The fascinating story of the Plott hound
 

The fascinating story of the Plott hound

A new book has been published that will be of particular interest to area hunters, outdoorsmen, and dog lovers. It…
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Guided hike to be held at Cataloochee Ranch
 

Guided hike to be held at Cataloochee Ranch

A 4.4-mile hike on the Wallhalla Trail at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday,…
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Bike race coming up at Fontana Village
 

Bike race coming up at Fontana Village

The Icycle Mountain Bike Racing Classic will return to Fontana Village Resort on January 28. The race is packed with…
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National forest seeking trail allies
 

National forest seeking trail allies

Learn about the U.S. National Forests’ Trail Strategy initiative at a Thursday, Jan. 26, workshop in Franklin, from 6 p.m.…
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Despite late spike, Smokies visitation slips for the year
 

Despite late spike, Smokies visitation slips for the year

Overall visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the nation, was down overall last…
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Getting bears out of backpacker food fare
 

Getting bears out of backpacker food fare

The specialty Appalachian Trail license plates have raised money to help backpackers safeguard their food from roving black bears along…
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Indoor soccer kicks off in Waynesville
 

Indoor soccer kicks off in Waynesville

Get ready to play indoor soccer through the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, which starts the winter playing-season this…
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Adult swim lessons available MedWest
 

Adult swim lessons available MedWest

It’s truly never too late to learn how to swim, and the MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County…
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Outdoor camp in Maggie Valley helps troubled youth
 

Outdoor camp in Maggie Valley helps troubled youth

A grant from Healthy Haywood has helped launch an Outdoor Mission Camp for court-involved kids. Positive Community Connections is designed…
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Historic Highlands-area trail gets a half-million dollar facelift
 

Historic Highlands-area trail gets a half-million dollar facelift

Dry Fall Trails in Macon County will see a $446,000 restoration project to stabilize the historic trail and reconstruct the…
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Land surrounding Judaculla Rock now protected
 

Land surrounding Judaculla Rock now protected

Jackson County resident Jerry Parker has entered a conservation agreement on 107 acres to help protect the ancient petroglyph Judaculla…
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Cold-weather wimps
 

Cold-weather wimps

No, I’m not talking about those of us who stay in the warm confines at Cataloochee, nursing Ninja porters, while…
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Trust in mother nature: Balsam center provides hands-on experiences
 

Trust in mother nature: Balsam center provides hands-on experiences

Enter Balsam Mountain Trust’s nature center and you’ll come face to face with bobcats, skunks, black bears, maybe even a…
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North Carolina writer to host critique dicussion
 

North Carolina writer to host critique dicussion

Bob Grove will facilitate the North Carolina Writers Network West new Prose Critique Sessions at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9…
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High Vistas contributors to visit City Lights Bookstore
 

High Vistas contributors to visit City Lights Bookstore

City Lights Bookstore will celebrate the release of High Vistas Volume II at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 with a…
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Well-crafted stories about the dark side of life
 

Well-crafted stories about the dark side of life

Several months ago, I reviewed Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone, and received an unusual number of responses from readers. In general,…
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We need to stop the Great Outdoor Giveaway
 

We need to stop the Great Outdoor Giveaway

Over 100 years ago, Republican President Theodore Roosevelt said to the American people: Of all the questions which can come…
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Protesting against war remains important
 

Protesting against war remains important

To the Editor: Thanks for the kind words you have for me and our peace vigilers in last week’s issue…
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WNC Alliance also a Needmore partner
 

WNC Alliance also a Needmore partner

To the Editor: As Quintin Ellison notes in her article, “By Land and By Water— (Jan. 18 Smoky Mountain News)…
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Joe Paterno’s fall from grace has Oedipus-like storyline
 

Joe Paterno’s fall from grace has Oedipus-like storyline

When the legendary — and former — Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno died on Sunday morning, the first…
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Selfish Me and Harried Woman
 

Selfish Me and Harried Woman

“Why didn’t you tell me?” the woman — wild-eyed, disbelieving and somewhat hysterically — called over to where I was…
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New LTLT an important voice for the region
 

New LTLT an important voice for the region

Western North Carolina residents will be well served by the merger of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and…
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Job help streamlined by SCC and JobLink
 

Job help streamlined by SCC and JobLink

Southwestern Community College and Macon County JobLink Career Center have joined forces to provide a “one-stop shop” for people looking…
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New accounting firm opens in Franklin
 

New accounting firm opens in Franklin

The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Carla L. Haire, a certified public accountant who…
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Haywood chamber to host elected officials reception
 

Haywood chamber to host elected officials reception

The Greater Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual elected officials reception from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on…
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Free speech or rude disruption? Jackson County bans woman from holding signs during meetings
 

Free speech or rude disruption? Jackson County bans woman from holding signs during meetings

