Archived (29061)
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Playground opens for kids with special needs
A new playground designed for kids with mental and physical disabilities is now open in Waynesville.
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Recycling on the uptick
Recycling is on the rise in North Carolina according to a recently released report showing numbers for all 100 counties…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Musings from count year 2018
This past spring was one of the more trying ones with regard to my annual U.S. Forest Service bird point…
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Book examines ‘meanness’ in Christianity
The author of this book is a speech language psychologist and university educator. Now in his sixties, Billy has extensive experience…
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Such a sad people we have become
To the Editor: Based on available evidence, how would we describe the American population? The answer would seem to be…
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False reporting in sheriff story
To the Editor: In a news article (Swain sheriff suspends mutual aid to town, opponent claims the move is purely…
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Most body cam videos should be public
To the Editor: As the Mayor of Franklin, I agree with the efforts of the three Buncombe County legislators who…
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The perfect name for Trump’s problem
To the Editor: In response to Dennis Ford’s letter, “The standard today is a double standard,” which appeared in the…
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Surely we can do better
To the Editor: Sunday morning in America (Father’s Day). Politicians eat steak, plump and happy, while playing political games. Immigrant…
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Living in The Valley
During a divorce, one person is required to move out of the family home. After months of rigmarole and this…
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No harm in striving to understand each person
By Hannah McLeod • Guest Columnist Do not decry this generation for pushing the boundaries of respect/understanding/acceptance. People today like…
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A life that changed lives: WNC mourns death of WCU Chancellor David Belcher
From the moment Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher announced he’d been diagnosed with brain cancer — more than…
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‘Forever in our purple-and-gold hearts’
Outpourings of support and sadness were in ample supply once news of Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher’s death reached…
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Answers still wanted in Bryson City K9 death
It’s been several months since a young police K9, Kanon, died while in the possession of a Bryson City Police…
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Sidewalk seating could come to Waynesville’s Main Street
Customers of downtown Waynesville’s restaurants and bars may soon be told to “hit the bricks” — but in a good…
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Capacity use fees proposed for Waynesville
Infrastructure in municipal sewer and water systems isn’t cheap, but a debate recently settled in the General Assembly clarified what…
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Bumpy road for vehicle tax proposals
With municipal budget season coming down to the wire and those municipal budgets coming down to the penny, two Haywood…
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Input sought for Waynesville comprehensive plan
For months, town officials have been hard at work creating the framework and the process for updating the Town of…
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Central Haywood gym will come down
An engineering report issued to Haywood County Schools June 11 resulted in unanimous approval of a resolution by the board…
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Penalty for trespassing on Cherokee land to increase
Enforcing banishments could become easier for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians depending on the fate of a bill that…
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Laying down the law: Officers, DA explain challenges within the system
If you don’t have much experience within the criminal justice system, trying to navigate the system can be frustrating.
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TWSA to set new fee levels: Upfront fees will be less than current levels
Hookup fees are set to fall for water and sewer customers in Jackson County, but how much will depend on…
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Work begins for Green Energy Park makeover
An idea to turn the Jackson County Green Energy Park into a campus for creativity, learning and animal adoption now…
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Jackson passes $71.67 million budget
Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously June 18 to adopt a $71.67 million budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which starts…
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Everywhere I go is a long way from home: A conversation with Trey Hensley
Over the last few years, guitarist Trey Hensley and dobroist Rob Ickes have crisscrossed the country with their unique brand…
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This must be the place: No guarantees how long we’re going to be here, just enjoy life
I, like many of you reading this, was initially shocked and saddened to hear the news of the recent passing…
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Bracken among the world’s most common plants
“Here and elsewhere, bracken is such an aggressive plant that one wonders why it has not taken over the world.”…
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Rally ‘Round the River: Conference aims to unite Macon around watershed conservation
Twenty-five years ago, a group of residents, conservationists and agency officials met in Macon County to talk about water. At…
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Become a junior ranger
Kids wanting to earn their badge will have plenty of chances with a full slate of junior ranger programs offered…
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Outdoors retailers open in Cherokee
Cherokee’s new outdoors retailers will host a grand opening celebration 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at their…
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Volunteers restore Smokies building
Key elements of the historic Palmer Barn in the Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are now…
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation announces fundraising goals
The Waterrock Knob Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway will get new exhibits if the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation…
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Bethel farmer added to Ag Hall of Fame
Haywood County farmer Bill Holbrook has been inducted into the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame for his tireless…
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Characters and music star in The Music Shop
Can there be a sadder sight than a man in his sixties sitting in a garden with tears dribbling down…
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SB 99: Who will teach NC’s children?
This is about money. But it is also about the North Carolina Legislature’s Conference Report on Senate Bill 99, especially…
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Trails are just good for communities
Trails are good and we could have more here. — The board of the Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association Our…
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Bourdain’s death puts depression in spotlight
I was only vaguely aware of who Anthony Bourdain was when news of his suicide swept the internet last week.…
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Be courteous to cyclists
To the Editor: My wife and I are avid recreational bicyclists, having ridden for 30 and 15 years respectively. You…
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The standard today is a double standard
To the Editor: After reading all three letters to the editor in the latest Smoky Mountain News, I’m wondering how…
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Tibetan tour connects women across cultures
Standing on a mountaintop ascending above 10,000 feet — an ancient farming village in the valley below and a Buddhist…
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Board can now begin quest to diversify tribal revenue
The Kituwah Economic Development Board is now ready to start pursuing expanded business opportunities for the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
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Chief Pontiac statue will leave Asheville
After 51 years standing high on a hill along Patton Avenue in Asheville, a 23-foot-tall statue of Chief Pontiac is…
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$100,000 reward available for information on Cherokee vote tampering
The reward for information leading to a conviction for ballot tampering in Cherokee’s September 2017 elections has been quadrupled from…
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Health and human services board member resigns
The tension that surrounded Jackson County commissioners’ decision to merge its health and social services departments wasn’t hard to sense…
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Swain sheriff suspends mutual aid to town; Opponent claims the move is purely political
Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has suspended a longstanding mutual aid agreement with the Bryson City Police Department, though the…
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Survey to document local African American history
A cultural survey currently underway that seeks to document the legacy of an overlooked Waynesville community could add to the…
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Rep. Presnell revisits voter ID issue
North Carolinians will be asked this November to weigh in on the controversial issue of voter ID if a bill…
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Swain budget holds the line
Swain County’s proposed budget for 2018-19 will maintain the status quo without a proposed property tax increase or any major…
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Commissioners move to clear J-Creek dirt delays
Five months into the economic development partnership between the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Haywood County Chamber of…
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