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Nantahala headwaters tract protected
A 248-acre tract known as Rainbow Springs at the headwaters of the Nantahala River in Macon County has been protected…
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Suspects nabbed in Macon church break-in spree
A string of church break-ins that had captured widespread attention in Macon County came to an end last week when…
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Macon tax hike in store to pay for new elementary school
Macon County’s schools will get a long-awaited upgrade, but its taxpayers are going to have to pay extra for it.…
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Franklin students’ hard work helps greenway
Franklin High students became active volunteers in a service-learning program this fall to improve the ecosystem along the Franklin Greenway.…
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Future of Jackson airport up in the air
The Jackson County airport has reached a crossroads. For years the little aviation field above the clouds has been a…
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The life and times of Cataloochee Ranch
Tom Alexander, a famed mountain man, forester and founder of Cataloochee Ranch, chronicled his adventures over the course of his…
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As rockslide cleanup trudges on, misleading detour signs plague tourism industry
The cost of repairing Interstate 40 after a massive rockslide in late October will now be borne by the federal…
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Shuler collects baggage, but he’ll likely survive this one
Now that it’s clear that Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, did indeed mislead everyone about his involvement in a land deal…
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Legacy of a mountain family
For 75 years, Cataloochee Ranch has been serving up a taste of the Wild West in the Smokies. From its…
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Rutabagas and history of Hemphill Bald
Let us consider the relationship between grassy balds, Tom Alexander and the self-proclaimed “Potato and Rutabaga King of Haywood County.”…
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At free clinics survival trumps politics
Dr. David Trigg, medical director at the Good Samaritan Clinic of Jackson County, doesn’t know if he should do more…
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Parkway right-of-way battle hard-fought through Cherokee
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians played an integral role in the creation of the Parkway. The Parkway was envisioned…
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Past illness leaves woman ‘uninsurable’
Though Sylva resident Marsha Crites had no risk factors, she suffered a major cerebellum stroke at the age of 49.…
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While politics reign in Washington, real people struggle with health care costs
It was late September, and Travis George, a 27-year-old Waynesville resident, was almost done mowing his grandmother’s yard. With just…
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Haywood library to accept canned food in lieu of fines
Haywood County library is experimenting with novel methods for wiping out some of the $250,000 in late fees it is…
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Flirting with my own mortality
I felt something clutch, almost seize up, and then a shooting pain in my chest, and my first thought was,…
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Thanksgiving in the mountains: Memories and food from the past
By Karen Dill • Special to the Smoky Mountain News My memories of Thanksgiving in the mountains are of simple…
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Tickets soon available for Garrison Keillor appearance at WCU
Tickets go on sale Monday, Nov. 30, for an appearance at Western Carolina University by Garrison Keillor, host of the…
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Shooting bear on Parkway nets prison time
Two Jackson County men were sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for shooting a bear on the Blue Ridge…
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Grant to restore migration in Little T tributaries
The Little Tennessee Watershed Association has received a $75,000 grant to help restore migration for aquatic species. Two years ago,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
I wanna go home with the armadillo When you’re stuck in one place for 12 hours at a time, a…
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Commissioners perplexed by white paint samples
Jackson County Commissioners pondered paint samples at their meeting this week in an attempt to pick an exterior color for…
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Jackson commissioners faced with resigning EDC members
Four of the nine members on the Jackson County Economic Development Commission have resigned in the past month, signaling growing…
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When insurance falls short, out-of-pocket costs become rapidly out-of-reach
As if dealing with the trauma of breast cancer wasn’t enough, Martha Yonce, 62, was also hit with a devastating…
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When the health care crisis hits home: Three sisters share stories of insurance illusions
Nothing could have prepared Franklin sisters Suzanne Thomas and Karen Rice for the total financial ruin that followed their injuries.…
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Macon County asks for public input, take three
After two unsuccessful attempts at creating a comprehensive land-use plan, Macon County’s commissioners have directed staff to take another bite…
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Developers have plans for sites near Wal-Mart
A local developer has purchased a key parcel alongside Super Wal-Mart in Waynesville, potentially kick-starting long-awaited commercial redevelopment along the…
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Eli Book takes us back to a nostalgic time
Eli the Good by Silas House. Candlewick Press, 2009. 295 pages Eli Book, the 10-year-old narrator/protagonist of Silas House’s new…
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Smokies elk shot down in Cataloochee Valley
A man has been arrested for shooting an elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last Friday. The elk…
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Ghost Town’s spotty financial disclosure frustrates creditors
As Ghost Town heads toward its first big showdown in bankruptcy court next week, objections from those owed money are…
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WCU rides wave of new applicants
Over the past three years the applicant pool at Western Carolina University has nearly tripled. The increase in prospective students…
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Caliber of student could rise as admissions get more selective
A surge in students applying to Western Carolina University has allowed the college to be more selective. Despite a rise…
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Shuler caught short of truth
While Congressman Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, was cleared two weeks ago by the House Ethics Committee of any wrongdoing related to…
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Hope of paper mill job attracts hundreds to ESC
More than 300 people waited in line at the N.C. Employment Security Commission in Waynesville on Monday to submit job…
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Symbolic torch passing honors national park anniversaries
A Cherokee elder presided over a ceremonial torch passing from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Blue Ridge…
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Swain braces for loss of jail revenue
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians recently got a big push forward in building its own jail after receiving an…
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Creeks form character across WNC
Flowing water is as central to life here in Western North Carolina as the mountains themselves. You can’t have ancient…
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New generation of doctors prefer stability over autonomy
In an effort to boost recruitment of doctors to the region, hospitals across Western North Carolina are following in the…
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New company part of a long local legacy
The merger of Osondu Booksellers and Blue Ridge Books and Café will eventually bring under one roof the long legacy…
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Lawsuit alleging poor treatment in Macon jail hits dead end
A federal judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit by Maureen Lackey, a 45-year old Franklin resident who alleged discrimination by…
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State passes off child support enforcement to counties
Several western counties have been scrambling to create an in-house child support enforcement program after the state announced it would…
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Angling for Sam’s Club discount, Swain jailer uses credit card to buy TV
Misuse of county credit cards by a Swain jailer has prompted tighter controls on charge card use across all departments.…
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House clears Shuler on ethics rap
After months of high-profile scrutiny, U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, has been cleared in an ethics inquiry that examined whether…
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Dueling downtown bookstores to join forces in Waynesville
Waynesville’s two independent bookstores — Osondu Booksellers and Blue Ridge Books & Cafe — have merged. The economics of independent…
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Furlough translates to pay cut for most WCU professors
Western Carolina University professors who haven’t already done so are running out of time to take a mandatory 10-hour furlough…
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The allegations
The House of Representatives Committee on Standards and Official Conduct –– commonly known as the House Ethics Committee –– recently…
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Surge in last minute write-ins makes Webster election a popular affair
In July only two candidates signed up to get on the ballot for the five spots up for grabs in…
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You may hear a Blue Dog howl
By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Conservative victories and liberal angst – often repressed — characterized last week’s elections in…
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A gift from the grave on Veteran’s Day
By Karen Dill • Guest Columnist “Mom,” my daughter Anna began on her phone call from Washington, D.C., “wasn’t Grandpa…
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