Minnesota governor and Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Walz speaks at The Orange Peel in Asheville on Oct. 30.
 

Walz makes final campaign push in return to Asheville

With just days remaining before voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov.…
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Choose wisely with your vote
 

Choose wisely with your vote

To the Editor:  This upcoming election is going to be a close call. According to many of the polls being…
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It’s about living our faith
 

It’s about living our faith

To the Editor: I still remember September 27, 1953. That was the Sunday my brother, Greg, and I were baptized…
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Don’t feed us lies during this tragedy
 

Don’t feed us lies during this tragedy

To the Editor: Donald Trump has been guilty of spewing so many fact-free statements over the years that ‘fact checking’…
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By all means, do the research
 

By all means, do the research

To the Editor: One of the few good things to come from the pandemic is you hear more and more…
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Comment

Stunningly false mailers are absurd
 

Stunningly false mailers are absurd

To the Editor: Medicare and Social Security are programs that have always been priorities of the Democratic Party. Democrats started…
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Elected leaders who will address climate
 

Elected leaders who will address climate

To the Editor: Our EMS and fire departments, law-enforcement and many in serving military units have come to our region’s…
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We must put planet over profit
 

We must put planet over profit

To the Editor: A vote for Trump is a vote for Project 2025, the incredibly dangerous game plan for a…
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Comment

The 'Concert for Carolina' on Oct. 26 in Charlotte. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: 'Such a long time to be gone and short time to be there'

Hello from Section 117 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. I’m here on assignment covering the “Concert for…
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Brothers Gillespie will play Waynesville Nov. 2. File photo
 

‘Haywood Heroes’ welcomes Brothers Gillespie

Presented by Axe & Awl Leatherworks and powered by the Historic Frog Level Merchants Association, the “Haywood Heroes” flood benefit…
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Comment

The Kruger Brothers will play WCU Nov. 7. File photo
 

'Echoes Across the Smokies’

The Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center will present “Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Bluegrass, Ballads, and Tall…
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Fancy & The Gentlemen. File photo
 

Lake Logan flood benefit

The “Cold Mountain Community Cookout & Concert” featuring blues-rockers Fancy & The Gentlemen will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2,…
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Mac Arnold will play Hayesville Nov. 9. File photo
 

Blues legend comes to Hayesville

Renowned blues act Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues appears at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Peacock Performing…
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Many small businesses in Waynesville’s Frog Level district were wiped out by flooding from Hurricane Helene. Jack Snyder photo
 

Latest flood relief bill leaves businesses underwater

The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly took its second step in flood recovery on Oct. 24, designating from the state’s…
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Left a loan: Small businesses continue to wait for Helene help
 

Left a loan: Small businesses continue to wait for Helene help

When the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in the closing of millions of businesses across the United States in March 2020, federal…
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Comment

Lisa Briggs (front left) with her K-9 Onna. Donated photo
 

WCU human remains detection expert debunks Helene misinformation

Lisa Briggs, director of Western Carolina University’s Human Remains Detection K-9 training program and Emergency Disaster Management program, and Edwin…
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Chuck Edwards. File photo
 

Edwards silent, but his record speaks for itself

The legacies of Western North Carolina’s two previous Republican congressmen, Mark Meadows and Madison Cawthorn, haven’t exactly aged well. 
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Rep. Jeff Jackson (left), Rep. Dan Bishop (right)
 

NC Attorney General candidates discuss key issues

Among the most important races in North Carolina is the contest to see who will become the state’s next attorney…
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Jackson voters to choose two new commissioners
 

Jackson voters to choose two new commissioners

With two current commissioners not seeking reelection, no matter the outcome, the Jackson County Commission will have two new faces…
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Four candidates vie for two seats on Swain Commission
 

Four candidates vie for two seats on Swain Commission

There are two seats open on the Swain County Board of Commissioners this year, and voters will see four candidates…
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Jackson County experienced flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Helene. Donated photo
 

Grant program assists Jackson businesses post-Helene

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Jackson County Economic Development has put together a grant opportunity for businesses impacted by…
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Early voting ends this weekend
 

Early voting ends this weekend

In-person early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m., but voters will still have one last opportunity to cast…
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Macon to consider waiving environmental health fees
 

Macon to consider waiving environmental health fees

In the coming months, the Macon County Commission will consider waiving environmental health fees, and possibly building inspection fees, after…
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How to deal with damaged wells and septic systems
 

How to deal with damaged wells and septic systems

North Carolinians who lost access to water through a private well or damaged septic system as a result of Hurricane Helene may…
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Resources for the agricultural industry are widely available. Bob Scott photo
 

U.S. agriculture secretary visits WNC

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Asheville to hear firsthand from local, state and Tribal officials, emergency managers, food bank…
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N.C. welcomes breed pair of Red Wolves
 

N.C. welcomes breed pair of Red Wolves

The Red Wolf Center in Columbia, North Carolina, is set to welcome its first-ever breeding pair of Red Wolves. This…
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Comment

Waterrock Knob Overlook facing east at milepost 451.2.
 

