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Canton braces for development with comprehensive plan
In an effort to strike a balance between development pressures and a need for growth, the Town of Canton adopted…
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Vecinos spearheads services hub for uninsured and low-income WNC residents
Vecinos, a free and charitable clinic providing bilingual primary and behavioral health care in Western North Carolina, is leading a…
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As expected, Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
Almost 50 years after the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling was handed down by the United States Supreme Court,…
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Haywood County confirms first case of monkeypox
The Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency (HCHHSA) is reporting the first case of monkeypox virus infection in a…
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Two held without bond in alleged mass shooting threat
Two men are being held without bond in the Jackson County Detention Center after allegedly threatening a mass shooting in…
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Wild Vision: George Masa book pairs famed images with modern experiences
The 1900s were just a few years along when a young man named Masahara Iizuka stepped on American soil for…
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U.S. House passes ‘historic’ wildlife bill
Lauded as a “historic game-changer” for wildlife conservation in the United States, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act last week passed…
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Waynesville Waterpark reopens
The Waynesville Recreation Center Waterpark will reopen for the summer Friday, June 24.
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Ribbon-cutting planned for Old Fort trails
The first phase of the Old Fort Trails Project in the Pisgah National Forest will open on Sunday, June 26.
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Environmental program aims for community engagement
Western Carolina University has named its Environmental Health Program in the College of Health and Human Sciences as its first…
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Biological Foundation holds fundraising soiree
Festivities for the Highlands Biological Foundation’s annual summer soiree will commence at 6 p.m. Monday, July 18, on the historic…
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Smokies seeks info on old homesites
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is looking for help in identifying and documenting former homesites in the park.
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I don’t get it: A Review of ‘The Ballad of Laurel Springs’
Sometimes a book I’ve read, particularly a novel, will leave me mystified, which is not always a good thing.
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American pastoral: Brothers Gillespie release new album, plot summer tour
Within its upcoming sophomore album, “American Pastoral,” rising Haywood County-based Americana/rock act The Brothers Gillespie has cultivated a vast, vibrant…
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This must be the place: There’s no simple explanation, for anything important any of us do
With the Mason-Dixon Line in the rearview mirror, I pushed the accelerator down and proceeded to make my way up…
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Election integrity is fundamental to our freedoms
As I was re-reading last week’s issue of The Smoky Mountain News and about the Juneteenth celebrations in the mountains,…
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New and shiny isn’t always better
In my adult life I’ve noticed an emotional pattern when it comes to appliances. When I have an antiquated appliance, it…
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Thanks to all for keeping Jackson clean
To the Editor: We are so blessed in Jackson County to have many dedicated individuals and community groups who have…
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Congress should fulfill the Second Amendment
To the Editor: In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and yet another mass shooting in America I am…
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State puts the brakes on US-19 flyover project
A much-needed, much-lamented bridge replacement project planned for U.S. 74 in Haywood County will be postponed, per a June 10…
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Overbooked: How Highlands is attempting to regulate its short-term rental industry
Short term rentals have existed in resort towns for decades, but as Airbnb and similar services have made them more…
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Neadeau named as interim Cherokee police chief
When Chief of Police Josh Taylor’s resignation becomes effective June 27, the Cherokee Indian Police Department’s Captain of Corrections Carla…
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Designer chosen for WCU Moore Hall renovation
In a unanimous vote Friday, June 10, the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees selected Charlotte-based Jenkins Peer Architects to…
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Tourism dollars create opportunity for Jackson
This summer, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is in the process of accepting applications for its first round of…
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Haywood TDA to award special project grants
The biggest knock against North Carolina’s city- and county-based Tourism Development Authority system is that while it does collect and…
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Buncombe TDA bill would bolster community spending
A bipartisan Senate bill that would address persistent outcry from Asheville residents over the negative impacts of tourism could reflect…
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Clampitt bill would establish TDA for Bryson City
A long-simmering feud between city and county governments over TDA revenue will finally be settled, if a bill entered by Rep.…
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N.C. 107 section dedicated to Conrad Burrell
The stories flowed easily from friends, pastors and family members of the late Conrad Burrell on Tuesday afternoon at Southwestern…
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‘Climb Out of the Darkness’
Brit Klepac gave birth two-and-a-half years ago. Throughout her pregnancy, she was mentally and physically healthy, but almost immediately after bringing…
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WCU navigates pandemic fallout as enrollment shows signs of recovery
While nothing is certain until census day in September, transfer and full-time freshman enrollment for the upcoming fall semester at…
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N.C. House opposes Smokies parking fee
The N.C. House of Representatives last week condemned the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s controversial proposal to enact a parking…
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MCSO affidavits offer strange and heinous details of alleged kidnapping, homicide
A man currently in jail on charges of kidnapping and assault may soon be charged with murder if search warrants…
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Measuring the top of the world: Tuscola alum leads Everest expedition
Baker Perry’s family arrived in Haywood County almost by accident. They’d been living in Bolivia, where his parents operated a…
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N.C. announces strategy for PFAS chemicals
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has announced an action strategy for PFAS, a class of widely used, long-lasting chemicals…
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Roadside parking banned at Laurel Falls
With more than 100 cars typically parked outside the parking lot at Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Splash into reading at Bryson City library
It’s “Oceans of Possibilities” this summer at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City, with a marine-themed summer reading program…
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Writer takes residence in the Smokies
Bakersville, North Carolina, resident Sue Wasserman is taking her place as this year’s Steve Kemp Writer in Residence at the…
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Fishy field guide hits bookstores
A new field guide dedicated to the aquatic residents of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now on bookshelves.
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Fire Mountain closed for OneWheel event
Fire Mountain Trails in Cherokee will be closed Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18, for the second annual WheelScorcher…
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Rep. Pless bullies his way over local leaders
“Arrogant.” “Out of control.” “Power hungry.” I’ve heard all these words — and worse — used to describe Rep. Mark…
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So what’s the big deal about plastics?
The towns of Waynesville and Canton have recently joined hundreds of other communities in declaring a need to dramatically reduce…
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Burr, Tillis should support gun control
To the Editor: This is an open letter to Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis.
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We need to enact stricter gun laws
To the Editor: I am a recent resident of the lovely state of North Carolina and am truly honored and…
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Highlands Biological Foundation opens North Campus
After years of planning, fundraising, and construction, the Highlands Biological Foundation (HBF) officially dedicated the North Campus of the Highlands…
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Junaluska announces Summer Worship Series and events
Lake Junaluska will host outdoor, lakeside Sunday worship services led by inspirational visiting preachers from June 26 through Aug. 14…
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Slanted Window Tasting Station cuts the ribbon
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce was proud to welcome the Slanted Window Tasting Station to the community and the chamber…
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Bear injures campers at Elkmont
A bear has been euthanized after it broke into a tent occupied by a family of five and their dog,…
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Cherokee police chief resigns
After just shy of a year on the job, Cherokee Police Chief Josh Taylor announced June 13 that he would…
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Songs of Freedom: Local churches celebrate Juneteenth through gospel music
On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas were told of their freedom — two months after Robert E. Lee…
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