Event to focus on reducing plastic pollution
 

Event to focus on reducing plastic pollution

A community conversation about reducing plastic pollution will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at Grace Episcopal Church…
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Bill Jacobs sits on the lower Whiteside Mountain overlook. Donated photo
 

Journey through time with a geologist

Geologist and author Bill Jacobs will discuss the captivating geologic history of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during a free lecture at…
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The project included replacing portions of the roof. NPS photo
 

Walker Sisters Cabin reopens

After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is…
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Dr. Matthew Gray (left) and his students enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville commandeer a picnic table to conduct salamander sampling  in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. NPS photo
 

Word from the Smokies: An annual checkup for salamanders

Pay a visit to Chimneys Picnic Area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the first days of spring,…
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Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners
 

Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners

The Macon County GOP is poised to take action against one of its precinct chairs, Rob Tolp, after he sent…
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Students stand outside for a group photo in front of the Cherokee Boarding School. The Indian Child Welfare Act was created to combat decades of policies aimed at separating Native American children from their culture, often through enrolling them in boarding schools. Hunter Library/WCU photo
 

Supreme Court's Indian Child Welfare Act ruling preserves tribal sovereignty

Native American tribes across the country are celebrating after a June 15 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court struck down…
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Cherokee Central Schools. File photo
 

Cherokee Schools water damage repair to total ‘many millions’

T The Cherokee Tribal Council has approved $7.6 million for water damage repairs at Cherokee Central Schools, but that’s expected…
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Eight earthquakes have been recorded north of Canton since May 23. USGS map
 

Canton logs eighth recent earthquake

Another earthquake shook the Canton area last week, bringing the count to eight quakes since May 23.
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Macon passes budget, maintains lowest tax rate in state
 

Macon passes budget, maintains lowest tax rate in state

After weeks of heated discussion and back and forth over both revenue and expenditures, the Macon County Commission approved the…
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Macon imposes penalty for camping on greenway
 

Macon imposes penalty for camping on greenway

There will be legal penalties for camping on the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Macon County after the County Commission…
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Town opens Sylva Pipes
 

Town opens Sylva Pipes

Skaters in Sylva finally have a place to ride in their own backyard after the opening of Sylva Pipes —…
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Patriotism requires a common story
 

Patriotism requires a common story

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? In very online debates among very online people, the exchange rate is…
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If you had a magic crayon, what would you draw?
 

If you had a magic crayon, what would you draw?

Recently I stumbled upon one of my columns from 2017. I talked of an evening where I sat with my…
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What’s happening to waterfowl at Lake J?
 

What’s happening to waterfowl at Lake J?

To the Editor: I would like to know what is happening to the ducks and geese at Lake Junaluska.
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Shannon and Kristin Young opened Maggie Valley Fly Shop in October 2022. Holly Kays photo
 

On the fly: new Maggie Valley shop debuts fly fishing festival

Shannon Young has no trouble identifying the exact moment he fell in love with fly fishing. 
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The 3-mile Bernard Mountain Trail is the newest addition to a planned 42 miles of new trail near Old Fort. U.S. Forest Service map
 

New trail opens near Old Fort

A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project…
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Imogene Wilson talks with Park Ranger Katie Corrigan about what the Cosby area was like before it became part of the park. NPS photo
 

Experience history in Cosby

A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June…
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The newly built Ocoee Whitewater Center opens for the 1996 Olympics. Dana Teasley photo
 

Survey seeks input on Ocoee Whitewater Center future

The formal process to determine the future of the Ocoee Whitewater Center after the facility was destroyed in an April…
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Celebrate National Pollinator Week
 

Celebrate National Pollinator Week

Visit a hub of nature exploration and interactive programs focused on pollinators 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24,…
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National outdoor economy groups to meet in Cherokee
 

National outdoor economy groups to meet in Cherokee

 The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of…
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Spend an evening in the garden
 

Spend an evening in the garden

ArborEvenings is back at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, offering opportunity to spend Thursday and Friday evenings strolling through the…
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Austin Gray is the first Black American to receive a doctorate in environmental health sciences. Donated photo
 

Microplastics researcher to speak in Highlands

Learn about plastic pollution and the threat it poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems during a free lecture at 6…
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Forest loss could harm water quality, study finds
 

Forest loss could harm water quality, study finds

A new study from researchers focusing on the forest-water connection in the Southern U.S. found that, over the coming decades,…
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The whorled loosestrife grows in full sun and partial shade under deciduous trees. Adam Bigelow photo
 

Notes from a plant nerd: World, lose strife

For the past few years, whenever I encounter the whorled loosestrife growing along a trail or roadside I have been…
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Jason Kloepfer and Alison Mahler have not felt safe enough to return home to Kloepfer’s property 20 minutes outside of Murphy since the police shooting Dec. 13, 2022. Holly Kays photo
 

Police shooting victim alleges attempted murder, seeks millions in damages

In an explosive federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina, the victim of a…
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Lynda Bennett
 

Former congressional candidate sentenced for campaign finance violation

Former congressional candidate Lynda Bennett has been sentenced to 12 months of probation after pleading guilty in March to violating…
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Contentious vote coming on Waynesville social district
 

