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Blue jays arouse mixed feelings among humans
Everyone knows what a blue jay looks and sounds like in a general sort of way. Their incandescent blue plumage…
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Plott hounds hold unique place in WNC history
I had my first encounter with a prize-winning Plott hound several years ago when I was hosting a Liars Bench…
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New book chronicles African American history in WNC
An oral history project documenting African American history in the far western reaches of North Carolina is now a book,…
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Every Day is Veterans Day at the Pigeon Center
Although honoring veterans each Nov. 11 is a substantial gesture by the grateful citizens of this country, a new program…
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Season of Light celebration comes to Pigeon Center
The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will host an inclusive holiday celebration complete with music, snacks and desserts from 5…
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Lake Junaluska decorates for Christmas
A crew of more than 50 volunteers from the community decorated Lake Junaluska for the holiday season, including the Rose…
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Bridge across Lake Junaluska Dam could reopen in 2018
Ka-chunk, ka-chunk … Ka-chunk, ka-chunk…. For over a century the sound of wheels on wood have greeted residents of and…
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Jackson ponders pool repairs
The Sylva pool saw $100,000 in repairs before opening this summer, but more work is on the way to get…
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Shooting range sound spurs complaint
Located behind the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority treatment plant off North River Road, Southwestern Community College’s shooting range is…
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Jackson commissioners OK 185-foot radio tower
A unanimous vote from the Jackson County commissioners will allow construction of a 185-foot radio tower in Cullowhee to move…
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Sarge’s photo contest
Sarge’s Pet Photo Contest is back and it’s a holiday theme. Enter printed photos of your pets in costume or…
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This must be the place: Pass the gravy, and the memories
It was right around the second beer when I began to settle in. The warm sunshine and lingering foliage of…
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Cancer battle causes WCU chancellor to step down
After battling brain cancer since April 2016, Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher announced Nov. 27 that his treatment…
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Exodus of Venus: Elizabeth Cook swings through WNC
Don’t fuck with Elizabeth Cook. In a city like Nashville, where your artistic integrity and credibility can be bought and…
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Bryson gets fishy: Fly-fishing museum prepares for expansion
In its two years of existence, the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians has shown a willingness to travel.…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Missing the point
I received a few emails after the story of Brent Martin’s departure as Southern Appalachian Regional Director of the Wilderness…
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Cataloochee Ski Area opens
After 18 hours of snowmaking, Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the winter on Monday, Nov. 20.
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Mainspring will clean up polluted oil company site
Ongoing efforts to revitalize the Franklin River District gained momentum this week when Mainspring Conservation Trust purchased a polluted site…
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Work begins to rebuild the roof at Wayah Tower
Reconstruction has begun to replace the wooden roof of the historic Wayah Bald Fire Tower, which burned up in the…
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Parkside conservation purchase will protect the Smokies
Conservation of 147 acres at Stevens Creek, a quiet cove on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Nature center lands grant for science outreach
A $3,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation will help the Highlands Nature Center support its robust school outreach program.
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Dogs must be leashed at Bent Creek
Unleashed dogs have become a safety issue in the Bent Creek Area of the Pisgah National Forest, prompting the U.S.…
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Thanks to the librarian who ordered this book
How did this happen? I treasure my local public library for its friendly staff, its vibrant programs for my grandchildren,…
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Tax bill details just who’s pulling the strings
In a book on the nature of state legislatures, the journalist Frank Trippett coined the term “true constituency” to explain…
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Winners and losers in the tax bill
To the Editor: Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis stand poised to vote for the current Republican tax bill in…
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A new kind of Thanksgiving
Holidays are all fun and games until death and divorce happen. Then they become an aching headache, if a person…
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Come Saturday, remember: local, local, local
I don’t like following crowds and have a naturally occurring cynicism of trends. That said, there’s one holiday promotional movement…
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Trio of Haywood efforts to bolster economic development
Three complementary actions taken by the Haywood County Board of County Commissioners Nov. 20 show that despite changing conditions in…
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WCU seeks waiver on tower regulations
What began as an effort to give Western Carolina University’s campus radio station broader coverage could end with construction of…
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Waynesville wastewater woes warrant study redux
If you don’t like what you hear, get a second opinion — at least, that’s what the Waynesville Board of…
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Brunch Bill languishes in Maggie Valley
Sunday morning mimosas aren’t yet on the table in Maggie Valley because a proposed ordinance that would allow the sales…
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New plan for Walnut Street met with satisfaction
After a series of contentious public hearings almost a year ago resulted in outcry from nearly all quarters of Waynesville,…
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Jackson to merge health and social services departments
Jackson County will pursue a plan to consolidate its health and social services departments following a special-called commissioners meeting held…
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A decade in, Balsam Range stands atop WNC music
I’ve lived in Haywood County 1,931 days. It’s also the exact number of days I’ve known Balsam Range. Within the…
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This must be the place: ‘Two all-beef patties, special sauce…’
That slow walk from the car. When I was 16 years old, I entered the American workforce. I was the…
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Jackson Brunch Bill decision will wait until spring
A final decision on whether to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales in Jackson County won’t come for several months following…
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Sheriff looking for suspect in Bethel Elementary break in
Investigators with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a person who broke into Bethel…
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A place to heal: Retreat center for combat veterans works to establish in Cullowhee
When Margo Capparelli, Ph.D., first began her career, she had little idea that it would develop such a strong focus…
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Legends of the Fly nominees named
Nominations for this year’s Southern Trout Legends of the Fly Hall of Fame include several anglers from the Smokies region,…
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Pisgah comes in first for volunteer hours
The Pisgah National Forest logged the most volunteer hours of any other national forest in 2016, earning Pisgah the Volunteer…
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Trail volunteer honored
Robbinsville resident Dick Evans received the Benton MacKaye Trail Association’s highest honor at the organization’s recent 2017 Annual Meeting.
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Foothills Parkway complete
For the first time, vehicles can drive the entire 16-mile section of the Foothills Parkway from Walland to Wears Valley,…
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Land protected at Sandy Mush
A recent purchase of 149 acres by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has added to a contiguous block of protected…
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Cherokee used toxins to stun fish
People sometimes wonder if the prehistoric Cherokees used any sort of poisons on their blowgun darts. These darts (slivers of…
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Character has one foot in earth, the other in paradise
Michael D. O’Brien, Canadian novelist and painter, essayist and lecturer, is the author of what I call “door-stop” books. His…
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Thirty-four years later, Lightning still strikes
Lightning. It’s a yellow, 20-ounce Vaughn framing hammer with one of the claws broken that I’ve owned for about 34…
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Men can no longer just look the other way
The list of allegations is dizzying and depressing. Every day, it seems, there are new reports of predatory behavior by…
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It is very tough out there
To the Editor: It really upsets me when I hear that the economy is doing good and the unemployment rate…
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Remember all the good taxes do
To the Editor: Government and taxes are common complaints among conservatives, even though they benefit from both. Opinions in our…
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Waynesville warns against scam
Several residents have notified the Town of Waynesville that they have received calls from someone posing as a town representative…
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