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Living in fear of ... everything
It started over a discussion about the merits of that sanitizing gel that is now so often found in restrooms,…
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Time apparently not right for casino alcohol sales
The proposal to hold a referendum on whether alcohol could be sold at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino was withdrawn before it…
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Storytime just didn’t work out for me
By Stephanie Wampler One day last year, I had high hopes for a glorious time at the library. I envisioned…
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There were valid reasons for Horton’s departure
(Editor’s note: Haywood County Manager Jack Horton tendered his resignation to the board of commissioners on Jan. 3. The three…
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Cherokee reels in North Carolina Casting Championships
Top fly and bass fishermen will be coming to Cherokee to show off their skills at the North Carolina Casting…
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Bird nerds unite
I learned, when I worked full-time for the Smoky Mountain News, that it helps if newspaper writers are thick-skinned. It…
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Two-wheel motion: Long-time mechanic opens bikeshop
A new cycling shop opened in Waynesville just in the nick of time for Bob Gatis. The notion recently struck…
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Ordinary World: twisted, welcome catharsis
By Chris Cooper When the bio sheet for a band arrives with the greeting “Dear Pop Revivalists,” I feel a…
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Recommended diversions
A Soldier of the Great War Recently a friend recommended this book to my 17-year-old son as a sort of…
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The Sounds and the stories
By Michael Beadle In gathering the performers who would help make the Sounds of Jackson County a reality, organizers invited…
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The sounds of Jackson County: Landmark collection of local performers bands together for Jackson County library fundraising event
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Backstage at Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, the rehearsal room buzzed…
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Western counties celebrate hospital sale
A visiting team from LifePoint Hospital network made the rounds to their newly acquired hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain…
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State budget provides raise for teachers: Critics say raise is ‘phony’
It took nearly two months of conferencing, but a state budget bill is finally passed and signed. At the heart…
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Record enrollment expected as WCU classes begin
The Western Carolina University community is making preparations to welcome what is expected to be a record number of students…
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Franklin, Forest Hills pass fracking resolutions
Two more local governments in Western North Carolina have passed resolutions opposing fracking this month. Franklin and Forest Hills are…
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Hagan visits Cherokee, touts Native American Children Act
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan visited the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation Aug. 6, meeting with Chief Michell Hicks, Vice…
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Whiteside cell tower off table
The cell phone tower proposed for the Whiteside Cove area is off the table for now. Verizon has “indefinitely suspended”…
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Haywood’s detergent war: Schools opt for EcoLab over local supplier
A Haywood County businessman who has historically supplied dishwasher detergent and rinse agent for Haywood County school cafeterias lost his…
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A concessionaire’s conundrum: Pisgah Inn owner hoping NPS contract renewal yields 10 more years of local ownership
By mid-August, there’s already a chill in the air outside Pisgah Inn. Employees and experienced guests walk around in pants…
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Pitching ‘Play On’: Jackson considers who to woo and how
The type of visitors being eyed by Jackson County tourism officials fall into various categories. Each one of those “types”…
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Round three: Haywood County takes on political adversary in property value dispute
A challenger in the Haywood County commissioner race lost ground last week in a fight with the county over his…
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The Golden Mouse: A Children’s Poem for Adults
Editor’s note: George Ellison’s column this week is a sort of fable based on one of the seldom-seen (almost mythical)…
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Runner jogs the Parkway to raise funds, awareness
A Winston-Salem man is hoping to set a record for a good cause with his plan to run the entire…
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Road improvement to close Black Balsam
A popular trail access area and jumping off point for the Shining Rock Wilderness area at Balsam Road will be…
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Jackson market celebrates tomatoes and 100 years of Cooperative Extension
This year’s Taste of the Market celebration at Jackson County Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 16 in…
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Grant helps Waynesville Parks and Rec get paddling
A $25,000 Pigeon River Fund grant will help the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department purchase kayaking supplies to add paddling…
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Cataloochee documentary to screen in Jackson
The historical documentary film Cataloochee will be shown at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,…
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Breakaway breezes into year five
More than 400 riders will push off from Lake Junaluska Aug. 16 for the fifth year of the Blue Ridge…
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Tailgate Market to celebrate kids’ love of watermelon
The watermelons will take over Aug. 16 at the Original Waynesville Tailgate Market’s August Kids Corner Market.
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DuPont mountain bike rides and trail runs to help the trails
A Save the Trails ride and run through DuPont State Forest will be held Aug. 23 to help Pisgah Area…
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Summer in the park a win-win
A handful of teachers, high school and college students recently completed a program designed to teach them about the Great…
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Friends of the Smokies telethon to air
Friends of the Smokies will take to the silver screen from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, for the…
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If you can float it, you can boat it: Franklin Rotary spearheads RiverFest on the Little Tennessee
When Franklin RiverFest’s Anything That Floats Raft Regatta kicks off Aug. 23, Warren Cabe hopes to see the Franklin Fire…
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Novel explores life in Chairman Mao’s China
After running into numerous critical references to this little novel, which has won a series of international awards and has…
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State gives lip service to fracking concerns
To the Editor: The Johnny-come-lately public hearing on fracking scheduled by the N.C. Mining and Energy Commission (MEC) at Western…
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Cell towers, fracking, and food trucks
To the Editor: First, kudos to Gerald Green and the Jackson County Planning Council for requiring Verizon to use cell…
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Is torture an aberration or a trend?
By Doug Wingeier • Columnist Based on actual events, the movie “The Railway Man” tells the story of how British…
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Craft beer fest returns to Waynesville
The Waynesville Craft Beer Faire will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the American Legion…
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In search of the best sweet potato recipe
The 40th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, at Western Carolina University. The event will once…
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Masters of Illusion come to Harrah’s
The Masters of Illusion’s Believe The Impossible professional magic showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at…
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WCU Big Birthday Bash celebrates 125 years
Western Carolina University’s 125th anniversary Big Birthday Bash will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the…
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Music, animals and fun return to Haywood fair
The 2014 Haywood County Fair will be held Aug. 19-24 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Lake Junaluska. Bingo will…
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This must be the place
He was beloved by all who knew him. Richard Coker embodied the spirit of Appalachia. As a co-owner of the Cataloochee…
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So funky you can smell it
Who the hell are those guys? It’s a question constantly asked about Porch 40, a Sylva-based funk/rock outfit barreling out…
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Creation or evolution: an age old debate
As the nation debates the role of creation and evolution in the classroom, a research paper assigned in a 10th-grade…
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Cashiers residents form civic group
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Members of the Cashiers area are organizing a new civic association to direct the…
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Grassroots organizing
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer As residents in the Cashiers area pull together to address their community’s needs through…
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Town will be forced to make adjustments
Waynesville’s residents have long reaped the benefits of the town’s electricity enterprise — a sideline business that was making $1.2…
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Waynesville could be hostage to Progress Energy prices
Two years ago, the future of Waynesville’s electric system — a lucrative cash cow for the town — was turned…
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Where did we come from? Student perspectives vary
As judges and lawyers, politicians and lobbyists, and parents and school officials debate the place of evolution and creationism in…
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