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Battle over degrees at WCU could heat up
Western Carolina University is grappling with whether to cut unpopular or obsolete majors, posing a conundrum as it and other…
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Haywood settles into budget norm of making ends meet
Haywood County’s budget will increase by more than $2 million next fiscal year, but it will still be nearly that…
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Did that used to be a tree? The tragic legend of the ‘Hazelwood haircut’
It’s got more names than the Bible. The “round-over,” the “lollipop,” and the “bob” to name a few. No matter…
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Jackson did not spend $50,000 wisely
To the Editor: My first reaction to the county brand “Play On” was that it must be April 1. Quickly…
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Spend fund balance and cut property tax rate
To the Editor: Macon County commissioners can re-sponsibly reduce the property tax. The county manager’s proposed 2014 general fund budget…
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Legislative moves will harm rural N.C.
To the Editor: We are well into this Legislature’s session. The governor has put forward his budget. The Senate has proposed…
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The boys of summer are, after all, just that – boys
It was a great day for a picnic … or a baseball game. The sun hung there above the horizon…
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Sculptures installed in Cashiers
Nine sculptures were installed in The Village Green in Cashiers this past week in preparation for the opening of the…
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Festival celebrates Cherokee life, culture
The Cherokee Voices Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Museum of the Cherokee…
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Tickets on sale for Miranda Lambert
Mega-country star Miranda Lambert hits the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center. Lambert is…
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Buddy Holly musical comes to Highlands
“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” will be showcased from June 13-30 at the Highlands Playhouse. Holly’s brief life became the…
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Trail release party at Nantahala Brewing
The 5th Trail Magic Ale release party is set for June 7-8 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City.
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WNC film shown in honor of library anniversary
A showing of the film “Paradise Falls” will coincide with the Jackson County Public Library’s second anniversary, at 7 p.m.…
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Harpist plays artist reception
Harpist Betina Morgan will play the artist reception for the exhibition “Appalachia,” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7,…
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Dwight Yoakam hits the stage at Harrah’s
Multi-platinum Grammy winning singer-songwriter, actor, director and country music pioneer Dwight Yoakam will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, June 14,…
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This Must Be the Place
Well, hello there Western North Carolina. As the arts and entertainment writer at The Smoky Mountain News, I spend my…
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Making the connection, one melody at a time
You’ve sung it in the shower, in the car with the windows rolled down, at weddings, in karaoke bars, and…
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Smoky Mountain anglers gain toehold in competitive fly fishing scene
Like New York is known for its basketball legends, and Texas is known for its football stars, Western North Carolina…
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Swingin’ for the Smokies
Craig Hartle just might have the best job in Western North Carolina. The head golf professional for High Hampton Inn…
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Head for the hills
When he was a young boy, Jason Hardin fell in love. It was a 1973 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Owned by his…
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Getting your fill in Appalachia
Strolling through downtown Bryson City, one tends to cross paths with the scent of delicious food wafting from a nearby…
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Heinzelmannchen Brewery taps into the Smokies
Dieter Kuhn was 4,500 miles from his hometown in Germany when he came across Sylva, a small community tucked away…
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Getting away from it all
David Lippy was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Orlando when it hit him. “The city was so congested with vehicles,”…
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Opening up Appalachia for all
Amid the cherished traditions of Western North Carolina is the deep foundation of family and friends getting together to celebrate…
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A story of violence and race in small-town N.C.
My decision to read this “docudrama” (part memoir, part history and part detective story) was prompted by my genuine wish…
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“Tunnel-phobia” has gotten worse as years go by
Leading a field trip isn’t complicated. But there may be more to it than you suppose. It helps if you…
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Sylva farmers market gives veggies, takes plastic
You don’t have to barter with chickens at the Jackson County Farmers Market, or even pay with cash for that…
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Outdoor writer explores Mountain-To-Sea Trail
Danny Bernstein will discuss her third hiking book, Mountains-To-Sea: Trail Across North Carolina, at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at…
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Trout waters set to open; youth go first
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open approximately 64 miles of trout streams and two lakes known as delayed-harvest trout…
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Great Smokies celebrates National Trails Day
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1, with a volunteer workday on…
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Author climbs Clingmans Dome in new book
Clingmans Dome towers over the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains as the highest point in both the national park…
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Upcoming summer camps
Smokies summer camp near Cherokee Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a three-day camp, “Smokies Summer Science Investigations,” for…
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Bringing the classroom outside
Highlands Middle School became home to a new outdoor classroom earlier this month.
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A hangover of hoverers
As we turn to bask in the full glow of the summer sun, mornings begin to heat up quickly. As…
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Triathlons aim to make treachorous lake swims safer
The swim leg of a triathlon is notoriously daunting. Of the sport’s three heats — swimming, biking and running —…
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Balsam Range hitting for the home team in Haywood tourism messaging
Members of the nationally acclaimed bluegrass band Balsam Range are now the bona fide ambassadors of Haywood County.
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Gettin’ together and feelin’ alright
This summer, there will be a new scent wafting through Lake Junaluska.
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Cathey selected by art commission, will raffle off artwork
Renowned metal sculptor Grace Cathey has been selected to create an art piece by the Waynesville Public Art Commission. Entitled…
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Macon schools budget could soon face time of reckoning
Macon County Schools may be in store for some noticeable changes come the start of school this fall.
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Ghost Town falls short of summer opening target
Ghost Town in the Sky did not open to much fanfare last weekend because, simply put, it didn’t open.
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Maggie’s Achilles’ Heel: lack of curb appeal
Maggie Valley’s slow and steady decline as a tourist destination comes down to aesthetics, a consultant hired to assess Maggie…
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Most oppose Duke rate increase and reliance on fossil fuels
Most who spoke during a public hearing at the Macon County Courthouse on Duke Energy’s proposed rate increases were not…
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Play On, Jackson County
After weeks of back-and-forth debate, deliberation and nail-biting, members of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority have zeroed in on…
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Infrastructure repairs force Bryson City’s hand on tax hike
Despite cutting more than $50,000 from the town’s budget, Bryson City’s leaders plan to raise property taxes and town fees…
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Swain holds back on train deal as devilish details are firmed up
Swain County may soon seal a deal with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to pay for the restoration of a…
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Waynesville’s wish of tourist railway derailed out of the gate
Since the advent of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, tourists flocking to Bryson City and Dillsboro to ride the scenic…
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Jackson urged to vet all options before dishing out railroad grant
A group of Jackson County residents have been making the rounds in recent weeks asking decision makers to think twice…
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Been there, done that
Haywood leaders are no strangers to overhauling their economic development strategy and structure. A major transformation played out just 10…
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Moving the chips of economic development in Haywood
An exploratory committee of Haywood County business leaders will examine in the coming months whether to reshuffle the county’s economic…
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Experts convene at rockslide response conference
When a rockslide shut down Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge in Haywood County three years ago, the N.C.…
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