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Recommended diversions
Ebay Egad, it’s more addictive than heroin. My family always had a penchant for what some might refer to as…
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Child’s Play: Swain youth is champion picker
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer At age 12, Seth Taylor is a quiet, tanned, tow-headed boy. He seems well…
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A Melange of murder and myth
If you have a TV, you probably know that the film version of Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel is scheduled for…
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Blue Ridge banking on cool cartons
The war on soft drink vending machines in schools has found an unexpected ally in Haywood County. Blue Ridge Paper…
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Achtung Elf! Lessons in learning a foreign language
By Michael Beadle One thing that paralyzes American tourists about visiting foreign countries is the language barrier.
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Crafty, curious Codetalkers
By Chris Cooper To say that Col. Bruce Hampton has carved a colorful swath through the music industry is likely…
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Recommended diversions
A+ arts schools Call me biased, but Central Elementary School in downtown Waynesville is a great place. All three of…
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The Swiss experience
By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain News Writer Michael Beadle recently traveled to Europe. The following is the first…
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Discovering the dawn
In April I began working a few weekend hours in a bookshop in Asheville. Having operated my own bookstore for…
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Celebrating 10 years as an A+ school
By Michael Beadle Central Elementary School capped its 10-year anniversary as an A+ school Friday, May 19, with students, parents,…
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‘Not guilty’: Michelle Gibson freed after jury rejects second-degree murder, manslaughter charges
Michelle Gibson, a single mother charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 8-year-old son, Devin, was found not…
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One mother’s struggle: Gibson hits dead-end in quest to balance childcare and work
When Michelle Gibson showed up at her son’s second-grade classroom with balloons, ice cream and a decorated birthday cake signed…
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An outpouring of support
When Rose Smith read about the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy left in a car in the parking lot…
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Swain teacher fills vital role for Latino students
By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on some of the issues faced by…
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The ridge named blue
Last week, we reviewed current theories concerning the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains about 250 million years ago. And we…
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An encore for mama
By Joanne Meyer • Guest Columnist A soft, spring breeze wafted through the open window, sending a sheer, cafe curtain…
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Selling the library out for all the wrong reasons
Back last fall, about the time the Jackson County Library controversy mutated into an issue with all of the appeal…
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The test, and nothing but the test
I don’t bash public schools. My wife’s a teacher, my children have gotten a great education at these schools, and…
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Remembering the Mother Town
By Michael Beadle Kituhwa. To the Cherokee, it represents one of the most sacred sites in the world, the first…
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The phoenix has crashed
In 2005 the ivory-billed woodpecker rose from the ashes of extinction on the merits of an announcement from the Cornell…
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Recycling gets a boost in the Smokies
Thanks to a new recycling trailer, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closer to its goal of diverting half…
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Trout Unlimited: Brook trout need help
A report by Trout Unlimited documenting the continued decline of brook trout has given rise to concerns over water quality…
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The Naturalist's Corner — Thunderstorm
The other evening with toddler and infant asleep, my wife and I found ourselves alone as a thunderstorm rolled over…
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A gem from Charlotte’s crown
By Chris Cooper Some songwriters have the gift of saying volumes with very little. They don’t need to spell it…
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Quilting art: The Shady Ladies bring a new spin to an ancient craft with upcoming show
By Sarah Kucharski The Shady Ladies, a diverse group of quilters based in Haywood County, are gearing up for their…
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Recommended diversions
Mental Floss For those who love collecting trivia in bite-sized tidbits, look no further than Mental Floss magazine, the sugar-coated…
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Life in the (really) fast lane
By Michael Beadle Welcome to the Autobahn: land of the speedy, home of the brave. You have to be brave…
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Zeitgeist of Germany, circa 2006
By Michael Beadle Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain News Writer Michael Beadle recently traveled to Europe. The following is the second…
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Hard times and happy days
On March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office. Frank C. Davis, the author of My C.C.C. Days, says…
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Critics say FERC not tough enough on Duke
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s draft environmental assessment recommending removal of the Dillsboro…
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Macon superintendent departs amid harassment suit
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Macon County schools personnel director Tamra Tisdale has filed a sexual harassment suit against…
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Momentum builds to challenge TDA
Dissatisfaction among the Haywood County tourism industry with the way tourism tax dollars are spent has long been a constant…
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Sylva residents rate quality of life high
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer “Overall, citizens seem fairly satisfied with the quality of life in the town of…
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Doin’ the TDA shuffle: Haywood, Maggie Valley tourism entities ponder merger
A tug-of-war over the $600,000 in tourism tax money in Haywood County and how it is used to lure travelers…
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A world without end
Two weeks ago, we reviewed current theories about the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains about 250 million years ago, as…
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The art of the graduation speech
A few years ago, I was asked to give the keynote speech for an area high school’s graduation ceremony. At…
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Personal heart therapy with Homer Harris
I have found that not being able to hear in a crowded room is a constant frustration. Usually, when people…
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Making Jennings Randolph proud
Jennings Randolph does not leap from the pages of history. Perhaps he should. His likeness is not found on any…
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Gibson case highlights larger problems
When the jury came back with a not guilty verdict in the case against Michelle Gibson, many across the country…
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Confederates pushed road over Newfound Gap
On Jan. 12, 1864, a Confederate battery of artillery and about 650 men under the command of Gen. Robert B.…
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Steep Canyon Rangers pen song and music for Graveyard Fields
The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers gathered on the Blue Ridge Parkway this spring, instruments in hand, to…
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Libraries bring science and nature to life for kids
Libraries across the mountains are in summer mode with a robust lineup of educational programs for kids. Special guests will…
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Get your race on with Haywood Waterways
Haywood Waterways is now selling “trout” to compete in their annual Trout Race held at 5 p.m. on June 22…
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Comments open on coyote hunting in red wolf territory
Comments are open regarding a proposed prohibition on coyote hunting in a five-county area in northeastern North Carolina. The area…
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Foraging field day in Cashiers
Famed Asheville forager Alan Muskat will answer all your burning questions about forest foods during the next installment of the…
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Synchronous fireflies draw thousands to the Smokies
It’s a little after 7 p.m. when the first trolley shows up to Elkmont Campground. Green, red and yellow, the…
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Old West comes alive in Enger novel
If you love epic tales that celebrate the American West; if you treasure novels like Trail of the Lonesome Dove,…
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