In town and county governments there are those dedicated members of the public who speak out and stand up to…
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Sales tax hike for education faces uphill battle
 

Sales tax hike for education faces uphill battle

Gov. Beverly Perdue laid out a proposal last week to increase the state’s sales tax by three-quarters of a cent…
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Sullied by sewer back-ups, Cherokee resident files suit against tribe
 

Sullied by sewer back-ups, Cherokee resident files suit against tribe

A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is suing the tribe over sewage overflows onto her property, which…
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Occupy protesters rally in Bryson City
 

Occupy protesters rally in Bryson City

Western North Carolina occupiers “took possession” last week of the Federal Building in Bryson City where federal court is held…
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Police look for high-tech help tracking stolen goods
 

Police look for high-tech help tracking stolen goods

Sylva will likely hire a private company in Texas to process daily pawnshop and second-hand dealers’ receipts instead of those…
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Conrad Burrell steps down as SCC leader
 

Conrad Burrell steps down as SCC leader

Macon County resident and longtime educator Terry Bell will take over as chairman of Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees.…
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Smoky Mountain Living seeks spring photos
 

Smoky Mountain Living seeks spring photos

Smoky Mountain Living magazine prominently features images from across the southern Appalachians in each edition. Photo essays adhere to the…
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Franklin walk benefits Cystic Fibrosis
 

Franklin walk benefits Cystic Fibrosis

A “Great Strides” walk will take place in Franklin, with a kickoff party and information session at 6 p.m., Feb.…
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Sustainable tourism subject of seminar
 

Sustainable tourism subject of seminar

A seminar on sustainable tourism is set for 2 p.m., Jan. 31, at the First Presbyterian Church in Highlands, in…
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Folkmoot sculpture must be moved, but to where?
 

Folkmoot sculpture must be moved, but to where?

Finding a new home for the Folkmoot sculpture in downtown Waynesville has taken a new turn. The Waynesville public art…
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Tug-of-war over Cherokee sign takes a new turn
 

Tug-of-war over Cherokee sign takes a new turn

Maggie Valley has been rallying allies in its fight to save a small but perhaps precious sliver of its struggling…
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WCU students stage  drag show to get out the vote against gay marriage proposal
 

WCU students stage drag show to get out the vote against gay marriage proposal

A student club at Western Carolina University is defending its decision to pair a drag show featuring “kings” and “queens”…
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Free self-defense class for women
 

Free self-defense class for women

A free self-defense and personal-safety seminar for women is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 at…
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Help neighbors during disasters
 

Help neighbors during disasters

American Red Cross Disaster Relief Training will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 28 in Waynesville for…
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Sylva woman regional Teacher of the Year
 

Sylva woman regional Teacher of the Year

Edith Callahan, a health science teacher at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, was recently named Teacher of the Year…
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Exploring the ethical issues and aging
 

Exploring the ethical issues and aging

Learn about the ethical issues faced when loved ones age at a Feb. 6, 1 p.m. workshop at Haywood Community…
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Marking his plot in life: Author shares his love of local lore and mountain heritage
 

Marking his plot in life: Author shares his love of local lore and mountain heritage

For most boys, Superman and Batman were their heroes; for Bob Plott, his ancestors were super men. As he grew…
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Battle to save historic truss bridge likely to end in compromise
 

Battle to save historic truss bridge likely to end in compromise

A compromise has emerged in a fight over the historic McCoy truss bridge, one that would keep the old bridge…
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Police beating in Bryson City leads to $22,500 settlement
 

Police beating in Bryson City leads to $22,500 settlement

A mentally ill man got a $22,500 settlement in a lawsuit against a Bryson City police officer who hit him…
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Giant trucks on tiny street pose headaches for Waynesville neighborhood
 

Giant trucks on tiny street pose headaches for Waynesville neighborhood

Earl Bradley watches from the parking lot of his auto repair shop as a tractor trailer struggles for 15 minutes…
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Marianna Black Library hosts anime club
 

Marianna Black Library hosts anime club

Anime returns to its regular schedule of two shows a month starting this Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Bryson City…
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Railroad features Charlie Brown-themed ride Feb. 11
 

Railroad features Charlie Brown-themed ride Feb. 11

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad will run a PEANUTS™ Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Excursion and Valentine Sweetheart Train at…
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Movie night comes to the Sylva library
 

Movie night comes to the Sylva library

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will have a movie night at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 2. The library…
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The Poetry Revival to come to WCU
 

The Poetry Revival to come to WCU

The Arts and Cultural Events Series at Western Carolina University will host The Poetry Revival, a spoken-word theater experience, at…
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Rathskellar to offer wine tasting
 

Rathskellar to offer wine tasting

Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub will host a Select Red Wine Tasting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 8. Jeremy Sims…
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