Franklin man pleads guilty to robbery with AR-15
 

Franklin man pleads guilty to robbery with AR-15

A Franklin man will spend at least 118 months and up to 128 months in prison after admitting in court…
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319 new COVID cases in Haywood, 3 more deaths
 

319 new COVID cases in Haywood, 3 more deaths

In the week since the last press release, Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 319 new cases of COVID-19.  As…
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WCU waives admission application fees for 2022
 

WCU waives admission application fees for 2022

Western Carolina University officials are waiving admission application fees for both undergraduate and graduate programs for students wanting to enter the…
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Western Carolina University students gather beneath autumn leaves. WCU photo
 

Moderate fall color season predicted

A “reasonably colorful” fall leaf season with a less pronounced peak than usual is predicted for Western North Carolina, according…
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The Ladies of Labor Day
 

The Ladies of Labor Day

In 1894, congress voted to approve Labor Day as a national holiday. The vote took place just days after the…
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Ask Us Anything
 

Ask Us Anything

How do you have safe communication during relational conversations where defenses and triggers happen because of past hurts? How do…
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Labor Day Events
 

Labor Day Events

Some of the Labor Day events we’ve come to know and love have been canceled this year due to the…
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Log jams like this one on the upper Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest could burst at any time, creating danger downstream. USFS photo
 

Lasting damage: Recreation impacts from Fred could linger for years

A week before Tropical Storm Fred unleashed historically high floodwaters on Western North Carolina, Greg Philipp was in Washington fighting…
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Abrams Falls. NPS  photo
 

Smokies sees two fatal accidents in one weekend

Two men died while visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last weekend, one due to drowning and another resulting…
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Current and former Haywood Community College students Alec Parsons (from left), Ben Knicely and Darby Hand recently competed at the STIHL Timbersports US Championships in Little Rock, Arkansas. Donated photo
 

HCC student wins national timbersports title

A Haywood Community College student earned the 2021 U.S. Rookie Champion title at the recent STIHL Timbersports U.S. Championships in…
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Dispose of chemicals safely
 

Dispose of chemicals safely

As floodwaters recede and cleanup continues, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services urges farmers and homeowners to evaluate…
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A quiet place: the book nook
 

A quiet place: the book nook

Readers generally look for a special place to sink into their books, to escape the noise and hubbub of the…
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Oliver Wood. (photo: Joshua Black Wilkins)
 

Kindness is my religion: A conversation with Oliver Wood

When the entire music industry shutdown for the foreseeable future in March 2020, many artists and bands didn’t know what…
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Charlie Watts.
 

This must be the place: ‘And the drummer, he’s so shattered, trying to keep on time’

Oh, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.  Charlie Watts. Drummer of The Rolling Stones. The backbone of rock-n-roll. Gone last Tuesday at age…
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Crossing the Rubicon
 

Crossing the Rubicon

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | My introduction to the esoteric world of spirituality came via my mother in my…
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Why WNC remains vulnerable to flooding
 

Why WNC remains vulnerable to flooding

By Milton Ready • Guest Columnist | Psst! Have you heard that remnants of Tropical Storm Fred passed over Western…
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Climate alarmism is not based in reality
 

Climate alarmism is not based in reality

By Patrick Gleason • Guest Columnist | The alarmist rhetoric and proclamations found in Mary Jane Curry’s recent column published…
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Pay close attention to these names
 

Pay close attention to these names

To the Editor: Pay close attention to the following names: Darin Hoover, Rosario Pichardo, Nicole Gee, Hunter Lopez, Daegan Page,…
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SMN opinion pages are required reading
 

SMN opinion pages are required reading

To the Editor: The opinion pages of the August 18 edition of your excellent paper should be required reading. 
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Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility
 

Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility

To the Editor: In the Aug. 11 edition, a letter from a Franklin man was posted in both print and…
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Cawthorn should think before he speaks
 

Cawthorn should think before he speaks

To the Editor: For many years I served as a Child Medical Examiner for Haywood County. I was also a…
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Pictured with Marshall is HCC President Dr. Shelley White. Michelle Harris photo
 

HCC celebrates Marshall’s service

Haywood Community College Board of Trustees chairman George Marshall recently completed eight years of service on the board. Originally appointed…
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U.S. 23/74 public meeting rescheduled
 

U.S. 23/74 public meeting rescheduled

A public meeting regarding improvements to U.S. 23/74 is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2, at the Harrell…
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Ashley Hornsby Welch.
 

DA to prosecute looters

In the wake of the torrential rain and flooding in Haywood County, centered in Cruso community, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby…
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WNC Realtors provide $400,000 to flood relief
 

WNC Realtors provide $400,000 to flood relief

The Board of Directors of Canopy Realtor Association and Canopy MLS, unanimously voted Aug. 26 to donate $200,000 each, for…
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Some 9 tons of piano lies piled up in the sun outside Ward Piano on Asheville Highway, outside Canton. Cory Vaillancourt photos
 

The Sound of Silence: Disaster relief now a waiting game

As state elected leaders toured areas of Haywood County decimated by deadly flooding that killed six people last week, local…
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One of hundreds of piles of debris left on the side of the road in Cruso following the massive floodwaters two weeks ago.
 

