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Severe drought hits southeastern N.C.
Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 84 are currently abnormally dry or experiencing drought — but the far western region is…
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Macon raises tax rate to address capital needs
County Manager Derek Roland was tasked with delivering a flat budget for the 2021-22 budget year, but after countless hours…
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Jackson considers more salary for first responders
After multiple work sessions and a public hearing, Jackson County commissioners may designate an additional $444,000 in the 2021-22 budget…
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Cherokee voters choose Primary Election winners
Tribal Council incumbents fared well in Thursday’s Primary Election, with all six representatives who faced primary contests sailing easily toward…
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Bear activity reported in Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock
Visitors to the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness on the Nantahala National Forest should take extra precautions after recent reports of bear…
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The Return of the Don
Former President Donald Trump made one of his first major public appearances since losing the 2020 election, returning to the…
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A few lessons in virtue from a veteran
On the shelves around the room where I write and work a visitor would find all sorts of books, including…
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Trail race proceeds help SCC students
The 2021 Assault on Blackrock trail race raised $4,100 for the Southwestern Community College Student Emergency Fund.
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Truer picture of me: Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers
It’s late morning at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville. Formerly the Citizen-Times Building, the historic structure is now home to…
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This must be the place: Ode to 22 years, ode to being together again
It was exactly a week ago when it was decided as a newsroom to cleanup up our offices for The…
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Park visitors cited for feeding bear peanut butter
Visitors who fed a bear peanut butter in Cades Cove received a citation from Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers…
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Waynesville funds emergency overnight stays for unsheltered individuals
Just days after a local nonprofit asked the Town of Waynesville to help fund emergency overnight stays for the unsheltered,…
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Cherokee voters choose Primary Election candidates
Tribal Council incumbents fared well in Thursday’s Primary Election, with all six representatives who faced primary contests sailing easily toward…
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Jackson County names new DSS director
After five years heading the agency, Jennifer Abshire will retire as director of the Jackson County Department of Social Services…
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National grant will fund outdoor field trips in the Smokies
A National Park Foundation grant will fund outdoor field trips for kids in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Opening the back(country) door: Beginner backpacking trip highlights OMC’s new mission
The morning fog is barely lifting at 8 a.m. when a group of five women meet outside Kathy Odvody’s home…
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Pigeon River Fund fuels WNC water quality work
The most recent round of Pigeon River Fund Grant Awards distributed through the Community Foundation for Western North Carolina will…
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Summer is here at Lake Junaluska
The pool at Lake Junaluska is now open for the season, and 2021 passes offering pool admission and special discounts…
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Smokies superintendent wins leadership award
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash was named the winner of the 2021 Agency Leadership Award from the…
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Shoot clays for the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies will host the third annual Smokies Cup Tournament at the Biltmore Sporting Clays Club Sept. 16-17…
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Twenty-two years later, some things haven’t changed
Early morning, June 2, 1999. I remember exactly where I was at and what I was doing. More on that…
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Seeing the light amid the darkness
There was once a young girl in Southern India who lived in a house with no electricity. A coiled water…
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Some need to expand their news sources
To the Editor: As an occasional writer of letters to the editor I sometimes receive feedback, mostly positive but sometimes…
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In the journey: A conversation with Martin Sexton
Leaving his hometown of Syracuse, New York, in 1988, singer-songwriter Martin Sexton hit the road — in search of not…
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This must be the place: I feel summer creepin’ in and I’m tired of this town again
He walked into the bar, grabbed a seat next to me, and proceeded to order four shots of Jameson Irish…
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The poetry of living off the grid
If the word “value” is to mean anything, it should at least apply to two or more things. First it…
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Eviction moratorium expiration looms
The Coronavirus Pandemic appears to be winding down and with it, protections designed to ameliorate the ensuing economic devastation that…
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Eviction moratorium strains local landlords
When the Coronavirus Pandemic broke out in the United States in March 2020, Congress passed that CARES Act. Part of…
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Housing cases double for Legal Aid
The amount of time Legal Aid lawyers spend on helping clients with housing issues doubled during the pandemic.
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Mountain Projects receives affordable housing grant
Dogwood Health Trust recently invested in affordable housing initiatives in Haywood and Jackson counties by awarding a $872,671 grant to…
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Home sales double over 2020
With vaccinations underway and COVID-19 restrictions easing, April home sales rose 48.8 percent year-over-year with 1,138 homes sold across the…
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Property tax rates will go down, but property tax bills will go up
Yes, your property tax rate is going down, but no, your property tax bill probably bill isn’t. Wait, what?
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Sizing the force: Sylva debates police staffing needs
Sarah Dearmon was the only person who spoke during the May 27 public hearing for a proposed Sylva town budget…
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Jackson names new economic development director
Tiffany Henry will be Jackson County’s next director of economic development following a unanimous vote from county commissioners May 18.…
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June per capita payments exceed pre-pandemic levels
Despite a raging pandemic, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos’ revenues for October 2020 through March 2021 delivered a larger per capita payment…
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Group asks for funds to fight homelessness
A local nonprofit group has its eyes set on funding that will be distributed to the Town of Waynesville as…
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Swain sets public hearing for proposed budget
Swain County will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. June 10 to give residents an opportunity to comment on…
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Staffing a hurdle for Haywood summer school
Students in Haywood County will not be provided normal bus transportation for the robust summer school program intended to address…
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Cullowhee Valley School chooses new mascot
Henceforth, Cullowhee Valley School in Jackson County will be represented as the Cullowhee Valley Wolves.
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Canton preschool closed due to COVID-19
The Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency has identified a symptomatic COVID-19 case at Silverbluff Early Education & Preschool…
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Open up the records of public employees
Last July, The Smoky Mountain News produced a series of stories looking into police reform following the killing of George…
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How about the Second Amendment?
To the Editor: In a recent letter to The Smoky Mountain News a retired military man stated, “Among all the…
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The real steal may come in 2024
To the Editor: Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was removed from her leadership position in the Republican Party for only one…
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The Bluffs reopens on the Parkway
The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway will reopen under new management on Thursday, May 27.
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Restoring a giant: EBCI partners to resurrect the chestnut tree
Rex Mann’s father was the kind of storyteller whose voice would make everyone in the room stop what they were…
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Smokies names new deputy superintendent
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s long-time Facility Management Division chief has been named as the park’s new deputy superintendent.
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NOC celebrates its 50th season
Nantahala Outdoor Center is open for its 50th season, with new venues, courses and events in 2021.
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Guide rates swim spot safety
MountainTrue has launched a new service that offers up-to-date water quality results for more than 65 popular recreation areas in…
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Reflections on spirituality, creativity and art
Sometimes a book can overwhelm us with its energy and its wisdom. Like most readers, I love when a writer,…
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