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Common ash tree deserves more attention
“How many thousand-thousand of untold white ash trees are the respected companions of our doorways, kindliest trees in the clearing…
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A new voice for Southern Appalachian fiction
To review a book or to write a “book review” is to pinpoint its particular presence and its peculiarities. To…
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Cherokee docudrama reveals untold history: Author takes on directing, producing and composing
Nadia Dean has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to telling a story. It’s a historical account of…
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Gatekeeper to the Smokies: Longtime Western Carolina University Head of Special Collections retires
I was five minutes late. Trying to track down a parking spot outside the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University…
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Rezoning request packs Maggie meeting
There wasn’t an empty seat in the house when the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen met for its public budget…
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Shelter at bear attack site now open
Nearly a month after an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker found his night interrupted by an attacking bear, the backcountry shelter in…
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Rev. Barber preaches love at Sylva rally
Following the recent shooting in Orlando that left 50 dead and more injured, Dr. Rev. William Barber’s keynote address to…
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Haywood School Board restores funding for music, sports
Although the closing of Central Elementary School was met with cheers, jeers, and even a lawsuit, its recent closure is…
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Waynesville board works to plug budget hole
A sparsely-attended special meeting held June 7 at the Waynesville Town Hall was meant to serve as a public hearing…
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Business leaders honored at Chamber dinner
Each year the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce honors local businesses and leaders for their contributions to the community during…
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Defendants in pay raises case ask for dismissal
About 20 tribal members filled the audience benches in Cherokee Tribal Court last week, watching the first court hearing in…
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Taxes remain steady, highest in county, in proposed Canton budget
The Canton Board of Aldermen took another three hours June 9 to conduct a required public hearing on the 2016-17…
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Can bold proposals remake Canton?
The Canton Town Board is considering proposals that could boost Canton’s appeal to residents and tourists alike — especially those…
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Jackson County prepares offer for new manager
The finish line is in sight to choose a new county manager for Jackson County.
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Shelter advocacy group to hold awareness event
Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter will host a kickoff reception and informational session in support of the county’s…
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Largest indoor shooting range in WNC set to open soon
Work has begun on a controversial Haywood County indoor shooting range that had some residents at odds last winter.
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Bryson wins June 7 congressional primary
Democrat Rick Bryson will move on to run against U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows in the general election after narrowly winning…
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Sales tax to increase in Jackson
Nearly two-thirds of Jackson County voters who visited the polls last week said yes to a referendum question asking to…
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After investigation, casino board member will keep her seat
A casino board member who came under fire for possible “conduct unbecoming” of a public official will keep her post,…
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If this were the wild, he would already be gone
When next week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News hits the streets Wednesday, June 15, my youngest will be a…
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Finally got a tattoo, and it’s raising a few eyebrows
I got a tattoo a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t on a whim. I wasn’t intoxicated. I wasn’t in…
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Legislators passed smart coal ash plan
To the Editor: This is a critical time for our community and all North Carolinians. Decisions being made right now…
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Let’s build animal shelter to do the job adequately
To the Editor: I am seeing and hearing various opinions about the need for a new animal shelter in Haywood…
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Trump’s ‘nativism’ is just frightening
To the Editor: For one who has never held an elected office, Donald Trump is a brilliant politician. His TV…
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Hilarious and serious; two different summer reads
Novels that make me laugh aloud are rare. Two novels, Confederacy of Dunces and Freddy and Fredericka, brought laughter, and…
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Keep your salamander away from my newt
I often remind everyone who reads “The Naturalist’s Corner” to remember to look up. But each spring while surveying birds…
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Stories, salad and wildflowers: Plants a passion for Bigelow
Adam Bigelow bears down on the gas pedal of his biodiesel-fueled Jetta, urging it up the steep contours of the…
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Go all-out with Lake Logan races
The Lake Logan Multisport Festival will bring in athletes galore for the 11th year running with its lineup of events…
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Moral Monday comes to the mountains
The Jackson County Branch of the NAACP will host more than a dozen like-minded Western North Carolina organizations in Sylva…
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NAACP gains ground in WNC communities
Katherine Bartel has a long list of reasons why a NAACP branch started in Haywood County a couple of years…
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Local leader represents NAACP’s changing face
As an associate professor of physics at Western Carolina University who specializes in astronomy, Dr. Enrique Gomez may be used…
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Swain aims to avoid tax hike
As Swain County continues to struggle with a decrease in funding from several revenue sources, commissioners hope to pass a…
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Swain’s public pool needs expensive repairs to stay open
While it may not be an immediate need in the upcoming budget, the swimming pool at the Swain County Recreation…
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Cherokee council considers revoking part of former vice chief’s will
The widow of a former Vice Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians may be out of a home…
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$30,000 to expanding businesses provided in Macon
Macon County commissioners have agreed to provide $30,000 toward an economic development project that promises to create 35 new jobs…
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Macon works toward middle ground on school funding
Macon County Schools Superintendent Chris Baldwin came before the county commissioners last week to plead his case for additional funding…
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Planning under way for new science building at WCU
With the N.C. Connect bond passed, Western Carolina University is moving forward with plans to bring a $110 million natural…
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Patience on Canton paving project ‘a virtue’
For the past few months, downtown Canton’s long-awaited repaving and streetscaping projects seemed to be cruising right along in the…
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Quixotic opposition to gun ordinance fails, sort of?
For 21 years, firearms have not been permitted on any county-owned property, except for law enforcement officers on duty. Almost…
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Shelter proposal moves forward
If you’re for the proposed new Haywood County Animal Services facility, it’s called an “animal shelter,” deadpanned Haywood County Commissioner…
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Harris Regional asks county to slash the hospital’s tax value
When Jackson County sent out bucketloads of mail this spring announcing new values for every property in its borders, Harris…
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Stakes high in tax dispute with Haywood hospital
A dispute over how much Haywood Regional Medical Center owes in county property taxes is headed for a showdown this…
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Will the row over hospitals’ property taxes go the distance?
Haywood and Jackson counties could have a long road ahead in their property tax disputes with Duke LifePoint, which owns…
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GALLERY: Ghost Town property going on the market
After attempting to revamp the mountaintop amusement park for several years, Alaska Presley has decided to sell Ghost Town in…
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The legend of the Boojum
Celebrating the lore and legend of the “Boojum,” the inaugural Boojum Festival & Hunt will be June 10-12 in Canton.
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Sylva art gallery opening
The Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JCVAA) will hold its “Grand Opening” gallery show from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday,…
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This must be the place
Yeah, it’s true. I had originally planned to be a teacher. When I was thinking about what I wanted to…
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Brotherhood through bluegrass: Balsam Range singer and Nashville songwriter release solo work
Within the realm of melodic creativity, one word emerges — collaboration. It’s the act of bringing resources together, whether it…
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