Catch him if you can: David Joy releases highly-anticipated third novel
 

Catch him if you can: David Joy releases highly-anticipated third novel

If you didn’t know him, you wouldn’t even notice him. Sitting by himself at the counter of the Innovation Station…
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Tribal member sues over alleged workplace hostility, harassment
 

Tribal member sues over alleged workplace hostility, harassment

A Cherokee woman who successfully fought off disorderly conduct charges earlier this year has filed suit against nine parties in…
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The vacant motel building will be demolished and the property redeveloped. Holly Kays photo
 

Tribe to expand casino parking

New parking is coming to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino following the Cherokee Tribal Council’s unanimous vote Aug. 2 to transfer a…
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Jatanna Feather speaks to Tribal Council about 7 Clans Brewing and its use of Cherokee names and culture to promote its beer. File photo
 

Regulations on use of cultural terms discussed in Cherokee

A brief conversation in Tribal Council Wednesday, Aug. 1, was the first public discussion on how the Eastern Band of…
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DOT engineer Brian Burch discusses the N.C. 107 project to a more-than-full room at Sylva Town Hall. Holly Kays photo
 

Sylva community turns out in force to oppose N.C. 107 plans

Sylva Town Hall was filled beyond capacity as Mayor Lynda Sossamon called a public forum on the redevelopment of N.C.…
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Haywood County and the Town of Waynesville are incentivizing a “flagship brand” hotel just west of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway and north of Hyatt Creek Road. Haywood GIS photo
 

No mystery behind hotel incentives

As first reported in The Smoky Mountain News more than four months ago, Waynesville’s getting a new hotel, and that…
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Candidates for the N.C. General Assembly are busy fundraising in advance of November’s General Election. File photo
 

Funding the fight

With a net pickup of four seats in the House or six in the Senate, North Carolina Democrats could break…
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WNC employers — Haywood Chamber wants to hear from you
 

WNC employers — Haywood Chamber wants to hear from you

As Haywood County’s economic development efforts ensue, one oft-overlooked aspect of the area’s offerings — like land development opportunities and…
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Scott Knibbs.
 

Macon deputy cleared in Knibbs shooting

Macon County Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Wade Momphard Jr. will not face any criminal charges after he shot and killed Scott…
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A camper prepares to release herself from the anchor to take an adrenaline-inducing ride on the ‘swing’ at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Holly Kays photos
 

No sight required: Summer camp spurs blind youth to outdoor adventure

When Sam Chandler heard that the summer camp he’d been attending for years planned to launch an adventure camp, he…
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Students explore natural resources fields in Raleigh
 

Students explore natural resources fields in Raleigh

A trio of local high school students recently represented Haywood County at a weeklong environmental workshop, the Resource Conservation Workshop,…
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Sunburst Trout celebrates 70 years
 

Sunburst Trout celebrates 70 years

Sunburst Trout Farms in Waynesville will celebrate its 70th anniversary on Thursday, Aug. 2, coinciding with the first-ever National Rainbow…
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Dirty John Shooting Range. Donated photo
 

Shooting range gets upgrades

The Dirty John Shooting Range in the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin will be closed for upgrades Thursday, Aug. 2,…
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The square dancing takes off in Fairview. Donated photo
 

Dance raises $60K for the Smokies

The inaugural Smokies Stomp Barn Party hosted by Friends of the Smokies raised more than $60,000 to support the Great…
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Key land tract conserved in Macon
 

Key land tract conserved in Macon

Two adjoining properties that Mainspring Conservation Trust bought in July now link previously unconnected pieces of national forest and state…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Best possible science discarded
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Best possible science discarded

Studying the red wolf fiasco taking place in eastern North Carolina takes me far away in time and distance —…
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David Cross. Courtesy of Just For Laughs
 

A rapid series of comical noises: A conversation with comedy genius David Cross

If there was a single voice of reason amid the bombardment of deafening noise in the digital age — of…
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South Norwalk, Connecticut. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: With a little help from my friends

Bolting up Interstate 95, just outside of Portland, Maine, this past Monday, I finally could smell that smell that conjures…
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A new writer with an old heart
 

A new writer with an old heart

In a prologue that will make you cry — bringing hackles of guilt to your eyes — Tommy Orange has…
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Western Carolina University. A Shot Above photo
 

Politics and the search for WCU’s chancellor

As the yoke of political influence grows ever heavier around the neck of the UNC Board of Governors, Western Carolina…
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Coming full circle as a cat owner
 

Coming full circle as a cat owner

Growing up, my family had an abundance of cats running amok. These were the days before spaying and neutering were…
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President Trump, stop the obstruction
 

President Trump, stop the obstruction

To the Editor: Donald Trump has already obstructed justice in the Russian election interference investigation.  Number one, he has failed/refused…
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Conservatives harming our infrastructure
 

Conservatives harming our infrastructure

To the Editor: The conservative right has controlled Western North Carolina politics for decades with an ideology of lower taxes…
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Let’s restore checks and balances
 

Let’s restore checks and balances

To the Editor: In 2016 the Fourth Circuit of Appeals declared the 2013 N.C. Voter ID Act to be unconstitutional on…
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Lawmakers fail to protect our vote
 

Lawmakers fail to protect our vote

To the Editor: Western North Carolina’s federal representatives have failed their leadership report card on Russia’s interference in our elections. Rep.…
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N.C. 107 safety issues ignored
 

N.C. 107 safety issues ignored

To the Editor: The stated reason for the N.C. 107 project in Sylva is to reduce traffic problems and increase…
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Trump is for a better America
 

Trump is for a better America

To the Editor: It always amazes me that folks don’t seem to get it. Economic growth is at 4.1 percent,…
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Waynesville Planning Board Vice Chairman Danny Wingate (left to right), Chairman Patrick McDowell and Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague chat before a meeting July 30. Cory Vaillancourt photo.
 

