A dinner plate at the recent ‘Barbecue Night’ at The Swag. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

Honoring the past, welcoming the future

High atop a mountain overlooking Haywood County, Annie Haslam Colquitt sits across a dining room table at The Swag. A…
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An Appalachian Trail marker.
 

This must be the place: Finding Nirvana is like locating silence

Emerging from the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina/ Tennessee state line this past Sunday afternoon, a hot southern sun…
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County lukewarm on IP complex takeover
 

County lukewarm on IP complex takeover

A quick discussion by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on July 16 about the possibility of taking responsibility for…
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Scarlett, a 22-year-old mare who needed surgery to remove a large mass on her face, is recovering nicely after being rescued by STAR Ranch several weeks ago. Donated photos
 

STAR Ranch rescues ‘miracle mare’

STAR Ranch Horse Rescue in Haywood County has had many success stories through the years, but a recent horse rescue…
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Preliminary site plans show the proposed apartment development at Plott Creek. Town of Waynesville photo
 

Plott Creek developers submit site plan

When a controversial text amendment passed the Town of Waynesville Planning Board and Board of Aldermen in back-to-back public hearings…
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Macon seniors lobby for new senior center
 

Macon seniors lobby for new senior center

Seniors packed the Macon County commissioners’ meeting July 10 to lobby the county for a new senior center. 
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Haywood County Schools superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte.
 

Administration shuffled in Haywood County Schools

Haywood County Schools superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte wasted little time in announcing the administrative support team that will help him…
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The gym at Central Elementary.
 

Central gym one step closer to demolition

A startling engineering report that called Central Haywood High School’s deteriorating gymnasium “unsound and unsafe” prompted Haywood County Schools to…
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Haywood County’s only public charter school intends to purchase property off Crabtree Road. Haywood GIS photo
 

Shining Rock moves on land purchase

Just three days after holding a closed meeting during which members of the Shining Rock Classical Academy voted to contract…
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The Bryson City Board of Aldermen will revisit the controversial issue of permanently closing Fry Street near the train depot during an Aug. 9 public hearing. File photo
 

Bryson City to revisit relinquishing right of way

The Bryson City Board of Aldermen will soon revisit the controversial topic of whether to relinquish its right-of-way on Fry…
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WCU chancellor finalist withdraws from consideration
 

WCU chancellor finalist withdraws from consideration

Western Carolina University will have to wait a little longer to welcome a new chancellor to Cullowhee following a July…
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The planned crisis stabilization unit will house people going through acute behavioral and mental health-related issues. Donated rendering
 

Cherokee hospital to build $39 million crisis unit

Long-debated plans to renovate the old Cherokee Indian Hospital building as a crisis stabilization unit will now move forward following…
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Board members take their oath of office during the board’s inaugural meeting June 11. Jerry DeWeese (second from right) would resign this position within the hour. Holly Kays photo
 

Jackson human services board seeks explanation for consolidation

When the Jackson County Health and Human Services Board met for its inaugural meeting June 11, board members made it…
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Haywood Schools administrative staff takes shape
 

Haywood Schools administrative staff takes shape

Just days after taking the reins as Haywood County Schools superintendent, Dr. Bill Nolte announced the support team that will…
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In full velvet, the young male elk looks for snacks in the yard of Bradley and Ibby Jones in Hendersonville. Bradley Jones photo
 

Wandering elk dies following car crash: Overall prognosis positive for elk population

A youthful lark ended in tragedy July 1 for a Maggie Valley elk that trekked through the Pisgah National Forest…
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Tree seedlings for sale
 

Tree seedlings for sale

Seedlings are available for sale from the N.C. Forest Service Nursery Program, with specimens offering superior growth, form and disease…
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Kids gather around during a Highlands Nature Center program. Donated photo
 

Grant supports science education

A $3,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation will help support the school outreach program at Highlands Nature Center. 
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Garden Phlox. Donated photo
 

Just sit on the porch and breathe

I write this down in the country again ... seated on a log in the woods, warm, sunny midday. Have…
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Grab some books and keep the kids reading
 

Grab some books and keep the kids reading

Most of us, of whatever age, by a simple act of memory and willpower can revisit distant summers in our…
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The Orange Constant.
 

Constant evolution: Jam-rock act to play Highlands

In an era when rock-n-roll has seemingly taken a backseat to hip-hop and electronic acts — on the radio and…
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Fontana Lake.
 

This must be the place

I still don’t really know what day it is.
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Who’s coming to Folkmoot?
 

Who’s coming to Folkmoot?

