Sen. Chuck Edwards (left) and Rep. Mark Pless entertain public comment at a Sept. 21 redistricting hearing.
 

Common themes emerge in redistricting hearing

Although a majority of speakers at a Sept. 21 public hearing designed to gather input on the constitutionally-mandated redistricting process…
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Dogwood Health Trust reflects on 2021 progress
 

Dogwood Health Trust reflects on 2021 progress

Dogwood Health Trust had lofty goals when it was formed in 2019 with the mission to dramatically improve the health…
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Two resign from Transylvania hospital board
 

Two resign from Transylvania hospital board

By Peter H. Lewis Asheville Watchdog Two long-time members of the Transylvania Regional Hospital board of directors resigned Monday, saying…
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Municipal election
 voting underway
 

Municipal election
 voting underway

Municipal elections in Western North Carolina will be held in some jurisdictions on Tuesday, November 2, but in-person early voting…
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Comment

Black Folks Camp Too photo
 

‘Black Folks Camp Too’ wins national award

The Brevard-based business Black Folks Camp Too was recently given The President’s Award from America’s State Parks during the organization’s…
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Waynesville Task Force 
on Homelessness issues 
final recommendations
 

Waynesville Task Force 
on Homelessness issues 
final recommendations

Riddled with dissention, defections and a lack of clear direction, Waynesville’s Task Force on Homelessness finally limped across the finish…
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Comment

Blaming unvaccinated is somewhat misplaced
 

Blaming unvaccinated is somewhat misplaced

To the Editor: In the Sept. 1 opinion piece titled, “Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility,” Norman Hoffman states that the…
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Comment

Enough with the divisiveness
 

Enough with the divisiveness

To the Editor: Before I ramble on with my allotted 400 words, entertain these two ideas that I believe we…
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Comment

Access to public 
Records within reach
 

Access to public 
Records within reach

By Sandy Hurley and Bill Moss Guest Columnists When the 2021 session of the General Assembly began, passage of legislation…
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Comment

Sewer flies, mice and mold; schools need help
 

Sewer flies, mice and mold; schools need help

By John deVille & Kenya Donaldson Complaints ranged from undrinkable water, termites and even sewer flies. There was extreme overcrowding near a…
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Balsam Range.
 

Moxie and Mettle: Balsam Range on new album, flood relief show

Situated on Pisgah Drive/N.C. 110 in the outskirts of downtown Canton is the WPTL studio, a Haywood County community radio…
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Comment

Registration snafu leads to NC11 candidate withdrawal
 

Registration snafu leads to NC11 candidate withdrawal

Just five days after announcing her candidacy in the 11th Congressional District Democratic Primary, Chelsea White made another announcement.
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Comment

Les Claypool performs with Primus at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville Aug. 28.
 

Primus gets 'Closer to the Heart' of Rush

A few weeks ago I photographed Primus doing a tribute to Rush playing the entire "A Farewell to Kings" album. Anyone who…
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Comment

Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
 

Cast Iron Skillet Recipes

As fall rolls into the mountains, so too does the season for soups, stews and chilis. Cold weather sparks cravings…
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It's a Yin / Yang Thing
 

It's a Yin / Yang Thing

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | Ah fall…and the beautiful colors that come with it! A season that as the…
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Favorite Fall Events
 

Favorite Fall Events

Fall is an exciting, beautiful season in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Below is a roundup of some of…
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Mercury Retrograde Coming Next Week
 

Mercury Retrograde Coming Next Week

Coming out of the full moon in Pisces, which was intense with emotions, everyone is rejoicing in the first days…
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September: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
 

September: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Tidbit: There are no reliable or straightforward screenings available for ovarian cancer, so we depend on our connection with our…
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Girl Friday Agency Opens Consignment Shop
 

Girl Friday Agency Opens Consignment Shop

If you need help moving, getting organized or downsizing, you’ll want to call Tatia Childers with Girl Friday Agency to…
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WNC water treatment plants honored
 

WNC water treatment plants honored

Two Haywood County water treatment plants were among the 13 North Carolina facilities recognized with the Gold Star honor for…
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Comment

Improved disc golf course opening at HCC
 

Improved disc golf course opening at HCC

Help celebrate the grand re-opening of the Haywood Community College disc golf course with a two-round tournament starting at 9…
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Comment

Floodwaters cover the N.C. Wildlife Commission campus near Brevard Aug. 17. Donated photo
 

Fishing after the flood: Flood took two-thirds of state hatchery’s trout

When the Davidson River first hit flood stage on at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17, it was a normal — albeit…
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Comment

A walking tour of Paris and the arts
 

A walking tour of Paris and the arts

Every once in a while I like to go back and read the classics, especially those that have managed to…
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A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville
 

A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville

It was tough to witness the demise of the Downtown Waynesville Association. The DWA has a long, proud history, one…
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Comment

Learning from the young to protect our planet
 

Learning from the young to protect our planet

My 12-year-old son is extraordinarily inquisitive. Since he was a little boy, he’s inquired about everything from politics and finances…
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Comment

