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Jackson County’s mosaic is still being painted
Although I sometimes wish that the maps of my Jackson County had a more beguiling shape — perhaps a bear…
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County ensnared in lawsuit over historic courthouse renovations
Haywood County is being sued for $2 million by the contractor in charge of renovations to the newly restored historic…
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Scenic beauty, yes, but what about things to do?
By Andre A. Rodriguez • Special to the Smoky Mountain News A new travel study revealed potential visitors lack awareness…
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Jackson County offers incentives to land new manufacturing jobs
Jackson County leaders are considering an economic development incentive that will provide property tax credits to Stonewall Packaging in exchange…
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Particular parables and perverse ponderings
Willful Creatures Stories by Aimee Bender. Doubleday & Company. 208 pages. Recently, Garrison Keilor mentioned a new writer, Aimee Bender…
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Facing unpleasant changes in aftermath of hemlock die off
As if the death of hemlock trees across the Southern Appalachians wasn’t bad enough already, forest researchers believe the loss…
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Cherokee leaders to PETA: back off our bear zoos
Despite public pressure from animal rights activists, including a visit from legendary game show host Bob Barker, Cherokee leaders do…
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North Toe River freed of crumbling dam
A decrepit dam is being torn down along the North Toe River near Spruce Pine this week, clearing the way…
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The pains of summer vacation
There, swirling miserably in the bottom of my morning coffee mug, are the dregs of summer. I had such plans…
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Indie film brings big economic boost: From stunt pilots to bar scenes, movie producer weaves local people and places into script
Western North Carolina has seen its share of Hollywood productions. But unlike many of the other movies filmed here, “Road…
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Workers will come if we create jobs, great lifestyle
When Macon County economic development officials met last week and decided the aging workforce was among the county’s most pressing…
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Qualla’s art goes worldwide
Known for its legendary craftsmanship, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc. just launched its new website, www.quallaartsandcrafts.org. For the first…
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Outfitters brace for early end to season
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Whitewater releases from the Nantahala Lake dam will be suspended in October, forcing rafting…
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Letting nature point the way
Horace Kephart is best known for Our Southern Highlanders (first published in 1913, with an expanded edition in 1922) and…
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Junaluska Assembly’s long-time musical maestro calls it a career with Aug. 8 performance
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The year was 1954. An up-and-coming singer named Elvis Presley was beginning his musical…
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The Naturalist's Corner
You say to-mah-to, I say to-ma-to At least Avram and I are talking. Want to join us? If we could…
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State budget cuts target after school program for teens
Proposed cuts to the state budget have threatened after school care for middle school students, with programs in Canton, Franklin,…
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Haywood celebrates completion of historic courthouse renovations
Haywood County leaders held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday on the steps of the newly renovated historic courthouse. The $8.2…
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Macon hires point man in new push for economic development
Macon County has hired a full-time economic development coordinator, finally joining the ranks of most counties who employ paid directors…
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Recipes, 7/29/09
Zach’s Barbecue Pork: Zach takes a Boston Butt pork shoulder — the cheaper cut of meat the better. He marinates…
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Conversation – what conversation?
Regular readers of this column probably already know that I’ve run afoul of many regional environmental groups by questioning the…
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Cookouts, lightning bugs, and the relatives
By Karen Dill • Guest Writer July brings warm and often muggy weather to the usually cool mountain glens. It…
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Barker visits WNC in campaign to help bears
Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians didn’t have to duke it out with other contestants or so much…
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Local authors proud of fishing trail map
Ask any fisherman what their favorite stretch of stream is and you may as well be asking for directions to…
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Fundraising ramps up for Waynesville skate park
By Andre A. Rodriguez • Special to the Smoky Mountain News It’s been at least a dozen years since Waynesville’s…
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A few moments – and 10 days – to celebrate cultural understanding
The end of this year’s Folkmoot USA, some of the acquaintances I made during the festival, and my own ongoing…
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Macon mulls workforce challenges
While it doesn’t seem like much of a news flash, it has emerged as one of the top concerns in…
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WNC Fly Fishing Trail lures new anglers to Jackson streams
Alex Bell can’t resist striking up a conversation with fellow fishermen he encounters on the Tuckasegee. But lately, he’s had…
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Clean energy future may be blowing in the wind
Will wind-generated power save the environment or sacrifice it? The answer depends on who you ask and it could have…
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Tunnel greenhouses fend off winter’s grip
A workshop on how to build a simple greenhouse will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, as part…
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Toole explores boxing from inside the ring
Pound for Pound by F.X. Toole. HarperCollins, 2007. 416 pages. Million Dollar Baby by F.X. Toole. Harper Perennial 2005. 256…
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Thoroughly modern millipedes
By Jim Janke Every summer one or two people bring samples of ugly little insects into the plant clinic and…
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Investor in Jonathan Creek project claims he was wronged
A Tennessee man claims he was defrauded of $328,000 by the players behind Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts, a planned mega development…
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Townhomes one of few additions to Sylva housing in a decade
When Art Pohl moved to Jackson County from Florida 10 years ago, he imagined a golden retirement filled with lazy…
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A fine flower to start with
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received in regard to learning wildflowers was to “concentrate on one…
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Graham proposes takeover of Swain land
Swain and Graham counties are at odds over who should provide rescue service to the isolated Deals Gap territory, a…
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Hard-to-get taxonomists could make or break ATBI’s future
As the inventory of every living species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park trudges into its tenth year, it…
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Wildflowers peaking right now
Interesting wildflowers appear throughout Western North Carolina from late February into early November. Most wildflower identification and observation takes place…
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Region to get assisted living campus
A groundbreaking was held last Thursday (July 16) at the site of a new assisted living complex being built in…
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Europe’s unrest lead to creation of Wellco
When Heinz Rollman left behind the unrest of Europe and struck out for America in 1939, the fate of his…
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Ghost Town still honing bankruptcy comeback plan
Ghost Town in the Sky wants more time to prepare its bankruptcy reorganization plan and is seeking an extension. The…
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Hard work takes place off Folkmoot stages
By Andre A. Rodriguez Each morning of the Folkmoot festival, the members of Shalom Israel Ashdod spend at least one…
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New Swain jail fails to rake in overflow inmates
When Swain County opened a new $10 million jail last fall with 109 beds — four times bigger than necessary…
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Veterans touch down in Washington for memorial visit
Two groups of Jackson County’s World War II veterans visited Washington, D.C.’s war memorial this year thanks to a project…
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Cataloochee Resort developer says retail component viable
Jimmy and Keith Leatherwood were always glad to see the developers of Cataloochee Wilderness Resorts walk in to their local…
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Waynesville’s South Main presents a vexing problem
Sounds like Waynesville’s leaders heard just what they expected last week regarding South Main Street — many people feel many…
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Empty jail beds fuel feud between Swain sheriff, county
The new Swain jail costs the county $610,000 a year more than the old jail: $450,000 in debt payments and…
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Life in the richest place on earth
When Jim Lowe strikes out on his twice-monthly foray to check insect traps in the Smokies, he never knows just…
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Don West’s affinity for Appalachia
A Hard Journey by James J. Lorence. University of Illinois Press, 2009. 344 pages. Once on a warm, summer afternoon…
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Loss of Hazelwood manufacturer marks the end of an era
When Mary Ann Enloe was growing up in the blue-collar hub of Hazelwood, she didn’t know anyone with an alarm…
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