Life seems so good that nostalgia sets in
 

Life seems so good that nostalgia sets in

“It’s like floating on a cloud,” that’s what the man in the booth said about his nifty adjustable hammocks. We…
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Young professionals group launched in Haywood
 

Young professionals group launched in Haywood

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is starting an After Hours Networking Event for the Young Professional of Haywood County,…
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Xtreme Networking conference coming to Franklin
 

Xtreme Networking conference coming to Franklin

A networking conference will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, in Franklin, offering business coaching…
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Haywood Chamber to help businesses go green
 

Haywood Chamber to help businesses go green

Haywood County businesses and organizations interested in “greening” their business practices should sign up for the Green Initiative Program with…
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Tribal council kicks controversial land ownership to courts
 

Tribal council kicks controversial land ownership to courts

A family whose land was seized last month by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will now have their day…
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Help for small businesses available through SCC
 

Help for small businesses available through SCC

The Small Business Center at Southwestern Community College is partnering with several organizations to offer workshops for small businesses. The…
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WCU chancellor to meet community
 

WCU chancellor to meet community

Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher will meet members of the Macon County community on from 6 to 7:30…
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Motorcycle ride to remember Trail of Tears
 

Motorcycle ride to remember Trail of Tears

A motorcycle ride honoring the Trail of Tears, the Remembrance Removal Tour, will leave the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds in Cherokee…
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Workshop to look at domestic violence issues
 

Workshop to look at domestic violence issues

From 911 to prosecution, a training session for service providers, law enforcement, criminal justice and legal aid, will be held…
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Engaging and energized, new SCC president pledges to work for the community
 

Engaging and energized, new SCC president pledges to work for the community

Donald Tomas, the new president of Southwestern Community College since July 1, believes local institutions such as SCC will rely…
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Protests erupt for those living in the shadow of Duke’s new transmission lines
 

Protests erupt for those living in the shadow of Duke’s new transmission lines

The bell has just rung on the next round in the fight between Duke Energy and the Swain County residents…
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Dairymen struggle for footing, but milk regulations limit their options
 

Dairymen struggle for footing, but milk regulations limit their options

Farming is not an easy life — the hours start early, the labor is pretty backbreaking and success often depends…
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HCC to offer Basic Law Enforcement Training
 

HCC to offer Basic Law Enforcement Training

Haywood Community College will offer a night Basic Law Enforcement Training class meeting from 6 to 11 p.m., Monday through…
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Former senator Carpenter dies
 

Former senator Carpenter dies

Robert C. Carpenter, a towering figure in Republican politics in Western North Carolina who served as state senator for eight…
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To Duke’s chagrin, dredging  may be in the cards for Emory
 

To Duke’s chagrin, dredging may be in the cards for Emory

State and federal environmental agencies say Duke Energy might have to scoop out silt-filled Lake Emory as part of its…
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Lake Emory headed toward oblivion one grain at a time
 

Lake Emory headed toward oblivion one grain at a time

There’s a story, perhaps apocryphal, about how a bunch of drunks overturned their boat one night in Lake Emory just…
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As Jackson heads toward alcohol vote, bar owners lament their loss of monopoly
 

As Jackson heads toward alcohol vote, bar owners lament their loss of monopoly

When Dale McElroy plunked down $100,000 to expand Mica’s Restaurant & Pub in southern Jackson County last year, he was…
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A dry county? Hardly. Booze abounds in Jackson thanks to creative state laws
 

A dry county? Hardly. Booze abounds in Jackson thanks to creative state laws

It’s midday on a weekday, and the bar is hopping at Sapphire Brewing Company near Cashiers. Jackson County, technically, is…
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Steep-slope ordinance slides out of reach
 

Steep-slope ordinance slides out of reach

The likelihood of Macon County imposing development guidelines for houses and roads on steep mountainsides grew increasingly remote after the…
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Traffic delays ahead: Canton bridge work  could clog up downtown
 

Traffic delays ahead: Canton bridge work could clog up downtown

Anyone headed to Canton will need to book a little more drive time starting this fall, when a key downtown…
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Add acreage to your spiritual landscape
 

Add acreage to your spiritual landscape

Lots of folks like to study those molded relief maps of the region, the ones that show the upraised contours…
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The many desirable and luscious traits of moss
 

The many desirable and luscious traits of moss

A workshop titled “Go Green with Moss” will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, August 11, at the…
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Master Gardeners form new organization for Jackson and Swain
 

Master Gardeners form new organization for Jackson and Swain

Master Gardeners from Jackson and Swain counties have joined together to form the Jackson-Swain Master Gardeners’ Association. The group works…
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Smokies expands firewood ban
 

