Backhanded compliments all a part of turning 50
 

Backhanded compliments all a part of turning 50

When I turned 50 last week, I did not feel any older and certainly no wiser, but I did realize…
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Late-breaking idea to merge gym and auditorium proves short-lived
 

Late-breaking idea to merge gym and auditorium proves short-lived

An expected rubberstamp by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to build a new auditorium and gym at Smoky Mountain…
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Commissioners bounce subdivision regs back to Jackson planning board
 

Commissioners bounce subdivision regs back to Jackson planning board

Jackson County’s subdivision ordinance is destined for more tweaking by the planning board. The planning board spent several months revising…
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Radio station wants loan from Jackson County
 

Radio station wants loan from Jackson County

Prospective buyers of an AM radio station in Sylva could land a $289,000 loan from the Jackson County economic development…
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Haywood Chamber holds holiday networking event
 

Haywood Chamber holds holiday networking event

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Holiday Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14…
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New Republican group formed
 

New Republican group formed

A new Republican women’s group in Western North Carolina also has a new name, “Smoky Mountain Republican Women.”   The…
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Ceremony to celebrate veterans
 

Ceremony to celebrate veterans

A candlelight service to honor soldiers and veterans who have served in the Iraq war from Swain County will be…
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Shuler to face challenger in Democratic primary
 

Shuler to face challenger in Democratic primary

Despite his limited name recognition and his significantly smaller war chest, Cecil Bothwell is confident he can outrun U.S. Rep.…
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Helicopter helps with casino construction in a big way
 

Helicopter helps with casino construction in a big way

A heavy-lifting helicopter flexed its muscle in Cherokee Wednesday in the ongoing expansion and construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino &…
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Discover how to give back at Dec. 8 meeting
 

Discover how to give back at Dec. 8 meeting

Learn about programs and services in Macon County to help the less fortunate at the monthly League of Women Voters…
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HCC to orient high school students with college Dec. 19
 

HCC to orient high school students with college Dec. 19

An orientation session for high school students interested in taking classes at Haywood Community College will be held at 1…
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Macon planning board member from Highlands gets GOP nod for commission seat
 

Macon planning board member from Highlands gets GOP nod for commission seat

Macon County GOP leaders on Monday selected a Highlands landscaping company owner as their pick to fill a vacant slot…
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Forum encourages Smokies tourism players to band together for the greater good
 

Forum encourages Smokies tourism players to band together for the greater good

Niche marketing and regional cooperation were the reoccurring topics of this year’s Smoky Mountain Host meeting held in Cherokee last…
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Rec Center offers new after-school program
 

Rec Center offers new after-school program

An after-school program for sixth graders will be offered from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursday starting in January…
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Library opens collection for homeschoolers
 

Library opens collection for homeschoolers

The Haywood County Public Library has opened to the public a unique library collection to help meet the recreational and…
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In a business where profit margins are small, hotel owners fear larger tax will drive tourists elsewhere
 

In a business where profit margins are small, hotel owners fear larger tax will drive tourists elsewhere

Running a small hotel in Western North Carolina isn’t the easiest way to make a living, particularly not in these…
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Cashiers TTA briefs county on marketing efforts
 

Cashiers TTA briefs county on marketing efforts

The Cashiers Travel and Tourism Authority briefed Jackson County commissioners on some of their marketing campaigns from the year, responding…
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Do-over an option in Jackson tourism spat
 

Do-over an option in Jackson tourism spat

It’s not too late for Jackson County leaders to go back to the drawing board on a state bill that…
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Swain County High School  celebrates football championship
 

Swain County High School celebrates football championship

Swain County High School’s football players and coaches on Monday were in a different sort of huddle than usual. Instead…
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Local woman opens music lessons studio
 

Local woman opens music lessons studio

Deborah Horn, from Lake Junaluska, is now teaching music lessons out of her home studio. Horn has taught music lessons…
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Larger classes, higher fees, fewer professors: what the WCU budget cuts really mean
 

Larger classes, higher fees, fewer professors: what the WCU budget cuts really mean

Laurie Oxford’s department is getting smaller; some of her former co-worker’s offices sit empty. Oxford, an assistant Spanish professor at…
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Getting ready: Growing number of preppers work to ensure survival in case of societal collapse
 

Getting ready: Growing number of preppers work to ensure survival in case of societal collapse

At Carolina Readiness Supply in Waynesville you can buy freeze-dried macaroni and cheese by the 20-ounce can and a solar…
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New 911 technology could save critical seconds in emergency dispatch
 

New 911 technology could save critical seconds in emergency dispatch

Emergency agencies throughout Haywood County expect to be clocking in quicker response times soon. Fire, police and EMS divisions within…
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Haywood threatens lawsuits against lodging owners over room tax
 

Haywood threatens lawsuits against lodging owners over room tax

Businesses skirting Haywood County’s room tax laws should pay up or they could soon find themselves slapped with a lawsuit.…
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Furor prompts re-think over TDA funding in Haywood
 