Plott Creek site plan OK’d

The site plan submitted by developers for a controversial 200-unit apartment complex off Plott Creek Road was approved by the…
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Leadership Haywood starts next month
 

Leadership Haywood starts next month

Even the smallest communities are composed of a dizzying array of institutional and organizational groups that can either work together…
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This rectangular lot in the vicinity of Allens Creek could soon belong to Mountain Projects. Haywood GIS photo
 

Mountain Projects eyes parcel for affordable housing

A 4.4-acre parcel in the Allens Creek community could soon put a small dent in Haywood County’s affordable housing crisis,…
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Fairview School is one of four K-8 schools in Jackson County. Some parents would like to see sixth- through eighth-graders together in a middle school instead. Donated photo
 

Jackson mulls middle school

Jackson County stands alone among the western counties for not having a separate middle school, but a group of parents…
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Attorney General Mike McConnell explains proposed elections ordinance changes to Tribal Council during a July 23 work session. EBCI image
 

Cherokee debates election laws

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is in the midst of an effort to overhaul its elections laws, with a…
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County manager interviews begin
 

County manager interviews begin

Almost 10 months after the abrupt resignation of County Manager Ira Dove, Haywood County is drawing closer to finding his…
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Dr. Don Tomas (front left), president of Southwestern Community College, and Steve Heatherly, president and CEO of Harris Regional Hospital, sign a memorandum of understanding to establish the SNAP program on June 11 at the college's Jackson Campus in Sylva. Donated photo
 

Scholarship program aims to keep health workers local

A new partnership between Southwestern Community College and Harris Regional Hospital aims to help aspiring nurses afford their education while…
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Savannah Park will cost more than planned
 

Savannah Park will cost more than planned

Establishing a park in the Savannah community of Jackson County will be more expensive than originally anticipated, with commissioners voting…
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Members of the Kyrenia Youth Centre Association enjoy breakfast at Folkmoot July 23. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Cooperation in a cultural crossroads: Christians, Muslims tear down walls in Cyprus

Among the groups visiting this year’s Folkmoot Festival from other countries is one from a place that isn’t quite a…
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Maarten Krijger returns to Folkmoot this year, performing an altogether different type of work. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

From performer to PR: Dutch dancer does digital

Now in its 35th year, the Folkmoot Festival has been around 11 years longer than Maarten Krijger has been alive,…
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Photo gallery: Parade of Nations
 

Photo gallery: Parade of Nations

Each year, one of the highlights of the 10-day Folkmoot Festival is the Parade of Nations. This year, 10 groups…
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N.C. hosts multi-state effort to boost outdoor industry
 

N.C. hosts multi-state effort to boost outdoor industry

A three-day meeting to plan the future of the outdoor industry drew leaders from 11 states to Asheville this month,…
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Mountain Wildlife Days a success
 

Mountain Wildlife Days a success

More than 600 people attended the 15th annual Mountain Wildlife Days at Sapphire Valley Resort July 13-14, raising more than…
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There’s magic in these evening Edisto walks
 

There’s magic in these evening Edisto walks

EDISTO ISLAND, SC – For us, the magic of Steamboat Landing Road begins where the pavement ends, where the asphalt…
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Mission should not control money
 

Mission should not control money

To the Editor: The Mission Health board and CEO Ron Paulus clearly don’t get it: the system’s billions in assets…
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Even conservatives can’t take Trump
 

Even conservatives can’t take Trump

To the Editor: A number of letters in The Smoky Mountain News have rightly pointed out that liberals are not…
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President’s ties to Putin are dangerous
 

President’s ties to Putin are dangerous

To the Editor: It is time for the U.S. Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government and rein…
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They don’t care; we have to
 

They don’t care; we have to

To the Editor: Recently I spoke with N.C. Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, about the…
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Virgin’s bower is a favorite mountain wildflower
 

Virgin’s bower is a favorite mountain wildflower

It’s late July and before long summer will be slip-sliding toward autumn. The gap between now and then is often overlooked…
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History of American furniture a fascinating story
 

History of American furniture a fascinating story

Oscar P. Fitzgerald’s American Furniture: 1650 to the Present (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018, 621 pages) is a door-stopper book, a…
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A loving push: Cullowhee farm provides growth, safety for people with autism
 

A loving push: Cullowhee farm provides growth, safety for people with autism

Grayson Wolfe is the kid with the huge smile on his face as he jumps between stepping stones on the…
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Candidates file for Haywood Board of Education seats
 

Candidates file for Haywood Board of Education seats

Five seats on the Haywood County Schools Board of Education are up for election this year, but only one challenger…
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Vehicle emissions testing goes up in smoke
 

Vehicle emissions testing goes up in smoke

A multi-year effort by Burnsville Republican Rep. Michele Presnell to scrap vehicle emissions testing requirements in more than two dozen…
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