Trump is working to secure borders
 

Trump is working to secure borders

To the Editor: Police drenched with buckets of water in New York, anti-police chanting as police attempt to remove a…
Read More

Comment

Ancient Cherokees found protection from the cold
 

Ancient Cherokees found protection from the cold

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in a September 2002 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. It’s only late summer…
Read More

Comment

Fear of collapse causes shelter closure
 

Fear of collapse causes shelter closure

A beloved shelter on the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain is closed until further notice due to structural damage. 
Read More

Comment

A cluster of young runners hangs out near the finish line, including Riley Howell and three of his siblings. Pictured, from left, are Davis King, Iris Howell, Logan King, Riley Howell, Juliet Howell and Teddy Howell. Donated photo
 

Race to honor UNC Charlotte hero: Mighty Four Miler will raise money for Riley Howell Foundation Fund

Hometown hero Riley Howell’s legacy will live on in the form a 4-mile race through the streets of the town…
Read More

Comment

A bee lands on a yellow passion flower. Katherine Parys photo
 

Smokies species count reaches 20,000

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reached a biodiversity milestone with the discovery and documentation of 20,000 species of…
Read More

Comment

Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users
 

Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users

The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
Read More

Comment

Will the circle be unbroken: Ken Burns on new country music documentary, a life in filmmaking
 

Will the circle be unbroken: Ken Burns on new country music documentary, a life in filmmaking

Clocking in at over 16 hours, the new Ken Burns documentary “Country Music” is an extremely detailed and intricate look…
Read More

Comment

Sunset in New Harbor, Maine. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
 

This must be the place: When I pass by all the people say, just another guy on the lost highway

Last Sunday morning, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Route 27 in Wiscasset, Maine, I decided to turn right…
Read More

Comment

Steve Heatherly (left) and Rod Harkleroad.
 

Hospital leaders reflect on five years with LifePoint

In 2014, Duke LifePoint Healthcare purchased three hospitals in Western North Carolina with the promise of drastically improving rural health…
Read More

Comment

Land sale could offset cost of recycling center relocation
 

Land sale could offset cost of recycling center relocation

Jackson County hopes to offset the cost of moving its Dillsboro recycling center with proceeds from selling a piece of…
Read More

Comment

Albert Rose stands with supporters Collette Coggins (left) and Trina Sneed near the Birdtown polling place on Election Day. Holly Kays photo
 

Election Day in Cherokee: Voters speak at the polls

Election Day dawned clear and sunny in Cherokee Sept. 5, with polls opening at 6 a.m. for voters to choose…
Read More

Comment

Court says gerrymandered NC districts must change, immediately
 

Court says gerrymandered NC districts must change, immediately

A ruling handed down by a North Carolina court last week declared N.C.’s legislative districts to be illegal partisan gerrymanders…
Read More

Comment

Sen. Jim Davis (left) appears with Rep. Kevin Corbin at a rally in Franklin last Saturday. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Sen. Davis to retire, endorses Rep. Corbin

A powerful voice for Western North Carolina in the North Carolina General Assembly is about to pop the kickstand on…
Read More

Comment

Big changes are in store for the BI-LO plaza on Russ Ave. Haywood GIS photo
 

BI-LO’s transformation to housing moves forward

First steps are being taken on a major new residential development proposed for the site of a former grocery store…
Read More

Comment

A Shot Above photo
 

Shining Rock surges, Haywood Schools slips again

After a tumultuous year that saw all manner of controversy — from parental complaints to illegal meetings, transparency issues, secret…
Read More

Comment

Work continues, but the third floor ballroom atop the Masonic Temple is nearing completion. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Waynesville’s Masonic Temple building ready for tenants

After years of disuse, a hidden gem in the heart of Waynesville’s downtown is finally ready to reclaim its rightful…
Read More

Comment

Teresa McCoy addresses the supporters gathered at her campaign headquarters as early results indicate her campaign could be in trouble. Holly Kays photo
 

Incumbents sweep Cherokee election

Principal Chief Richard Sneed produced a decisive victory in Cherokee’s Sept. 5 election, pulling in 55.11 percent of the vote…
Read More

Comment

Sneed wins chief election
 

Sneed wins chief election

Richard Sneed will remain the principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for four more years following an…
Read More

Comment

Hurricane Dorian boosts Haywood occupancy rates
 

Hurricane Dorian boosts Haywood occupancy rates

Hurricane Dorian has slowly but surely been making its way toward the east coast of the United States, but Haywood…
Read More

Comment

Take it easy on Shining Rock
 

Take it easy on Shining Rock

To the Editor: For the past few years I have gotten in the habit of picking up a copy of…
Read More

Comment

Background checks are too onerous
 

Background checks are too onerous

To the Editor: In discussions with people who are clamoring for universal background checks, I find many people don’t understand…
Read More

Comment

We have perverted the American ideal
 

We have perverted the American ideal

To the Editor: Donald Trump’s only redeeming value may be that he is the shock to the system the U.S. needs…
Read More

Comment

After 125 years, we can do better
 

After 125 years, we can do better

Bob Savelson • Guest columnist Thinking about Labor Day, it has been a national holiday since 1894. Consistent with the nation’s…
Read More

Comment

Cherry binging is a thing
 

Cherry binging is a thing

One of the things I like the most about summertime is when the cherries begin showing up in the grocery…
Read More

Comment

Nantahala District River Ranger Nathan Dewhurst removes debris from the Nantahala River. Forest Service photo
 

Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users

The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
Read More

Comment

A complicated story that’s worth reading
 

A complicated story that’s worth reading

Ever have those days when you’re running against the wind, sprinting through the minutes and hours, arms and legs pumping…
Read More

