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Franklin adopts new rules for floodplain construction
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Macon County’s eight-month moratorium on the permitting of recreational vehicles in the floodplain will…
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Mountain waters aren’t what they appear; Scotts Creek tests ‘scary high’ for contaminates
Unsafe levels of fecal coliform in the Tuckasegee River and two tributaries around Dillsboro have Jackson County public health officials…
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Upper world guardians
We are all fascinated by birds. In addition to being pretty (even buzzards are pretty in their own way), they…
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The Plott Hound: Bob Plott writes the definitive book on his family’s famed hunting hounds
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Owners of Plott Hounds will say that the hound is unlike any other.
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Sylva wants to diversify Pinnacle Park usage
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva Town Board members want to see hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers sharing…
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The greening of America
“I suddenly think about my friends, you know, getting on their private jets. And I think, well, you know, maybe…
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Gems from the used bin
By Chris Cooper Ah, the joy of finding good stuff in the “undeservedly discarded disc” section of any music store.…
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Local and regional agencies are making strides in the fight against online predators, but much work remains to be done
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s a scenario that plays out every day: A bored 12-year-old girl named Crystal…
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Recommended diversions
Poems from Guantanamo They’re supposed to be the worst of the worst from al-Qaeda and the Taliban, evildoers locked up…
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Development regs at issue in Jackson election
When Jackson County commissioners passed strict mountainside development regulations last year, opponents pledged to get even come election time.
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As Cowan ponders whether to run, a rematch in the making
Voters in Jackson County could have a rematch in the May primary between two candidates who ran against each other…
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Room tax plan would split Macon into three districts
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer A plan to distribute Macon County’s occupancy tax has been formulated, leaving the final…
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Franklin leaders mull downtown options
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sandi Dotherow loves the town of Franklin so much that she spends all her…
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Poetry dying for readers
In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus: New and Selected Poems, 1955 by X.J. Kennedy. — The Johns Hopkins University Press,…
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My bags are packed
And I’m Loosiana bound — you do know it was named after Louis, not Louise?
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A long time coming
The public is two-and-a-half years late learning that a popular area for swimming, rafting and fishing in Jackson County isn’t…
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Too close to call
The most fascinating race for President of the United States in my lifetime could have become a good bit more…
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Endangered bat numbers rise, but mysterious illness poses threat
The endangered Indiana bat saw a 9 percent population increase between 2005 and 2007, continuing a 12-year rise in bat…
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Painting over Bureaucracy
By Michael Beadle Phyllis Jarvinen was tired of all the paperwork, the endless forms and bureaucratic red tape that clogged…
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Birdapalooza results
My brother and I conducted our annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in…
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Development rules will get test in commissioner race
When the Democratic primary election rolls around in Jackson County on May 6, many will finally get the chance they’ve…
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A favorite plant
By Jim Janke • Special to SMN Editor’s note: This is a regular feature on gardening by the Haywood County…
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The innate traits of the male species
By Stephanie Wampler Step-by-cautious step, the man crosses the room, casting his eyes in all directions to make sure no…
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This one's for Rob
By Chris Cooper Last summer I wrote an article titled “I Played In A Classic Rock Cover Band And Lived…
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Is feeding the hungry bad for business?
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer It’s lunchtime at the Open Door, a 12-year-old soup kitchen in the Frog Level…
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Resisting the prospect of extinction
By Brent Martin Almost 10 years ago, science writer David Quammen published an essay in Harper’s Magazine titled A Planet…
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DOT accused of convoluted planning
Opponents to the Southern Loop again urged the N.C. Department of Transportation to halt planning for the new highway last…
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Recommended diversions
EcoBuilders This Asheville area green building company co-owned by former Haywood County Environmental Science teacher Rob Moody and organic farmer…
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Macon group vows to fight proposed school consolidation
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer As Macon County officials move forward with plans to build two new schools, community…
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Mental health crisis will need enlightened leadership
By Ed Seavey • Guest Columnist The recent issue of the Smoky Mountain News (Jan. 16, “WNC Confronts Mental Health…
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Highlands plateau still a world of green hills
Several years ago I wrote about Bradford Torrey’s A World of Green Hills, which was published in 1898 by Houghton…
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Researchers use interviews to develop preservation tools
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Sometimes, amid the focus on such divisive issues as growth regulations or steep slope…
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In winter, the joy of gardening is the beauty of a blank slate
By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist Whether I am working on a watercolor design, organizing a community group, decorating a…
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Valentine's Day, often, is about survival
By David Curtis Whew ... I survived another Valentine’s Day. That is a big accomplishment if you are a man,…
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WCU enjoys a surge in popularity
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer When Callie LaDue started shopping for a college, there was only one school that…
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Rash's Chemistry "notable"
Chemistry and Other Stories by Ron Rash. Picador, 2007. 230 pages This remarkable collection of short stories has already been…
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Swain's drug problem worries officials
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer The beautiful mountain scenery that covers Swain County hides an ugly truth — the…
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State forest users protests proposed bear hunt
A handful of lucky hunting parties were about to embark on a special bear hunt in DuPont State Forest last…
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Grand plans in store for Cherokee trout hatchery
The Cherokee Tribal Trout Hatchery is embarking on $500,000 renovation project that will more than double its already impressive capacity…
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Crisis brewing at HRMC
Doctors, patients, nurses, ambulance drivers — even hospital board members — were unaware of a crisis brewing at Haywood Regional…
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Alum Cave for a breath of fresh air
I recently happened upon an interesting article that described an excursion made in 1860 to the Alum Cave on the…
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Rice resigns, cites need to move forward
David Rice, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center for 15 years, resigned Monday in the wake of a financial crisis…
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Board surprised by HRMC situation
The resignation on Feb. 25 of Haywood Regional Medical Center CEO David Rice was preceded by a tense, hour-long public…
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Saddle up for song and dance
By Michael Beadle Mamas, it’s OK to let your sons grow up to be cowboys — especially if they end…
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Westcare prepares for patient load
WestCare’s Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva will be filling a major void in the region’s health care in the wake…
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The seach goes on
For the past four years — five years total, if you count the magical, muddy, mystery tour in Louisiana back…
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Recommended diversions
“Juno” The little movie that could is this year’s “Little Miss Sunshine,” another quirky comedy that broke out of its…
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Timeline of a crisis
June 9, 2006 Haywood Regional Medical Center receives a visit from the Department of Health and Human Services Division of…
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HRMC's survival vital to Haywood
Some are saying Regional Medical Center faces an uncertain future, but we believe it is vitally important for community leaders,…
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Tuning in once again
The Sweetest Sounds The sweetest sounds I’ll ever hear Are still inside my head. The kindest words I’ll ever know…
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