More Blue Ridge Parkway sections open up

On Wednesday morning, Oct. 30, 2024, the National Park Service restored access to nearly 55 miles the Blue Ridge Parkway…
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George Ivey, N.C. Development Director for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation photo
 

Ivey named to Appalachian Leadership Institute

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) named George Ivey, North Carolina Development Director for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, to participate…
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Ready for the Rotary Club turkey trot?
 

Ready for the Rotary Club turkey trot?

“First the huffin’, then the stuffin’.”  That’s the motto for the Waynesville-Sunrise Rotary Club’s fourth annual 5K turkey trot, held…
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Comment

Junaluska Sanitary District receives $9.5 million award
 

Junaluska Sanitary District receives $9.5 million award

Junaluska Sanitary District (JSD) has been awarded $9,495,104 from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for the HCC/Broyhill and…
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Jackson County Greenway provides access update
 

Jackson County Greenway provides access update

While most of the river access points and parks are open along the Jackson County Greenway, there has been some…
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Rep. Mark Pless (left) hosted Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon on a tour of Helene damage in Haywood and Madison counties on Oct 29.
 

Israeli delegation visit highlights international concern over Helene

When Hurricane Helene slammed into the Gulf Coast on Sept. 27, the storm’s destructive capabilities instantly grabbed national headlines. Now,…
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Several Canton municipal buildings have been unusable since flooding in August 2021.
 

Canton, still recovering from 2021 flood, moves forward

Lost in the aftermath of the damage Hurricane Helene dealt to Canton is the fact that when the storm hit…
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Comment

Jason Simmons was elected chair of the NCGOP in March.
 

NCGOP chair tours hard-hit western counties

As Western North Carolina recovers from one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state, residents alongside local…
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Voter Guide 2024
 

Voter Guide 2024

N.C. Governor Josh Stein - D Josh Stein earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Dartmouth College in 1988 along…
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Kure Beach, North Carolina. Garret K Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: 'Don't it make you feel bad, when you're tryin' to find your way home'

(Editor’s Note: Amid the chaos of the recent floods from Hurricane Helene, this column wasn’t able to run in the…
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Comment

Pleasure Chest. File photo
 

‘Rock For Relief’

In the wake of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene, “Rock For Relief: A WNC Flood Benefit Festival,” an…
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Darren Nicholson. FIle photo
 

Bluegrass legend comes to Glenville

Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage for the “Young Mountain Magic” fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26,…
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The HCB will play Waynesville Oct. 27. File photo
 

Ready for ‘Frightacular’?

The Haywood Community Band will present “Frightacular” at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at the First United Methodist Church in…
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Comment

Wyatt Espalin. FIle photo
 

Espalin returns to Mountain Layers

Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin will hit the stage at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at Mountain Layers Brewing in Bryson City. 
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Comment

Jon Cox. Wayne Ebinger photo
 

Unplugged Pub welcomes Jon Cox

Regional country/rock act The Jon Cox Band will perform as part of the “Halloween Costume Party” at 8 p.m. Saturday,…
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Comment

The Hiram Caldwell House looks out over a road rendered impassable following major flooding on Rough Fork Creek. Cataloochee Valley is closed until further notice. National Park Service photo
 

Word from the Smokies: In the park, Cataloochee saw Helene’s worst

As Hurricane Helene fomented in the Caribbean, it seemed likely that Great Smoky Mountains National Park would take a direct…
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The NPS responded to an incident on Oct. 13 on Roaring Fork Road Motor Nature Trail involving a semi-truck which became stuck. NPS photo
 

U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road is closed to commercial vehicles: Violators will be subject to a citation with a fine of up to $5,000

The National Park Service reminds commercial drivers that commercial vehicles are prohibited on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky…
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Comment

DEQ Offers Emergency Loans to Local Governments
 

DEQ Offers Emergency Loans to Local Governments

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is offering initial emergency loans to 20 local governments for emergency projects to rehabilitate drinking water and/or wastewater systems in response to…
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Comment

NCDA&CS offers cleanup and disposal assistance for pesticides
 

NCDA&CS offers cleanup and disposal assistance for pesticides

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services urges farmers and homeowners to evaluate pesticides and other chemical storage areas…
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Comment

Looking Glass Creek in Pisgah National Forest. File photo
 

Pisgah Ranger District reopens

The Pisgah National Forest has reopened the Pisgah Ranger District effective Oct. 18,, in coordination with local communities and governments. 
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Comment

Is your house termite-safe post-Helene?
 

Is your house termite-safe post-Helene?

Hurricane Helene not only flooded many areas, knocked out power and destroyed the possessions of thousands of homeowners and businesses…
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Comment

Farmland preservation grants available
 

Farmland preservation grants available

The application period for county governments and conservation nonprofit groups to apply for farmland preservation grants from the N.C. Agricultural…
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Jackson County hosts ‘Archery 101’ class
 

Jackson County hosts ‘Archery 101’ class

The Jackson County Recreation Department has announced it will host an “Archery 101” class for kids ages 10-14. 
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Comment

Inflation, deflation and the presidency
 

Inflation, deflation and the presidency

To the Editor: The economy of this great nation, and indeed, the world, is a huge thing that, like those…
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