Furor prompts re-think over TDA funding in Haywood

The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board backed down from plans to cut grant funding for long-celebrated events such as…
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Civic Orchestra plans holiday caroling, concert, and open house in Sylva
 

Civic Orchestra plans holiday caroling, concert, and open house in Sylva

Join in holiday caroling and a concert by the strings section of the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra on Dec. 15.…
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Dust off your dancing shoes
 

Dust off your dancing shoes

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will take place on Dec. 11 in the Community Room on the second floor…
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Musician and folklorist Lee Knight to perform in Sylva Dec. 13
 

Musician and folklorist Lee Knight to perform in Sylva Dec. 13

Lee Knight, a folklorist and musician, will perform holiday folk music in the community room of the Jackson County Public…
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WCU School of Music to present Christmas portion of ‘Messiah’
 

WCU School of Music to present Christmas portion of ‘Messiah’

The Western Carolina University School of Music will present the Christmas portion of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” at 3…
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Join the Oconaluftee Old-Time Music Jam
 

Join the Oconaluftee Old-Time Music Jam

A monthly old-time music jam in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is bringing together musicians from across the region.…
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A festive celebration at the Rickman Store
 

A festive celebration at the Rickman Store

The T.M. Rickman Store in Cowee will host a full day of arts events on Dec. 9 with crafters and…
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T’was the night before Christmas in Downtown Waynesville
 

T’was the night before Christmas in Downtown Waynesville

Take a trip to downtown Waynesville for its “A Night Before Christmas” celebration from 6-9 p.m. on Dec. 10. “This…
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‘Season To Be Green’ open house to feature local artists, local gifts
 

‘Season To Be Green’ open house to feature local artists, local gifts

The Jackson County’s Green Energy Park will hold its holiday open house on Dec. 11, inviting the public to visit…
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Local singer/songwriter gives concert for a cause Dec. 21
 

Local singer/songwriter gives concert for a cause Dec. 21

Local songwriter Mackenzie Leigh Wilson, fresh off of performances at the Curb Café and the Hard Rock Café in Nashville,…
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Spring pottery classes planned at SCC
 

Spring pottery classes planned at SCC

Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts Program is pleased to announce clay classes for spring 2012. Students taking these classes have…
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Annie Moses Band to present Christmas show
 

Annie Moses Band to present Christmas show

The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin has added another show to its holiday lineup. The Annie…
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A ‘free atmosphere to create’: Cherokee art school doubles its enrollment
 

A ‘free atmosphere to create’: Cherokee art school doubles its enrollment

Brian Kane used to teach someone else’s curriculum in someone else’s department at some other college. Unsatisfied with his situation,…
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Mountain Heritage Center jams continue
 

Mountain Heritage Center jams continue

The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series will continue at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center on Thursday, Dec.…
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Feeling sprightlier on an early winter day
 

Feeling sprightlier on an early winter day

Sometimes I find myself walking without having made a conscious decision to do so. My body seems to feel the…
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Stronger, safer ladders installed on trails at Grandfather Mountain
 

Stronger, safer ladders installed on trails at Grandfather Mountain

Hikers taking the trek across Grandfather Mountain’s ridgeline can now enjoy five new ladders on the Grandfather Trail. The new…
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An astronomical look at the Star of Bethlehem
 

An astronomical look at the Star of Bethlehem

Get a different view of the Star of Bethlehem Friday, Dec. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Pisgah Astronomical…
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Historic photos now online
 

Historic photos now online

More than 1,800 high-resolution images of U.S. Forest Service history in the region are now available online for public viewing.…
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Enjoy special tour of state trout hatchery
 

Enjoy special tour of state trout hatchery

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host a free, guided tour of its Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in…
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Pigeon and Cheoah welcome back long-lost fish and mussels
 

Pigeon and Cheoah welcome back long-lost fish and mussels

Encouraged by the success of experimental stockings during the last three years, biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are…
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Commission for a Clean County seeks award nominees
 

Commission for a Clean County seeks award nominees

The Commission For a Clean County in Haywood County wants to recognize those individuals and organizations that made an outstanding…
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Medicinal plants to furniture, video highlights forest-products businesses
 

Medicinal plants to furniture, video highlights forest-products businesses

Land-of-Sky Regional Council has released “Stimulus Stories of Western North Carolina,” a video highlighting the success of the WNC Forest…
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Smokies extends elk an invitation to stay
 

Smokies extends elk an invitation to stay

Ten years after the first elk touched down in Cataloochee Valley, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has made the…
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Live in Haywood? Think local when buying
 

Live in Haywood? Think local when buying

Haywood County farmers are offering a variety of products this holiday season, including standards such as Christmas trees and wreaths,…
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Farmers invited to visit with Ag commissioner
 

Farmers invited to visit with Ag commissioner

Steve Troxler, the state’s agriculture commissioner, will be the speaker for the Haywood County’s Friends of Agriculture Breakfast from 7-8…
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Lend an eye in national Audubon count
 

Lend an eye in national Audubon count

The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will participate in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Friday, Dec. 16.…
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