Archived (30103)
Children categories
DA candidates spar over work, family and gender
The race for top prosecutor over the seven counties between assistant district attorneys Jim Moore and Ashley Welch has grown…
Read More
District attorney candidate accused of mishandling extradition order
A Tennessee man in a wheelchair accused of helping bury a dead body in a barrel has emerged as an…
Read More
Franklin passes resolution to keep Nikwasi, allow Cherokee maintenance
Franklin leaders made their intention to keep Nikwasi Mound in town possession clear this week, rejecting a formal call from…
Read More
Library proponents unveil a visual
The new Swain County library isn’t a reality yet — except in the minds of the true believers. Last week,…
Read More
2014 Election: Snapshot of U.S. House race in WNC
About the race: This used to be a toss-up district, but clever redrawing of voting boundaries by the Republican-led legislature…
Read More
Election 2014: Legislative races, a primer
N.C. House of Representatives, seat 118 Is this my state rep? Yes, if you live in Madison and Yancey counties…
Read More
2014 District Attorney election primer
Do I vote in this race? Yes, if you live anywhere in the seven western counties.
Read More
Still time if you hurry
I’ve been on the Blue Ridge Parkway the last couple of weekends and have made it a point to stop…
Read More
Gardening Grant helps at the Open Door
A pair of grants from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will help improve water resources in Haywood…
Read More
Road and trail closure
• Ball Creek Road, a U.S. Forest Service road that begins at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and ends at Upper Nantahala…
Read More
Do you like elk?
Cataloochee hike to feature elk and history A full-day hike Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the Cataloochee Valley area of the…
Read More
Fall programs in the Smokies
A lineup of fall interpretive programs is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will run through the end of…
Read More
Brook trout to join the license plate lineup
There’s a new specialty license plate coming soon: the brook trout plate.
Read More
Declining bat populations force Smokies cave closure
White-nosed bat syndrome is marching west, and as a result the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed the Whiteoak…
Read More
Training program partners Smokies and Southeast Asian parks
Cambodia and Thailand might be on the other side of the world from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but…
Read More
A dry September means fall color forecast is looking up
The outlook for a bright leaf season is improving, as Western Carolina University fearless fall foliage forecaster Kathy Mathews has…
Read More
Timbersports team chops its way toward season opener
Orange chaps clipped around their legs, Rankin Fender and Zac O’Connor square off inside the sawdust-and-bark-filled woodshed at Haywood Community…
Read More
The end is near — now what?
When the novel, The Leftovers came out several years ago, it was an immediate success. (Oprah gave it a significant boost…
Read More
Want to learn how to make a gingerbread house?
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Bakery will offer a How To Create A Gingerbread House seminar at…
Read More
Open call for Bryson City Chili Cook-Off
The 24th annual Bryson City Chili Cook-Off will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Depot.
Read More
Sylva celebrates its quasquicentennial
The Town of Sylva will hold its 125th anniversary celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, in…
Read More
Canton’s Colonial Theatre receives international praise
The historic Colonial Theatre in downtown Canton has been nominated for a Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association…
Read More
Minick brings folk, country to Strand
Folk/rock/country singer Chris Minick will perform at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.
Read More
This must be the place
Claire Lynch likes to blur lines. Born and raised in Upstate New York, she eventually moved away, crossing the Mason-Dixon…
Read More
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…
Read More
Let’s show real respect for teachers
By Jim Hunt • Guest Columnist Earlier this year, I called for a state commitment to raise teacher pay to…
Read More
Let your voice be heard at the ballot box
To the Editor: By this means I thank N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, for presenting the fracking forum in Macon…
Read More
Fracking debate needs more research, facts
To the Editor: The letter writer on fracking in the Sept. 17-23 issue of The Smoky Mountain News appears to…
Read More
Why textbooks matter even now
To the Editor: Although Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, and his fellow Republicans Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and Rep. Michele Presnell,…
Read More
Fracking is a ticking time bomb
To the Editor: As someone with 25-plus years of experience in water and wastewater equipment design, manufacture and installation, I…
Read More
Burning the couch and chair, now that’s practical
Tammy is out in the yard burning the couch. There is no telling where this will end. All by herself,…
Read More
A conversation with Ty Pennington
Ty Pennington is a celebrity carpenter best known for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” a show that involved lightning-quick remodels of…
Read More
Community rallies for three-day makeover of Hazelwood prison
It was a scene that any fan — or casual viewer — of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” would find familiar.…
Read More
N.C. House candidates Queen and Clampitt draw distinctions during debate
N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, and Republican challenger Mike Clampitt are on a similar mission. Each is trying to…
Read More
Cullowhee development standards have been drawn up; will the community buy-in?
Cullowhee is the fastest growing area of Jackson County. The growth owes much to Western Carolina University and is evidenced…
Read More
Macon approves final school officer position
All 11 Macon County schools will now have their own school resource officer, called an SRO, after county commissioners voted…
Read More
Dillsboro sells Duke property to Jackson County
The quiet, early morning streets of Dillsboro seemed still asleep as the town board ambled in. They arrived one by…
Read More
Swain sees three-way race for sheriff
With Election Day nearing, Odel Chastain seemed pretty relaxed. “I’m sitting on my porch with my feet thrown up, watching…
Read More
Jackson candidates drill down on fracking
The three Democratic challengers in the Jackson County commissioners race took the sitting commissioners to task for their inaction on…
Read More
Game on: Jackson commissioner candidates go to the mat in three-on-three race
Three challengers for Jackson County commissioner opened with a strong offensive charge at a candidate debate last week, rarely letting…
Read More
District attorney race pits colleagues against each other
Jim Moore and Ashley Welch have been on the same team for years, working side-by-side in the district attorney’s office…
Read More
A prolific year for buckeye productions
A large buckeye tree overhangs and supports the swinging gate leading into our property. Thereby, we have the opportunity to…
Read More
Timbersports team to take on competition
Chopping, sawing, axe throwing, tree climbing, log rolling and more will be on tap during an intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet Saturday,…
Read More
Forestry to Forest Festival coming up at Cradle of Forestry
The Cradle of Forestry’s Forest Festival Day will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. More than…
Read More
Smokies celebrates Wilderness Act
Ed Zahniser, son of the man who was widely regarded as the father of the Wilderness Act, will speak at…
Read More
NOC recognized as top 100
Outdoor USA Magazine named Nantahala Outdoor Center, located outside Bryson City, as one of the top 100 outdoor specialty retailers…
Read More
Franklin loves the AT, and the AT loves Franklin
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy recently recognized a passel of Franklin businesses and organizations for their support of the Appalachian Trail,…
Read More
A bevy of 5K’s this fall
As the weather cools down, the competitive edge will be heating up in the running communities of Western North Carolina…
Read More
Down by the water: Waynesville Rec gets busy with $25,000 worth of paddling equipment
“I’m gonna mark the spot with an X, right here,” says Tim Petrea, program supervisor for the Waynesville Parks and…
Read More
A realist writer examines uncomfortable topics
“Evil is no more at an end than History, and so long as there are men there will be no…
Read More
