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Cherokee descendents lose land over technicality in will
 

Cherokee descendents lose land over technicality in will

A family is protesting after they say the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians seized land they claim is rightfully theirs.…
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Caregiver information on dementia offered
 

Caregiver information on dementia offered

MemoryCare, a program to assess memory and cognitive functioning, will present its Professional Caregiver Education Program curriculum in a three-part…
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Need a hand recovering from storm damage?
 

Need a hand recovering from storm damage?

If you are a private forest landowner and suffered severe damage from the tornado or high winds earlier this year,…
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No taxes this weekend on back-to-school items
 

No taxes this weekend on back-to-school items

Time to go shopping — this weekend, Aug. 5 through Aug. 7, is the annual back-to-school tax free weekend. Retailers…
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Swain Visitor Guide kickoff scheduled
 

Swain Visitor Guide kickoff scheduled

The Swain County Chamber of Commerce and The Smoky Mountain News will host a meet-and-greet at the chamber office from…
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New urgent care center to open in Sylva
 

New urgent care center to open in Sylva

MedWest Health System will open a new Urgent Care Center on Aug. 15 in Sylva. It will be located at…
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Back-to-school date lands Macon in court
 

Back-to-school date lands Macon in court

If this were a race, Macon County Schools would win for being the first in Western North Carolina — maybe…
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Natural gas in Maggie may be a long shot, but worth a try
 

Natural gas in Maggie may be a long shot, but worth a try

Maggie Valley’s business community hopes to bring natural gas lines to the valley, but it will hinge on drumming up…
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Fontana Dam post office targeted for closure
 

Fontana Dam post office targeted for closure

The U.S. Postal Service wants to close Fontana Dam’s tiny post office to save money, a downsizing move critics say…
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Being the middleman for bulk liquor sales at Harrah’s not as lucrative as it seems
 

Being the middleman for bulk liquor sales at Harrah’s not as lucrative as it seems

Harrah’s Cherokee casino bought nearly half a million dollars of liquor over the past year, netting almost $50,000 in profits…
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Cherokee election politics fixed on looming casino debt
 

Cherokee election politics fixed on looming casino debt

In the current political debate, the word ‘debt’ has become ubiquitous. Cherokee is no exception, where discussion of the debt…
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Scattered county offices could find new home in old lumber yard in Jackson
 

Scattered county offices could find new home in old lumber yard in Jackson

Jackson County commissioners are considering whether to renovate the former Southern Lumber Co. building to get the county out of…
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Jackson manager wants more say in hiring, firing
 

Jackson manager wants more say in hiring, firing

Chuck Wooten’s wings are still clipped as Jackson County’s manager, at least for now, but it looks like he’ll get…
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A new life in the cards for Haywood’s prison?
 

A new life in the cards for Haywood’s prison?

The oft-threatened closure of the state prison in Haywood County has finally come to pass, but by now, it hardly…
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State prisons, county jails play musical chairs with inmates
 

State prisons, county jails play musical chairs with inmates

Counties with jail beds to spare will soon be able to make a little cash housing state prison inmates. Under…
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Haywood prison  gets death sentence: Community laments loss of inmate work crews
 

Haywood prison gets death sentence: Community laments loss of inmate work crews

Western North Carolina is losing one of its strongest municipal work forces. And a quick look at their record of…
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WCU students have  mixed emotions about  countywide alcohol vote
 

WCU students have mixed emotions about countywide alcohol vote

Western Carolina University and the Cullowhee area could prove the decisive battleground in the coming debate about whether alcohol sales…
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Meth lab cleanup costs sloughed onto counties
 

Meth lab cleanup costs sloughed onto counties

In what promises to become an increasingly expensive proposition, county taxpayers must now pick up the tab for cleaning up…
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Pilot on pot patrol hits the jackpot
 

Pilot on pot patrol hits the jackpot

After hours of scouring the ground for renegade marijuana plants from the air last Thursday, the pilot of a Highway…
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Workshops help artists get their game on
 

Workshops help artists get their game on

Two Handmade in America Craft Labs are coming to Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County. Learn how to…
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Sylva artist headlines art society gathering
 

Sylva artist headlines art society gathering

The next meeting of the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August…
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Festival to celebrate moonshiner, minus the notorious merchandise
 

Festival to celebrate moonshiner, minus the notorious merchandise

The Popcorn Sutton Summer Jam is scheduled for noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Maggie Valley…
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Narnia’s magical world behind the wardrobe comes to life in Franklin
 

Narnia’s magical world behind the wardrobe comes to life in Franklin

The Overlook Players will present Narnia at 7:30 p.m. from August 4-6, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, August…
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Kaleidoscope artist to make appearance at Junaluska craft show
 

