The rushing of wind through a hemlock
 

The rushing of wind through a hemlock

From my window, as I write this, I can see across the creek and down into a pasture where my…
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Paddle the Chattooga on guided trip
 

Paddle the Chattooga on guided trip

This April, Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman will lead a guided overnight trip in hopes of introducing paddlers to the lower…
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Guided hike in the Smokies set for April
 

Guided hike in the Smokies set for April

Join Friends of the Smokies April 2 for a hike to see early spring wildflowers and historic remnants on the…
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Sign-up under way for Greening Up 5K race
 

Sign-up under way for Greening Up 5K race

The Greening Up the Mountains 5K Run/Walk in Sylva is forsaking its historically grueling course on the hillside streets above…
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Parkway corridor in Waynesville grows more than 100 acres
 

Parkway corridor in Waynesville grows more than 100 acres

Another 110 acres of mountain landscape are now part of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s protected corridor, thanks to a landowner…
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Turning your yard into a haven for wildlife
 

Turning your yard into a haven for wildlife

Learn how to put together a backyard habitat March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Rickman Store in Macon County’s…
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Go home with an apple tree
 

Go home with an apple tree

The Cashiers Historical Society is sponsoring its 2011 Heritage Apple Day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, March 26,…
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PETA sues for documents involving bear pits
 

PETA sues for documents involving bear pits

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sued the Bureau of Indian Affairs for failing to hand over…
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The devil is in the details – again
 

The devil is in the details – again

The U.S. Forest Service will hold a public meeting at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville at 100 Frederick Law…
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65 start – and finish – first Assault on Black Rock
 

65 start – and finish – first Assault on Black Rock

Sixty-five runners started and finished the first Assault on Black Rock Trail Race at Sylva’s Pinnacle Park on March 19,…
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Festivals getting ramped-up for spring
 

Festivals getting ramped-up for spring

With the coming of spring the pungent ramp is about to strut center-stage once more. For either the novitiate or…
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Teens invited to voice their views
 

Teens invited to voice their views

The teen friends of the library meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Marianna Black…
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Library launches website
 

Library launches website

The Friends of the Macon County Public Library (FOL) have unveiled a new informational web site, MaconLibraryFriends.org. The site showcases…
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Book discussion looks at our influence on the planet
 

Book discussion looks at our influence on the planet

Ahead of Western Carolina University’s upcoming literary festival, the Macon County Public Library will host a book discussion on Alan…
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Stephen King collection gets the thumbs-up
 

Stephen King collection gets the thumbs-up

At the conclusion of this collection of four novellas: Full Dark, No Stars, Stephen King adds an “Afterword.” In acknowledging…
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We don’t want motocross track
 

We don’t want motocross track

To the Editor: We turn on our televisions every day and witness to the devastation that neighbors inflict on neighbors.…
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Voter ID bill a shopworn GOP idea
 

Voter ID bill a shopworn GOP idea

To the Editor: What happens when you fix something that ain’t broke? You’re sure to break something else. But the…
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Justice will be painful, but so was Aubrey’s short life
 

Justice will be painful, but so was Aubrey’s short life

The Jan. 10 death of 15-month-old Aubrey Kina Marie Littlejohn was an unspeakable tragedy, one compounded by the questions surrounding…
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Welcome to the club, and my sincere best wishes
 

Welcome to the club, and my sincere best wishes

There have been times in my life I could rightly have been described as competitive. When I was in music,…
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Nursing scholarships available
 

Nursing scholarships available

Scholarships for nursing students are available through the Judy Moore Memorial Scholarship Endowment, which was created as a memorial to…
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Waynesville offers summer day camp
 

Waynesville offers summer day camp

A summer day camp for rising first graders through rising fifth graders from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., June 17…
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SCC fair to connect job seekers with employers
 

SCC fair to connect job seekers with employers

Southwestern Community College will hold a free job fair Thursday, March 31. The event will be from 9 a.m. until…
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Students fold paper cranes to support Japan earthquake relief
 

Students fold paper cranes to support Japan earthquake relief

Western Carolina University students are folding and selling paper cranes for $1 to support an earthquake relief fund at a…
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WCU police receive military surplus
 

WCU police receive military surplus

Two portable light towers each bright enough to illuminate an area the size of a football field are the latest…
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Construction program offered for students
 

Construction program offered for students

High school students interested in construction can participate in the Kimmel School Construction Training Program at Western Carolina University in…
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Sarge’s opens center, calls for photography
 

Sarge’s opens center, calls for photography

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new adoption center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.…
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Campus ministry hosts golf classic
 

