To the Editor:

After the proliferation of so-called THCa weed  —  weed harvested according to Trump’s farm bill to have less than 0.3% delta 9 THC at time of harvest, which experienced smokers will know is weed harvested early and therefore not fit to smoke —  finding herb in Western North Carolina has been more than a challenge. 

To the Editor:

I was in my 20s in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Legislative and legal decisions this year brought back memories from those days, and not pleasant ones.

O Zito, O Zito, wherefore art thou, Zito? In case you didn’t know, the phrase “wherefore art thou” is fancy Shakespeare talk for “why?” Which brings us to the point. Why, Zito. Why? 

It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for water-lovers in Western North Carolina.

After more than a decade of hydropower relicensing negotiations and years more of permitting and construction, Duke Energy is finishing a slate of river accesses that will make the Tuckasegee one of the most accessible rivers in the Southeast. At the same time, a collective effort to create an interactive map showing where and how to recreate on Western North Carolina waterways — using a tool called Smoky Mountain Blueways — is wrapping up, further boosting WNC’s future as a Mecca for outdoors lovers of all skill levels.