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Flood Relief Funds: What really happened
By Denise A. Mathis • Guest Column One of the most publicized criminal cases in Haywood County history centered around…
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Waynesville mourns passing of long-time alderman
Waynesville Alderman Kenneth Moore passed away Monday (March 2) after a heart attack. He was 74. Moore was the former…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Peregrine pads protected Rock climbing trails across the Carolina mountains near known peregrine falcon nest sites have once again been…
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Tough year for HRMC teaches hard lessons
It’s a cultural tradition in nearly every society, the firm belief that people and institutions become stronger once they’ve been…
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Canton town manager search drags on
There are just two candidates left in the bid to be Canton’s next town manager, but Mayor Pat Smathers said…
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Franklin man banned from bringing knife to church
A member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Franklin is prohibited from bringing his hunting knife to church after another…
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Canton stuck in bidding quagmire
A flawed bidding process for a demolition job that left a local company out of the loop is causing a…
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New park visitor center to showcase stored artifacts
A design has been finalized for a new $3 million visitor center at the North Carolina entrance to the Great…
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The stories of everyday people: NPR’s StoryCorps coming to Asheville
By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer Capturing a grandmother’s story of survival, a fiancé’s sigh, or a best friend’s joke…
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Airport runway battle heats up in Macon: Cherokee fight to save artifacts from destruction
Emotions are sizzling over a plan to extend the Macon County Airport runway over Cherokee burial grounds and artifacts. At…
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Smokies keeps status as most visited national park
The economy and high gas prices last summer led to slightly fewer visitors in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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New polling place to end Cherokee voters’ commute to Bryson
People in Cherokee will no longer have to drive or hitch rides into Bryson City to cast ballots during early…
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Angry residents call nuisance ordinance ‘a bunch of garbage’
A proposed Haywood County ordinance that prohibits various kinds of waste and junk was harshly criticized by speaker after speaker…
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HRMC: A timeline
Oct. 2006-Feb. 2008 — HRMC has several problems with federal inspectors, culminating in the threat to revoke its ability to…
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Purported mega-development disappears from radar
Cataloochee Wilderness Resort, a 4,500-acre proposed development in Haywood County’s Jonathan Creek community, appears to have fallen off the map.…
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Cowbirds a favorite to despise
Some folks can’t stand house sparrows (a native of north Africa and Eurasia) while others detest starlings (a native of…
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The new watchdogs: After crisis, hospital board renews emphasis on oversight
Today at HRMC, 10 sets of eyes peer over the shoulders of the hospital administration, ready and willing to question…
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Jackson library deserving of community support
Deduction would tell us that in the information age libraries would be accorded great respect, but somehow that isn’t universally…
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In tough times, local company looks to expand
In yet another piece of positive economic news, Waynesville-based Haywood Vocational Opportunities announced a proposed expansion that would create at…
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Child still in critical condition after dog mauling in Sylva
A 7-year-old Jackson County boy is fighting for his life after being mauled by a dog last week, according to…
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Shuler said he’ll fight for stimulus funds
U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, spoke to a crowd of about 200 town and county government officials from Western North…
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Pop Music Icon Chubby checker swings through Cherokee Feb. 28
By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer Chubby Checker clears his throat and states with pomp, “I plan on tearing the…
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Haywood extends token to Canton solar farm
FLS Solar Energy wants a tax break from Haywood County in exchange for an $8 million solar farm the company…
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For young illegals, a coming-of-age quandary
Irene is not just a good student. She is one of the very best at her school, near the top…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Black oil sunflower seed is king
One thing became clear during my little bird feeding experiment. If you’re looking for one birdseed that will attract just…
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Brooding obsessions
Dying Light by Donald Hays. MacAdam/Cage, 2006. 261 pages In recent years, I’m sure that the average reader feels intimidated…
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Poore a ‘breath of fresh air’: CEO’s congenial personality and industry knowledge impress community
As Mike Poore waited for an elevator between floors at Haywood Regional Medical Center Monday morning, he gazed out the…
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Back from the brink: A year later, turn around for HRMC is on the horizon
Last February, a crisis landed on the doorstep of Haywood Regional Medical Center. After failing federal inspections, the hospital lost…
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Sylva board rift heats up
Split votes are becoming increasingly common on the Sylva town board, throwing into question whether the board can meet its…
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Free clinic plugs mental health holes
By Marth Teater • Guest Columnist The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County has served the medical needs of our…
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Could hops be one of WNC’s new cash crops?
Tobacco is no longer the cash crop it once was in North Carolina, but its partner in crime — hops…
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Carden’s insights and answers to Appalachian 101
What would surprise someone the most about the Appalachian culture? Well, assuming that they are not Appalachian, it would probably…
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The Naturalist's Corner: 4TH Annual Hendershot Birdapalooza
The results are in and the fourth annual Hendershot Birdapalooza at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe, Louisiana…
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Loss of Hazelwood prison likely just a matter of time
Local legislators are preparing to fight yet another attempt by the state to close the only minimum security prison west…
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Spare me some spears
By Sandi Simons-Crawford Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is one of very few perennial vegetables. A properly managed bed will produce for…
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A ray of hope in the mental health crisis
When it comes to caring for the mentally ill in North Carolina, there’s been very little good news over the…
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Aldermen deny exploiting ‘Slategate’
Two Franklin aldermen said they didn’t whip up controversy regarding slate to get back at Mayor Joe Collins but because…
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A call to action for the Southern Appalachians
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist In an article in Blue Ridge Country magazine, author and professor Steve Nash provided…
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The age of acting and the rapture of writing
The Age of Dreaming by Nina Revoyr. Akashic Books, 2008. 320 pages Every once in a while a novel comes…
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Hair Wars: May the gel be with you
By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer Movie stars are coming to Cullowhee. With a snip here and a dye job…
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A long and winding road
Sylva’s current library opened in 1970 and is 6,400 square feet. The debate over where to locate a new library…
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Paver design chosen for Waynesville police station
Courtney Boessel’s “Patchwork Community” was chosen as the winning entry for Waynesville’s new police station paver design as part of…
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Haywood commissioners asked for more oversight of mega-developments
A group of Haywood residents appealed to county commissioners for an ordinance assessing the impacts of large developments. The ordinance…
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Guarding the Little Tennessee from exotics
Environmental groups in Macon County are joining forces to tackle the scourge of exotic plants along the Little Tennessee Greenway…
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Reservoir rendezvous
Joe Wright was born and raised in the high Nantahalas in the northwest corner of Macon County. He was 90-some-years-old…
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Smokies’ mania: 75 hikes for the 75th anniversary
Jerry Span stared down the sign post for Old Settlers Trail. The temperature registered a mere 6 degrees, and the…
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Library success rides on public support
Dr. John Bunn of Sylva lived through the Great Depression and said people bind together during tough times to help…
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Tight times force tough choices for Swain schools
The Swain County School District has terminated a popular program that emphasized science and math education, offered students smaller classes…
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Mandated cutbacks mean tough decisions
The first Friday in February came with some bad news for the Swain County School District and systems around the…
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Closed session minutes an opportunity for openness
What a great way to earn public trust: a public body decides that minutes from closed sessions no longer need…
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