Smokies expands firewood ban

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is ratcheting down its firewood policy for campers over fears of invasive insects and fungus…
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Smokies black bear license plates keep growing
 

Smokies black bear license plates keep growing

The black bear license plate has had strong sales and has benefitted wildlife throughout the Great Smoky Mountain National Park…
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Race in the shadow of Fontana Dam
 

Race in the shadow of Fontana Dam

The Fontana Dam 5K and 10K race will be held on Saturday, August 27, along with a one-mile fun run.…
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Main Street Mile to blaze through downtown Waynesville
 

Main Street Mile to blaze through downtown Waynesville

The second annual Waynesville Main Street Mile will be held on Friday, August 12. The race ends at the historic…
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Another notch in the conservation of Yellow Mountain
 

Another notch in the conservation of Yellow Mountain

Another 207-acre tract on Little Yellow Mountain in Mitchell and Avery counties has been saved from development thanks the efforts…
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Hundreds of athletes to descend on Lake Logan this weekend
 

Hundreds of athletes to descend on Lake Logan this weekend

Haywood County will be crawling with runners, bikers and swimmers this weekend for the Lake Logan Multi-Sports Festival on August…
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Gone Fishin’ at the lake
 

Gone Fishin’ at the lake

A Gone Fishin’ program will be offered from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 13. Participants will meet…
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Farm to School movement takes off in Jackson County
 

Farm to School movement takes off in Jackson County

A Farm to School movement, an effort to get fresh, healthy foods in front of school kids, has taken off…
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Haywood farmers bone up on business skills and planning
 

Haywood farmers bone up on business skills and planning

Nine Haywood County farmers and growers boosted their business planning with agriculture-specific training through Mountain BizWorks. Bethel farmer Skipper Russell,…
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Haywood farmers market makes shopping festive
 

Haywood farmers market makes shopping festive

Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market will pull out all the stops this Saturday, Aug. 6, with a festival celebrating the full…
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OK, this polar bear walks into a Scottish bar…
 

OK, this polar bear walks into a Scottish bar…

That’s probably not the exact scenario but a recent article in Current Biology claims that most, if not all, of…
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The great outdoors: New Franklin outfitter store proves a big hit with enthusiasts
 

The great outdoors: New Franklin outfitter store proves a big hit with enthusiasts

With the explosion of outdoor sports over the past few decades in Western North Carolina, perhaps it shouldn’t come as…
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Authors of young adult lit to appear at City Lights
 

Authors of young adult lit to appear at City Lights

A panel discussion of young adult literature will be held at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at 1 p.m. on…
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Libraries engage dogs to get children to practice reading
 

Libraries engage dogs to get children to practice reading

Maya, a golden retriever reading assistance dog, will be at the Bryson City Library at 1 p.m. this Saturday, August…
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A collection of dark plots and twisted characters
 

A collection of dark plots and twisted characters

Back in 1987, a young West Virginia writer, Pinckney Benedict, published a highly lauded collection of short stories entitled Town…
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Living the good life includes the arts
 

Living the good life includes the arts

Art is aesthetic; crafts are practical. That’s the difference between the two, at least in theory. The distinction between arts…
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Put blame for budget woes where it belongs
 

Put blame for budget woes where it belongs

To the Editor: The ad from Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS organization, funded by anonymous sources, about “no more blank checks”…
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New state abortion law slaps of irony
 

New state abortion law slaps of irony

To the editor: I have just received a notice from Sen. Jim Davis that the N.C. Senate passed a bill…
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Chattooga plan bends to extreme paddlers at the expense of solitude
 

Chattooga plan bends to extreme paddlers at the expense of solitude

To the editor: I urge conservation-minded residents of Western North Carolina and all those hikers, birders, campers, anglers, hunters, nature photographers,…
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Wake up America, the world is watching
 

Wake up America, the world is watching

From the hotel window in Durban, South Africa, I can see the Indian Ocean. Freighters line the horizon like parapets…
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Grandparent parenting program offered
 

Grandparent parenting program offered

A new program called Parenting the Second Time Around is being offered for grandparents who are raising grandchildren. The program…
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Bridge work in Haywood County set to go
 

Bridge work in Haywood County set to go

The bridge over the Pigeon River on U.S. 19/23 in downtown Canton will be replaced over the coming year, with…
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Haywood schools, HCC form credit partnership
 

Haywood schools, HCC form credit partnership

Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools recently signed an agreement to provide high school students with a seamless transition…
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Harrah’s brings career fair to Haywood
 

Harrah’s brings career fair to Haywood

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino recruiters will be at Haywood Community College’s West Waynesville Campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on…
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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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