Campus ministry hosts golf classic

The Wesley Foundation at Western Carolina University will host its inaugural Golf Classic at Lake Junaluska Golf Course April 16…
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Work on hospice center progresses
 

Work on hospice center progresses

Construction on a new Homestead Inpatient Hospice Center adjacent to MedWest-Haywood hospital is progressing, with a new retaining wall, framework…
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Senior spokeswoman hosts community forum
 

Senior spokeswoman hosts community forum

On March 31, Swain County citizens will have two opportunities to comment on the future of Swain County. The dialog,…
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HandMade engages Bryson to create road map for a better town
 

HandMade engages Bryson to create road map for a better town

In the sunny, windowed front room of the Swain County Chamber of Commerce, a group of people are gathered around…
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Enjoy the lake? Help cleanup, please
 

Enjoy the lake? Help cleanup, please

A Lake Junaluska Beautification Day is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5, and volunteers are needed to help with the cleanup.…
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Sylvan Hearth seeks like-minded worshipers
 

Sylvan Hearth seeks like-minded worshipers

The Sylvan Hearth Pagan Temple offers its facilities to positive Pagan traditions including Hindu, Buddhist and Asatrue. The facility includes…
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Rural Center grants to create 22 jobs in Haywood
 

Rural Center grants to create 22 jobs in Haywood

Haywood County has received two grants totaling $133,650 from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center that will help create…
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Ancient burial site halts Jackson bridge construction
 

Ancient burial site halts Jackson bridge construction

Not to say they told you so, but the truth is … they did. Construction of a wider bridge to…
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WCU budget cuts, reorganization trigger controversy
 

WCU budget cuts, reorganization trigger controversy

At the outset of the state budget crisis, Chancellor John Bardo and Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees maintained the…
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Farmers turn out in droves for cattle auction opening day
 

Farmers turn out in droves for cattle auction opening day

The first cow ushered into the WNC Regional Livestock Center in Canton weighed 850 well-proportioned pounds. Despite being two-months pregnant,…
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A modern man with an old-time passion for farming
 

A modern man with an old-time passion for farming

It’s a sunny, mid-March Friday, the air is barely warm enough to warrant open windows and loosened collars, and on…
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Creativity workshop hosted by City Lights
 

Creativity workshop hosted by City Lights

Asheville poet and photographer Tracey Schmidt will lead a creativity workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m., followed by a reading…
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Auditions open for student talent show
 

Auditions open for student talent show

Open auditions will be held from 12 to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 2, at Franklin High School for home school…
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REV Band to perform at Fontana Village
 

REV Band to perform at Fontana Village

Western North Carolina performing artists The REV will take the stage of the Fontana Recreational Hall from 6 to 8…
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Create Ripples of Hope for a Safer Community
 

Create Ripples of Hope for a Safer Community

Ripples of Hope, a local exhibition of work by those whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault…
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Craft classes kick off at Green Energy Park
 

Craft classes kick off at Green Energy Park

Classes in glassblowing, metalsmithing, blacksmithing, chainmaille and knife-making are being offered this spring at the Jackson County Green Energy Park…
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Experimental art classes at Leapin’ Frog Gallery
 

Experimental art classes at Leapin’ Frog Gallery

Local artist Silvia Cabrera Williams will teach mixed water-media classes from 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday in April at…
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WCU students look to lend a hand in Pakistan
 

WCU students look to lend a hand in Pakistan

Western Carolina University students working to raise $50,000 to build a school in Pakistan are hosting a fundraising dinner and…
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Filmmaker to discuss WWII state-side battle
 

Filmmaker to discuss WWII state-side battle

Maritime historian and documentary filmmaker Kevin Duffus willl on “War Zone: WWII off North Carolina’s Outer Banks” at 7 p.m.…
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Culinary competition heats up in Waynesville
 

Culinary competition heats up in Waynesville

The annual Mélange of the Mountains, a culinary gala, is coming to the Gateway Club in Waynesville from 5:30 to…
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HCC breaks ground on new craft building
 

HCC breaks ground on new craft building

Dominic Cruz is counting down the days to graduation in May, when he will put his skills both as a…
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Hunt for new WCU chancellor in the homestretch
 

Hunt for new WCU chancellor in the homestretch

It’s not a bad job, really. There’s a nice house, more than 7,000-square-feet, that’s currently undergoing a nearly $300,000 facelift.…
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Frequently asked questions about the new Jackson County public library complex
 

Frequently asked questions about the new Jackson County public library complex

Where is the new library located? The new Jackson County Public Library Complex is located at 310 Keener Street in…
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Bluegrass brothers
 

Bluegrass brothers

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer Born 16 minutes apart in the Bethel community of Haywood County, twin brothers Travis…
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