WCU to feature live music, outdoor movie at Valley Ballyhoo
 

WCU to feature live music, outdoor movie at Valley Ballyhoo

Western Carolina University will host two bands and screen the horror film “Cabin in the Woods” on Saturday, Aug. 18,…
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An evening of music with Liz and AJ Nance
 

An evening of music with Liz and AJ Nance

The Marianna Black Library will present an evening of acoustic music with local singer/songwriter team Liz and AJ Nance at 7 p.m.…
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Concert series features Flack, Elderly Brothers
 

Concert series features Flack, Elderly Brothers

The Summer Concert series at Fontana Village Resort will feature The Elderly Brothers from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11,…
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Kellie Pickler to perform Aug. 18
 

Kellie Pickler to perform Aug. 18

Kellie Pickler, a small-town North Carolina native who competed on NBC’s American Idol, will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center…
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Put on dancing shoes for Sylva event
 

Put on dancing shoes for Sylva event

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be from 2:30-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12, in the community room on…
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Civil War and chaplains topic of lecture
 

Civil War and chaplains topic of lecture

“Answering the Call: Religion and Chaplains during the Civil War” will be the topic of a lecture by Ronald Vinson…
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Kiwanis Club of Waynesville to revive Spelling Bee
 

Kiwanis Club of Waynesville to revive Spelling Bee

The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville is reviving the very popular Spelling Bee fundraising event that was run, for many years,…
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All things wood featured at Folk Art Center
 

All things wood featured at Folk Art Center

The Folk Art Center will host its annual celebration of woodcrafts at Wood Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug.11…
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Macon library to host family art workshop
 

Macon library to host family art workshop

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free “Back To School” ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. until…
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Stroll the Sylva art scene Aug. 10
 

Stroll the Sylva art scene Aug. 10

Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JVCAA) is sponsoring the Sylva Art Stroll in historic downtown Sylva starting at 5 p.m.…
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Learn from metal artist at Shelton House talk
 

Learn from metal artist at Shelton House talk

Metal artist Grace Cathey of Haywood County will display her work and talk about her artistic journey from 7 to…
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Pair of preachers put ‘picking’ talents to the test in Picked Off competition
 

Pair of preachers put ‘picking’ talents to the test in Picked Off competition

By Peggy Manning • Correspondent Two Western North Carolina preachers were chosen for an episode of the new Picked Off…
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Peering into the deep blue
 

Peering into the deep blue

Bluebird skies are wonderful for lots of things. For example, along U.S. Hwy. 64 west of Franklin the other day…
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Funny guise: Ventriloquist extraordinaire Jeff Dunham to appear at WCU on Oct. 4
 

Funny guise: Ventriloquist extraordinaire Jeff Dunham to appear at WCU on Oct. 4

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer The problem with trying to interview a ventriloquist is that he — in this…
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What I don’t know about parenting
 

What I don’t know about parenting

The central paradox of parenting is that by the time you have it figured out, it’s over. Now that I…
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Future big-box stores, strip malls to face scrutiny in Franklin
 

Future big-box stores, strip malls to face scrutiny in Franklin

Franklin will soon have a new slate of comprehensive guidelines regulating development and promoting smart growth principles. An overhaul of…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

Ugly Truths Has the entertainment industry really crumbled to such a sorry point that rather than attempting to make the…
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Preservation is good for the economy; time for all to get on board
 

Preservation is good for the economy; time for all to get on board

Haywood County commissioners have taken a first step forward — albeit a small one — to protect farmland in the…
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The menagerie grows by one well-trained possum
 

The menagerie grows by one well-trained possum

By David Curtis I would like to think Haywood County is still considered a rural county. At least to me,…
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Initial North Shore Road payment clears Senate
 

Initial North Shore Road payment clears Senate

Swain County inched a notch closer this month toward seeing a cash settlement in lieu of the long-promised North Shore…
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Maggie Valley mayor’s race pits long-time foes
 

Maggie Valley mayor’s race pits long-time foes

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Forget the presidential election — the biggest race to watch in the coming months…
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Sweet bubby bush
 

Sweet bubby bush

I recently received an email from a reader who asked, “Could you write about the sweet bubby bush? That’s the…
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What is wrong with teaching in the US?
 

What is wrong with teaching in the US?

