SMN staff

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Drought conditions are the best they’ve been in a month, according to the latest map from the Drought Management Advisory Council, with recent rains wiping out the extreme drought conditions that had affected 13 western counties. 

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Go behind the scenes with snowmaking at Cataloochee Ski area with field trips offered Tuesday, Jan. 23, and Tuesday, Feb. 13. 

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The Wildlife in North Carolina Photo Competition is now open, accepting entries until 5 p.m. Jan. 31, 2024. 

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A namesake has been chosen for the $2 million greenhouse the Southern Highlands Reserve in Lake Toxaway is building to propagate red spruce trees for replanting on the landscape. 

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Students in Western Carolina University’s interior design program soon will have access to new experiential learning opportunities thanks to a $75,000 gift from a woman whose 40-year career in the profession got its start at WCU. 

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On Thursday, Nov. 30, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Team held a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony for the American Museum of the House Cat. 

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Henderson County resident Michele Woodhouse has been reelected as chair of the North Carolina Republican Party’s 11th Congressional District after stepping down from the post late in 2021.

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Three surveys from Mountain Projects that aim to help the nonprofit develop a housing plan, identify housing projects that will meet the community’s needs and provide information to pursue funding through state, federal and private sources is now open. 

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The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles’ license plate agency in Jackson County will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 15. 

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 This holiday season, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program joins local and state law enforcement to urge drivers against impaired driving. 

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According to a study published last month in the scientific journal Animal Conservation, wild red wolves in eastern North Carolina had a significant ecological impact prior to their dramatic decline in recent years. 

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A 2.5-year-old female white-tailed deer harvested during firearm season in Franklin County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, an always-fatal illness affecting cervids like deer and elk. This marks the county’s first case of CWD. 

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Cataloochee Ski Area offers discounted rates for youth and adults to explore the slopes and hone their skills with several program offerings this winter. 

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The racing season is back at Cataloochee Ski Area, starting in January for ages 8 through adult. 

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Through Jan. 13, farmers, forest landowners and ranchers who have experienced discrimination in farm lending from the U.S. Department of Agriculture can apply for financial assistance. 

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Friends of the Cherokee National Forest, a new nonprofit based in Knoxville, aims to become a driving force in preserving one of the region’s most cherished landscapes. 

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On Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, Haywood County Sheriff’s deputies from the Criminal Suppression Unit located and arrested Tyler James Ponder, 35, of Canton, North Carolina on four counts each of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. 

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Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that Dr. Allison Johnson was named Preceptor of the Year by the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM).

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Creeping along the forest floor is a group of native plants that look like mosses, but aren’t mosses.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park  has lifted a burn ban that’s been in effect for weeks amid drought conditions and an active wildfire season. 

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After 20 years of living only in captivity, the federally endangered magnificent ramshorn has been returned to the wild. 

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County governments and conservation nonprofits have until Dec. 18 to apply for farmland preservation grants from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. 

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Drake Fowler, deputy executive director at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, has been named president of the N.C. Chapter of the American Association of Landscape Architect. He will serve a one-year term leading the organization.

Fowler joined the Arboretum during 2015 as chief operations officer and chief financial officer and assumed his current post in 2019. He has been instrumental in the recent $2 million renovation and expansion of parking; overseeing the design and implementation of the $1.2 Willow Pond project that is a stormwater management, education and conservation initiative that protects the rare mole salamander; and programming of future improvements at the Arboretum’s Parkway entrance.  

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Family farms across the region are eligible for emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service Agency due to damage or losses from drought occurring this fall. 

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Western North Carolina is well represented in the more than $15 million recently awarded to protect working farms and forests, support county farmland preservation efforts and promote agricultural enterprises. 

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Mountain BizWorks has named eight outdoor businesses that have been selected for the fifth cohort of its annual Waypoint Accelerator Program, which offers targeted support and resources for promising early-stage outdoor businesses. 

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More than 500,000 North Carolinians stand to gain free health coverage in the coming months. 

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 The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation announced that Charlotte Muir has been appointed as its new executive director. The announcement comes following an extensive nationwide search conducted by the Succession Planning Committee and approval from the Board of Directors. 

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A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside. 

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Held Sunday, Nov. 12, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cades Cove Loop Lope raised more than $110,000 to support the park. 

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Winter Gary has been appointed interim executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation as the organization works through a leadership transition after Charlotte Muir left for an executive director position with the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation. 

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Check out Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with a group leaving from the Waynesville Recreation Department at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. 

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Newly released economic data measuring the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy shows that, despite ongoing economic challenges, the industry continues to be a powerful driver in North Carolina. 

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Registration opens Dec. 1 for a program offering discounted rates to ski and snowboard Cataloochee Ski Area on Friday nights this season. 

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A visual exploration of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail will be on display through Jan. 6, 2024, at The Bascom in Highlands. 

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Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort. 

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Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park in Canton. 

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After canvassing, the vote count is official, with Brad Waldrop, Mark Jones and Blitz Estridge winning seats on the Sylva Town Council, in addition to incoming Mayor Johnny Phillips. 

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Lakeview Drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City is now open, but rehabilitation work on the road is still ongoing. 

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Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 2 and 9, for the 26th year running to practice his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound. 

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The No Man’s Land Film Festival, the premier all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center in Asheville at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, and it will also stream online. 

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More than 67,000 pounds of trout will be stocked in the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina between Nov. 29 and Dec. 21, including locations in Jackson, Macon, Buncombe and Transylvania counties. 

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North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter reach historic lows, according to the latest update of the “Air Quality Trends in North Carolina” report published by the N.C. Division of Air Quality. 

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Celebrate the Pigeon River Watershed during Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership meeting and holiday dinner 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. 

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The committee responsible for advising on U.S. Forest Service recreation fees is looking for new members. 

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Through Nov. 28 agricultural employers can apply for grants through a pilot program designed to improve the resilience of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face.

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Meet Santa at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County at one of three events coming up next month. 

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During the month of November, military members and veterans can receive a discount on tree seedling orders from the N.C. Forest Service. 

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The Nantahala Hiking Club will recognize outstanding volunteers during its annual awards banquet 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. 

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A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. 

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