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Evergreen negotiations ‘worked out fine’
Evergreen Packaging has been in talks with its employees since the spring, trying to hammer out a new contract. This…
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County votes ‘yes’ on hospice grant
Hospice House of WNC passed a hurdle in its fundraising effort when the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted to…
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Folkmoot gets $25,000 donation
Folkmoot USA got some cash toward its expansion of education programs with a $25,000 donation from Wells Fargo & Company. …
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Franklin, Macon County debate taxes on old town hall
When a property tax bill for the old town hall building showed up in the Town of Franklin’s mail, John…
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House 118th seat showdown
Hicks: Getting off the sidelines Dean Hicks is still a coach at heart. “I’m an old coach, I don’t want to…
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A day in the life: Sen. Jim Davis makes the rounds, confident of outcome
Editor’s note: The Smoky Mountain News spent a day on the campaign trail with Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, as he…
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A day in the life: A political newcomer finds her stride
Editor’s note: The Smoky Mountain News spent a day with Jane Hipps, a Democratic challenger running for the state Senate…
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Queen, Clampitt battle it out again
Election season is winding down to the finish line and both candidates in the N.C. House’s 119th District race are…
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Class warfare looms in debate over state tax reform
Tax reform was one of the top issues tackled by the new Republican majority in Raleigh last year, but voters…
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The GOP’s new normal in Raleigh — Are you for it or against it?
North Carolina has rarely seen an election where the candidates matter so little, but who wins matters so much. This…
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They do, too: Same-sex couples in WNC embrace new legal landscape
Jamie Kemper knew it’d happen. She just didn’t think it’d happen this quickly. “We thought it’d be a few years,”…
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Same-sex marriages cause Swain magistrate to resign
In the short walk from the doors of the Swain County Courthouse to the steps outside it, a couple of…
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WCU faculty to discuss Ebola crisis risk and response at Nov. 4 event
A panel of Western Carolina University faculty members, including an environmental health professor who has studied the spread and control…
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New roof for Waynesville middle
Waynesville Middle School is set to get a new roof, following a vote by Haywood County Commissioners to approve a…
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Clean water grants fund WNC projects
Western North Carolina won big in the newest round of grants from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The…
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Bryson fly shop to hold grand opening
Tuckaseegee Fly Shop, a new Bryson City business offering the town’s only full service fly shop, will hold its grand…
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Stocking cancelled in three Jackson lakes
Three lakes in Jackson County will go without trout stocking this fall due to low water levels stemming from maintenance…
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Year of the acorn in WNC
It looks like 2014 will go into the history books as “The Year of the Acorn,” according to Friends of…
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What do you want from your national forest?
The U.S. Forest Service is holding the next round of public meetings on the Forest Management Plan for Pisgah and…
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Swain students tackle trash in the Big Sweep
Swain Middle School students in the New Century Scholars Program and the afterschool program volunteered to help remove over 45…
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Black Balsam Road reopens
Black Balsam Road is now open, restoring access to a popular trailhead and jumping off point for the Shining Rock…
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Lost or found? Viral article about ‘forgotten’ Smokies town raises eyebrows
A lot of people familiar with Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a surprise earlier this month when an article…
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Complicated, confusing and utterly fascinating
I am intimidated by this book. In fact, this is one of the most challenging reviews that I have ever undertaken.…
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Jackson art grant winners announced
The Jackson County Arts Council announces its grant recipients for the 2014-15 Grassroots Grants. The arts council is a Designated…
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Fine art and craft winners at ColorFest
ColorFest, the annual art and craft festival in Dillsboro, had around 4,000 attendees at this year’s event, which was held…
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‘Dracula’ creeps into Smoky Mountain Community Theatre
The fall production of Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and 27 and…
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Apple Harvest Fest in Waynesville
The Apple Harvest Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in downtown Waynesville. The…
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Sid the Science Kid rolls into Franklin
“Sid the Science Kid LIVE: Let’s Play!,” a stage production of the popular PBS Kids television show, will hit the…
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Air Supply to play Harrah’s
Soft rock megastars Air Supply will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
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Haywood Community Band presents ‘Americana’ concert
The Haywood Community Band will perform a concert of popular music evoking the heart of America at 6:30 p.m. Sunday,…
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Homecoming fires up WCU
The Catamount spirit will sweep Jackson County for Western Carolina University’s homecoming weekend, including a community pep rally and parade…
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Haywood Art Studio Tour
The Haywood Art Studio Tour will be from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 25-26.
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This must be the place
I’m alone, again. As of last Tuesday, I am newly single. To be honest, I’m not happy about that fact.…
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Just let the music play
If Norman Rockwell were alive today, he might have painted a record store. It’s as American and iconic as children…
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Support Sen. Jim Davis in the coming election
To the Editor: When I read letters to the editor demanding more government spending, it is clear many do not…
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Why isn’t GOP protecting property rights?
To the Editor: Republican leaders like Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, Rep. Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, and Rep. Roger West, R-Marble, voted to…
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In this election, vote for education
To the Editor: I am a 1953 graduate of Waynesville Township High School, received my undergraduate degree from Furman University…
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I’ve had enough of Donnie Earl Dipstick at 5 a.m.!
Though I will wear one sometimes as a “fashion statement,” on most days I do not wear a watch. I…
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Jackson commissioner candidates: The issues
Property Revaluations The hurt is coming. All the candidates agree, it won’t be pretty. In 2016, Jackson County will preform a…
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Showdown in Jackson
No one really knows how the Jackson County commissioner races are going to pan out. Incumbent Republican Commissioner Charles Elders…
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Education, tax rates on ballot in Macon
State issues are trickling down to the election debate surrounding the Macon County commissioners’ races. Three of the five seats…
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Ten vie for Haywood school board seats
With shrinking budgets, cries for higher teacher salaries and the struggle to keep test scores high while working with limited…
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Haywood trio seek to oust incumbents, reduce local government
Three challengers running for Haywood County commissioner are touting lower property taxes, a smaller budget, limited government, less regulation and…
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Haywood incumbents cite progressive, responsible leadership
Criticism over taxes and spending from the conservative arm of the local Republican Party is nothing new for Haywood County…
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Cullowhee community expresses reservations about planning at public forum
Up to now, the mood at many of the Cullowhee planning meetings and public forums was upbeat and positive —…
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Closest thing to flying: Cataloochee Ski Area helped Calhoun reach pinnacle of racing
Watching the 1960 Olympics on television, a young Keith Calhoun saw something that would forever change the course of his…
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Country crossroads: Boiling down the essence of humanity
Heading west out of Bryson City, just before the highway narrows into a twisting two-lane road, a small, ramshackle hut…
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Tasting local
Eating with integrity, living with gratitude. When family, friends and the curious alike wander into the Cork & Bean in…
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The heartbeat of a community
It never ceases to amaze Lorraine Conard. “It’s a little bit magical,” she said. “You walk in and there’s this…
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