Kaleidoscope artist to make appearance at Junaluska craft show

Phil Coghill, a professional kaleidoscope artist and woodturner, will be one of the newest artists to participate in the Creative…
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Art After Dark gallery stroll is August 5
 

Art After Dark gallery stroll is August 5

Art After Dark returns to downtown Waynesville from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 5. Working studios and galleries…
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Hundreds of dogs to take to the streets of downtown Waynesville
 

Hundreds of dogs to take to the streets of downtown Waynesville

The Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Haywood County Courthouse, and…
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Ever popular Balsam Range to give free concert in Sylva
 

Ever popular Balsam Range to give free concert in Sylva

Balsam Range, a renowned bluegrass band across the region, will play Sylva’s Concerts on the Creek series at 7:30 p.m.…
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Franklin’s Mountain High BBQ festival offers shot at state title
 

Franklin’s Mountain High BBQ festival offers shot at state title

Franklin will be hopping with all things barbecue at the Mountain High Barbecue Festival and Car Show on August 12…
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Take a stroll down Tomato Alley at Canton’s Mater Fest this weekend
 

Take a stroll down Tomato Alley at Canton’s Mater Fest this weekend

For the last seven years, Canton has celebrated Haywood County’s biggest crop with a festival in its honor. This year,…
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Chess as a metaphor for life
 

Chess as a metaphor for life

When you think chess club, the quintessential picture that comes to mind probably doesn’t include a cowboy or a retired…
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2008: A look at all involved
 

2008: A look at all involved

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer From playing a girl with big dreams that go nowhere in Haywood Arts Repertory…
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The best of 2008
 

The best of 2008

Every year about this time, reporters dig out their old files and back editions and start cruising the headlines for…
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Haywood Waterways lauds water quality heroes
 

Haywood Waterways lauds water quality heroes

The Haywood Waterways Association announced its water quality heroes for the year at its annual banquet in December. Here’s who…
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It’s past time for land use review to get started
 

It’s past time for land use review to get started

The acknowledgement by Waynesville’s leaders that they let a review of the town’s much-heralded land use plan languish and now…
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Nurse shortage forces closure of mental health facility
 

Nurse shortage forces closure of mental health facility

The extraordinarily difficult struggle to find nurses licensed in psychiatric care has forced the state agency that oversees mental health…
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It’s all about the kids, right?
 

It’s all about the kids, right?

We stood looking at the dinosaur for quite awhile. As parents of children ages 7 and 3, we are more…
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Public lands feel the pressure: a recurring theme
 

Public lands feel the pressure: a recurring theme

Conflicts over public land continued to heat up in 2009 as more people turn to outdoor recreation in WNC. More…
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Bad economy leads to a few good things
 

Bad economy leads to a few good things

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist A lot of attention lately has been focused on how bad the economic downturn…
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Boars and otters among Wildlife Commission changes
 

Boars and otters among Wildlife Commission changes

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is now taking public comment on several proposed changes to hunting and fishing regulations. The…
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A look back at the year’s top environmental stories
 

A look back at the year’s top environmental stories

The past year has been marked by some good and not so good news for the environment in Western North…
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The Naturalist's Corner
 

The Naturalist's Corner

Snowbirds are here No, I’m not talking about your Uncle Bernie and Aunt Esther from New York City. I’m talking…
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Winter wear
 

Winter wear

(Note: A version of this essay will appear in an upcoming issue of “Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian…
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Best wishes for Sylva in 2009
 

Best wishes for Sylva in 2009

By Chris Cooper Last year I wrote a “suggested Christmas play list” for the holiday. It may have been a…
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Today’s boys
 

Today’s boys

The Trouble With Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators…
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Motive behind Cherokee fire remains mystery
 

Motive behind Cherokee fire remains mystery

An apparent arson fire that burned the Tribal Operations Program building in Cherokee in the early morning hours of Dec.…
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Save the planet by changing your diet
 

Save the planet by changing your diet

By Rudy Beharrysingh • Professor, Southwestern Community College Editor’s note: This series of green living tips is provided by Sustainable…
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With each visit home, college daughter is more grown up
 

With each visit home, college daughter is more grown up

By David Curtis Just a short two weeks ago I was texting my daughter, who was in the process of…
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Alma
 

Alma

(poem from Wildwood Flower by Kathryn Stripling Byer) Two dead leaves on the table and ice floats on milk like…
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Jackson board sets sights on historic property
 

Jackson board sets sights on historic property

The Jackson County Planning Board is considering establishing a historic preservation commission to help maintain significant landmarks and districts. Such…
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Dressing right for winter weather
 

Dressing right for winter weather

By Doug Scarborough • Contributing writer With the winter season here, dressing appropriately to prevent cold injuries is often overlooked.…
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