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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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Town board failed Plott Creek residents
To the Editor: In a recent Smoky Mountain News article, the writer confirmed the Waynesville Town Board overwhelmingly reached a…
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The truth no longer matters
To the Editor: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,”…
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Grants made for home repairs
Over the last couple months, there have been some grants made for home repairs to enable veterans, senior citizens, and…
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Sheriff warns of phone scam
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls from concerned citizens regarding a phone scam that is very specific…
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Apply for Maggie Valley boards
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen is now taking applications for appointments for both the Planning Board and the Zoning…
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Waynesville seeks volunteer board applicants
The Town of Waynesville Board of Aldermen is accepting applications to fill the following vacancies on various community boards and…
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More Boy Scouts programming open to girls
Darrian Childers is quitting Boy Scouts after joining a local troop about three years ago when his family moved to…
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New state office to focus on outdoor recreation growth
Outdoor recreation leaders in the region recently had the opportunity to weigh in on a newly established North Carolina Outdoor…
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Jackson to vote on Blackrock conservation project
Sylva commissioners voted unanimously during their May 24 meeting to contribute $250,000 to a 441.5-acre conservation project adjacent to Pinnacle…
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Jackson seeks homeless shelter manager
Before Jackson County commissioners can answer the question of whether Jackson should have a permanent, year-round homeless shelter building, they’ll…
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N.C. 107 remake could displace many Sylva businesses
For more than 30 of its 45 years in business, Speedy’s Pizza has served its famous pies out of the…
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Haywood County tourism strong, growing
Encouraging signs from Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority suggest the lingering effects of the Great Recession of 2008 may finally…
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Tribe looks to diversify business interests
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is hoping to diversify its revenues beyond gaming through creation of a new limited…
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Term limits could end for Jackson ABC
Term limits could soon be lifted for the Jackson County ABC Board, pending a final vote from the Jackson County…
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Renovated Lambuth Inn looks to the next 100 years
Western North Carolina is a region filled with special places, one of the best known being a century-old religious retreat…
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Franklin proposes 4-cent tax increase
The Franklin Town Council is recommending a 4-cent property tax increase this year in order to cover its growing expenses…
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A penny for your thoughts: Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down
The Town of Waynesville is about to embark on year two of a more conservative budget mindset; the days of…
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A penny for your thoughts: Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down
The Town of Waynesville is about to embark on year two of a more conservative budget mindset; the days of…
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New Waynesville gallery, pottery classes
Our Summerhouse Pottery, LLC opened its doors in a very familiar location in downtown Waynesville. The former studio of Dane…
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All-American bluegrass girl: A conversation with Rhonda Vincent
Hot off the heels of winning the Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album” this past winter, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage…
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This must be the place: Chasing the American Dream of Breakfast
It’s the only way to eat breakfast. Two eggs, two slices of toast (cut into four triangular pieces), a side…
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Over opposition, Waynesville passes controversial text amendment
A Gastonia-based developer’s request to change a small part of the Town of Waynesville’s zoning rules to allow for multi-family…
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