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Mission offers ‘COVID immunity’ defense in response to malpractice suit
Hospital Corporation of America and Asheville’s Mission Hospital have responded to a lawsuit filed by a Canton woman that claims…
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PARTF funds grow Pisgah View State Park
The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority, which oversees the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, recently approved $17.4 million to…
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Cashing in on adventure: Outdoor recreation economy launches strong pandemic rebound
New data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis show that 2021 was a year of growth…
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Forest conservation advocates honored
Winners of EcoForesters’ Annual Awards were announced this month, celebrating achievement in ecological forestry and highlighting important issues that the…
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Joyce Kilmer trail reopens
The Joyce Kilmer National Recreation Trail in Graham County is reopen after more than two years of closure.
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Cherokee women honored for name restoration efforts
Tribal members Lavita Hill and Mary Crowe have received an Attorney General’s Dogwood Award from N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein…
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A perfect gift for local lore buffs
If you’re looking for a gift for the holidays for that person in your life who enjoys reading about local…
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Here’s to inflation-fighting holiday gifts
According to a recent U.S. News & World Report article, “The 15 Richest Counties in the U.S.,” five of these…
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This must be the place: Lace up the running shoes, head out the door and get after it
As of yesterday, Monday, Nov. 28, I’ve run 2,525 days in a row. I hadn’t checked in on “the streak”…
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For the love of those gathered at the feast
My wife and I were truly blessed to have our children, some relatives and close friends gathered for Thanksgiving, which…
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Free speech trumps party politics any day
To the Editor: Here I am, a constitutional conservative who for 40-plus years has voted, held office, and worked as a…
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It may be time to amend Constitution
To the Editor: Rob Schofield in last week’s Smoky Mountain News decried the current Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)…
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Will Trump answer to the American people?
To the Editor: A college football coach will tell you there are three basic units that comprise a football team: offense,…
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Brotherhood and backwoods tradition: A retrospective on Balsam Range
Writers’ Note: Since I started in the position of arts and entertainment editor at The Smoky Mountain News in 2012,…
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The next chapter: Balsam Range celebrates 15 years, looks ahead
In a year that’ll surely end on a bittersweet note, beloved Haywood County bluegrass sensation Balsam Range is not only…
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Cherokee prepares for special election
On Thursday, Dec. 15, Cherokee voters will head to the polls for a special election that will seat two new…
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Schools struggle with state-mandated pay increases
As Swain County Schools digs into the 2022-23 budget, staff are planning for the largest fund balance allocation needed in…
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Free lunch for Swain Elementary students
All students in Swain County elementary schools will receive free lunch this year with the help of a grant from…
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WCU human remains detection K9 training program wins award
Western Carolina University’s human remains detection cadaver dog training program was recently awarded the 2022 University Professional and Continuing Education…
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Searching for Boomer Inn
Readers are now likely to be searching their own minds for the meaning of the term “boomer inn.” Could it…
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WCU students network at research forum
Students from Western Carolina University were given the opportunity to network with students from other Southern Conference schools and expand…
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Wildfire grows at Harmons Den
A wildfire reported Wednesday, Nov. 23, in the Harmon Den area of Haywood County was still burning with no containment…
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Forest Service gives Trout Unlimited $40 million for projects
In a five-year agreement to improve watersheds on national forests and grasslands, the U.S. Forest Service will give Trout Unlimited…
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Water quality groups land grants
Environmental groups in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison Counties were recently awarded grants totaling $197,500 from the Pigeon River Fund of…
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Trail turkey: Thanksgiving feast brings Appalachian Trail family together
Twenty-two years ago, Janet Hensley, now 59, was working in guest services at a new hotel in her hometown of…
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Drought improves, but holds on in far west
Drought conditions have improved across much of the state following rains from Tropical Depression Nicole, but the westernmost counties remain…
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Smokies to repair 19 bridge locations
Work has started on a $1.3 million effort to repair bridges at 19 locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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East Street Park stream project complete
A project to improve a tributary to Shelton Branch that runs through East Street Park in Waynesville is now complete.…
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Word from the Smokies: Smokies Life celebrates trees and their stories
Have you ever tried to count the number of branches on a tree? One limb leads to many appendages from…
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Language is illuminated in new memoir
Once in a great while, something unexpected and exceptional crosses my desk. In this case it was a gift from…
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Resurrecting the joy of the holidays
I have felt disconnected from the holidays ever since my mom passed away six years ago. Throw a divorce, two…
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Keeping it simple — and local
I was standing at my desk this morning looking forward to the coming Thanksgiving weekend with our grown children and…
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Fears of a politicized court system grow
Maybe the change was an inevitable byproduct of our charged and contentious era.
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After elections, less hate, more love
To the Editor: By the time you read this letter, we will have outcomes of the 2022 mid-term elections.
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SMN has lost a loyal friend
To the Editor: Long-time Haywood County resident Kitty Phillips passed on Election Day this month.
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Sylva Sam messed up the view
To the Editor: Driving through Sylva today I noticed the steps of the old courthouse beautifully decorated with rows of…
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Man found guilty of attempted murder in pig dispute
A dispute about a pig that escalated into attempted murder ended last week with a Tuckasegee man ordered to serve…
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Jackson County man indicted on first-degree murder charge
Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a former Cashiers resident this week for first-degree murder, Sheriff Chip Hall said.
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Macon County votes ‘no’ on quarter-cent sales tax
Decisions about following through with the new Franklin High School project were always going to fall to a new board…
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Couple calls out FedEx after driver admits to 17 break-ins
A couple that owns a home near Highlands is speaking out after they say FedEx failed to act even after warned…
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Untangling the web: Leading Native journalist says ignorance on Native issues poses danger for tribes
As voting hours ended on Election Day 2020, talking heads waiting for results to roll in filled the TV airwaves…
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Mainspring signs agreement in dam removal effort
After months of discussion and deliberation, Mainspring Conservation Trust and Northbrook Carolina Hydro II have signed an agreement allowing Mainspring…
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Cherokee strengthens banishment law
In a unanimous vote during Annual Council Monday, Oct. 24, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed an ordinance to strengthen the tribe’s…
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Seeing green: Inexperienced tax collector-elect gears up for new role
Of the many Republican victories in the 2022 General Election amid a red wave washing over Western North Carolina that…
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Kick off the season with a Christmas home tour
After the Canton tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30 and the Christmas parade on Dec. 1, the festivities continue with…
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‘Friendraiser:' REACH partners with Adamas Entertainment for Christmas benefit show
In a world mired with conflict and divisiveness, it can seem like there is little common ground to be found…
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This must be the place: And a man must forfeit all he owns for a glimpse at the reason why
I was about an hour behind schedule leaving my native Plattsburgh, New York, the truck aimed for Waynesville and greater…
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Information sought on runaway teen in Cherokee
The Cherokee Indian Police Department is seeking information about the whereabouts of Kyria Neal Swayney, a 16-year-old girl who was…
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Celebrating ‘Long Man’: Eastern Band Cherokees work together to care for their rivers
On a crisp autumn morning, the Yellowhill Community Center in Western North Carolina buzzed with excitement as more than 120…
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