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Neighbors draw the line over latest rock quarry expansion
A grassroots effort to halt a mine expansion in west Waynesville jumped its first hurdle last week. Citizens have convinced…
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A package from home opens portal to a treasured past
When I took my morning walk with our miniature dachshund to the mailbox to get the mail last Friday, I…
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Queen to face new challenger
After three straight match-ups with the same Republican challenger, Sen. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, will face a new opponent on…
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Peace for the World’s Children: 2010 Lake Junaluska Peace Conference
Join children’s advocates from across the United States at the third annual Lake Junaluska Peace Conference September 18-21, 2010, as…
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In Next, life changes in a day
Next by James Hynes. Reagan Arthur Books, 2010. 320 pages. In The Lecturer’s Tale, previously reviewed in The Smoky Mountain…
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Lake Logan dredging could reduce flood danger
Removing sediment from Lake Logan would not only benefit its owner, Evergreen Packaging, it could potentially save homes and businesses…
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No Wal-Mart for Cherokee
Wal-Mart will not build a new Supercenter in Cherokee. After months of speculation that the deal between the tribe and…
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HART director Steve Lloyd honored for theater outreach
Steve Lloyd, executive director of Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville, has been honored with The Herman Middleton Distinguished Service…
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An engaged – and very angry – electorate
The primary election is over now, but even before the vote tallies made winners and losers out of so many…
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Ashe holds on in Democratic primary
Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe proved he could survive a tough race during the Democratic primary, defeating challenger Robin Gunnels…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Why we do it “You’re getting up when?” “You’re going out in this weather?” People who have a passion for…
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Celebrating Kephart, and his teacup
This past weekend marked the second annual Horace Kephart celebration in Bryson City. There was a terrific presentation of newly…
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Sylva cleans up town one property at a time
For the past year or so, Sylva Mayor Maurice Moody has been focused on cleaning up his town. “We’ve been…
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Cochran hammers Dover in sheriff race
Despite widespread criticism of the job he’s done, Swain Sheriff Curtis Cochran proved unstoppable in this year’s Republican primary. Cochran…
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Republicans suit up for race against Shuler
Republicans faced a major decision in the primary election: who is the best man to go head to head with…
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Farm preservation tour a lesson in community conservation
North Carolina’s farmland is rapidly disappearing. The state has lost more than a million acres of it since 2007, and…
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Macon primary shows strength of incumbents
Going into the primary elections in Macon County, every candidate stressed the need for a fiscally conservative mindset as the…
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Low voter turnout in primary elections
Mid-term election primaries are normally characterized by poor voter turnout, and that held true this year as only 14 percent…
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$7 million investment rescues Ghost Town from bankruptcy
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley will emerge from bankruptcy under a new corporate structure. One…
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Ghost Town liability insurance lapsed prior to Feb. 5 mudslide
Ghost Town in the Sky failed to make timely payments on its liability insurance policy, and as a result it…
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Friedman fails to give Haire a green scare
Phil Haire is a fortress as a state candidate. The seven-time incumbent is head of the General Assembly’s appropriations committee,…
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Retired superintendent, former commissioner join Democratic incumbents in Swain
Though both commissioner candidates running for re-election in Swain County have safely landed a spot in November’s election, a newcomer…
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President and First Lady Obama get a taste of WNC’s locally-grown food scene
Just a month ago, no one here would believe that the President and First Lady of the United States would…
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Flying saucers hit the links
On a sunny Friday afternoon, I shanked my flick Hyzer into Copperhead Row in the company of the Doctor, Yoda,…
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Haywood arts council to exhibit ‘Haywood Heritage Trail: Quilts of Bygone Years’
Haywood Heritage Trail: Quilts of Bygone Years opening Wednesday, May 12, will feature traditional quilt squares for sale by area…
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Joel Queen draws on many sources for artistic inspiration
Many who walk into Joel Queen’s gallery mistakenly assume the artwork there solely represents Cherokee tradition. After all, Queen comes…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Murky waters – Louisiana in limbo The giant oil slick (reported to be the size of Puerto Rico) sliding around…
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Welsh TV crew visits Cherokee
Iolo Williams is one of the Wales’ most recognized TV personalities. “Wildlife” Williams, as he is known by some fans,…
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Quest for cost savings leads Haywood to outsource trash and recycling
Faced with a tall and growing stack of bills in the solid waste department, Haywood County commissioners are seriously considering…
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Cecil Groves leaves SCC with a legacy of regional growth
In 1970, Cecil Groves was the 30-year-old provost of Delgado College. The city of New Orleans was on fire, rent…
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Ghost Town saga reaches deeper into WNC
Western North Carolina is a patchwork of small communities, close-knit groups operating independently to make their own town or area…
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WNC’s economic stimulus lies in tourism
By David Huskins • Guest Columnist Much of the talk nationally, as well as locally, has been centered on how…
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Learning to play the Angel’s Game
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Doubleday, 2009. 470 pages.A few days after completing The Shadow of the Wind,…
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Ghost Town owner Harper daunted but not deterred
As Al Harper watched the national recession undermine ticket sales at Ghost Town amusement park over the past two years,…
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Maggie slide victims still living in limbo
More than three months have come and gone since a major mudslide crashed through Maggie Valley’s Rich Cove community, and…
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Plan for family fun at 10th Annual Strawberry Jam
Enjoy plow demonstrations, food tasting, sack races, live music and more at the 10th Annual Strawberry Jam starting 10 a.m.…
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The cuckoo, both elusive and beautiful
This past weekend marked the 26th annual Great Smokies Birding Expedition, a gathering of onrnithologically-inclined friends. On Saturdays, to get…
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Tribe plans to expand gambling reach
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians plans to build a Class II gaming facility in Cherokee County, but the project…
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HCC building feud persists unresolved
Haywood Community College leaders have chipped away more than $430,000 worth of features from its proposed creative arts building, but…
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Haywood commissioners balk at state plan for secondary roads
Counties usually have no choice but to accept unfunded mandates from the state, but this time, Haywood County commissioners are…
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Using music to write history
Bluegrass recording artist Buddy Melton feels like he owes Jackson County. He had never played an instrument until he started…
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Tough times lead to tough choices
For its entire existence, this country’s leaders have wrestled with the slippery issue of power and how much is too…
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Self-help without the sugar
Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness by William Spiegelman. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2009. In Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary…
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New vote totals mean no runoff for Queen’s Republican challenger
An election night glitch in McDowell County led to some votes being counted two or even three times instead of…
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Farmers markets welcome the growing season
While the summer bounty of tomatoes, corn and green beans are still a couple of months away, there is still…
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Top two in Swain sheriff primary headed for a rematch
Candidate Mitchell Jenkins decided last week to revive arguably the most heated race in Swain County for one more round.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Perks of Adult ADD The other morning I was in the wilds of the Cheoah Ranger District below the Cherohala…
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Sylva cardboard box venture collapses
Stonewall Packaging, a cardboard plant in Sylva, laid off 43 workers last week and shut down operations after coming on…
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Do you know where you live?
One of the handouts I use during natural history workshops is headed “Southern Blue Ridge Province: Geographic Location and Influences.”…
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Bear gets put down after close encounter with Smokies visitor
A visitor in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got nipped on the foot by a bear after getting too…
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