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Haywood schools develop summer programs
House Bill 1043 requires school systems to develop a Remediation and Summer Jump Start Plan for the 2020-2021 school year.…
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Successful search and rescue effort for lost hikers
The search for missing hikers Kelly and Mark Kleinbrahm and their son Noah ended successfully Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m.…
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Health officials urge people with symptoms to get tested
Haywood County Public Health received notice on July 9 of six new cases of COVID-19. This brings the number of…
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COVID-19 cluster found at Macon County farm
Macon County Public Health has identified a cluster of 9 people who have tested positive at Norton Creek Farms. Employees…
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Sylva votes to prohibit Confederate imagery on town property
The Sylva Town Board approved a resolution tonight that creates a policy to prohibit the use of Confederate imagery on…
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Hemp farmers growing business in Macon
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony at Appalachian Growers located in the Cowee Valley.
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New assistant DA hired for western counties
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced Wednesday that Michael Macht has joined the 43rd Prosecutorial District as an assistant district…
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WCU police chief runner-up in Campus Safety awards
Western Carolina University Chief of Police Steve Lillard was named national runner-up in the higher education division of Campus Safety…
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Haywood surpasses 100 COVID-19 cases
Haywood County Public Health received notice on July 8 of two new cases of COVID-19. This brings the number of…
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Scarlet tanagers spar in song
This seems to be a scarlet tanager kind of year. I’ve been seeing and hearing them at my house, along…
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Sanitation supplies available for farmers markets
A new campaign from EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems aims to make farmers markets safer for the public and vendors alike.
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DuPont considers entry fees
Visitors to DuPont State Recreation Forest could have to pay an entrance fee in the future following Gov. Roy Cooper’s…
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Trees for sale
Tree seedlings are now available from the N.C. Forest Service, with nearly 50 species of conifers, hardwoods and native understory…
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Freedom on foot: Cashiers man shares trail running passion through guide company
These days, Brendon Voelker’s life revolves around running, but eight years ago the Texas native was still struggling to complete…
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Tribe receives USFS grant for forest management
A grant from the U.S. Forest Service will help the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians expand and connect the Hall…
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Smokies creates emergency manager position
Liz Hall has been selected as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s first emergency manager.
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Garden offers music-filled summer evenings
The popular ArborEvenings after-hours series at the N.C. Arboretum will return this year with a toy-filled twist.
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In her own words
If you’re like me and are interested in or curious about the day-to-day life and especially the early life of…
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Half of 2020 is behind us, thank goodness
I was walking my animal last night at sunset, enjoying the evening views and cool temps, thinking back to the…
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Wishful thinking won’t get us out of this
Before wading into the murk of America’s bizarre tug of war with itself in the year of COVID-19, let’s first…
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Act now and vote absentee
To the Editor: I hope every eligible North Carolina resident plans to vote in the November election; the opportunity to…
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Trump is not fit for office
To the Editor: Major news sources inform us that Russian operatives have paid mercenaries to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.…
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Economic development boom in Maggie Valley
After years of languishing in the shadows of a shuttered amusement park, Maggie Valley’s west end is now seeing substantial…
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Entwined with slavery: A brief local history
By Peter H. Lewis • AVL Watchdog | By 1860, about 15 percent of the population of Western North Carolina was enslaved. Only…
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COVID-19 cases curving up again
Haywood County Medical Director Dr. Mark Jaben has been keeping residents updated through the COVID-19 Pandemic with weekly video messages…
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SCC supports mask distribution efforts
On Monday, June 22, Southwestern Community College hosted Nantahala Health Foundation representatives as they set up a mask distribution site…
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WCU disbands Board of Visitors
Western Carolina University’s Board of Visitors no longer exists following the WCU Board of Trustees’ vote June 5 to repeal…
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Elliott to retire from Jackson Schools
After two years in the position, Jackson County Public Schools Superintendent Kim Elliott will retire as head of the school…
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Franklin restaurant wants to expand outdoor seating
As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to impact local businesses, restaurants and bars have been trying to look for ways to…
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"Sylva Sam" draws debate at commissioner meeting
The public comment portion of tonight’s meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners drew 16 people who spoke for…
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Don’t know where I’m going, all I know is where I’ve gone: Isaac Gibson of 49 Winchester
Hailing from the Southern Appalachian backwoods of Castlewood, Virginia (population: 2,045), 49 Winchester is a rapidly rising alt-country/rock act. For…
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This must be the place: Ain’t it funny how you feel, when you’re findin’ out it’s real?
Much like New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July is one of those holidays that everyone you know will definitely…
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Second COVID cluster identified at Mountaintop Golf Club
The Jackson County Department of Public Health has identified its second COVID-19 cluster in a single day, announcing that 11…
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COVID-19 cluster identified at Jackson dermatologist
Jackson County Department of Public Health has identified a COVID-19 cluster in a local medical provider’s office.
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Crews search for three missing hikers at Black Balsam
UPDATE: Searchers made contact with the hikers around noon Tuesday, July 7. They were able to walk out with search…
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Cherokee cultural corridor plan receives award
Knoxville, Tennessee-based Johnson Architecture, along with project partner IBI Placemaking, recently earned an award in North Carolina for the Cherokee…
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Cashiers chamber supplying free masks for businesses
The Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation to provide valuable Personal Protection Equipment…
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What’s in a name? For Asheville, signs point to history of racism
By Peter H. Lewis • AVL Watchdog | Vance, Patton, Woodfin, Henderson, Weaver, Chunn, Baird — their names are familiar to anyone living in…
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New Haywood COVID cases traveled to Florida
Haywood County Public Health received notice July 2 that another Haywood County resident has tested positive for COVID-19. This brings…
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Second Blessing needs donations, volunteers
The Second Blessing Thrift Store, located in Waynesville, is open, expanding operations and in need of donations and volunteers.
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Substance still matters in politics
Haywood County resident Lynda Bennett was beaten badly in the Republican runoff primary for Congress last week against 24-year-old political…
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Songbirds, stars and the Fourth of July
Every morning around 5:15, the birds start chirping outside my window. The past several months I’ve been trying to figure…
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Forest plan lacks water quality measures
To the Editor: The Nantahala and Pisgah national forests are the headwaters of seven major river systems, providing drinking water…
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Pipeline is a threat to Appalachian Trail
To the Editor: The Appalachian Trail, spanning nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, maintains a natural mystique that cannot…
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Leadership needed to take down monuments
To the Editor: I moved to Jackson County in January of 2013 and have been in love with everything about…
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Taking monuments down is just a mistake
To the Editor: Giving in to the misguided desire to remove statues and monuments, which Black Lives Matter admits is…
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People exaggerate COVID-19 suffering
To the Editor: In today’s America, we find ourselves facing the continued onslaught of biased reporting and erroneous “expert” advice…
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Separating truth from fiction
To the Editor: An early lesson that a child hears is “tell the truth” and “honesty is the best policy.”…
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Invest in people to strengthen community
To the Editor: By leaving households without reliable internet access, the marginalization of Southern Appalachia will perpetuate. Without a good connection to…
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Some people just don’t get it
To the Editor: A reader’s letter in the last issue complained about mainstream media and a limited view of events…
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