This summer’s Folkmoot Festival is just around the corner and the 2018 lineup is sure to be one to remember. 
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Festival’s intangible value is immeasurable
 

Festival’s intangible value is immeasurable

Lori and I have always loved to travel, to go to new places or to get better acquainted with places…
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It’s a broken record, that’s for sure
 

It’s a broken record, that’s for sure

Quite a few people have contacted me this week seeking an English translation of President Donald Trump’s recent reflections on…
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President Trump doesn’t understand volunteerism
 

President Trump doesn’t understand volunteerism

To the Editor: It is not hard to find a lot of things to detest about what President Donald Trump…
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The whole truth about Red Hen incident
 

The whole truth about Red Hen incident

To the Editor: Just a note to let you know that I did not like your Opinion editorial about the…
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Hold off on vote for new justice
 

Hold off on vote for new justice

To the Editor: I am appalled that Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr want to rush through any nominee for…
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Wild West success could be a long shot
 

Wild West success could be a long shot

Growing up in Gastonia during the 1960s, Mike Withers would pile into an old Ford sedan with his parents and…
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Murphy casino reports growth
 

Murphy casino reports growth

Now nearing its third birthday, the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy is seeing strong numbers as…
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New parking pattern coming to Franklin
 

New parking pattern coming to Franklin

After a successful trial run, the parking pattern on Main Street in downtown Franklin will soon be changing permanently.
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Shining Rock Classical Academy has contracted with a broker as it projects to eventually outgrow its current campus composed of modular units. A Shot Above of WNC photo
 

Shining Rock looks to the future

Haywood County’s only public charter school is forecasting increasing enrollment for the coming year and has always had expansion in…
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Macon County Airport.
 

Macon Airport Authority still eyeing expansion project

The Macon County Airport Authority may have hit a roadblock in the planning process for a project that will add…
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Mike Clampitt.
 

Targeted ads hit Clampitt early

November’s General Election is still months away, but that hasn’t stopped the North Carolina Association of Educators from coming hard…
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More than 100 people attend a support rally for the family and friends of Scott Knibbs. Macon Media photo
 

Outside prosecutor to review Knibbs shooting case

An outside prosecutor has been called in to review the State Bureau of Investigations’ report regarding an officer-involved shooting that…
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WCU selected a conceptual plan from Zimmer Development Company from a field of many applicants for the project, four of whom were invited to present their ideas in person. Donated graphic
 

New housing planned for WCU

With no end in sight to rising enrollment, Western Carolina University is hoping a public-private partnership with Wilmington-based Zimmer Development…
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Cartoon, 7/4/2018
 

Cartoon, 7/4/2018

By Will Studenc 
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New Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte expresses his appreciation at being selected by the board July 3. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Haywood County Schools names new superintendent

The search for a new superintendent of the Haywood County Schools system is over, and as it turns out, those…
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The native mountain camellia has one of the largest blooms of any shrub in the U.S. Holly Kays photos
 

Off the beaten path: Alarka Institute leads quest for rare mountain flower

For even the most woods-savvy of plant lovers, a blooming mountain camellia is a rare to non-existent sight.  A member…
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Swain gets new wildlife officer
 

Swain gets new wildlife officer

Dakota Curtis of Sumpter, South Carolina, was sworn in as a new Swain County wildlife law enforcement officer with the…
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Red wolf proposal draws criticism
 

Red wolf proposal draws criticism

A long-awaited proposal for future management of the imperiled red wolf population was released last week, drawing ire from environmental…
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The Little River rips through the Elkmont area following heavy rains last week. Donated photo
 

Flood threat prompts evacuation in the Smokies

Heavy rains and rising rivers prompted the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to evacuate campers at Elkmont Campground last week,…
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Red wolf. creative commons photo
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Death sentence?

On June 27 U.S. Fish and Wildlife (F&W) announced a proposed rule many in the conservation forefront have deemed as…
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Frazier’s latest novel is a marvelous read
 

Frazier’s latest novel is a marvelous read

... never acknowledging that the general culture is often stupid or evil and would vote out God in favor of…
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Small-town papers help knit communities together
 

Small-town papers help knit communities together

I’m dedicating my July 4 to the courageous journalists who were murdered last week at the Capital Gazette in Maryland.…
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Thoughts on water and traditions during the holiday
 

Thoughts on water and traditions during the holiday

Are you a lake person or a beach person? I always thought I was a beach person, but now I’m…
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Leaders need to act like adults
 

Leaders need to act like adults

To the Editor: Thank you so much for so eloquently stating your opinion in this article about “not much room…
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We are a nation in crisis
 

We are a nation in crisis

To the Editor: Children are being shipped around the nation with no records and officials are either lying about their whereabouts or…
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Troubling times for this country
 

Troubling times for this country

To the Editor: Troubling times? Very troubling times! Is America the beacon of liberty we claim to be? Is America…
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Performing arts center named in Belcher’s honor
 

Performing arts center named in Belcher’s honor

The academic unit that is home to Western Carolina University’s programs in music, stage, screen, art and design will be…
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Maggie Valley to join quilt trail
 

Maggie Valley to join quilt trail

Maggie Valley will be the next town to join the Appalachian Quilt Trail once a mural is completed inside local…
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