Archived (29806)
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Affordable senior condos spark opposition among downtown Waynesville neighbors
Residents of a downtown Waynesville neighborhood are up in arms about a proposed three-story, 64-unit condo development that would provide…
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Ghost Town partners establish own credit line
Owners of Ghost Town in the Sky hope to funnel up to $500,000 into the amusement park in order to…
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Macon airport lands more money for artifact surveys
Opposition to the airport runway extension in Macon County continues to mount, with a standing-room-only crowd attending last week’s Airport…
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Vacated library could become new home for Sylva police
The Sylva Police Department may find a new home in the Jackson County Public Library on Main Street once the…
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From South America to the Appalachians
Alpacas herald from South America, but are increasingly being found on farms in the Southern Appalachians. Alpacas are in the…
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New Swain jail continues to rack up costs
Weeks following an escape at the brand-new Swain County jail, county commissioners agreed to an emergency appropriation of $139,000 at…
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Weavers bring finest of craft to WNC
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer This April, nearly 100 professional weavers and spinners will converge at Lake Junaluska in…
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Jackson ordered to relinquish permits that pave way for dam removal
Despite losing yet another court battle over the Dillsboro dam, the majority of Jackson County commissioners have vowed to continue…
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Jackson Paper adding 61 jobs in Sylva
Stonewall Packaging LLC, a joint venture of Jackson Paper Manufacturing Co., announced today that it will invest more than $17…
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Anne Rice’s spiritual journey
Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession by Anne Rice. Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. 256 pages. The books are piling…
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Park starts lengthy reorganization process
Despite the daunting hurdles faced by Ghost Town in the Sky to get the Maggie Valley amusement park open by…
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State wants assurances before approving loan for Sylva fire department
The town of Sylva continues to be plagued by a financial mistake made last year in which $2 million in…
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Get ready for life in the fast lane
It seems impossible that my niece is going to have a baby. She is 20 years old, which is about…
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Local couple recognized for land stewardship
John and Jane Young of Haywood County have been recognized by the North Carolina Forest Stewardship Program for their commitment…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Watershed dreaming Last Saturday (April 4) was another sojourn into the town of Waynesville’s 8,500-acre plus watershed. The town initiated…
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Alpacas: Furry, friendly and in 23 colors
The group that Joe Moore hangs out with most days is an eclectic one, with names like Jack Straw, Reuben,…
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Ghost Town’s struggles challenge community
As Ghost Town continues to struggle, many are finally coming to grips with the reality that the Old West theme…
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All airport documents requested in lead up to runway lawsuit
An environmental group out of Asheville plans to sue the Macon County Airport Authority and other parties involved in the…
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Old stone walls redux
(Author’s Note: While running random Internet searches, I occasionally am confronted from out of the blue, as it were, with…
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Fired jail employee says he warned of relationship between murder suspect and jailer
The Swain County sheriff and jail administrators were warned that a jailer who freed a double murder suspect March 21…
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Haywood proposes incentives for green business
Economic development officials have adopted a policy that will give business incentives to clean, renewable energy projects that locate in…
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Canton has new town manager: Lengthy search ends back where it started — with interim manager Matthews
After a search that has dragged on for more than a year, the Canton Board of Alderman has finally selected…
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New Sylva manager’s salary below state average of similar-sized towns
Though some are complaining that the salary for the recently hired Sylva town manager is high for her level of…
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A gem of a novel
The Missing by Tim Gautreaux. Knopf Double Publishing Group, 2009. 384 pages. This is a novel that seems to vibrate…
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Ghost Town faces huge challenges as it tries to restructure debt, open park
The business partners behind Ghost Town in the Sky are facing significant logistical and financial challenges as they pursue their…
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Shuler proving his independence
Openly conservative Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, is blazing his own path in Congress. That characteristic is easy to admire,…
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Debts mount at theme park
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley has left a wake of unpaid bills with local companies…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Caving moratorium sought Three weeks ago (Naturalist’s Corner 3/11) I wrote about a mysterious malady dubbed White Nose Syndrome (WNS)…
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Ghost Town responds
The following comment was provided by Steve Shiver, Ghost Town CEO and president, in response to questions about the challenges…
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New face on Waynesville board: Funeral home director fills Kenneth Moore’s seat
One would be be hard-pressed to find someone uttering anything but praise for new Waynesville Alderman Wells Greeley. The 6-foot,…
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Tight budget forces libraries to trim hours
In the latest tangible consequence of countywide budget cuts, the Haywood County Library system is scaling back hours at each…
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Finding a home for fresh water mussels
Barrels of mussels being bred at the state’s fish hatcheries are awaiting release into the region’s rivers, helping to restore…
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Do not plant Bradford Pear
By Jim Janke We moved here from Chicago, where there are only two seasons: winter and road-under-construction.* By comparison, the…
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Pondering the future of newspapers
Much as I dislike posing the question, here it is: can you imagine a future without newspapers? Would it be…
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Mountain beauty is an asset we all own
To the Editor: We appreciate The Smoky Mountain News coverage on the steep slope issues in Macon County and would…
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Homecoming on the Pigeon River
After decades of paper mill pollution, the Pigeon River is coming back to life — literally. Aquatic biologists embarked on…
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Teaching photography at the old Whittier school
By Josh Mitchell • Staff Writer J.R. vanLienden grew up in a frame shop and used to promise himself he…
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Haywood tourism board debates ‘Smokies’ slogan
Haywood County is having a bit of an identity crisis. The Tourism Development Authority touts the county as a place…
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Bluebirds continue to fascinate
My oh my what a wonderful day Plenty of sunshine in my way Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Zip-a-dee-eh Mr Bluebird’s on my shoulder…
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Guns in parks? Court says not so fast
The ban on guns in national parks will continue to remain in place for the time being, despite a move…
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Job hunt gets harder under double digit unemployment
Sitting in the Job Link site in Sylva looking for jobs on a computer database, Kathleen Codon of Cullowhee hit…
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Swain residents lock and load in wake of escaped murder suspect
Swain County residents are locking their doors and loading their guns after a suspect in a double homicide escaped from…
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Cherokee voters to decide on alcohol sales at casino
After years of grappling with the controversial issue of alcohol sales on tribal land, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…
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Grants benefit Cherokee arts
Cherokee Preservation Foundation recently awarded 25 new grants totaling nearly $3.2 million. Here are a few targeting the arts: •…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Going to Grandfather Mountain and back
By Izzy Hendershot (age 7) • Notes in italics by Dad We hopped in the car and started off. The…
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Civil suit following toddler’s death blames DSS for failing to intervene
A lawsuit filed against the Haywood County Department of Social Services charging the agency could have prevented the death of…
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Heath Shuler: Too conservative for his party or right on the money?
He was endorsed by the Family Research Council for his pro-life stance and by the NRA for his support of…
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Ghost Town coaster opening faces big hurdles
Ghost Town investors are banking on finally getting the park’s Cliffhanger rollercoaster up and running in order to attract visitors…
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Uncle Fat and Cabbage-head
By Karen Dill The climatic temperaments in the month of March have been likened to gentle lambs or irascible lions.…
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Cause of quarry slide undetermined
Federal investigators with the Mine Safety and Health Administration have still not determined the cause of a slide last week…
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