Elk rutting season underway in Smokies
The annual elk breeding season, known as the rut, is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rut can be exciting to witness, but it can also be dangerous, as elk are especially unpredictable during this time.
Bear appetites at seasonal high
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advises that black bears’ eating behavior changes in the late summer through fall. They significantly increase their food consumption to prepare for the colder months when natural food is less available. It’s called hyperphagia and it means “extreme appetite.” Which means they are on the search.
Ethics training can be worthwhile
To the Editor:
It was reported in The Smoky Mountain News on Aug. 5 that Jackson County Commissioner John Smith’s completion of a statutorily required ethics training within a year of being elected was in question.
The basis of moral behavior is innate
To the Editor:
What I dislike about the American Christian Right is what I dislike about Jeff Minick’s book review in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News, which is less a book review as it is a chance for Mr. Minick to display his own religious views using the passages he quotes from the book as support.
Partner content: Weekend Consistency vs Weekend Binge Behavior
We probably all know people who claim they have been “bad” over the weekend. Often that means all of their typical food/beverage and activity/exercise habits are thrown out the window. Instead they may skip meals, eat more than normal or eat and drink foods and beverages they might not normally consume.
Teaching manners and other life skills
Recently I had the opportunity to speak by phone with writer and podcaster Jennifer L. Scott. The author of the Madame Chic books — “Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris” was the first — Scott is as delightful a conversationalist as we might expect, witty, thoughtful and easily given to laughter.
