Ashe handily returns as Jackson County sheriff
 

Ashe handily returns as Jackson County sheriff

Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe won his third term in office Tuesday, easily beating back a challenge from political newcomer…
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Allen holds her own against incumbent Haire
 

Allen holds her own against incumbent Haire

State Rep. Phil Haire (D-Jackson) fought off a surprisingly strong challenge from fellow Jackson County resident Dodie Allen to retain…
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Jackson County says no thanks, no more to incumbent commissioners
 

Jackson County says no thanks, no more to incumbent commissioners

Jackson County voters upended the board of commissioners Tuesday, calling an abrupt end to progressive land-development regulations that had set…
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Dead man gets a ‘My Vote Counted’ sticker
 

Dead man gets a ‘My Vote Counted’ sticker

From the we-really-couldn’t-make-this-stuff-up file, election workers in Jackson County didn’t bat an eye when a woman this election cycle brought…
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Charles White to read from new historical fiction
 

Charles White to read from new historical fiction

Charles White, formerly of Cullowhee, will be at City Lights at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, to read from…
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Photos, oral histories of Madison
 

Photos, oral histories of Madison

Award-winning photographer and writer Rob Amberg’s multimedia presentation “The New Road and Today’s Mountaineers” — set for 7 p.m. on…
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The Swain Library will host an afternoon author talk with local author
 

The Swain Library will host an afternoon author talk with local author

Author Jane SpottedBird will discuss her new book, Still Here: Dancing to the Beat of My Own Drum on Saturday,…
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McCrumb gets sidetracked in book about famous trial
 

McCrumb gets sidetracked in book about famous trial

Several months ago, I reviewed a marvelous non-fiction work by Sharon Hatfield titled Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of…
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One fine mountain poet
 

One fine mountain poet

Allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine. His name is Han Shan. He is among the finest…
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1,000-acre milestone for new agricultural districts
 

1,000-acre milestone for new agricultural districts

In the three years since the Haywood County commissioners authorized a new “enhanced voluntary agricultural district” ordinance, 15 Bethel-area landowners…
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Celebrate food and dance on Nov. 14 with the farmers market
 

Celebrate food and dance on Nov. 14 with the farmers market

William and Sabrina Shelton of Shelton Family Farms and Ron and Cathy Arps of Vegenui Garden are sponsoring an end-of-the-season celebration for…
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GSMNP closures
 

GSMNP closures

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park began operating on its winter schedule Nov. 1, which includes the closing of seven…
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Updated free guide to invasive plants in southern forests
 

Updated free guide to invasive plants in southern forests

Gardeners, foresters, landowners and others concerned about nonnative invasive plants in the South can now get free copies of A…
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Comments sought on combatting white-nose syndrome in bats
 

Comments sought on combatting white-nose syndrome in bats

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment on a coordinated national management plan to address white-nose syndrome,…
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Parkway closed and under repair
 

Parkway closed and under repair

Traveling from Haywood or Jackson counties to Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway won’t be possible until spring as a…
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Keep your eye on the birdie
 

Keep your eye on the birdie

Last year around this time we talked about York University Professor Bridget Stutchbury’s groundbreaking research with migrating purple martins and…
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Headwaters tract deal hinges on Wildlife Commission
 

Headwaters tract deal hinges on Wildlife Commission

Kieran Roe, executive director of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, said that if the North Carolina Wildlife Commission does not commit…
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WNC’s largest private tract headed for conservation
 

WNC’s largest private tract headed for conservation

The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy has partnered with The Conservation Fund to purchase 8,000 acres in southern Transylvania County from…
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Annie Burrell to demonstrate at Shapes and Colors show
 

Annie Burrell to demonstrate at Shapes and Colors show

Annie Burrell of Franklin will display her pottery skills at the 18th annual Mountain Shapes and Colors Art and Craft…
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‘Jekyll and Hyde’ musical comes to Franklin
 

‘Jekyll and Hyde’ musical comes to Franklin

Jekyll and Hyde, the musical thriller, will be shown at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin…
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Fine food and wine on the plateau
 

Fine food and wine on the plateau

Highlands Culinary Weekend returns for the fourth season Nov. 11-14, showcasing Highlands’ award winning restaurants, innovative chefs and a huge…
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Catch the Spirit hosts writing program at Jackson library
 

Catch the Spirit hosts writing program at Jackson library

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will hold a 2-hour holiday celebration of its writing program starting at 7 p.m. on…
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Cooking program offered at Shook House
 

Cooking program offered at Shook House

The continuing cultural education series, “Short and Sweet,” will present a cooking program at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at…
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Jazz trio to perform at WCU Nov. 9
 

Jazz trio to perform at WCU Nov. 9

The Pavel Wlosok Trio will perform original music at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the recital hall of the…
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Rock bands to rage against cancer Nov. 6
 

Rock bands to rage against cancer Nov. 6

“Rock Against Cancer” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, at The Gateway Club in Waynesville. This…
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Student percussion ensemble plays Nov. 11
 

