More employees are leaving their positions than prior to the pandemic, but the spike in departures seen in fiscal year 2022 has fallen in 2023. WCU graph
 

Employee retention improving at WCU

The massive employee turnover  Western Carolina University has seen over the past two years is now trending downward, but the…
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Former WCU player’s gift supports athletics facilities improvements
 

Former WCU player’s gift supports athletics facilities improvements

A former two-time Western Carolina University Academic All-American football player wants to help ensure that future Catamount student-athletes have similar experiences. 
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United Christian Ministries welcomes new director
 

United Christian Ministries welcomes new director

United Christian Ministries of Jackson County has appointed a new Executive Director.  Ann Selby replaced retiring Director, Karen Johnson.
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Credit Union named to list of Great Employers
 

Credit Union named to list of Great Employers

Champion Credit Union announced it has been named to the Great Employers to Work for in North Carolina 2023 list…
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Jill Ellern, SCC’s Director of Healthcare Simulation Learning, shows Nursing student Mandy Tessin how to use some of the new virtual reality headsets.
 

SCC lands Dogwood Health Trust grant

To help create a pipeline of future health care workers for the region, Dogwood Health Trust has awarded a $500,000…
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Community Foundation awards scholarships
 

Community Foundation awards scholarships

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) recently approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools…
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Human Services grads honored in SCC pinning ceremony
 

Human Services grads honored in SCC pinning ceremony

Five new graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Human Services Technology (HST) program are ready to help address the opioid and…
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School implements recycling program
 

School implements recycling program

A recent collaboration between Junaluska Elementary fifth graders, Haywood Community College students and Haywood County Solid Waste and Recycling will…
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WCU collaborates with Cherokee on exhibit planning project
 

WCU collaborates with Cherokee on exhibit planning project

A campuswide and community driven project will soon be underway to recenter Cherokee history and culture on Western Carolina University’s…
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Supporting a free press is, well, patriotic
 

Supporting a free press is, well, patriotic

The cookouts are over, the red, white and blue decorations are coming off the patios and tables and are being…
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Plastics everywhere — should we be worried?
 

Plastics everywhere — should we be worried?

A baby whale washed up on a beach. Eighty-eight pounds of plastics were found in its stomach. Should we care? 
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Being mindful of Mother Nature’s gifts
 

Being mindful of Mother Nature’s gifts

Lately we’ve been enjoying the hummingbirds each morning on our back deck.
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These stables were the staging ground for Pisgah View Ranch’s equestrian programs. Holly Kays photo
 

Building the vision: Pisgah View State Park aims for 2025 open

Harold McCarson isn’t surprised to see a deer standing in the road as he steps out of the familiar white…
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Crash debris is removed via helicopter Tuesday, June 27, near Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway. NPS photo
 

Plane crash debris removed from Browning Knob

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 27, the National Park Service airlifted the wreckage of a 1983 plane…
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A bridge across Virginia Route 130, shown in a 1958 photo, is among those slated for repair.  Blue Ridge Parkway Historic Photograph Collection
 

Bridge work planned for the Parkway

Over the coming weeks, maintenance work will begin on six bridges on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including two in the…
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Carolina Mountain Club trail maintenance volunteers get some work done. CMC photo
 

Celebrate a centennial

The Carolina Mountain Club is inviting the community to help celebrate its 100th birthday 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at…
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Max Patch restrictions extended
 

Max Patch restrictions extended

Restrictions on use at Max Patch in the Pisgah National Forest will remain in effect through June 30, 2026, extending…
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Haywood group campaigns to phase out single-use plastics
 

Haywood group campaigns to phase out single-use plastics

The Environmental Action Community of WNC is celebrating Plastic-Free July with an initiative encouraging all Haywood County restaurants, cafes and…
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WNC represented in conservation awards
 

WNC represented in conservation awards

Two Western North Carolina people and organizations were recognized in this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, presented by the N.C.…
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Delve into the world of rattlesnakes
 

Delve into the world of rattlesnakes

Free screenings of the wildlife documentary “RATTLED: Conserving Rattlesnakes in Appalachia” will be offered at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday,…
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Outdoor activities offered for youth
 

Outdoor activities offered for youth

Youth have multiple opportunities to get outdoors this month with a variety of events offered by Haywood County Recreation and…
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There are numerous species of St. John’s wort, all with different sizes and growth habits but with similarities in identification and medicinal use. Adam Bigelow photo
 

Notes from a plant nerd: St. John’s wort

Among the many plants that signify the start of summer, perhaps none is more showy than St. John’s wort (Hypericum…
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The top of Max Patch.
 

This must be the place: ‘Am I doing it right? It doesn’t matter, just keep telling the story’

Whether it’s Sunday evening, Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, I’m usually trying to sit down and write this here column.…
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Woodland Muse Crafts.
 

Woodland Muse: Reclaiming nature’s bounty

Artists Bill and Patricia Weinert channel their appreciation for the environment into collaborative works under the banner of Woodland Muse.
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Fourth of July at Lake Junaluska.
 

