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WCU unveils new economic tool
A new tool that compiles a mind-boggling array of economic and demographic data and presents it in a simple map-based…
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Macon schools faces drastic cuts without more funding
Macon County commissioners are considering contributing another $750,000 toward public education to prevent further drastic cuts to Macon County Schools’…
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Jackson finalizes proposed budget
When the Jackson County Commissioners met June 5 to discuss final changes to the proposed budget for 2018-19, they came…
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Brighter days, where did they go?
When you find yourself in conversation with JJ Grey, you walk away from the interaction with a kick in your…
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This must be the place: We had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life
Hopping out of my truck, the intense sunshine and humidity of rural central Tennessee in early June slapped me right…
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A sound decision and a wise investment
Town and counties never have enough money to provide all the services and amenities that their citizens — in a…
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Students and teachers are on my mind
It’s high stakes testing week for students and educators in Haywood County. This is my 9-year old’s first year taking…
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WLOS propaganda is sickening
To the Editor: I am extremely uncomfortable knowing that our local television station, WLOS, continues to advance political content under…
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EPA’s Pruitt is doing a bad job
To the Editor: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is in violation of his oath of office. Our members of Congress are…
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Do we want another Andrew Jackson?
To the Editor: By the year 1808, the eastern Cherokee had adopted a written legal code. In 1820, they established…
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Through the raincloud: Agricultural community takes stock after record-breaking rains
A month of rain capped off by the arrival of Tropical Storm Alberto has caused massive flooding, landslides and loss…
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Chimney Rock State Park still closed
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is still closed due to storm damage, but Chimney Rock Village and Old…
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Grant helps preserve A.T. view
A $21,500 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will help Mainspring Conservation trust conserve a 504-acre property in Graham County.
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Kids in the Creek design winners announced
Lucas Cody of Bethel Middle School won this year’s Haywood Waterways Association Kids in the Creek T-shirt design contest.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Lake J eagles
Most readers know the pair of bald eagles that nested at Lake Junaluska this spring were unsuccessful. There is no…
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Judging a book by its cover
In Appalachia and the foothills and into the surrounding lands, we find log cabins — southern and rustic — constructed…
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Cold Mountain Music Festival returns to Lake Logan
The second annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will return June 8-9 to the Lake Logan Conference Center. The festival will…
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Jackson sheriff recognized
Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall was recently recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee as a…
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Belk to donate $20,000 to Haywood Habitat
A special presentation to Haywood Habitat for Humanity will be given at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at Belk in…
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WCU launches online dashboard of WNC
Western Carolina University has launched a new online information tool designed to provide easy access to recent economic trends in…
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WCU to get entrance sign
When you enter Western Carolina University from the four-lane, a green-and-white N.C. Department of Transportation sign is the only thing…
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Trustees endorse finalists for WCU chancellor
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees has endorsed a slate of three finalists for the position of chancellor to…
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WCU celebrates steam plant funding
Western Carolina University got some good news last week when the state legislature approved a budget bill that includes $16.5…
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Cherokee votes no on alcohol
A referendum vote asking Cherokee voters to OK a tribally owned beer, wine and liquor store off casino property failed…
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Jackson wrestles with budget crunch
With the deadline to adopt a new budget drawing ever closer, Jackson County Commissioners are still deliberating how to handle…
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Swain to receive remaining settlement funds
According to an announcement from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Swain County will finally receive the remaining $35.2 million owed…
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Jackson votes in favor of Blackrock conservation
A 441.5-acre piece of land high in the Plott Balsams is well on its way to being permanently conserved following…
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‘Sore loser’ bill would block ballot access for some candidates
North Carolina Republicans were quick to congratulate the first minor political party to gain official recognition by the State Board…
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No small feat: Dwarfs wrestle with perception, performance
Perhaps not unique in that the reasons for both its popularity and its controversy are intertwined like the limbs of…
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Franklin approves tax increase
The Franklin Town Council unanimously approved its 2018-19 budget on Monday night, which includes a 4-cent property tax increase for…
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Pickin’ potties: Franklin council debates best bathroom options for events
Tempers flared at the Franklin Town Council meeting Monday night as board members tried to find a solution to a…
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State budget aims to deliver more for less
Even though the process by which legislative changes to North Carolina’s $23 billion 2018-19 budget were made — shutting out…
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Everybody’s scared, everybody’s inspired: Shovels & Rope to headline Cold Mountain Music Festival
There’s a reason Shovels & Rope has evolved into one of the “must see” live acts in the music scene…
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Maybe believe: A conversation with Jon Stickley
When you dig into the music of The Jon Stickley Trio, you find yourself meandering farther down the rabbit hole,…
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This must be the place
I was thrown into the deep end. When I was 20 years old, I became a substitute teacher. I was…
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Franklin art scholarship winners
Justus Leighton Bailey and Abbey Cecilia Siek are the 2018 winners of the Arts Council of Macon County’s $1,000 Arts…
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Telling NOC’s story: Book shows early years of outdoor center through the eyes of staff, leaders
It was 1972, and the world of whitewater paddling was changing. Americans were just about a decade into experimenting with…
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Pigeon River Fund awards grants
Environmental groups in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties recently received a total of $217,010 to improve water quality, wildlife habitat…
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Cheoah and Tusquitee get new district ranger
The Cheoah and Tusquitee Ranger Districts of the Nantahala National Forest have a new district ranger following the May 29…
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Junaluska pool to reopen
The pool at Lake Junaluska will likely open this week following renovations that began in March.
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Highlands Biological gets new director
The Highlands Biological Foundation has a new executive director with the hire of Charlotte Muir.
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National Trails System turns 50
A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act will kick off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May…
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Parkway facilities open for the summer
Memorial Day Weekend signals the beginning visitor season on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with all facilities now reopen after winter…
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Retaining wall causes closure at Chimney Rock
A collapsed retaining wall at Chimney Rock State Park has caused the park to be closed since the collapse occurred…
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Learning bird songs is an art unto itself
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a May 2009 issue of The Smoky Mountain News. In the opaque early-morning…
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Sense of time and place resonates throughout this novel
Sometimes a writer so imaginatively recreates a place and a people that the book becomes a time machine, sweeping us…
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Something is wrong with this picture
I’ve been covering local governments in North Carolina for 30 years, and a small item in Macon County’s budget for…
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The party’s in there, and we’re out here
My wife and I are introverts who pretend to be extroverts, both personally and professionally, which means that we are…
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Gun rights advocates ignore amendment’s words
To the Editor: A gun rights rally was held on the historic courthouse lawn in Waynesville on May 19. Jeremy…
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