Sylva businesses collaborate to benefit Community Table
 

Sylva businesses collaborate to benefit Community Table

An evening of great food, great beer and fine wines was attended by 45 people on Nov. 18.  The event…
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Shuler getting comfortable in new position
 

Shuler getting comfortable in new position

In his initial bid for political office, U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., often seemed unsure of himself. The former NFL…
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Stay little or get regulated; small farmers get some protection
 

Stay little or get regulated; small farmers get some protection

Small farmers fighting against being lumped with large agribusinesses in a federal food-safety act have received a measure of possible…
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Franklin leaders consider two-way traffic on one-way streets
 

Franklin leaders consider two-way traffic on one-way streets

Transportation experts and town leaders plan to meet this week in Franklin to consider whether it’s feasible to turn one-way…
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Railroad neighbor irked by crossing controversy
 

Railroad neighbor irked by crossing controversy

When Terry Stephenson bought a piece of hillside property on Lower Alarka Road in Bryson City, he expected it to…
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Bazaar to benefit Community Table
 

Bazaar to benefit Community Table

A Christmas Bazaar will be held Sat. Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Sylva, at the Jackson…
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Civil War roundtable Christmas gala
 

Civil War roundtable Christmas gala

A Civil War Round Table Christmas Gala will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Dillsboro on Dec. 13.…
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County to sell old hospital for $1.2 million
 

County to sell old hospital for $1.2 million

Haywood County’s old hospital is set to get a new life after commissioners agreed last week to sell the building…
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EPA begins soil removal in Barber’s Orchard
 

EPA begins soil removal in Barber’s Orchard

Six years after the Environmental Protection Agency said it would cart away the arsenic-tainted topsoil from Haywood County’s Barber’s Orchard…
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WestCare Hospice sponsors Tree of Remembrance
 

WestCare Hospice sponsors Tree of Remembrance

During this busy holiday season, WestCare Hospice invites the community to take a moment and remember loved ones who have…
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Going hungry: Many in region, particularly children, are doing without for Thanksgiving
 

Going hungry: Many in region, particularly children, are doing without for Thanksgiving

It’s Thursday afternoon, and Amy Grimes has her head in a freezer digging around for a few things to add…
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Tribe gets future say in state prioritizations of road projects
 

Tribe gets future say in state prioritizations of road projects

Recognizing that Cherokee has roads, too, a transportation-planning group for the state’s six westernmost counties opted to give the Eastern…
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Public absent in meetings where road projects decided
 

Public absent in meetings where road projects decided

The way road projects get selected and prioritized in the state’s six westernmost counties might shift slightly following meetings this…
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Second public hearing set in Macon County for Needmore Road
 

Second public hearing set in Macon County for Needmore Road

Another public hearing on what, if anything, to do with Needmore Road has been scheduled for February, this time in…
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Athletics, smathletics; new chancellor will care about academics, too
 

Athletics, smathletics; new chancellor will care about academics, too

Athletics won’t trump academics in the selection of a chancellor for Western Carolina University, committee members charged with hiring a…
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Shuler didn’t fumble this time — Pelosi challenge sets the table for political prominence
 

Shuler didn’t fumble this time — Pelosi challenge sets the table for political prominence

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler took a calculated loss when he challenged Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the position of House minority…
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Baking classes set for next month
 

Baking classes set for next month

Southwestern Community College is offering two holiday baking project classes in early December at its Jackson Campus. Learn to make…
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Public to hear about proposed changes to Waynesville land-use ordinance
 

Public to hear about proposed changes to Waynesville land-use ordinance

A proposed update of Waynesville’s progressive land-use ordinance that has been several years in the making is close to becoming…
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Workshop offers college tuition tips
 

Workshop offers college tuition tips

Learn what you need to know now about paying for college during a free workshop scheduled 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec.…
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Angelou to speak at women’s expo May 21
 

Angelou to speak at women’s expo May 21

Area women will have a chance to learn more about health issues, while growing in mind, body and spirit during…
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Holiday roundup
 

Holiday roundup

It’s that time of year. Now that Thanksgiving has arrived, so have holiday events — lots of them. If you…
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Middle class needs the tax break
 

Middle class needs the tax break

To the Editor: Regarding the Nov. 14 Associated Press article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, “GOP lawmakers stand tall for all…
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Honor Bob Zahner with a real wilderness area
 

Honor Bob Zahner with a real wilderness area

To the Editor: The proposal to make the Overlook Area in Blue Valley a wilderness area in honor of Bob Zahner…
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Kephart, transplants and the debate over legitimacy
 

Kephart, transplants and the debate over legitimacy

You can be excused for perhaps having overlooked the recent fireworks, but a minor war has erupted over one of…
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Ridding schools of bullying will require changing culture
 

Ridding schools of bullying will require changing culture

By Raymond Turpin • Guest Columnist Bullying, unfortunately, has always existed in the American school systems and it continues to…
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Find the perfect gift at your local bookshop
 

Find the perfect gift at your local bookshop

For many people, Thanksgiving is a holiday that delivers on its promises. The table sags beneath platters of ham and…
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Macon County natives release book
 

Macon County natives release book

Two Macon County natives, Gail Shepherd Diederich and Gail Kelly Lester, recently released a new book, Tales of Two Gails.…
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Trying to preserve a national treasure
 

Trying to preserve a national treasure

The U.S. Forest Service spent the first two weeks of November felling approximately 150 dead and/or dying eastern hemlocks in…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Hey, can a squirrel get a lift around here?
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Hey, can a squirrel get a lift around here?