Fourth of July in the Smokies

Nothing says summer more than the Fourth of July, and in Western North Carolina, we celebrate Independence Day with gusto.…
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A kayak-view photo looks upstream from the paper mill site in Canton. Anna Alsobrook/MountainTrue photo
 

What’s left behind: Canton mill closure leaves complex environmental footprint

The paper mill has been closed for years now, but the cleanup is ongoing.
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Farm Labor, along with several farms the company represents is suing the Department of Labor over a new rule it says will cost the company upwards of $3 million per year.
 

Waynesville company sues Labor Department

Waynesville’s USA Farm Labor is suing the federal government in hopes of changing a new rule it claims will cost…
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Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners
 

Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners

The Macon County GOP is poised to take action against one of its precinct chairs, Rob Tolp, after he sent…
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The Crawford parcel off Ratcliff Cove Road, shown here in yellow, is just south of the Francis Farm landfill. Haywood GIS photo
 

School board approves property acquisition

The Haywood County School Board has approved the acquisition of a parcel of land off Ratcliff Cove Road for the…
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Plans for the new Franklin High School have been designed on the same site as the school currently stands. LS3P photo
 

Macon leaders sign agreement on high school

The Macon County Commission unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Macon County School Board this month concerning the…
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Jackson accepts grants to fund substance abuse recovery planning
 

Jackson accepts grants to fund substance abuse recovery planning

Jackson County has received a grant from Dogwood Health Trust to create a substance abuse recovery planning program over a…
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Kofi Lomotey has been an educator and administrator at every level of education, from preschool to college. Donated photo
 

WCU’s educator receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor John Bardo and Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, recently received…
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Red Cross announces summer blood drive
 

Red Cross announces summer blood drive

The American Red Cross will host its 36th annual Operation Blood Drive on Thursday, June 29, in Asheville, Hendersonville and Waynesville.
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Jackson reworks plans for domestic violence shelter
 

Jackson reworks plans for domestic violence shelter

Jackson County has had to rework the design for its domestic violence shelter after cost estimates came in well over…
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Harris and Swain Hospital names 2023 Mercy Award winner
 

Harris and Swain Hospital names 2023 Mercy Award winner

Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospital recently announced that Missi Bowman has been recognized as the facility’s 2023 Mercy Award…
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Haywood County Ambulance wrecked in rollover accident
 

Haywood County Ambulance wrecked in rollover accident

Around 6:30 a.m. June 22, a Haywood County ambulance based out of Bethel lost control on a curve in a…
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A new day dawns for young Melvin
 

A new day dawns for young Melvin

Melvin McLeod Trawick, our first grandchild, came into this world seven days ago.
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Quirkiness attracts, at least in my marriage
 

Quirkiness attracts, at least in my marriage

I have always been fascinated by and drawn to quirky people.
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Law-and-order Republicans are silent
 

Law-and-order Republicans are silent

To the Editor: It is truly disheartening to see the response of elected Republicans to the indictment of Donald Trump.…
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Tribal Council should show more respect
 

Tribal Council should show more respect

To the Editor: I am writing to say I am discouraged and disappointed by the behavior of some Tribal Council…
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Hope Morgan speaks to a group of elected officials, municipal staff, nonprofit leaders and  planners during a June 22 flood prevention meeting at Haywood Community College. Holly Kays photo
 

To forestall a flood: Statewide mapping effort aims to prevent future floods

With less than two years gone since Tropical Storm Fred destroyed lives and property  along the Pigeon River in Haywood…
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A turkey hunter poses after a successful hunt. Beau Leyse photo
 

Turkey season in 2023 brings record harvest

North Carolina’s five-week wild turkey season had its highest ever recorded harvest of 24,089 birds, surpassing the previous record of…
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MountainTrue Western Regional Director Callie Moore takes a water sample from Lake Nottely in  Union County, Georgia. MountainTrue photo
 

Water monitoring available for local swim holes

Make sure the water’s clean before taking a swim using the Swim Guide app, a resource offering a weekly update…
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Event to focus on reducing plastic pollution
 

Event to focus on reducing plastic pollution

A community conversation about reducing plastic pollution will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at Grace Episcopal Church…
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Bill Jacobs sits on the lower Whiteside Mountain overlook. Donated photo
 

Journey through time with a geologist

Geologist and author Bill Jacobs will discuss the captivating geologic history of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during a free lecture at…
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The project included replacing portions of the roof. NPS photo
 

Walker Sisters Cabin reopens

After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is…
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Dr. Matthew Gray (left) and his students enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville commandeer a picnic table to conduct salamander sampling  in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. NPS photo
 

Word from the Smokies: An annual checkup for salamanders

Pay a visit to Chimneys Picnic Area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the first days of spring,…
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Comment

Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners
 

Macon GOP precinct chair threatens to censure four Republican commissioners

The Macon County GOP is poised to take action against one of its precinct chairs, Rob Tolp, after he sent…
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Comment

Students stand outside for a group photo in front of the Cherokee Boarding School. The Indian Child Welfare Act was created to combat decades of policies aimed at separating Native American children from their culture, often through enrolling them in boarding schools. Hunter Library/WCU photo
 

Supreme Court's Indian Child Welfare Act ruling preserves tribal sovereignty

Native American tribes across the country are celebrating after a June 15 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court struck down…
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Cherokee Central Schools. File photo
 

Cherokee Schools water damage repair to total ‘many millions’

T The Cherokee Tribal Council has approved $7.6 million for water damage repairs at Cherokee Central Schools, but that’s expected…
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