Archived (30269)
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Three women arrested for child abduction
The Waynesville Police Department responded to the report of a child abduction from Frazier Street Thursday afternoon.
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Civil War monuments don’t stand a chance
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” — Nobel prize winning author William Faulkner This oft-trotted out line from…
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Eclipse reveals glimmer of unity, and it feels good
I can admit now that by the time the day of the eclipse finally arrived, I was so tired of…
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Christians will not be silenced
To the Editor: In response to Editor Scott McLeod’s column about public prayers (www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/20540), secular society would like nothing better…
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Get insurance out of health care
To the Editor: Can we please stop referring to access to health care insurance as “access to health care” and…
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Don’t let mobs distort history
To the Editor: How many times have we heard or said “history repeats itself?” I’d say often regarding everything from…
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Robert E. Lee deserves respect
To the Editor: There was a man who was born at Stratford Hall, Virginia, and his boyhood home was in…
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There’s somethin’ happenin’ here
To the Editor: Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall between the U.S.A. and Mexico. He even claims that…
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Time to enjoy the bounty of your flower garden
[Before moving on to the primary subject of this column (yard gardens), I’d like to share some impressions with you…
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Protecting mountain gold: Balsam uses dye to thwart ginseng poachers
Brian McMahan and Johnny Nicholson can both remember boyhood days spent in the mountains, hunting the elusive ginseng plant. Coveted…
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Fontana algal bloom keeps growing
A potentially harmful algal bloom continues to grow in parts of Fontana Lake, and state officials are warning people to…
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Conservation easement created in Weaverville
A 310-acre conservation easement has been established at the watershed feeding the Town of Weaverville in Buncombe County, protecting the…
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New trail established at Grandfather Mountain
There is now a new way to access the Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County following…
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Record-breaking hiker embarks on the MST — with kids in tow
Having already claimed the record for the fastest thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis, of Asheville, is now…
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None too likeable characters, but a good story
Alcohol, alcoholism, and alcoholics appear frequently in literature. Shakespeare’s Falstaff is a son of Bacchus. Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder and…
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Play by your own rules
An iconic mandolin and fiddle player, Sam Bush has rewritten the game of bluegrass, especially when it comes to live…
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Balsam Range turns 10 atop IBMA nominations
Leading this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association awards with eight nominations, Haywood County group Balsam Range is atop the mountain…
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Chatham County Line
Formed in Raleigh in 1999, Chatham County Line has emerged as one of those unique branches of tone and approach…
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Canton Labor Day: Ricky Skaggs
Throughout the 1980s, Ricky Skaggs was the toast of country music. Twelve #1 hits, eight CMA and ACM awards, a…
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The ‘Canton Comeback’
When the Town of Canton relaunched its Labor Day Festival a couple years ago, it was in a crucial move…
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This must be the place: ‘Tired, but wiser for the time’
The trifecta. By this past Monday morning, I was running on fumes heading back to my humble abode in downtown…
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A monumental issue
Lost in the ugliness of the recent Charlottesville violence is the fact that the demonstration was originally centered around the…
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Governments across the nation consider removing Confederate monuments
The demonstrations in Charlottesville are already shaping up to be a watershed moment in American history; consequently, local governments across…
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Eighty-six seconds of sunlessness: Eclipse viewers throng to Clingmans Dome
Expectation reigned at Clingmans Dome the morning of Aug. 21 as buses rolled in carrying the 1,325 people lucky enough…
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Solar eclipse: A day with two sunrises
Packing to watch the sun disappear felt like packing for work, camping and an emergency evacuation all at once.
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Solar eclipse: ‘Just wait a while, for the right day’
Covered in sweat, I could feel the slight trickle of ice water dripping down my leg.
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Solar eclipse: Game of chance
It was like watching the slowest sporting event ever. Spectators with their eyes toward the sky shouted in excitement and…
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Solar eclipse: We shall go on playing
Strange days, as Doors front man Jim Morrison famously sang, have found us.
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Tribal Council candidates speak: General Election is two weeks away
The 2017 General Election will choose the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ next slate of Tribal Council representatives following Election…
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CEO answers concerns about Mission/BCBS contract
Mission Health Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ron Paulus took to social media last week to answer questions from patients regarding…
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Mission rolls out transition plan for BCBS patients
Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will expire Oct. 5, leaving thousands of patients to find…
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Jackson debates health department construction
When the Jackson County Commiss-ioners met to discuss construction needs in the health department Aug. 8, the goal for the…
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Transportation plan for Jackson nears completion
After more than two years of meetings and mapping and analysis, the comprehensive transportation plan intended to guide Jackson County…
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Teen walks out of Smokies after 11 days missing
After 11 days missing in the remote backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Chilhowee Lake, 18-year-old Austin…
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DSO returns to WNC
In their 20 years together, the members of Dark Star Orchestra have equaled — if not surpassed — the number…
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Comin’ Home: Former Black Crowes start anew with Magpie Salute
With the demise of The Black Crowes in 2015, Rich Robinson was in search of new digs.
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Roller coaster in the sky: Solar eclipses inspire awe and enchantment for WCU professor
Enrique Gomez was 16 years old the first time he experienced the shadow of the moon. Gomez, now an associate…
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Monarchs get a home at Shelton House
The gardens at the Historic Shelton House in Waynesville are now attracting monarch butterflies, thanks to the efforts of the…
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Pisgah students go big at Resource Conservation Workshop
Two Pisgah High School students will end their summer in possession of newfound natural resources-related knowledge following the Resource Conservation…
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WNC gets new Wildlife Commission members
Western North Carolina will have two representatives on the 19-member N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission following a round of appointments by…
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Sunday hunting laws loosen
A new state law will expand hunters’ ability to pursue their sport on Sundays.
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New Smokies science program to target schools
A new science education program will soon launch in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park thanks to a $1 million…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Beach bump
Friends and followers of “The Naturalist’s Corner” know I’m keeping a year-list of birds I see/hear this year. As I…
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Book delves into our lingering racial problems
“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war…
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Mission is merely seeking its fair share
Responding to Jeanne Dupois Editorial: We read with great interest the editorial from Jeanne Dupois regarding the many challenges that…
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Honor the dead, not the cause
To the Editor: In a recent spate of Confederacy hype, much has been racist and much has been misleading. However,…
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Government prayer has limitations
To the Editor: I appreciate and agree with your well-expressed thoughts on government meetings and prayer. Thank you for taking…
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In the words of Belushi, ‘I hate Illinois Nazis’
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”…
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Cutting the apron strings
I’m entering a new phase of motherhood. Since becoming a mom in 2009, one or both of my boys have…
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WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’
On Monday, Aug. 21, Western North Carolina residents and visitors will have the chance to see a rare total solar eclipse.…
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