Contentious vote coming on Waynesville social district

Open container alcohol consumption in cities and towns across North Carolina has met with positive results, according to local administrators…
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U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina
 

Crowe to plead guilty to federal charges; tribal court process expected to continue

With more than six months gone since tribal charges were brought against former Wolfetown Rep. Bo Crowe following an alleged…
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WCU projects larger freshman class for 2023
 

WCU projects larger freshman class for 2023

A After years of enrollment and retention numbers impacted by the pandemic and its associated restrictions, Western Carolina University expects…
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The old bingo hall, currently under renovation, serves as the headquarters for Qualla Enterprises LLC. Holly Kays photo
 

Sneed calls for forensic audit on cannabis LLC; Qualla Enterprises defends its record

Principal Chief Richard Sneed renewed his concerns about the tribe’s medical cannabis company Qualla Enterprises LLC before Tribal Council this…
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Heather Younce. Photo from EBCI livestream
 

Younce to replace Taylor on tribal alcohol board

The Cherokee Tribal Council voted unanimously June 1 to confirm Heather Younce as the newest member of the Tribal Alcoholic…
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Waynesville Police Det. Paige Shell was awarded by the Red Cross at a recent event in Asheville for her lifesaving actions.
 

Waynesville detective honored by Red Cross for saving man’s life

Waynesville Police Department Det. Paige Shell received an award for saving a man’s life at this year’s Salute to Western…
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Shift workers leave Pactiv Evergreen's Canton paper mill for the final time.
 

Millworkers pay emotional farewell in Canton

It was a day few thought would ever come to pass. Even after Pactiv Evergreen announced it would close its…
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Swain County finalizes budget
 

Swain County finalizes budget

 Swain County passed its fiscal year 2023-24 budget with no tax increase, but it’s likely there will be a tax…
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Center for Domestic Peace, Mountain Projects open offices
 

Center for Domestic Peace, Mountain Projects open offices

Two organizations committed to helping individuals and families in the community officially opened new offices in Sylva on Thursday, June…
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From left. Top row: Josh Haigler, Kevin Hessler, Bernard Hinker. Bottom row: Kim Holt, Eeva Haigler, Josiah Bjerkness and Nolan Griggs.
 

Motion Makers donates $500 to children’s program

Swain County Exceptional Children’s Teacher Kim Holt was thrilled to learn Motion Makers Bicycle Shop donated $500 to her program…
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Storyteller Willa Brigham will perform at the Juneteenth event.
 

Juneteenth: a community affair

For the third year in a row, First United Methodist Church in Waynesville is teaming up with community partners to…
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Law-and-order Republicans are silent
 

Law-and-order Republicans are silent

To the Editor: It is truly disheartening to see the response of elected Republicans to the indictment of Donald Trump.
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Take the bait, or get more sleep?
 

Take the bait, or get more sleep?

I can hear my son rolling around upstairs.
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Trout fins pepper the surface of the water at Sunburst Trout Farms below Lake Logan. Holly Kays photo
 

Fish On The Farm: Tour Highlights Importance, Challenges Of Mountain Aquaculture

Whenever Wes Eason runs across a potential customer who’s hesitant about eating farm-raised fish, he points to the picture on…
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A hunter looks down at the results of a successful hunt. NCWRC photo
 

N.C. logs record 2022 bear harvest

A record number of black bears were killed during the 2022 bear hunting season, according to records from the N.C.…
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Hydrangeas bloom in the campus greenhouse at Haywood Community College. HCC photo
 

Arboretum donates truckloads of flowers

Following its Bloom with a View event, the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville donated flowers and plants to various organizations in…
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A northern parula is one of many bird species found at the Highlands Biological Station. Lauren Whitenack photo
 

Help band birds

Help scientists band birds this summer with the “A Bird’s Eye View” program at Highlands Biological Station June 22, July…
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Apple growers to vote on assessment
 

Apple growers to vote on assessment

North Carolina apple growers will vote Tuesday, June 27, in a referendum conducted by the N.C. Apple Growers Association regarding…
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Campground closed in Cherokee National Forest
 

Campground closed in Cherokee National Forest

Horse Creek Campground in the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, Tennessee, is closed until further notice due to increasing bear…
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Smokies podcast miniseries wins national award
 

Smokies podcast miniseries wins national award

A podcast of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the miniseries “Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music” won the award for…
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Burt Kornegay (left) hands off the donation to Friends of Panthertown Executive Director Jason Kimenker.
 

Panthertown guidebook publisher donates to stewardship nonprofit

Panthertown Map Association, non-profit publishers of Burt Kornegay's “A Guide's Guide to Panthertown,” has made a $7,500 donation to Friends of…
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Changes proposed for stormwater infrastructure grants
 

Changes proposed for stormwater infrastructure grants

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is proposing changes to its priority rating system for stormwater infrastructure grants and offering…
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May finished cool and dry in N.C.
 

May finished cool and dry in N.C.

North Carolina saw its 26th coolest May in the last 129 years, with the National Centers for Environmental Information reporting…
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