Bryson City craft brewers keep it small and personal
 

Bryson City craft brewers keep it small and personal

The very beginning of the Nantahala Brewing Company story began — appropriately — at a local bar. Mike Marsden had…
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International Festival Day brings a world of craft to downtown Waynesville
 

International Festival Day brings a world of craft to downtown Waynesville

On International Festival Day, Main Street in Waynesville will transform into a world bazaar where more than one hundred artists,…
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America’s Great Outdoors Initiative
 

America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Not even the looming shadow of the nation’s worst environmental disaster in two decades could spoil the mood at the…
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Goats who stare at trees
 

Goats who stare at trees

They not only stare at them, they eat them. Well, maybe not all trees, but woody browse in general. Hopefully,…
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Imperiled fish returns to the Cheoah River
 

Imperiled fish returns to the Cheoah River

Stocking a river with one of the nation’s rarest fish is a slow and gentle process. On a recent summer…
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Yellowroot, kingfishers and waterstriders
 

Yellowroot, kingfishers and waterstriders

The upland waterways of the southern highlands provide one of the region’s most interesting natural areas. Unlike most upland habitats…
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Brass quintet invites audience to join in
 

Brass quintet invites audience to join in

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet takes the stage 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 23, for the weekly Concerts on…
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Trail volunteers needed in Smokies
 

Trail volunteers needed in Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for volunteers for the Adopt-a-Trail program. A mandatory training program will be…
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Elk Foundation banquet to celebrate milestones
 

Elk Foundation banquet to celebrate milestones

The Great Smoky Mountains Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will throw its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday,…
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Storytime with puppets
 

Storytime with puppets

Jackson County resident Josie Williams will be guest storyteller at a special children’s storytime at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July…
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All about the Carltons
 

All about the Carltons

Dr. Barbara Carlton will autograph copies of her book, This Nearly Was Mine: A Journey Through Carlton Country at 2…
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Dulcimer virtuosos to present July 22 concert
 

Dulcimer virtuosos to present July 22 concert

A group of award-winning mountain dulcimer players — including several national champion musicians — will present a concert of dulcimer…
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Celtic music in the Smokies
 

Celtic music in the Smokies

Join Bean Sidhe, pronounced ban-shee, for a lively evening of traditional music from the British Isles. The premier Celtic band…
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Chamber music fest celebrates family ties
 

Chamber music fest celebrates family ties

Celebrate the remarkable bonds of familial harmony this weekend at The Highlands Cashiers Chamber Music Festival. “All In The Family”…
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‘Dark Corners’ to stage at Rickman Store
 

‘Dark Corners’ to stage at Rickman Store

The popular play, “The Prince of Dark Corners,” by local writer and storyteller Gary Carden will be performed at 7…
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Annual fair at Waynesville church
 

Annual fair at Waynesville church

The annual Parish Fair will feature smoked barbecue, a drawing for a locally-made colorful quilt, and music and entertainment, including…
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Haywood Habitat holds open enrollment
 

Haywood Habitat holds open enrollment

Haywood Habitat for Humanity is holding an open enrollment through July for perspective new-home partner families. Applicants must be residents…
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Haywood historical presents Cold Mountain heritage tour
 

Haywood historical presents Cold Mountain heritage tour

The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 at the Shook House in…
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SCC launches Plus 50 program for Cashiers and Highlands
 

SCC launches Plus 50 program for Cashiers and Highlands

As the director of Southwestern Community College’s new Plus 50 program, Michael Rich is rapidly working in the community to…
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Mountain Projects offers free fans for seniors
 

Mountain Projects offers free fans for seniors

Mountain Projects, Inc. through a collaborative effort with the Area Agency on Aging and Progress Energy is sponsoring Operation Fan-Heat…
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State leaders fund land conservation despite tight budget
 

State leaders fund land conservation despite tight budget

After a tenuous state budget debate, The Farmland Preservation Trust Fund emerged with $2 million in funding for the upcoming…
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Raffle to benefit Roy Rickman Scholarship
 

Raffle to benefit Roy Rickman Scholarship

A raffle drawing and silent auction will be held on 6 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at Mountain View Intermediate School…
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Sylva to impose employee parking ban downtown
 

Sylva to impose employee parking ban downtown

The Sylva town board voted unanimously to adopt a new parking ordinance that will fine downtown employees and business owners…
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Local government doesn’t fare well in poll
 

Local government doesn’t fare well in poll

By Christopher Cooper and Gibbs Knotts Confidence in politics, politicians and government is low. President Obama’s approval rating hovers around…
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Majority supports alcohol sales, and its many benefits
 

Majority supports alcohol sales, and its many benefits

By Michael Morris • Guest ColumnistThe sale of alcohol has become a hot topic in Western North Carolina. In 2010,…
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Conservative Democrats, endangered species and Rep. Heath Shuler
 

