala Falls. Nantahala…
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Rekindling the spirit
 

Rekindling the spirit

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Rachel Reid of Andon-Reid Bed and Breakfast asking if I…
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Cherokee Trout Hatchery back on track after flash flood
 

Cherokee Trout Hatchery back on track after flash flood

Several raceways were completely submerged in water, hundreds of thousands of trout laid dead on the ground, and the national…
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Ron Rash makes appearance at local bookstores
 

Ron Rash makes appearance at local bookstores

Ron Rash, bestselling author of Serena, will read from his newest novel at local bookstores April 14-15. Rash will be…
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Rash creates new genre of mountain western
 

Rash creates new genre of mountain western

Just when we all thought that Ron Rash had taken his Southern Appalachian noir novels to the limit with Serena,…
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NOC forges ahead with new ownership team
 

NOC forges ahead with new ownership team

A group of new owners has taken the reins of Nantahala Outdoor Center, a generational milestone for the outfitter that…
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Done deal: State law mandates one Jackson tourism board, not two
 

Done deal: State law mandates one Jackson tourism board, not two

The state is forcing Jackson County’s hand when it comes to forming a single entity to oversee how tourism tax…
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Cherokee closing in on historic alcohol vote
 

Cherokee closing in on historic alcohol vote

In one week, enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will choose to either lift a historic ban…
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Alcohol vote may signal philosophical shift afoot
 

Alcohol vote may signal philosophical shift afoot

Historically, ballot measures on alcohol sales in Western North Carolina have been bitterly fought affairs, with pro and con forces…
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Motorcycle rumble stirs up furor in Franklin
 

Motorcycle rumble stirs up furor in Franklin

Franklin’s planned motorcycle rally hit a major roadblock this week when town leaders balked at shutting down a portion of…
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Haywood gives MedWest loan belated seal of approval
 

Haywood gives MedWest loan belated seal of approval

Haywood County commissioners this week gave their blessing to a $10 million line of credit for the MedWest-Haywood hospital, ending…
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Reach Out and Read literacy initiative begins
 

Reach Out and Read literacy initiative begins

Getting books from the doctor will soon be a routine part of regular pediatric checkups. Haywood Pediatrics recently joined the…
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Host a foreign exchange student
 

Host a foreign exchange student

Families interested in hosting a foreign exchange student can be matched with students from more than 60 countries through the…
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TRAC session aim at helping businesses
 

TRAC session aim at helping businesses

The North Carolina Division of Tourism and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership will host two TRAC Sessions in…
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Western’s new chancellor takes strong stand in inauguration message
 

Western’s new chancellor takes strong stand in inauguration message

David Belcher, Western Carolina University’s 11th chancellor, warned a crowd of 200 on hand last week for the pomp and…
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Republican voters must pick their man to take on long-time House legislator
 

Republican voters must pick their man to take on long-time House legislator

Three Republican candidates are attempting to set themselves apart in the hope of winning the May primary and going head-to-head…
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One seat with two contenders put Democrats in quandary over state House race
 

One seat with two contenders put Democrats in quandary over state House race

Two well-known Waynesville Democrats running against each other for a shot at representing mountain people in Raleigh so far are…
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Some sushi with that pedicure? Suit pitted neighboring businesses over alleged ‘noxious’ fumes
 

Some sushi with that pedicure? Suit pitted neighboring businesses over alleged ‘noxious’ fumes

A sushi restaurant in Waynesville lost a protracted legal battle last month after accusing a neighboring nail salon of driving…
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Cutting campaign restores Parkway vistas
 

Cutting campaign restores Parkway vistas

Visitors to Haywood County will have a fuller view of its mountain beauty this year after a locally funded project…
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Right now, I’m taking a stand to make a start
 

Right now, I’m taking a stand to make a start

Firmly resolute in my desire to set aside more time for my writing I decided not to have a garden…
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Who is candidate Cecil Bothwell?
 

Who is candidate Cecil Bothwell?

