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Professors struggle with increased class sizes
 

Professors struggle with increased class sizes

While Western Carolina University’s budgets have been shrinking in recent years, its class sizes have been growing.
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New dental clinic should bring a smile to WNC
 

New dental clinic should bring a smile to WNC

Citing a statewide shortage of dentists, East Carolina University is opening 10 clinics across North Carolina with the mission of…
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DOT negotiates buyouts  for Haywood interchange
 

DOT negotiates buyouts for Haywood interchange

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is in the middle of buying nearly 40 Haywood County properties that stand in…
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County leaders ponder whether Cashiers could support ABC store
 

County leaders ponder whether Cashiers could support ABC store

A Jackson County resident has taken it upon himself to show county decision-makers that a Cashiers ABC store is a…
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Most Bryson City business owners OK with county financing train improvements
 

Most Bryson City business owners OK with county financing train improvements

Most Everett Street business owners support Swain County’s pending investment in the privately owned Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, but some…
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HCC hopes to finally choose president in January
 

HCC hopes to finally choose president in January

The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees will meet on Dec. 19 to interview eight candidates who hope to be…
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Adopt a pet, hang a stocking at animal shelter
 

Adopt a pet, hang a stocking at animal shelter

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation is holding its “Home for the Holidays” promotion, in which “Youth For Sarge’s” members make Christmas…
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Feds help local students stay in school
 

Feds help local students stay in school

Southwestern Community College has been awarded a nearly $1.3 million grant under the Upward Bound Programs from the U.S. Department…
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Work grant to train poker dealers
 

Work grant to train poker dealers

Southwestern Community College will launch a training program for live game dealers, in conjunction with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort,…
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WCU earns grant to train family nurses
 

WCU earns grant to train family nurses

Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing is the recipient of nearly $700,000 in federal grant funding to help address a…
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‘Mother Jones’ returns to the stage
 

‘Mother Jones’ returns to the stage

An encore performance of “Mother Jones,” a monologue written by Gary Carden, will be staged at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec.…
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Rediscovering your inner child
 

Rediscovering your inner child

Each day, James Bandy and Clifton Coleman hangout with soldiers, princesses, dinosaurs and aliens. Their domain is Blast From The…
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Toy stores play on: Online shopping, chain stores take a toll on the local toy store scene
 

Toy stores play on: Online shopping, chain stores take a toll on the local toy store scene

If you have it, they will come. That’s the philosophy for the small facet of independent toy stores remaining in…
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Liars Bench hosts Nashville singer/songwriter with local roots
 

Liars Bench hosts Nashville singer/songwriter with local roots

The Liars Bench presents “A Foxfire Christmas with Randy Flack” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, in the Mountain Heritage…
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What’s on tap for December’s Sylva Art Stroll
 

What’s on tap for December’s Sylva Art Stroll

The final downtown Sylva Art Stroll of the year will feature luminaries to light the way at 5 p.m. Friday,…
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‘Rotunda Gallery’ art exhibit comes to historic courthouse
 

‘Rotunda Gallery’ art exhibit comes to historic courthouse

Western North Carolina artist Norma Hendrix will hold an opening exhibit of her work from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.…
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Mural project aimed at renewal
 

Mural project aimed at renewal

A mural project called “On Hallowed Ground” aims to honor the heritage of Dillsboro, showcase artistic talents and lend a…
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The appropriately named 'blue darter'
 

The appropriately named 'blue darter'

When I was a boy my favorite sport was baseball. I was a pitcher. I didn’t have any idea where…
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Little Tennessee heralded for wildlife spotting
 

Little Tennessee heralded for wildlife spotting

The Little Tennessee River in Macon County landed a spot on the N.C. Wildlife Federation’s “top nine” list of spots…
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Is the chestnut making a comeback?
 

Is the chestnut making a comeback?

Volunteers and scientists planted 200 American chestnut seedlings in the Nantahala National Forest that are hopefully blight resistant in efforts…
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Land trust protects entrance to protected area
 

Land trust protects entrance to protected area

In November the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 89 acres at the southern end of the Yellow Mountain State Natural…
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Over the fiscal cliff – and into the abyss
 

Over the fiscal cliff – and into the abyss

First Mate McConnell: “Cap’n the ship is headed straight for that iceberg and there’s no way we kin stop her…
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Scouting a Smokies Blueway Trail: Recreation abounds, but knowing where and how to tap it can be a mystery
 

Scouting a Smokies Blueway Trail: Recreation abounds, but knowing where and how to tap it can be a mystery

The mountains rising above the valleys have long been the main attraction for tourists planning a trip to Western North…
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The stuff of dreams: Important 20th century poet discovered in new book
 