Comment

Cantharellus cinnabarinus, also called cinnabar chanterelle, is one of Western North Carolina’s many edible mushrooms. Holly Kays photo
 

The fungi forager: Franklin man develops a passion for wild mushrooms

Beneath the woodsy world of tree trunks, ferns and leaf litter is another, hidden realm. It’s the world of fungi,…
Read More

Comment

Woody debris creates dangerous blockages on the Nantahala River in this Aug. 26 photo. Donated photo
 

Forest Service land closed in the Nantahala Gorge

Until further notice, public access to U.S. Forest Service lands in the Nantahala Gorge is closed due to hazards created…
Read More

Comment

The Bote Mountain Tunnel, constructed in 1948, has not had any significant rehabilitation work since that time. NPS photo
 

Cataloochee, Cades Cove accesses to close this winter

The main access roads into Cataloochee and Cades Cove will be closed for several months this winter due to road…
Read More

Comment

Beverly Collins. WCU photo
 

Strong leaf season predicted

This autumn should yield vibrant fall colors in the mountains, according to Western Carolina University’s fall color forecaster Beverly Collins. 
Read More

Comment

Hooded pitcher plant (left) and yellow-fringed orchid. Don Hendershot photos
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Santee surprise

During our annual summer beach trip to Isle of Palms, I often manage to sneak away one morning to visit…
Read More

Comment

WCU to study alcohol sales at sporting events
 

WCU to study alcohol sales at sporting events

The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees elected a slate of officers for 2019-20 and made appointments to several committees,…
Read More

Comment

Some of Swain County’s increase in room occupancy tax revenue can be attributed to the growing number of short-term rental cabins. Photo courtesy of Bryson City NC / Swain County Chamber of Commerce
 

Swain room tax revenue exceeds $1 million

Swain County’s tourism industry recently marked a major milestone when the occupancy tax revenue from fiscal year 2018-19 exceeded $1…
Read More

Comment

Jackson plans for growth
 

Jackson plans for growth

Last year was a good one for the tourism industry in Jackson County, with visitor spending in 2018 increasing by…
Read More

Comment

Haywood’s tourism growth comes in unexpected places, times
 

Haywood’s tourism growth comes in unexpected places, times

Strong growth in winter and Haywood County’s smaller municipalities has local tourism numbers up over last year, in some cases,…
Read More

Comment

Visitor spending in Macon on the rise
 

Visitor spending in Macon on the rise

Outdoor recreation continues to be a major factor in Macon County’s steady increase in visitor spending year after year. 
Read More

Comment

Tourism spending up in WNC counties
 

Tourism spending up in WNC counties

As the summer season comes to a close, western counties continue to see a steady increase in visitor spending and room…
Read More

Comment

Some Haywood County Schools buildings nearing capacity
 

Some Haywood County Schools buildings nearing capacity

With a major new administration facility proposed and a shuttered elementary school still sitting empty, Haywood County Schools finds itself…
Read More

Comment

Input sought for Swain’s future
 

Input sought for Swain’s future

All indications show Swain County has a prosperous future ahead, but county leaders are looking for community input to determine…
Read More

Comment

Open enrollment for N.C. Medicaid begins Oct. 14. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Big changes coming to N.C. Medicaid

As the state of North Carolina moves forward with some bold new changes to how it will administer Medicaid, Haywood…
Read More

Comment

The Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority is discussing policies it might adopt to help its customers who stand to see impacts from the N.C. 107 project in Sylva. File photo
 

TWSA discusses ways to soften N.C. 107 impacts

With right-of-way acquisition for the N.C. 107 project in Sylva set to begin in January, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer…
Read More

Comment

Don Panicko and Cecelia White. (photo: Keiti Robertson)
 

Sylva’s White Moon serves up more than just coffee

It’s a serendipitous sort of happenstance when you stumble across the White Moon coffee shop. Tucked in the depths of…
Read More

Comment

Parked along the Hayford Road. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
 

This must be the place: Where will you take me? What will we do?

Pulling off Interstate 87 onto Route 9, the fading sun lowered itself behind the cornfields and open meadows of the…
Read More

Comment

Free camping available for Dorian evacuees
 

Free camping available for Dorian evacuees

The U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at campgrounds across its southern region — which includes the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest…
Read More

Comment

Emergency Closure for Nantahala Gorge
 

Emergency Closure for Nantahala Gorge

Due to hazardous conditions in the Nantahala Gorge from multiple landslides, the U.S. Forest Service is issuing an Emergency Closure…
Read More

Comment

Commercial Rafting and Kayaking Operations Suspended on Nantahala River
 

Commercial Rafting and Kayaking Operations Suspended on Nantahala River

Hazards created by recent landslides into the Nantahala River within the Nantahala Gorge have resulted in a suspension of all…
Read More

Comment

Buzzards have a beauty and power all their own
 

Buzzards have a beauty and power all their own

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in August 2003. The recent heavy rains here in…
Read More

Comment

Students pot up plants for the plant sale. Donated photo
 

Schooled in ag: School gives students a hands-on education

With a new school year just begun, the 300 students who participate in Waynesville Middle School’s robust agriculture program now…
Read More

Comment

Man dies at Deep Creek
 

Man dies at Deep Creek

A Georgia man was pronounced dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Thursday, Aug. 22, following a cardiac…
Read More

Comment

Darby Hand chops through a block of wood during a recent event. STIHL Timbersports photo
 

HCC student places in national competition

A Haywood Community College student recently took fourth in a national timbersports competition held in Wisconsin. 
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.