Conservative Democrats, endangered species and Rep. Heath Shuler

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts A creature once roamed the American South that many now presume to…
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TEA Party catches on, but impact on election still hard to gauge
 

TEA Party catches on, but impact on election still hard to gauge

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts Beginning in 2009 with a series of protests focusing on what participants…
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Sediment foils irrigation systems at worst possible time
 

Sediment foils irrigation systems at worst possible time

For farmers who rely on the Tuckasegee River to irrigate their crops, a brutal summer heat wave and dry spell…
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Evergreen holds assets too tightly, officials say
 

Evergreen holds assets too tightly, officials say

Board members of Smoky Mountain Center, a state mental health agency for the 15 western counties, have questioned whether its…
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Smoky Mountain, Evergreen lock horns over foundation assets
 

Smoky Mountain, Evergreen lock horns over foundation assets

A state mental health agency and its sister nonprofit are locked in a debate over whether the nonprofit should continue…
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Growth of dog bakeries tempt owners to indulge their canine companions
 

Growth of dog bakeries tempt owners to indulge their canine companions

At the end of a rough week, your dog might consider stopping in at Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery in Dillsboro…
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HRMC uses garden therapy
 

HRMC uses garden therapy

The engineering, grounds and Behavioral Health Unit at Haywood Regional Medical worked together to brighten the hospital community by planting…
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New pavilion shapes Cashiers’ Village Green into high-caliber venue
 

New pavilion shapes Cashiers’ Village Green into high-caliber venue

When the Summit Charter School found a new home last year, it left behind an empty space in the heart…
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Scam targets hotel owners
 

Scam targets hotel owners

When a $4,000 payment showed up in the mail to cover a $1,195 bill, Jim Freeman knew something was up.…
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Franklin to decide whether to allow Super Wal-Mart to proceed
 

Franklin to decide whether to allow Super Wal-Mart to proceed

Franklin Alderman Bob Scott wants to know what people think about a proposed Super Wal-Mart on the edge of town.…
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Haywood Market hits full stride this weekend
 

Haywood Market hits full stride this weekend

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market will have a festival in conjunction with the long-awaited arrival of summer corn and tomatoes from…
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Feds listening to our outdoors agenda
 

Feds listening to our outdoors agenda

By Ken MurphyWestern North Carolina is a special place, a region with awe-inspiring scenic vistas, waterways and forested watersheds that…
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The real problem with the economy
 

The real problem with the economy

To the Editor: Let’s look at what truly stimulates an economy, creates jobs, drives markets and produces tax revenue to…
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Poll reveals discontent among the populace
 

Poll reveals discontent among the populace

To the Editor: The Smoky Mountain News and Western Carolina University’s Gibb Knotts and Chris Cooper are to be commended…
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Bryson City rock purists Big House Radio get comfortable in their skin
 

Bryson City rock purists Big House Radio get comfortable in their skin

Aaron Plantenberg was relaxing by a lake in northern Wisconsin when his vacation was abruptly cut short by a phone…
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HART leads the pack with “Chicago” production
 

HART leads the pack with “Chicago” production

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre is pulling the stops out for its production of the smash hit “Chicago,” which opened…
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American Craft Today seeks submissions for juried show
 

American Craft Today seeks submissions for juried show

Craft artists are invited to submit digital images of their work by July 19 to be considered for inclusion in…
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Piano sensations Mark and Clark to perform at Eaglenest
 

Piano sensations Mark and Clark to perform at Eaglenest

The Original Twin Piano Twins, Mark and Clark, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 16, and Saturday, July 17,…
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Help feed Folkmoot’s dancers
 

Help feed Folkmoot’s dancers

More than 350 dancers and musicians from across the globe will arrive in Waynesville on July 19 to participate in…
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Moonshiner’s Daughter Memoir Book launch
 

Moonshiner’s Daughter Memoir Book launch

Mary J. Messer, author of the Haywood County based memoir, Moonshiner’s Daughter, will hold the kick-off launch for her newly…
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Piecing together a picture of home
 

Piecing together a picture of home

Although Americans are known for their wandering ways, traveling to California in Conestoga wagons, taking the train to find a…
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Blue Ridge Breakaway to bring cyclists to Haywood County
 

Blue Ridge Breakaway to bring cyclists to Haywood County

The mountains of Western North Carolina are rapidly becoming the top destination for serious cyclists east of the Mississippi. The…
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New toilets in Cataloochee Valley
 

New toilets in Cataloochee Valley

Cataloochee Valley, a popular section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Haywood County, finally has restrooms. Cataloochee Valley…
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Bee balm
 

Bee balm

The girls love to surprise Mom with bouquets of wildflowers. The other day they came in with a handful of…
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Grants encourage creative use of forest resources
 

Grants encourage creative use of forest resources

From bark shingles to edible mushrooms, entrepreneurs across Western North Carolina are being encouraged to tap the resources of the…
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