Truth matters, but some don’t see it
 

Truth matters, but some don’t see it

To the Editor: I fear for my country. The cause of my anxiety is the judgment that our nation has…
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Comment

Time to end the filibuster
 

Time to end the filibuster

To the Editor: In November 2020, millions of voters like me went to the polls and cast a ballot for…
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Comment

Highlands looks for balance of progress, preservation
 

Highlands looks for balance of progress, preservation

Discussions going on right now in the town of Highlands are the same discussions happening across the nation as the…
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Comment

COVID cases still climbing
 

COVID cases still climbing

Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 321 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week. 
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Comment

Sunlight and transparency between pool spaces are key to the pool’s design. Clark Nexsen rendering
 

Designs unveiled for Jackson pool

Waves, water and mountain streams will be key design elements at Jackson County’s new indoor pool complex, commissioners heard during…
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Comment

Town takes over Downtown Waynesville Association duties
 

Town takes over Downtown Waynesville Association duties

After months of debating the future of Waynesville’s downtown business district, the Waynesville Board of Aldermen voted unanimously during a…
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Comment

A quarter-acre parking lot the Town of Sylva leases on the corner of Main and Landis streets is one of three lots where downtown residents and workers are encouraged to park in a newly approved ordinance amendment. Lilly Knoepp photo
 

Parking rule changes approved in Sylva

Two new changes to Sylva’s rules for downtown parking are now in effect following a pair of unanimous votes at…
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Comment

Chelsea White becomes the eighth Democrat to run in NC11. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Haywood activist shakes up NC11 Dem Primary

Progressive Haywood County organizer Chelsea White made it official during a Sept. 19 rally at the Haywood County Courthouse —…
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Comment

A group of Cawthorn supporters from the Haywood County GOP (background) watches as anti-Cawthorn demonstrators hold a rally Sept. 19. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Dueling rallies in Haywood highlight persistent divisiveness

If anyone thought that the political polarization of 2020 died with President Donald Trump’s election loss that year, they’d need…
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Comment

Chef Neil Ravenna looks to transform Pathways’ dining services. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Moving forward by circling back: Pathways new kitchen manager brings education, experience

Haywood Pathways Center’s mission has always been to help people from all walks of life get back on their feet,…
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Comment

A proposed subdivision would include 115 units just north of Sunnyside Road, if approved. Haywood GIS photo
 

Proposed Waynesville subdivision meets stiff initial resistance

The seemingly endless conflict between preservation and development in Waynesville — specifically, badly needed housing — entered a new chapter…
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Comment

Enrollment, retention dip at WCU
 

Enrollment, retention dip at WCU

Enrollment, retention and freshman interest at Western Carolina University are all down this fall compared to last year, and university…
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Comment

FEMA assistance for flood victims
 

FEMA assistance for flood victims

Homeowners and renters in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties who had uninsured losses from Tropical Storm Fred may be eligible…
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Comment

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers (left) talks with  Sen. Thom Tillis in Canton on Sept. 16. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Sen. Tillis returns to Canton

Almost exactly one month after extreme flooding on the Pigeon River killed six, displaced hundreds and dropped mud and debris…
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Comment

Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley regularly hosts food trucks  on the weekends during concert events. Donated photo
 

Maggie Valley to give food trucks a try

Maggie Valley has decided on the details for its Food Truck Pilot Program, slated for approval Oct. 4. 
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Comment

Raleigh-based Into the Fog performs at MerleFest in Wilkesboro Sept. 18. Cory Vaillancourt photos
 

MerleFest returns, giving up-and-coming acts a huge opportunity

MerleFest has been the premier “traditional plus” music festival in the country for decades, launching the careers of many well-known…
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Comment

Jorma Kaukonen.
 

This must be the place: Ode to Jorma Kaukonen, ode to the spirit of rock

At the core of iconic rock guitarists, Jorma Kaukonen resides in the same company of his 1960s peers, which includes…
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Comment

Haywood reports 12 COVID-19 deaths this week
 

Haywood reports 12 COVID-19 deaths this week

"This is the kind of information no one wants to have to share with our community. We’ve written and shared…
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Comment

Maggie Valley to give food trucks a try
 

Maggie Valley to give food trucks a try

Maggie Valley has decided on the details for its Food Truck Pilot Program, slated for approval Oct. 4. At the…
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Comment

DIY Calming Candle
 

DIY Calming Candle

For 5,000 years, individuals have been using botanicals as healing agents for the mind and body. Modern women fully understand…
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How a Morning Routine Can Impact Mental Health
 

How a Morning Routine Can Impact Mental Health

By Liam McLeod • Rumble Contributor | One of the most important things I have come to realize in life is…
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Staying Sane Amidst The Change... yeah, it's possible
 

Staying Sane Amidst The Change... yeah, it's possible

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | I remember when I was a little girl taking family trips to the beach.…
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Power of Pink 5K returns to Frog Level
 

Power of Pink 5K returns to Frog Level

The longest, currently tenured running event in Haywood County returns in 2021 on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. in…
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Power of Pink 5K returns to Frog Level
 

Power of Pink 5K returns to Frog Level

The longest, currently tenured running event in Haywood County returns in 2021 on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. in…
Read More
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