Student percussion ensemble plays Nov. 11

The Western Carolina University Percussion Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, in the recital hall of the…
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Blue Ridge Books hosts open mic series
 

Blue Ridge Books hosts open mic series

“Open Mic Nights” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month beginning Nov.…
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Chorus presents free concert Nov. 14
 

Chorus presents free concert Nov. 14

The Haywood Community Chorus will hold its fall concert at 4 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the First United Methodist…
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Potters converge on Dillsboro Nov. 6
 

Potters converge on Dillsboro Nov. 6

The Western North Carolina Pottery Festival expects record attendance this fall as the juried festival continues to attract master potters…
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Haywood book honored by historians
 

Haywood book honored by historians

Haywood County: Portrait of a Mountain Community, was awarded the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award and the Presidents Award…
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Grab a bowl of Chilly in Sylva Nov. 6
 

Grab a bowl of Chilly in Sylva Nov. 6

The Downtown Sylva Association’s 3rd annual Chilly Fest is from noon until 5 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Bridge Park…
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Bryson celebration to feature craft and dance
 

Bryson celebration to feature craft and dance

Bryson City Bellydance and Movement will host a Harvest Hafla (celebration of dance) from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday,…
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Learn glassblowing at the Green Energy Park
 

Learn glassblowing at the Green Energy Park

Benjamin Elliott will teach a glassblowing workshop for beginners from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 5…
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Haywood to install inaugural quilt block
 

Haywood to install inaugural quilt block

The Haywood County Arts Council will install the first Quilt Block on the Haywood County Quilt Trail at 10 a.m.…
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Sylva After Dark pleases the senses with food, art and more
 

Sylva After Dark pleases the senses with food, art and more

The next Sylva After Dark will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday Nov. 5 in downtown Sylva. The evening…
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Art After Dark is Nov. 5
 

Art After Dark is Nov. 5

Waynesville’s next Art After Dark will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5. Held the first…
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Passing it along: With a nod to tradition, Canton’s Bryan McDowell finds a way of his own
 

Passing it along: With a nod to tradition, Canton’s Bryan McDowell finds a way of his own

By Kristen Davis • Contributing writer Triple-threat musician Bryan McDowell was first introduced to bluegrass music as a young child…
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Poor Edgar, doomed to an eternity with a crazy cat lady
 

Poor Edgar, doomed to an eternity with a crazy cat lady

An unhappy reader this week took me to task for writing harsh words about my 17-year-old cat, Edgar, after the…
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Finding the right seat to sit on
 

Finding the right seat to sit on

In a short while our weather will be a tad chilly for frequent riding of motorcycles. Ah, a sad time…
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The bottom of the ticket is next to sink into the slime
 

The bottom of the ticket is next to sink into the slime

It’s Election Day (or very early morning, actually) as I sit to finish this, and the theme of the day…
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This group might have      some bite — watchdog group formed to monitor WCU
 

This group might have some bite — watchdog group formed to monitor WCU

It just wouldn’t be the Jackson County we’ve all come to know and love if there wasn’t some kind of…
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WCU board of trustees tasks search committee to find a new Bardo
 

WCU board of trustees tasks search committee to find a new Bardo

Don’t rush when hiring a new chancellor to replace John Bardo, one board of trustee member for Western Carolina University…
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Immigration solutions topic of Women Voters program
 

Immigration solutions topic of Women Voters program

The Macon County League of Women Voters will host a program on comprehensive immigration reform on Nov. 11 at the…
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Information session on ‘fixing’ N.C. 107 set for next week
 

Information session on ‘fixing’ N.C. 107 set for next week

Are you ready to rumble? Because here we go again: The great debate in Jackson County on whether traffic congestion…
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Waynesville to hold annual food drive
 

Waynesville to hold annual food drive

The town of Waynesville’s annual food drive, including a Nov. 5 curbside pick-up of food donated by residents, will take…
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Junaluska Assembly selects new director
 

Junaluska Assembly selects new director

John “Jack” L. Ewing, Jr. has been named the new executive director of Lake Junaluska Assembly. He will begin his…
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Town is slow moving on alley cleanup
 

Town is slow moving on alley cleanup

In a downtown Canton alleyway, a rusty junction box juts out awkwardly from the sidewalk, long since abandoned to its…
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Macon campus to hold reception for Collings
 

Macon campus to hold reception for Collings

A welcome reception honoring Richard Collings, Southwestern Community College’s new president, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 4-5 p.m.…
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WCU Public Policy Institute launches N.C. politics blog
 

WCU Public Policy Institute launches N.C. politics blog

The Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University has created a new blog site designed to offer a nonpartisan glimpse…
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Kathryn Magendie book release party is Nov. 6
 

Kathryn Magendie book release party is Nov. 6

Kathryn Magendie will celebrate the release of her new novel, Sweetie, at Blue Ridge Books at 4 p.m. on Saturday,…
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