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Purchase will protect Canton water quality
A newly conserved 139 acres in Haywood County will connect the Town of Canton’s Rough Creek watershed property to other…
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Tessentee Bottomland Preserve grows
An additional 43 acres has been added to the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve owned by Mainspring Conservation Trust in southern Macon…
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Wildlife ambassadors available for school programs
This summer’s Mountain Wildlife Days event in Sapphire was one of the most successful ever, and Mountain Wildlife Outreach will…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Aster-risk*
Blue, white, lavender and purple corymbs, racemes and panicles will glow from shadowy woods and blaze from sunny meadows from…
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‘Lost Words and Obstacles:’ a review
“When the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary — widely used in schools around the world — was…
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Proceeds from Mission Health sale to benefit WNC communities
How can $1.5 billion transform the health and wellness of Western North Carolina communities for decades to come? That’s the…
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Three seek two aldermanic seats in Maggie Valley
They’re all hotel owners, they’re all devoted volunteers in their community and they’re all running for a seat on the…
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Road project issue dominates Sylva commission race
The race for a seat on Sylva’s town board is competitive this year, with six people running for election to…
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Last-minute dropout leaves Canton candidate unopposed
Much like this summer, a simple real estate transaction has led to important consequences for the Canton Board of Aldermen/women.
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Clampitt makes it official
When North Carolina House District 119 voters get their ballots a little over a year from now, they’ll likely see…
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Prominent local Democrat switches parties
When Jim Moore ran for Clerk of the Superior Court back in 2018 he did so as a Democrat, but…
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Cannabis Commission veto upheld
Legislation creating a Cannabis Commission that would set the stage for hemp production on the Qualla Boundary has been overturned,…
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Public hearing slated for former BI-LO property
A conditional rezoning request by developers of a 210-unit apartment complex located on the former site of a grocery store…
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Ode to Raymond Fairchild, ode to mountain music
First and foremost, Raymond Fairchild was one of the finest banjo players who ever walked the face of the earth.…
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Fingers like lightning: Remembering Raymond Fairchild (1939-2019)
Raymond Fairchild — a bluegrass legend in Western North Carolina — passed away unexpectedly Sunday afternoon at the age of…
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This must be the place: That’s the way it goes, first your money then your clothes
For a moment, I had thought I’d gone crazy. Standing in the laundromat just a block away from my apartment…
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Trump: a quintessentially American president
To the Editor: Think about it! Donald Trump didn’t need to be President. He much prefers business to government and…
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There is no there there!
To the Editor: There is no there there! The “there” is the latest accusation from the Democrats that President Donald…
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When life comes full circle
When I was 7 years old, my dad spent hours assembling my Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse, taking time to ensure every…
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Cultivating visibility for WNC farmworkers
Fall is upon us and so are the beautiful colors and seasonal customs of our region. Just thinking of tomato…
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TVA: No new floating home construction on the water
It’s been about three years since the Tennessee Valley Authority tried to remove all floating homes on its 49 lakes.
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Money was a motivator for botanical exploration
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in an October 2003 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. The economic considerations behind the…
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More land conserved at Highlands of Roan
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has purchased 62 acres at Doll Branch in the Highlands of Roan, an acquisition that…
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Report pine snake sightings
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to know about pine snake sightings in North Carolina, found mostly in the southwestern…
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Conservation purchase will protect elk, other wildlife on I-40
A 187-acre conservation purchase in Haywood County will allow for wildlife grazing and movement near Interstate 40.
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Youth learn life lessons from bees
Students in the HIGHTS program, which works with vulnerable youth and their families in Western North Carolina, learn about more…
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That Month In Tuscany serves up romance and adventure
At the public library that is my third home — my first home is a basement apartment, and my second…
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Canton alderman candidate backs out of race
The race to fill an unexpired aldermanic seat in Canton just got a lot easier for Pisgah High School science…
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This must be the place: Seen so many places, still don’t know where I’m bound
My 2019 festival season is over as of this past Sunday night at the “Blue Ridge Jam” at Pisgah Brewing…
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Running jumping standing still: A conversation with Charlie Parr
In the matter of a song, Charlie Parr can make you laugh and cry, all while finding simple meanings and…
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Sylva candidate drops out of race
This year Sylva voters will be given a ballot listing six possible names for three open seats on the town’s…
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Election protest denied in Cherokee
After coming up short in the General Election Sept. 5, principal chief candidate Teresa McCoy filed an election protest Sept.…
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Jackson Republicans push for commissioner removal
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has gathered to conduct official business on 14 days since June began, but Commissioner…
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New leaders inaugurated in Cherokee
A new chapter in tribal government began this week when the winners of September’s General Election were sworn in before…
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Billy Graham left legacy of humility, compassion, unity
Billy Graham was just a local preacher from Montreat the first time that the Methodist Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat…
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Budget stalemate could leave WCU out in the cold
Like all of North Carolina’s universities, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee has some pressing capital project funding needs that aren’t…
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Franklin Graham talks impeachment, evangelism prior to Decision America Tour stop in Asheville
Had he any other man for a father, William Franklin Graham III might still have become known as a…
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BearWaters Brewing wins medal, announces expansion
Western North Carolina’s brewery scene is a crowded, competitive place, but thanks to Canton-based BearWaters Brewing, Haywood County’s own small…
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Drought worsens in North Carolina
Drought has deepened throughout Central and Western North Carolina, according to a new map published today.
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Here’s the truth about immigration
By Paul Strop • Guest Columnist I read with interest a recent letter expressing concerns about immigration, truly one of the…
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We must be honest about adolescent addiction
By Beth Young • Guest Columnist “It’s just a phase.” “They are just being teenagers.” “I drank when I was their…
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Surprisingly, we were able to pull it off
Before we go any further, let me be clear: I am not the guy you want to put in charge…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A tale of two monarchs
I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend scouting for an upcoming Alarka Expeditions trip, “Migration Celebration” which will…
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Gift of the Mountains: Rooted in the Mountains connects Cherokee past and global future
It was an hour and a half after sunrise, and the day’s first rays had not yet touched Judaculla Rock,…
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Two killed in Smokies car crash
Two people died during a three-vehicle collision at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Drought arrives in the mountains
A ban on backcountry fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was announced Sept. 26 following the release of…
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Park recognizes first African-American naturalist
Florida resident Dr. Joe Lee earned recognition recently for his role as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s first African-American…
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Learning American history through songs
In February 2019, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation released the results of a nationwide poll of 41,000 Americans testing…
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In search of that ‘high, lonesome sound’: IBMA awards showcase celebrates 30 years
Just before he entered the main auditorium of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh this past…
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This must be the place: Breakin’ ties that you’d grown, catchin’ dreams from the clouds
The crisp air now wafts into the open windows of my quiet apartment in downtown Waynesville. The ushering in of…
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