Galax. Donated photo
 

Galax’s enduring popularity

Galax is an evergreen groundcover found throughout the Blue Ridge. The plant can thrive in various settings, but the ideal…
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Clean Water awards flow to WNC
 

Clean Water awards flow to WNC

The N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded $20 million for conservation projects across the state this fall, with much…
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Walsh conducts sampling on Scotts Creek. Equinox photo
 

Hope for Scotts Creek: Report yields optimism for creek’s restoration

Sylva got some good news about the creek that runs straight through its heart at a Nov. 8 town meeting. …
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A runner gives a thumbs-up in the middle of a frosty run. April Copeland photo
 

Half marathoners brave the cold

A cold, rainy day made for a muddy course on the inaugural Headwaters Half Marathon Saturday, Dec. 1, in Panthertown…
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Sierra Hull.
 

Choices and changes: A conversation with Sierra Hull

Though part of the scene most of her life, singer/mandolinist Sierra Hull has been making some big waves in the…
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Dave Grohl. Garret K. Woodward
 

This must be the place: ‘If everything could ever feel this real forever’

As a Rolling Stone magazine subscriber since I was in ninth grade, it has my biggest dream as a writer…
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Making a small dent in the book pile
 

Making a small dent in the book pile

So many books, so little time. Many booklovers may have uttered that old saw with a sigh, but in my…
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Mueller investigation closing in on Trump
 

Mueller investigation closing in on Trump

“He (Trump) knows very little about the legislative process, hasn’t learned anything, hasn’t surrounded himself with people that can get…
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Administration makes mistake with gender plans
 

Administration makes mistake with gender plans

The current administration is in the process of trying to erase transgender/cisgender people. If they have their way they will…
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Thanks for Sunburst story
 

Thanks for Sunburst story

To the Editor The works of Bethel Rural Community Organization (BRCO) seem to have flooded the news lately. A full…
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WCU trustees approve fee increases for 2019-20
 

WCU trustees approve fee increases for 2019-20

Western Carolina University students will likely see only a modest increase to their cost of attendance following the Board of…
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Residents of Franklin have been especially concerned with Mission’s sale to HCA since Mission shut down the labor and delivery unit at Angel Medical Center last year. Donated photo
 

AG looks to protect WNC’s interest in Mission sale

Attorney General Josh Stein recently issued a press release discussing his ongoing review of HCA’s proposed $1.5 billion purchase of…
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Drug trafficker gets 37 years, $1 million fine
 

Drug trafficker gets 37 years, $1 million fine

On Nov. 28, Matthew William Ray, 25, of Waynesville, was found guilty of trafficking in opiates by possessing and transporting…
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DA’s office highlights guilty pleas in Macon
 

DA’s office highlights guilty pleas in Macon

Newman R. Sigman, 55, of Franklin, pled guilty to first degree arson and driving while impaired and was sentenced to…
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Fourth and fifth grade AIG students from across Haywood County compete in teams at the inaugural Wolfpack Robothon. Robots were used to paint a large canvas at one of the day’s most popular activities. Donated photo
 

Haywood schools Robothon inspires coding and creativity

More than 150 Haywood County Schools fourth- and fifth-grade students chased after zooming robots at the Wolfpack Robothon on Friday,…
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Storm delays N.C. 107 planning process
 

Storm delays N.C. 107 planning process

Snow and ice caused the Asheville Design Center to cancel a planned public hearing on the N.C. 107 project in…
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Caney Fork General Store closed its doors last week following an ongoing dispute with the N.C. Department of Transportation and various subcontractors over compensation for a recent relocation and unpaid contractor bills. Holly Kays photo
 

Store closes following roadwork dispute

Just over a year after opening its doors at a new location, Caney Fork General Store is closed, though likely…
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Franklin looks at greenway connection
 

Franklin looks at greenway connection

Now that the N.C. Department of Transportation has completed a new bridge over the Little Tennessee River in downtown Franklin,…
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Franklin board split on future of ABC board
 

Franklin board split on future of ABC board

A couple of Franklin Town Councilmembers want to explore future changes to the ABC store and ABC board while other…
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Haywood County officials opened an emergency shelter on Paragon Parkway during Winter Storm Diego. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Wintry weather tests regional response to those seeking shelter from the storm

As many residents of Southern Appalachia stocked up on necessaries in advance of a powerful winter storm that ended up…
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Stalemate leaves homeless caught in the middle
 

Stalemate leaves homeless caught in the middle

Not far from the historic homes nestled along Waynesville’s Church Street sits a small plot of land that’s home to…
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Little candies make for big friendships
 

Little candies make for big friendships

Somewhere on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, about 18 months ago, Waynesville resident Peg Harmon — who notes her first…
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Cherokee election ordinance nears finish line
 

Cherokee election ordinance nears finish line

Efforts to overhaul Cherokee’s election ordinance will come down to the wire following Tribal Council’s unanimous decision to table a…
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SCC SWAT robot donated to sheriff
 

SCC SWAT robot donated to sheriff

After a year-long process of designing, SCC Mechatronics student Scott Mitchell donated his SWAT Robot project to Jackson County Sherriff’s…
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A tree in Maggie Valley sags under the weight of snowfall accrued during Winter Storm Diego Dec. 9.
 