The stuff of dreams: Important 20th century poet discovered in new book

As the poet Yvan Goll lay in a hospital in Paris dying of leukemia, a continuous line of some of…
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Waynesville brings Christmas downtown with packed performance line-up
 

Waynesville brings Christmas downtown with packed performance line-up

Downtown Waynesville will be hosting “A Night before Christmas” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. The event…
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Christmas shows take the stage at Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center
 

Christmas shows take the stage at Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center

From WWII Christmas memories to an audience sing-along, the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts is bringing a full…
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A cappella holiday show comes to WCU
 

A cappella holiday show comes to WCU

Vox Audio takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts…
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'A Christmas Carol' hits HART
 

'A Christmas Carol' hits HART

Charles Dickens’ classic work “A Christmas Carol” is coming to the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville this month.
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‘Nutcracker’ ballet to grace WCU’s stage
 

‘Nutcracker’ ballet to grace WCU’s stage

Holiday classic “The Nutcracker” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in the John W. Bardo Fine and…
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WCU art majors stage year-end exhibit
 

WCU art majors stage year-end exhibit

Art students from Western Carolina University will exhibit their work through Friday, Dec. 14, at the WCU Fine Art Museum.…
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Christmas, craft beer & charity
 

Christmas, craft beer & charity

For Clark Williams, it’s all about giving back. Owner of Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville, Williams is celebrating not only…
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HCC appreciates fire response
 

HCC appreciates fire response

To the Editor: The following letter was sent to firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement personnel for all those who…
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Displaying Confederate flag is not illegal
 

Displaying Confederate flag is not illegal

To the Editor: It is apparent that history is still being written and revised by the victors and their descendants.…
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North Carolinians have it right
 

North Carolinians have it right

To the Editor: BINGO! Most North Carolinians caught on that Barack Obama’s economic failures are not so much ineptness but…
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New writer launches a promising literary career
 

New writer launches a promising literary career

Since the publication of Wiley Cash’s debut novel A Land More Kind Than Home earlier this year, I have been…
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A small but important investment in public transit
 

A small but important investment in public transit

It may seem a relatively unimportant issue, but in truth it is very symbolic because it recognizes a reality that…
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Rewarding students with fast-food coupons raises concerns
 

Rewarding students with fast-food coupons raises concerns

Some schools are thinking twice about the long standing practice of passing out fast-food coupons to children as rewards.
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Confederate group refuses to surrender
 

Confederate group refuses to surrender

The ongoing Confederate flag tug-of-war in Haywood County took an unusual turn last week.
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Heating assistance applications needed
 

Heating assistance applications needed

One-time assistance with heating expenses is now available for low-income disabled or senior citizens through county social services departments. The…
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Fate of liquor stores in Maggie Valley in holding pattern for now
 

Fate of liquor stores in Maggie Valley in holding pattern for now

Maggie Valley’s ABC Board has put any plans to close one of its two liquor stores on the backburner for…
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ABC store diverts money that schools once got
 

ABC store diverts money that schools once got

Haywood County Schools will lose about $30,000 in yearly revenue now that the Waynesville ABC Board has decided build a…
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Will two pay off? Waynesville to break ground on ABC store
 

Will two pay off? Waynesville to break ground on ABC store

Construction on a new ABC store in Waynesville could begin as early as January at the cost of $1.3 million,…
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Cherokee banks brace for rush when casino checks go out
 

Cherokee banks brace for rush when casino checks go out

Twice a year, Dorothy Posey arrives for her job at Mountain Credit Union in Cherokee knowing one thing: the lines…
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Nonprofits getting creative for funds
 

Nonprofits getting creative for funds

From charity golf tournaments to bluegrass concerts to spare change jars, nonprofits lending a helping hand with heating costs for…
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Struggle to afford heating costs hits new ­high
 

Struggle to afford heating costs hits new ­high

It looked like any wood yard, piles of tree trunks in various stages of processing: long logs still bearing their…
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New Jackson tourism agency launches
 

New Jackson tourism agency launches

After more than a year of wrangling, a new Jackson County tourism authority was finally created this week, its board…
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Parents urged to use diligence when in public with children
 

Parents urged to use diligence when in public with children

When a strange man approached an 11-year-old girl in Waynesville’s Walmart more than a week ago and asked her to…
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Candler man arrested in Walmart stalking case
 

Candler man arrested in Walmart stalking case

Ryan Scot Davis, 48, was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child following an incident at the Waynesville Walmart…
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Birds of a feather stay warm in bad weather
 

Birds of a feather stay warm in bad weather

Because they seem so delicate and vulnerable, we go out of our way to feed birds that overwinter here in…
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Christmas bird count is counting on you
 

Christmas bird count is counting on you

Tune up your listening ears and wipe down the binoculars: the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is calling all birders to…
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