In 1991, 30-year veteran and master teacher John Taylor Gatto resigned immediately after being named “Teacher of the Year” in…
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Vote on Southern Loop postponed
 

Vote on Southern Loop postponed

Opponents of the Southern Loop have questioned whether the controversial highway should be included on a list of top priority…
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Blessed, demented genius
 

Blessed, demented genius

By Chris Cooper The picture you see when you flip open the new Moolah Temple Stringband CD shows singer/guitarist/found-sound alchemist…
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Mumpower first to formally challenge Shuler
 

Mumpower first to formally challenge Shuler

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer With no word yet from former U.S. House Rep. Charles Taylor on his decision…
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Ain’t no mountain high enough: 2007 Blue Ridge Relay challenges local runners through two states and two days of sun, sweat and cheers
 

Ain’t no mountain high enough: 2007 Blue Ridge Relay challenges local runners through two states and two days of sun, sweat and cheers

By Michael Beadle Several Western North Carolina running teams recently concluded the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay Race from Grayson Highlands…
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Chick lit, chauvinism and modern Ireland
 

Chick lit, chauvinism and modern Ireland

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy. Knopf, 2007. 352 pages. Recently my sister asked me if I had met anyone, which…
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State says mill discharge does not require public notification
 

State says mill discharge does not require public notification

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A clean water advocacy group is questioning why an accidental discharge of a paper-making…
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The Super Wal-Mart land rush: Discount retail giant brings rising property prices
 

The Super Wal-Mart land rush: Discount retail giant brings rising property prices

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Roger Winge knew a good deal when he spotted one. Before Super Wal-Mart had…
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Changing electorate could shake up Sylva election
 

Changing electorate could shake up Sylva election

The race for the Sylva town board this fall could speak volumes about the changing demographics of the town —…
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Ending the curse of Babel may be our only, best chance
 

Ending the curse of Babel may be our only, best chance

By Arthur Hancock Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than…
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Southern Loop opposition mounts
 

Southern Loop opposition mounts

Jackson County residents opposed to the construction of the Southern Loop — a new major highway that would bisect Jackson…
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Hicks declared winner in contested Cherokee vote
 

Hicks declared winner in contested Cherokee vote

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Supreme Court ruled Saturday that a new election…
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What’s in a permit?
 

What’s in a permit?

Duke Energy must get a permit from the N.C. Division of Water Quality before it can tear down the Dillsboro…
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Jackson library to go atop courthouse hill
 

Jackson library to go atop courthouse hill

A decade of debate over where to build a new library in Jackson County was put to rest this week.…
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Giant Van Halen rock lands in NC
 

Giant Van Halen rock lands in NC

By Armando Basulto • Guest Writer There is something vaguely depressing about watching your nostalgia for your adolescent years transformed…
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Swain urged to tap into motorcycle tourism
 

Swain urged to tap into motorcycle tourism

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The roar of motorcycles is a familiar sound in the mountains of Western North…
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Where pots (and a cat) are thrown: The Flying Cat Studio is one of 20 Haywood County art studios that will host open house events this weekend
 

Where pots (and a cat) are thrown: The Flying Cat Studio is one of 20 Haywood County art studios that will host open house events this weekend

By Michael Beadle If you’re lucky enough to visit the Flying Cat Studio just off U.S. 276 in Jonathan Creek,…
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In the wake of death, new life
 

In the wake of death, new life

By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist Much has been written in this paper and others about what is causing our…
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The new face of Waynesville: Town’s land use plan holds firm under pressure
 

The new face of Waynesville: Town’s land use plan holds firm under pressure

When Doug Anderson unfurled the blueprints for his latest assignment — a new Bojangles’ going up in Waynesville — he…
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Haywood’s League of Women Voters fosters non-partisan involvement
 

Haywood’s League of Women Voters fosters non-partisan involvement

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Voters can thank the recently formed Haywood County League of Women Voters for the…
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DOT needs to hit the brakes on Southern Loop
 

DOT needs to hit the brakes on Southern Loop

There’s one fundamental reason the Southern Loop needs more discussion before it is considered a done deal — the simple…
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What magazines would work best for Swain?
 

What magazines would work best for Swain?

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Advertising was the hot topic of discussion at the second meeting of the recently…
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Waynesville candidates make their cases
 

Waynesville candidates make their cases

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Over 50 people came out to hear Waynesville’s next mayor speak at the this…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

Raising Sand Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player…
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Dillsboro dam debate rages on
 

Dillsboro dam debate rages on

A plan by Duke Energy to tear down the century-old Dillsboro dam drew a crowd of opponents to a public…
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It’s all over but the texting
 

It’s all over but the texting

By David Curtis The 21st Century arrived at the Curtis residence this past Friday. We have evolved from caveman, cavewoman…
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Hoss: clawing their way to the top
 

Hoss: clawing their way to the top

Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one…
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NC birding trail wings its way to the mountains
 

NC birding trail wings its way to the mountains

Site nominations for the mountain region of the North Carolina Birding Trail kicked off Oct. 1. Sites for the coastal…
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