To the Editor: We may criticize someone not attending our church or not believing what we believe. Many of us…
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Do not mess with our health insurance
 

Do not mess with our health insurance

To the Editor: This is an open letter to Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin. Let me be perfectly clear. Obama Care…
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Armed citizens not always a good thing
 

Armed citizens not always a good thing

To the Editor: A recent letter by a firearms instructor made the assertion that no one at the shooting of…
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Our sister publication takes the Smokies nationwide
 

Our sister publication takes the Smokies nationwide

The revelation was at first surprising and then disappointing. So I’ll take a stab here at shedding some light on…
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Roller derby auditions at the fairgrounds
 

Roller derby auditions at the fairgrounds

The Thunder Road Rollergirls of Waynesville will hold its spring open recruitment from April 5-24. There are plenty of available…
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Skate park getting money boosts
 

Skate park getting money boosts

The future Waynesville Skate Park has been awarded a grant in the amount of $1,260 from the North Carolina Community…
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Test drive a vehicle and help out a school
 

Test drive a vehicle and help out a school

Andy Shaw Ford of Sylva will bring Ford Motor Company’s “Drive One 4UR School” Program to Jackson County from 9…
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Women’s self defense class offered
 

Women’s self defense class offered

A self-defense class for women will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11 at MedWest-Haywood Health and Fitness…
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Donate food to help feed the hungry
 

Donate food to help feed the hungry

A food drive is under way in Maggie Valley, with a food drop-off container located in town hall for nonperishable…
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Help celebrate donate a book day
 

Help celebrate donate a book day

As a part of National Library Week from April 8-14, people are asked to donate new or gently used books…
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HCC offers program on loans to small businesses April 10
 

HCC offers program on loans to small businesses April 10

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar on business lending through the NC Rural…
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Writer/choreographer to present new play in Cherokee
 

Writer/choreographer to present new play in Cherokee

A read-through of the new play “A Cherokee Family Reunion” will take place from 4-6 p.m. on April 13 at…
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Cooking with ramps book published
 

Cooking with ramps book published

A cookbook, titled RAMPS: Cooking with the Best Kept Secret of the Appalachian Trail, features a collection of ramp recipes…
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Carden premieres ‘Mother Jones’
 

Carden premieres ‘Mother Jones’

Well-known Western North Carolinian Gary Carden will present the first showing of his new monologue “Mother Jones” at 6 p.m.,…
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Allan Wolf visits City Lights Bookstore
 

Allan Wolf visits City Lights Bookstore

Poet, author and educator, Allan Wolf will return to City Lights Bookstore at 7 p.m. on April 6 to discuss…
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Author Scott Huler to lecture April 13 at WCU and in Sylva
 

Author Scott Huler to lecture April 13 at WCU and in Sylva

Award-winning author Scott Huler will lecture April 13 at Western Carolina University and the Jackson County Public Library in recognition…
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Joel Frahm to perform at WCU Jazz Festival
 

Joel Frahm to perform at WCU Jazz Festival

Saxophonist Joel Frahm will perform at Western Carolina University’s annual Jazz Festival from April 14-15. The New York Times praised…
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Easter events
 

Easter events

All hats on deck for Easter Hat Parade The town of Dillsboro will host its 24th annual Easter Hat Parade…
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Saxophone quartet to perform April 16
 

Saxophone quartet to perform April 16

The award-winning Assembly Saxophone Quartet will present a free concert at 6 p.m., April 16, in the theater of A.K.…
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Ronnie Dunn to play Harrah’s
 

Ronnie Dunn to play Harrah’s

Country legend Ronnie Dunn will perform at 9 p.m., April 27, at Harrah’s Casino and Hotel in Cherokee. Dunn is now…
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WCU series to close with film about Georgia crematorium
 

WCU series to close with film about Georgia crematorium

The Southern Circuit film tour at Western Carolina University ends its 2011-12 season with a free screening of “Sahkanaga” at…
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Bridge Park concerts return
 

Bridge Park concerts return

The Concerts on the Creek summer music series returns for its fourth season in May featuring live bands each Friday…
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Two artists picked to create art of historic Bethel church
 

Two artists picked to create art of historic Bethel church

Two artists were selected to paint various versions of the historic Bethel Presbyterian Church. Nick DePaolo, owner of Long Grove…
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WCU to celebrate youth artwork
 

WCU to celebrate youth artwork

Western Carolina University will celebrate the artwork of local students with the 2012 Jackson County Youth Art Month exhibit from…
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