‘We’re already left behind’: Following massive floods, Cruso residents getting frustrated

Standing next to a debris pile as tall as he is, Steve Chaney scans up and down U.S. 276 at…
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Mountain Projects Executive Director Patsy Davis found someone living among the rubble in Cruso following the Aug. 17 flood. Donated photo
 

Rapid rehousing challenge underway for flood victims

Already in an affordable housing crisis, Haywood County agencies are now confronted with trying to find emergency housing for families…
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The Hannah household.
 

‘If the water got any higher, that was it’: Lifelong Cruso resident recounts ravaging flood

Sitting in a chair in an open bay of his garage Monday afternoon, Ronnie Hannah can’t help but smile knowing…
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Even 40 years before this September, 1946 photo, Canton’s Labor Day parade had made memories for thousands of spectators in Haywood County. The Log photo
 

Canton Labor Day parade cancelled

Canton’s elected leaders want to ensure that the public knows the last remaining element of the Town of Canton’s 114th…
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Waynesville’s former Gateway Club lands first major tenant
 

Waynesville’s former Gateway Club lands first major tenant

In retrospect it’s odd that a region with such strong historical ties to Scotland doesn’t have a greater number of…
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Duke Energy spokesman Jason Walls presents the Town of Canton with a $50,000 check on Aug. 26. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Institutional donations roll into Haywood County

Although Haywood County still waits for news of a federal disaster declaration that would bring much needed resources to storm-ravaged…
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Sylva delays Allen Street funding decision
 

Sylva delays Allen Street funding decision

Sylva Town Manager Paige Dowling presented two options during the town board’s Aug. 26 meeting for funding the $2 million…
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New HCAC director fosters creative community
 

New HCAC director fosters creative community

In June, Morgan Beryl took over as executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council. She has lived all over…
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The planned long-term care campus would feature stunning views and allow residents easy access to the hospital next door. EBCI rendering
 

Cherokee to expand health facilities

The Cherokee Tribal Council approved more than $110 million for new health facilities on the Qualla Boundary and in Cherokee…
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Maggie Valley allows all RV classes in PUDs
 

Maggie Valley allows all RV classes in PUDs

Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen voted Aug. 17 to allow class A, B and C recreational vehicles in RV Planned…
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COVID-19 deaths continue across the region
 

COVID-19 deaths continue across the region

Macon County Public Health received notification Aug. 30 that a Macon County resident between the ages of 65-74 who was…
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Bill Frisell
 

There in a dream: A Conversation with Bill Frisell

In the world of electric guitar, few stand taller than Bill Frisell.Frisell is to jazz and fusion music as Jimi…
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Cherokee fair canceled over virus concerns
 

Cherokee fair canceled over virus concerns

For the second year running, the much-awaited Cherokee Indian Fair is canceled due to COVID-19.
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Masks required in Jackson County buildings
 

Masks required in Jackson County buildings

After a three-month lapse, Jackson County has re-instituted its masking requirement for county facilities. The mandate applies when entering “interior…
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Q&A with Jessica Merritt of Nurture + Nature Glamping Retreat Center
 

Q&A with Jessica Merritt of Nurture + Nature Glamping Retreat Center

Special Liberty Project, what is it and how did it get started? The Special Liberty Project is a nonprofit organization…
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Homes needed for displaced flood victims
 

Homes needed for displaced flood victims

Mountain Projects is meeting with flood victims who are currently in temporary housing, matching them with available resources to put…
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5 Core Benefits of Community
 

5 Core Benefits of Community

Community is essential to the human experience. We are social beings with an innate yearning to connect with and support…
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Creating A Different Kind Of Church
 

Creating A Different Kind Of Church

“This is my kind of church.” That’s how one participant described the lunar women’s circles I started hosting recently.
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Finding Light in a Dark World
 

Finding Light in a Dark World

The world feels beyond heavy right now.  Floods, wildfires, war, refugees, a pandemic. This topic of this article was orignally…
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An iconic species of the Smokies, bears rarely hurt humans but on rare occasions may view them as prey. NPS photo
 

Second fatal bear attack in Smokies history confirmed

A man found dead in the Hazel Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last September likely died…
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NPS institutes mask mandate
 

NPS institutes mask mandate

A national mask mandate is now in place across the National Park Service. 
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Outgoing Chairman David W. Hoyle Jr (left) stands with (from left) new Chairman Monty R. Crump, new Vice Chairman Thomas L. Fonville and Wildlife Resources Commission Executive Director Cameron Ingram. NCWRC photo
 

Wildlife Commission elects new leadership

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has elected Richmond County resident Monty R. Crump as its new chairman, replacing Dallas resident…
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Skinny Dip Falls is nearly unrecognizable after Tropical Storm Fred.
 

Fred's impact on public lands

In addition to claiming lives, homes and livelihoods, Tropical Storm Fred has had a significant impact on many beloved sites…
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