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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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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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