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Don’t sink to Trump’s level
To the Editor: The first duty of government to its citizens is to safeguard them from acts of violence. Instead,…
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Vote no on all six amendments
To the Editor: Recent newspaper stories have provided information about the six proposed amendments to the state constitution. We would…
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At least two elected officials need to go
As election fatigue sets in, keep this in mind: it’s the local races that will most affect each of us.…
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Band culture is a thing, a good thing
When our daughter told us a little over four years ago that she was interested in trying out for the…
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Bringing kids to the single-track: Plan in the works for children’s mountain bike trail in Jackson
If a partnership between Jackson County and the Nantahala Area Southern Off Road Bicycle Association comes to fruition, kids in…
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New forest management plan advocacy group forms
A coalition of businesses, groups and organizations calling itself I Heart Pisgah has formed to advocate for greater protections in…
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Help hellbenders
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to hear about hellbender sightings, part of agency biologists’ ongoing effort to learn more…
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New website for state trails
A new N.C. Trails website has launched, providing a hub for the N.C. Trails Program and offering quick and easy…
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Smokies trails reopen after 2016 wildfires
For the first time since wildfires ravaged the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in fall 2016, the Bull Head and…
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New Foothills Parkway section to open
A long-awaited section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley in Tennessee will officially open on Saturday, Nov.…
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Honey locust pods are well-protected
Strap-shaped honey locust pods can be up to 2-inches wide and a foot or more in length. Hanging in abundance along…
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Book explores Trump’s election victory
Want to know why Donald Trump won the 2016 election in one of the most stunning upsets in American history?…
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Don’t judge the book, read the book: ‘Liberal Redneck’ brings wellRED tour to WCU
What Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester are doing is artistically and politically groundbreaking in the world of…
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This must be the place: Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good
Let’s go Sox. Standing and shouting at the large television at a pub around the corner from my apartment in…
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Cherokee considers abolishing Qualla Housing
The Cherokee Tribal Council is considering disbanding the Qualla Housing Authority, an organization that was formed in 1993 to create…
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Open enrollment for federal health insurance begins
Open Enrollment for the 2019 Federal Health Insurance Exchange begins Thursday, Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15 for coverage…
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UnitedHealthCare contract renegotiation underway at area hospitals
When retired teacher Villa Brewer went to get her mail Oct. 23, she returned with two interesting letters. One was…
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Giles returns to patrol duty despite Giglio Order
Eric Giles, a candidate for Macon County sheriff, is back on patrol duty for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office after…
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Proposed N.C. Constitutional amendments leave unanswered questions
Most years, voters head to the polls with a few candidates or a political party in mind, push some buttons, and go home. But this year’s ballot also contains six proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
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Early voting turnout up in N.C., slightly up in Haywood
The bad news is almost six million North Carolinians still hadn’t voted as of Monday, Oct. 29. The good news is more than a million had — 1.23 million, to be exact.
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New opioid treatment facility to open
Groups: recover together, a leading provider of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, will be hosting an open house from 4…
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Meadows rides a rising red tide
Asheville Republican Mark Meadows has now served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives — the last two as a powerful figure in the majority party, the most recent under unified Republican control of the presidency, the Senate and the House.
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Two seek to sink Rep. Meadows reelection bid
Since 2012, Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District has been represented by Asheville Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a Florida native who moved to the region in 1986. Meanwhile, Meadows has enjoyed great electoral success and become the standard-bearer for what remains of the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party nationwide.
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New generation needed to preserve North Shore cemeteries
It’s a crisp fall day in Swain County. As the sun finally peaks over the trees around lunch time, the…
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Blue Rooster steps up for kids
The crew at The Blue Rooster Southern Grill is known for some of the best fried chicken in the region,…
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N.C. Promise success celebrated at WCU
Western Carolina University students whose lives have been changed by the tuition reduction program N.C. Promise got to tell their…
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UNC President to resign: Spellings will leave office in midst of WCU chancellor search
When UNC System President Margaret Spellings visited Cullowhee Wednesday, Oct. 24, the prevailing mood was celebratory and lighthearted as she…
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Sure Feels Good Anyway: A Conversation with Amy Ray
A true mark of a timeless artist is how well they age. Not simply by the passing years on the…
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You can't take it when you go: Rock icon Dave Mason rolls through Asheville
Dave Mason has seen it all. As co-founder/guitarist for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Traffic, Mason, alongside band…
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Uniquely positioned: Grant aims to grow outdoor gear industry in WNC
An effort is underway to make North Carolina’s 24 western counties into the next outdoor gear industry hub, and the…
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Sewage spill causes halt to water recreation
A sewage spill occurred in Haywood County Oct. 15 when a septic tank pump truck became involved in an accident…
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Canton student part of record-setting livestock sale
Canton resident Caleb Henson was part of a class of N.C. State Fair junior livestock show winners that drew a…
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Coyote interactions more frequent in the fall
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is forecasting that coyote sightings will be more frequent in the state over the next…
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Sweet potato pest causes N.C. quarantine
A statewide quarantine is in effect for the Guava root nematode, a serious pest of sweet potatoes that also affects…
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Deer carcass import restrictions enacted
A new wildlife rule has been implemented in North Carolina prohibiting the importation of whole deer carcasses and restricting importation…
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New species discoveries in the Smokies total 1,000
The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory has reached a major milestone with the announcement that it’s added 1,000 new species to…
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Climate change – deadly serious
The last installment of “The Naturalist’s Corner” began kind of tongue-in-cheek, referring to climate change in Trumpian terms of a…
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Halloween suggestions for the young and old
In 2015, online blogger Amanda Russo posted a humorous piece “Why Halloween Is Actually A Pretty Weird Holiday.” As Russo…
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Finding inspiration in banned books
My mom was a librarian and my dad an English teacher so books were always stacked on the dining room…
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Hate is not a platform
To the Editor: The large sign on the Asheville highway that was apparently put up by a rare “civil” local…
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Voter ID opponents insult citizenry
To the Editor: Opponents of the Voter ID amendment use the reason that requiring a photo ID will suppress the…
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Melrose deserves vote for judge
To the Editor: I am writing in support of Mark Melrose for Superior Court Judge. I am for common sense…
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I’d vote for Mau if I was able
To the Editor: I can’t vote in Jackson County, but I’m committed to the future of my hometown. That’s why…
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Won’t someone think of the children?
To the Editor: Listen, if you will. A small child somewhere in the United States crying out in the night.…
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Vote ‘no’ on all six amendments
To the Editor: Amending the N.C. Constitution should not be taken lightly nor done with political intent. This document is…
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Rep. Meadows sells out to Trump
To the Editor: As we prepare to vote in the November elections, let’s recall Bill Covin’s letter (SMN, Oct. 2-9,…
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Schandevel supports students, teachers
To the Editor: I am writing this letter as a plea for parents to think about education as you cast…
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Elect leaders who will support children, families
To the Editor: As the director of the Jackson County Department of Social Services, every day I observe young families…
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Walking in Her Steps: Macon County to unveil Women’s History Trail
The multifaceted roles women have played in society are often overlooking in the history books, but if you dig deep…
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Rowland challenges Rogers in lone Haywood School Board race
Haywood County’s high-performing schools slipped a few notches in state rankings this year — from 11th the last two years to 14th this year, of 115 districts statewide — and although that’s not cause for alarm, school board members are focused on the challenge of returning to the top 10 percent again this year.
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