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Typical Zombie fare
If you are a fan of the apocalypse movies that are currently common fare in American theaters, you will immediately…
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Coweeta leads research on watershed dynamics
Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, an experimental research station for the U.S. Forest Service outside Franklin, celebrated its 75th anniversary this month.…
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Back to nature
Burt Kornegay is a one-match man. As the owner of Slickrock Expeditions and the longest running independent outdoor guide in…
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The beetles' fall tour
No, not the Fab Four — more like the Fab Gazillion. Swarms of thousands to perhaps hundreds of thousands of…
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Satulah has long been a WNC favorite
One can still see why flatlanders started pouring into the Cashiers-Highlands region after the Civil War. The scenic ridge, valley…
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Swain fails to make headway in cash settlement talks
The National Park Service and Swain County appear locked in a stalemate over how much the federal government should pay…
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21 write-ins get votes in Webster
In an unusual election storyline, voters in Webster cast ballots for a total of 21 write-in candidates because too few…
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Enamored with stacked stone and timber, planners push mountain look
Western North Carolina has so embraced mountain vernacular architecture that local planning boards across the area are prodding developers into…
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New leaders to forge future for Dillsboro with or without railroad
Faced with a collapsing tourism marketplace caused by a national recession and the pullout of its featured attraction — the…
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Fee charged to overseas visitors would fund tourism marketing abroad
A bill is moving through Congress that could help boost the local economy and create jobs by drawing international tourists…
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Residents value rural heritage and environment in highway debate
An overwhelming majority of citizens who showed up at a public hearing in Robbinsville spoke out against the Corridor K…
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Third party steps in to run Balsam Mountain Preserve
Balsam Mountain Preserve has been stripped of control and custody of its development as lenders continue their march toward foreclosure.…
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Fresh faces will lead Canton
As with the election two years ago, Canton will once again see three new faces on the board. Voters had…
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Franklin voters stick with familiar faces
Not one face is changing in Franklin’s local government despite close contests for mayor and aldermen. In a neck-and-neck race,…
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Regional election results
Clyde Town boardSeats up for election: 2Total seats on board: 4Carroll Mease (I) 103Jim Trantham (I) 95Alan Trantham 42Registered voters: …
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Price and Pauley ride easily into office in quiet Maggie race
After a feel-good race lacking much controversy, Maggie Valley voters have re-elected Saralyn Price to her second term on the…
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WNC juggles perceptions and realities of rockslide blockade
The main message that local and state authorities are frenetically broadcasting to the world is that Western North Carolina is…
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Tracing the roots of WNC’s signature style
Love it or hate it, mountain vernacular architecture has stubbornly planted its roots in Western North Carolina and shows no…
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Allen joins Knotts on Sylva board
Danny Allen, a former Sylva town commissioner who has been off the board for two years, will reclaim his seat…
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Ugly public discourse and the future of truth
More and more these days, it seems those who follow the news have strong opinions on the tone of public…
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Pride of the Mountains band and receives marching’s highest honor
Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band has been awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy, the nation’s highest and…
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Ivey’s ‘Up River’ offers valuable lessons
Up River: A Novel of Attempted Restoration by George Ivey. Dog Year, 2009. 304 Pages. George Ivey’s Up River: A…
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Blue Ridge Parkway kicks off 75th anniversary
The Blue Ridge Parkway will kick off its 75th anniversary celebrations this month with several historical, symbolic and entertaining events,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
It’s 11 p.m. – do you know where your wood thrush is? “Hello, Ms. Stutchbury, this is OnStar. Your wood…
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HCC offers green building certificate for construction students
A model home under construction on the Haywood Community College campus is giving construction majors hands-on training in green building…
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HCC trains tomorrow’s developers in sustainable methods
When Candace Stimson lost her job last winter due to the recession, she seized the opportunity to go back to…
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The grand finale
We tend to hone in on the showy flowering phase of a plant’s life for observation, identification, and enjoyment. But…
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Lessie Williams performance to benefit library fund
Lessie Williams, a well-known and nationally recognized gospel singer, will give a concert of inspirational music at 7 p.m. Oct.…
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NOC expedition gains attention
An outdoor expedition to Bolivia that puts paddlers to work delivering medical supplies to remote villages organized by Nantahala Outdoor…
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Old houses, spirits and comfort food
By Karen Dill • Special to Smoky Mountain News October is a glorious month. Brilliant colors dot the mountains against…
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Hospital denies county commissioners a seat at the table
Despite their requests, Haywood County commissioners will not be guaranteed a spot on the new joint operating board of Haywood…
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Canton’s future pivots on heated board race
When voters head to the polls in Canton next week, they will face a daunting and even unwieldy list to…
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Balsam Mountain Preserve property owners pull off grassroots fundraising on a colossal scale
Affluent property owners in Balsam Mountain Preserve have raised commitments of $16.3 million in an effort to stave off foreclosure…
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Cullowhee a good sports town for athletes and spectators
By Gibbs Knotts • Guest Columnist Some local sportswriters have expressed bewilderment at a recent ranking by a nationally circulated…
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Meet the candidates
Two of the five seats on the Sylva town board are up for election. Both incumbents are running for re-election…
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A page from the past: Smokies’ artifacts tender rare glimpse into life before the park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to one of the most intact and comprehensive collections of early Americana,…
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Withstanding winter’s cold
Editor’s note: George Ellison is on sabbatical this week and will return next week. This is a previously published column.…
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Irritating public comment must be tolerated
Haywood County elected officials may sometimes get fed up dealing with the incessant public record requests and the three-hour meetings…
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Haywood-WestCare Joint Operating Agreement Frequently Asked Questions
Is it true that Haywood and WestCare have merged? No. The boards of Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) and WestCare…
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Waynesville Rec Center struck by vandals
The Waynesville Recreation Center was vandalized late sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The vandals entered the building…
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HRMC, WestCare affiliation creates MedWest
A long-awaited affiliation of the hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties will become official in January 2010. That’s when…
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A peculiar angst
Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy. Picador, 2000. 272 pages. Walker Percy not only wrote…
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Sylva candidates split on funding for downtown projects
The election for Sylva town board next week will determine the philosophical direction for the town. The board has been…
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No quick fix for rock slide that closes I-40
Western North Carolina is bracing itself for the impact of a massive rockslide that will shut down a major chunk…
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Meet the candidates
There are 10 candidates running for four seats on the Canton town board. Only two sitting aldermen are running for…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The rush to be green is making me blue Let’s see, automakers can get CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) credits…
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Haywood County braces for economic impacts of prolonged I-40 closure
By all indications, the closing of Interstate 40 due to a massive rockslide will be more than just a minor…
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Macon rallies to defense of river and wins
Macon County has won a partial victory in the fight over the permitting of an industrial wastewater treatment plant in…
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Downtown platform
Several candidates have made downtown revitalization the central tenet of their campaign and consider it the one of the most…
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