The answer is, in the case of the federally endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel, a resounding yes. The North Carolina…
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Mountain grown Fraser fir Christmas trees
 

Mountain grown Fraser fir Christmas trees

There’s nothing quite like a real Fraser fir Christmas tree. In recent years, the value and quality of locally produced…
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Hybrids hike park’s environmentally sensitive fleet
 

Hybrids hike park’s environmentally sensitive fleet

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently took delivery of seven Ford Escape Hybrid vehicles that were purchased using a…
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Park photo contest open until Dec. 31
 

Park photo contest open until Dec. 31

The National Park Service is accepting entries in the Share the Experience photo contest through Dec. 31. The photo taken…
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Clay County trail routed off private land
 

Clay County trail routed off private land

The U.S. Forest Service has rerouted a portion of the Rim Trail Clay County. The Rim Trail is a 26-mile…
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Take precautions while out hunting
 

Take precautions while out hunting

During the holiday season, when family and friends gather, many go on traditional hunting trips. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission…
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A story about darkness, light and the red bird
 

A story about darkness, light and the red bird

Ho down down … Ho down dee Red bird dancin in custody Way down in New Orleans. Ho down down…
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David Holt to play Dec. 2 at WCU
 

David Holt to play Dec. 2 at WCU

The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Session Series at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will continue Thursday, Dec.…
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Jazz trumpeter to perform Nov. 30
 

Jazz trumpeter to perform Nov. 30

Trumpet player Scott Harrell will be the featured soloist at a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the…
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Chance to sing with NewSong up for grabs
 

Chance to sing with NewSong up for grabs

A singing contest will be held in Franklin to choose a male youth from 9 to 14 to appear onstage…
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Smoky Mountain Center presents gospel Dec. 3
 

Smoky Mountain Center presents gospel Dec. 3

Archie Watkins and Smoky Mountain Reunion will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on…
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Winter Wonderland is Dec. 3 in Franklin
 

Winter Wonderland is Dec. 3 in Franklin

Franklin’s Winter Wonderland holiday celebration will be held one night only this year from 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec.…
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Hard Candy Craft Show returns Nov. 26-27
 

Hard Candy Craft Show returns Nov. 26-27

The 23rd Hard Candy Christmas Arts and Crafts show that will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on…
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Dillsboro lights up December nights
 

Dillsboro lights up December nights

One of the more traditional holiday experiences in Western North Carolina takes place in Dillsboro the first two weekends of…
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Silvia Williams to demo at Leapin’ Frog Gallery
 

Silvia Williams to demo at Leapin’ Frog Gallery

Leapin’ Frog Gallery will host local artist Silvia Williams for a one-hour art talk and demonstration on “Experimental Painting” beginning…
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New works by Craig Forrest on display at It’s By Nature
 

New works by Craig Forrest on display at It’s By Nature

It’s by Nature Gallery of Sylva is pleased to announce that the gallery will be hosting a one-man-show during the month…
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Putting a rose in his cap: Bob Buckner’s final    season as WCU marching band director ends with trip to Parade of Roses
 

Putting a rose in his cap: Bob Buckner’s final season as WCU marching band director ends with trip to Parade of Roses

By Brittney Burns • SMN Intern While preparing Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains marching band for their debut…
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A father’s influence
 

A father’s influence

Horace Kephart (1862-1931) was the author of Our Southern Highlanders, Camp Cookery, Sporting Firearms, Camping and Woodcraft, Smoky Mountain Magic,…
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Anglers compete for prizes at Cherokee fly-fishing tournament
 

Anglers compete for prizes at Cherokee fly-fishing tournament

More than $2,000 is cash and $5,000 in prizes were won by anglers participating in the Rumble in the Rhododendron…
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Henson wins Service to Forestry award
 

Henson wins Service to Forestry award

Steve Henson, the executive director of the Clyde-based Southern Appalachian Multiple Use Council, has been awarded the N.C. Forestry Association’s…
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Students hike Siler Bald with AT speed hiker
 

Students hike Siler Bald with AT speed hiker

Three Macon County school teachers (Joan Lansford and Jae Crawford, of Franklin High School, and Shelley Marshall of Union Academy)…
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Plants suck up toxins
 

Plants suck up toxins

Some common air pollutants found in cities can be absorbed by plants at far greater rates than ever suspected. The…
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