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Queen gets early challenger for state Senate seat
A competitive state Senate race appears to be on the horizon once again for Sen. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville. Andy…
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Preserving Cherokee tradition
Anthropologist James Mooney (1861-1921) devoted his life to detailing various aspects of the history, material culture, oral tradition, language, arts,…
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Town helps HVO seek state grant
The Town of Waynesville plans to step in for Haywood Vocational Opportunities in procuring state money to help with an…
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Cash settlement amount proves a sticking point
Negotiations over a cash settlement for Swain County have been stalled for more than a year as opposing sides argue…
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Jackson EDC still taking old board’s heat
Old records of the Jackson County Economic Development Commission are likely too spotty to complete missing audits from the years…
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9-12 group is voice for those dissatisfied with government
Haywood County commissioners have seen their share of hot-button issues this year. First came the proposed nuisance ordinance, with angry…
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Macon group finishes study of living history farm
A Macon County group is one step closer to its dream of establishing a Living History Farm, a working replica…
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Lawsuit filed to seize Dillsboro dam
Jackson County has formally filed a lawsuit against Duke Energy to seize the Dillsboro Dam and surrounding river shore, using…
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Conservation fund donates land to HCC
Haywood Community College recently acquired a 328-acre tract of land located at Balsam Gap through a generous gift from The…
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Duke lobbies for rate hike amidst protest
Swain County commissioners expressed their disapproval of an 18 percent hike in electric bills being sought by Duke Energy to…
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The Naturalist's Corner
They’re back Actually they’ve been back for a while and now their bags are packed and they’re ready to go.…
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Waynesville looks at ways to cut energy use
Energy efficiency dominated the agenda at Waynesville’s last town meeting, with the passage of a strategic energy management plan and…
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Goodman’s second ‘classics’ story
The Night Villa by Carol Goodman. Ballantine Books, 2008. 413 pages. Over the last decade, Carol Goodman has rightly earned…
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The road to a cash settlement
1920s Forney Creek Township wants a road leading from Bryson City to Deals Gap on the Tennessee state line. It…
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New boating ramp opens on Cheoah Lake
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has opened a boating access Area and Public Fishing Area on the bank of the…
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McLean and Mathis part of Richland project
The Richland Hills low-income senior housing development was touted publicly as being under the auspice of the Asheville-based nonprofit Mountain…
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Students recreate modern Lewis and Clark expedition
Western North Carolina high school students bicycled 300 miles to the nation’s capital on one trip and canoed along the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Bats make good just in time to salvage outing “Oh lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” That refrain from…
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Prison to remain open, but future not rosy
By Julia Merchant • Correspondent The minimum-security Hazelwood Prison in Waynesville is the only correctional facility of its kind to…
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If not wind, then what?
To the Editor: Well, I am at a disadvantage in this discussion on wind energy development in North Carolina. My…
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Pointing kids toward a love of the park
Eric Sink, a teacher at Summit Charter School in Cashiers, N.C., looks forward to loading his fifth-graders up on a…
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More than a number With teacher layoffs, impact of school budget cuts hits home
It’s not an uncommon scene: people rattling a tin can outside Wal-Mart to raise money, whether it’s a cheerleading squad…
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Oxford American: The best magazine ever
There aren’t many things that cause my weary heart to quicken. The local bookstore, Netflix, rain crows and, yes, the…
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Methane-powered foundry opens at JCGEP
The Jackson County Green Energy Park recently opened the first landfill methane-fueled art foundry in the world. “Because of the…
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Lake island dwellers lobby for fire protection
Homeowners on Buck Knob Island in the middle of Lake Glenville say they are owed fire protection by local volunteer…
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Megow-Dowling announces resignation
Jackson County’s economic development director Dorothea Megow-Dowling had been on the job for less than a year when she announced…
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Cherokee school bridges tradition and the future
While some students dread returning to the classroom this time of year, children in Cherokee have been asking for weeks…
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When the Park becomes a classroom: From real life science to a trip back in time, the Smokies provides fertile ground for learning
While most national parks serve as conduits for science, the Smokies is a window on history as well. Churches, schools,…
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Land swap integral to Cherokee school
The Cherokee faced a long, uphill battle spanning decades to secure the idyllic tract of land now housing a brand…
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A dollar here, a paintbrush there: Community rallies to save teachers, support schools
They came. They saw. And this past Saturday, they — nearly 1,000 volunteers from almost 50 churches — painted, scraped,…
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Touch-me-nots and poison ivy
Jewelweed, or “touch-me-not,” is one of the most appealing wildflowers commonly encountered throughout Western North Carolina. Many recognize the plant…
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Mountain granny comes to life in book by former WCU student
Former WCU student Matthew Link Baker will read from his new book, My Mountain Granny: The Story of Evelyn Howell…
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Junior bids farewell to forest service
Harry “Junior” Ward, Jr. recently retired from the North Carolina Forest Service as the Haywood County Ranger. Ward was a…
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Homeschooled students on the rise
More parents in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties opted to teach their children at home this year, concurring with…
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An eye for mountains: An Ansel Adams of the Smokies, George Masa was one of the greatest photographers of his era. So why have so many people never heard of him?
By Michael Beadle There’s a view on the way up to Clingmans Dome, an overlook where a maze of finger-like…
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Departing director recommends dissolving Jackson EDC board
Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission has again been thrust into turmoil, a near constant state of affairs for the entity…
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Funding cut for after school program is a mistake
“I can see test scores going down and higher dropout rates in high school,” he said. “These kids are struggling.…
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Slow cookers converge for Franklin BBQ festival
The Mountain High BBQ & Music Festival will be held at the Macon County fairgrounds Aug. 7-8. Gates open at…
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New economic development coordinator learns the ropes
Trevor Dalton, Macon County’s first paid economic development coordinator, is back on his home turf. Dalton, 24, grew up in…
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Jackson County’s mosaic is still being painted
Although I sometimes wish that the maps of my Jackson County had a more beguiling shape — perhaps a bear…
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County ensnared in lawsuit over historic courthouse renovations
Haywood County is being sued for $2 million by the contractor in charge of renovations to the newly restored historic…
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Scenic beauty, yes, but what about things to do?
By Andre A. Rodriguez • Special to the Smoky Mountain News A new travel study revealed potential visitors lack awareness…
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Jackson County offers incentives to land new manufacturing jobs
Jackson County leaders are considering an economic development incentive that will provide property tax credits to Stonewall Packaging in exchange…
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Particular parables and perverse ponderings
Willful Creatures Stories by Aimee Bender. Doubleday & Company. 208 pages. Recently, Garrison Keilor mentioned a new writer, Aimee Bender…
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Facing unpleasant changes in aftermath of hemlock die off
As if the death of hemlock trees across the Southern Appalachians wasn’t bad enough already, forest researchers believe the loss…
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Cherokee leaders to PETA: back off our bear zoos
Despite public pressure from animal rights activists, including a visit from legendary game show host Bob Barker, Cherokee leaders do…
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North Toe River freed of crumbling dam
A decrepit dam is being torn down along the North Toe River near Spruce Pine this week, clearing the way…
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The pains of summer vacation
There, swirling miserably in the bottom of my morning coffee mug, are the dregs of summer. I had such plans…
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Indie film brings big economic boost: From stunt pilots to bar scenes, movie producer weaves local people and places into script
Western North Carolina has seen its share of Hollywood productions. But unlike many of the other movies filmed here, “Road…
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Workers will come if we create jobs, great lifestyle
When Macon County economic development officials met last week and decided the aging workforce was among the county’s most pressing…
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