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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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America, mile by mile: Cross-country trip reveals country’s beauty, diversity
Back when the trip was a new idea, I don’t think either of us took it seriously. Three weeks on…
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Motorcycle accident results in fatality
A motorcycle fatality occurred on Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shortly after 5 p.m. Monday,…
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Man drowns after rescuing minor
A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park perished last week when he tried to save a younger family…
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LEGOs in the garden
The arrival of the N.C. Arboretum’s newest exhibit was delayed due to COVID-19, but Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks…
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Butterfly murals installed in Cullowhee garden
Four larger-than-life butterflies now greet visitors as they enter the Cullowhee Community Garden, each representing a species that helps pollinate…
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Planning effort seeks to form regional multi-use trail network
A plan that would create a 150-mile-plus trail network through Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties is now out…
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The secretive, intelligent and prolific crow
Like most commonly observed objects, crows flit across our field of vision unheeded. Caw-caw-cawing unmusically … flap-flap-flapping over the fields…
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Redemption and Occasional Magic: two books of inspiration
Many readers are familiar with his story. Johnny Cash, also known in later life as “The Man in Black,” grew…
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Groovin’ On the Green canceled
The Village Green has announced that the Friday night summer concert series, Groovin’ On the Green is canceled for the…
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This must be the place: ‘Don’t let ‘em pick guitars and drive them old trucks’
Sitting in the back den of my parents’ Upstate New York farmhouse last week, I could hear the familiar sounds…
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Pandemic changes WNC’s Independence Day tourism
By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | In the past, the Fourth of July holiday has been counted on to…
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Outdoor adventures reopen in WNC
The Coronavirus Pandemic and ensuing shutdown means folks have been spending most of their time at home for the last…
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Customer service should be a powerful connection
By Gerri Wolfe Grady • Special to SMN | Customer service is an important commodity for any business and particularly…
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‘The arts will always be open’: Bardo Arts Center adapts to remote audience
By Andrew Dundas • Contributing writer | This fall, Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center…
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It’s Cawthorn in NC11 after runoff blowout
How, exactly, does someone lose a Primary Election in which they have almost a year’s exclusive advance knowledge of the…
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‘Back the Badge’ rally comes to Waynesville
Last week, as demonstrations were taking place across the nation to call attention to police brutality and racial injustice, Canton…
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Maggie Valley starts planning process for waterfall park
When tourists visit this region, many of them come seeking the beauty and awe of the waterfalls that decorate the…
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Cherokee has second COVID-related death; Macon experiences nursing home ‘outbreak’
As of June 30, North Carolina had 64,670 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The death toll is now over 1,300 and…
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DOT revises plan for Dillsboro bridge project
Plans for a $14 million bridge project in Dillsboro have changed, with the project now expected to take nine months…
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