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Take a gander along the Smokies Scenic byway
The stunning beauty that surrounds U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Cherokee draws thousands of tourists…
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Perfecting the art of shelving books
Some readers might recall that three weeks ago — in a column about relocating my long lost inscribed copy of…
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Duke Energy president agrees to meet with Cherokee chief
A disagreement over Duke Energy’s placement of a power substation near Cherokee’s most significant cultural site has instigated a meeting…
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Haywood acquires fiberoptic line
Haywood County recently dropped a lawsuit against Wynncom, after the telecommunications company agreed to hand over its fiberoptic network to…
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Ghost Town pays liability insurance bill after slide
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park was behind on its general liability insurance payments in the months leading up…
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Jackson sheriff sparks controversy, policy change with expenditures
Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe may not have done anything illegal, but he’s stepped into the middle of a controversy…
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Nuts and bolts of landslide mapping
Macon County was the first to be targeted under a statewide initiative launched in 2006 to map areas prone to…
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Geologists: Maggie landslide still unstable
While residents wait for answers and 16,000 tons of debris hangs precariously over the Rich Cove community, an army of…
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Creditors to vote on whether Ghost Town reorganizes or liquidates
Dozens of local businesses owed money by Ghost Town are mulling over ballots this week that will ultimately decide the…
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Haywood commissioners urged to stick by Christian prayers despite court ruling
A group of Christians paid a visit to Haywood County commissioners Monday night to urge them to pray to Jesus…
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Macon fly-over shows what’s at stake
There’s no way to prevent landslides in the mountains, but there is a way to make their impact on humans…
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Swain jail may finally see return of federal prisoners to help offset costs
In rare good news for Swain County’s jail, a new agreement will soon usher federal prisoners into the often half-empty…
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Void of state and federal aid prompts community to step up in landslide disaster
The threat of another landslide isn’t stopping volunteers from facing the mudslide head-on and helping wherever they can. Local volunteers…
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Watching sleazy 80s movies late at night
“Don’t do it, Dan.” Michael Douglas is Dan Gallagher, and he is sitting across the table from Alex Forrest, played…
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Making sure Swain County gets its due
The cash settlement now signed and sealed for Swain County in lieu of building the North Shore Road is a…
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A book about beer, food, and Gnometown cooking
Cooking with wine is familiar. Cajun chef Justin Wilson, one of television’s first real food celebrities, liberally tipped Chablis into…
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An American original
Devil’s Dream by Madison Smartt Bell. Pantheon, 2009. 352 pages. Although several biographies of Nathan Bedford Forrest have found publishers…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Snow Day! Enough already with the “Enough already!” I know it’s snowing again. Yep school is closed again. I’ve got…
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Cataloochee grows racing tradition
No one expected Franco Rossi. The Italian, raised in Milan in the shadows of the mighty Dolomites, stepped off the…
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Topography and language
I enjoy using variants on the phrase “lay of the land.” One can “get the lay of the land” in…
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Local fishermen sad to see the dam go
The first day of demolition on the Dillsboro Dam attracted hundreds of spectators last Wednesday. A roadside pull-off overlooking the…
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A time for healing
The signing of a cash settlement deal for Swain County last week was a heartbreaking end to a lifelong struggle…
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Safeguards in place, but cracks remain
While buckling and cracks were readily visible in old retaining walls built out of railroad ties at Ghost Town in…
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What is Kituwah?
Kituwah is a concept much larger than the mound site proper, which is recorded with the state register of historic…
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Waynesville moves on skate park
Skateboard enthusiasts in Waynesville will be happy to hear the town has been busily preparing for a long-awaited skate park…
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No road in or out
On Friday night, a mudslide thundered across Rich Cove Road in Maggie Valley, taking out a section of a guardrail…
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Duke project threatens sacred character of Kituwah site
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians may pursue legal action against Duke Energy after learning about the utility company’s plans…
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After scare of slide wears off, residents want answers
Betty Miner was standing in her kitchen getting ready to fix supper last Friday when the pictures on her walls…
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Going, going, gone
When Duke first broached the idea of tearing down the Dillsboro dam eight years ago, Mark Singleton thought he would…
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Corridor K sent back to drawing board
A proposed four-lane highway through a mountainous region of Graham County has suffered a setback. The N.C. Department of Transportation…
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Messy lawsuits likely left in landslide’s wake
It could take months or even years for lawsuits over a massive landslide in Maggie Valley to be resolved, leaving…
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Cash settlement here at last
Swain County officially signed a cash settlement with the federal government in a moving and historic ceremony Saturday, ending a…
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Sylva teen club closes quietly
A Sylva teen club that sparked controversy two months ago by disseminating a flyer inviting high school students to “come…
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Rescue workers act fast in landslide disaster despite threat of more to fall
Chris Carver found himself in the unusual position of being both rescuer and evacuee when a massive mudslide struck Rich…
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‘Accidental note’ starts teen’s healing process
By Buffy Queen • Guest Columnist As the middle school girls trailed out of the classroom one morning last spring,…
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Rich Cove may be a portent of things to come
Writing about the weather is usually about as exciting as a yawn. For 12 months, though, we in the mountains…
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Recipes - Feb. 2
Chicken and Dumplings: 1 chicken, about 3 pounds 2 Quarts water 1 Teaspoon Salt 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper 2 Cup All-purpose…
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The Oak Tree and the Great Dumpling Debate
By Karen Dill The ancient oak tree is bare. It stands majestic in the yard of our old two-story farmhouse.…
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Drama about the founder of Methodism to premiere at WCU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center
What happens when a smart, talented young man desires to serve God, but is mostly driven by his fear of…
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Power struggle
Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell. Saint Martins Press, 1998. 397 pages Several years ago, when I was reading everything…
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Fatal disease for deer and elk detected in neighboring state
Chronic wasting disease, a deadly disease that affects deer, elk and other hoofed animals, has been detected in white-tailed deer…
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AT license plates fund mini trail grants
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will hand out mini-grants for projects in the region that benefit the long-distance hiking trail. Grants…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The good; the bad and the ugly The good Ben Morrison, compiler of the Wilmot, Ohio, Christmas Bird Count, contacted…
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A taste of Appalachian poetry
This past weekend was given over to reorganizing the books in my home library. In the process, I relocated a…
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Haywood Waterways applauds water guardians
Haywood Waterways Association recently gave out 2009 stewardship awards to several people and organizations that have worked to protect and…
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Childcare openings fall far short of demand in Macon
Macon County Chairman Ronnie Beale knew the county had a problem when two young working mothers contacted him directly following…
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Sun power supplies a path to simplicity
Lydia Aydlett first moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina during the height of the back-to-the-land movement, and it’s…
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Quick facts
• The mill is operating within state pollution limits on most counts. The current permit allows a variance in two…
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Back to the old homestead
Sometimes you have to go away to come home again. Way up Coweeta Gap in south Macon County is a…
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SCC’s Cecil Groves to retire at end of year
Cecil Groves, president of Southwestern Community College since 1997, informed the board of trustees and college faculty and staff that…
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