Winter Storm Diego prompts state of emergency in Haywood County

Around a foot of heavy, wet snow that started yesterday afternoon and continued through the night brought down trees, snapped…
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Nurturing the ties that bind
 

Nurturing the ties that bind

I’ve spent most of my career at small newspapers, and one thing I’ve learned is the value of making connections.…
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Danny Davis.
 

No regrets after a clean, heartfelt campaign

By Danny Davis • Guest Columnist I wish to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of you who…
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Finding anchors in seasons of change
 

Finding anchors in seasons of change

When the winds rage the sea, we look for an anchor.  As my life continues to unfold, I’m learning there…
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President’s lies are simply sad
 

President’s lies are simply sad

To the Editor: Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, continues to lie, even after he pled guilty to 175…
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Sochan leaves emerge from the ground in early spring. NPS photo
 

Sochan in springtime: Cherokee looks to reclaim plant gathering traditions in the Smokies

For centuries and even millennia, the early spring greens of the sochan plant have served as a celebration of spring…
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Paddlers to save Green River hemlocks
 

Paddlers to save Green River hemlocks

An $8,000 grant will benefit hemlock trees growing in the Green River Gorge, hopefully saving them from the deadly hemlock…
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New Sylva outdoors store to hold grand opening
 

New Sylva outdoors store to hold grand opening

Sylva’s newest outdoors store will hold a grand opening party noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at 562 West…
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Red wolf management decision delayed
 

Red wolf management decision delayed

In response to a Nov. 5 federal court ruling that found the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rollback of protections…
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Photo of Camp Fire. NASA photo
 

The Naturalist's Corner: At last

Those radical environmentalists and their aiding and abetting scientists are finally called out.  After the deadliest wildfire in history —…
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Playing with a net: ‘Formal Salutations’
 

Playing with a net: ‘Formal Salutations’

When I was teaching homeschool students in AP Literature, I would on occasion ask them to write a sonnet. The…
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‘The Coffee Shop’ in downtown Sylva. Quintin Ellison photo
 

The face behind the lens: Longtime journalist to hold photo showcase

For over 25 years, journalist Quintin Ellison has roamed our region documenting the people, places and things that make up…
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Louie Bing.
 

This must be the place: ‘I will walk alone, by the black muddy river’

Many folks here in Waynesville knew Louie Bing as “the homeless guy with the dog.” Well, Louie and his Australian…
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Gayle Woody is sworn in for her first term as a  county commissioner. Holly Kays photo
 

Jackson swears in commissioners, sets meeting schedule

The Jackson County commissioners said goodbye to a longtime member, welcomed a new member and changed their meeting schedule during…
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State releases annual economic tier rankings
 

State releases annual economic tier rankings

Macon and Jackson counties will be considered less economically distressed in 2019, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. 
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This $250 million expansion, expected to be complete in early 2021, will add 750 hotel rooms, a parking deck and 83,000 square feet for event space to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Donated rendering
 

Casino profits set records

Tribal members received the largest per capita distribution ever released from casino profits when payments of $7,007 were released Monday,…
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Patrick Lambert speaks to his supporters in front of the Cherokee Council House after Tribal Council voted to remove him from office in May 2017. Holly Kays photo
 

Lambert not giving up on future run for chief

Patrick Lambert was removed from office following a controversial impeachment process in 2017, but with the 2019 election season underway…
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A parody image is at the heart of Debbie King’s lawsuit. Monroe Miller photo
 

Haywood Meme lawsuit escalates with arrival of First Amendment attorneys

Months ago, just after he finished mopping the floor with pro se defendant Eddie Cabe, Haywood County attorney Rusty McLean…
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ACLU files suit against state for ADA violations
 

ACLU files suit against state for ADA violations

A magistrate judge recently recommended that a federal district court judge order the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to…
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Pay for court-appointed lawyers remains stagnant
 

Pay for court-appointed lawyers remains stagnant

Under the Sixth Amendment every criminal defendant has a constitutional right to legal representation — and if you can’t afford a…
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The first sawmill at Sunburst was located not far from where this sign is today. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Sunburst — a short history

It was a struggle from the start — getting in, getting people and supplies up and getting the lumber down…
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Bethel Rural Community Organization works to preserve the past
 

Bethel Rural Community Organization works to preserve the past

After nearly 245 years, Haywood County’s Bethel community remains just a small part of a relatively small county, but the…
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Haywood’s two new commissioners (front, left to right) Tommy Long and Mark Pless are joined by incumbents (rear, left to right) Brandon Rogers, Chairman Kevin Ensley and Kirk Kirkpatrick. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Historic Haywood commission sworn in

It was fitting that District Court Judge Donna Forga was on hand Dec. 3 to swear in the two new…
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Ghosted: Clock runs out on latest Ghost Town redevelopment plan
 

Ghosted: Clock runs out on latest Ghost Town redevelopment plan

The strange saga of Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town amusement park has more twists and turns and more highs and lows…
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Commissioner Ron Mau took issue with a post on the Jackson County Democratic Party’s website that said his campaign signs made the writer think of the Chinese dictator Chairman Mao. Holly Kays photo
 

Campaign rhetoric criticized in Jackson

A May blog post titled “Chairman Mao or is it Chairman Mau?” was the topic of an impassioned statement Jackson…
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Anti-gunners endanger their fellow citizens
 

Anti-gunners endanger their fellow citizens

To the Editor: As I have said on many occasions, anti-gunners like to ignore the very important comma sign in…
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