Clockwise from top, left: Larry Bryson, John Hemingway, Bill Wilke, Tony Cope.
 

Christopher’s shadow looms large over Haywood sheriff’s race

As Greg Christopher enters his 43rd and likely final year in law enforcement, he goes out with his reputation intact…
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Clockwise from top, left: Rick Buchanan, Jimmy Ashe, Doug Farmer, Andy Anderson, Robin Gunnels.
 

Five compete in Jackson Sheriff primaries

Residents of Jackson County are tasked with selecting a new sheriff during the midterm elections this year. But first, voters…
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Clockwise from top left: Brent Holbrooks, Dereck Jones, Bob Cook, Clay Bryson.
 

Five Republicans vie to become Macon’s next sheriff 


Among the sheriffs retiring in Western North Carolina who will leave big shoes to fill is Macon County’s Robert Holland,…
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Social media rumors fuel false child trafficking concerns
 

Social media rumors fuel false child trafficking concerns

As increasing child abuse rates continue to plague many homes in Haywood County, a recent red herring took hold on…
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Clockwise from top, left: Rick Wood, Todd Bryson, Mark Lesson, Rainy Summer Brake, John Smith, Jarrett Crowe, Edward Thurston, David Brooks.
 

The race for Jackson Commission begins

Three of five seats on the Jackson County Commission are up for grabs this year — district one, district two…
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Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee
 

Swain commissioners oppose Smokies parking fee

A parking fee  proposed for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has earned support from organizations ranging from the National…
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Plateau Pickup sees record volunteer turnout
 

Plateau Pickup sees record volunteer turnout

Breaking previous records, approximately 130 volunteers helped spruce up Highlands and surrounding highways this past Saturday, April 23, as part…
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Lukas Nelson.
 

A few stars apart: Lukas Nelson to headline Bear Shadow festival

At age 33, singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson is already building a sturdy, bountiful existence as a beloved troubadour, one whose onstage…
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The String Cheese Incident, Asheville. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
 

This must be the place: Every piece to the puzzle snaps tight in the groove

It was somewhere towards the end of Set One of Night Two of The String Cheese Incident’s gig at the…
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Evan Hatch.
 

New Folkmoot executive director

Folkmoot USA, home to North Carolina’s Official International Folk Festival, welcomes Evan Hatch as the new executive director to lead…
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Sylva starts social district test period
 

Sylva starts social district test period

The Sylva social district opened for business, just in time for last weekend’s Greening Up the Mountains festival.
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Connect to the spirit of the Smokies
 

Connect to the spirit of the Smokies

The “Spirit of the Smokies” certificate program is starting up again, offered by the University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field…
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At a crossroads: Parking fee would signal a new era in Smokies history
 

At a crossroads: Parking fee would signal a new era in Smokies history

Since its official opening in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been free  to enter, to park, to…
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New state natural area now totals 6,000 acres
 

New state natural area now totals 6,000 acres

The Bobs Creek State Natural Area in McDowell County now totals more than 6,000 acres following completion of the third…
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Rules aim to prevent deer disease spread
 

Rules aim to prevent deer disease spread

The executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has invoked emergency powers to prevent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease…
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Once complete, the project will result in a new bridge connecting additional land to the park. Donated photo
 

Waynesville greenway section closed

A section of the Waynesville greenway next to Richland Creek at Vance Street Park is now closed for a construction…
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Chestnut Mountain Nature Park will offer new outdoor recreation opportunities just outside Canton town limits. SAHC photo
 

Chestnut Mountain opens this weekend

The long-awaited Chestnut Mountain Nature Park just outside Canton will open to the public Saturday, April 23, with a family-friendly…
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Frederick Law Olmstead’s vision inspired creation of the N.C. Arboretum. N.C. Arboretum image
 

Frederick Law Olmstead turns 200

Celebrate the 200th birthday of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the…
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Making peace with the past
 

Making peace with the past

I spent my boyhood living in Graham County in a community called Milltown in Robbinsville. In those days, there was…
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The String Cheese Incident
 

Into the blue: Bill Nershi of The String Cheese Incident

With its latest album, the EP “Into the Blue,” Colorado-based jam-band icons The String Cheese Incident have offered up a…
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Rural South Carolina. (photo: Garret K. Woodward)
 

This must be the place: I know the journey’s long and I’m sure you’ll find your way

It was a couple miles beyond the Georgia/South Carolina border heading north on Interstate 95 when the highway sign blinked…
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Paying to play may be the new reality
 

Paying to play may be the new reality

The proposed parking fee for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has users — especially locals in the…
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I’ll always remember Aunt Lillie’s eyes
 

I’ll always remember Aunt Lillie’s eyes

My Aunt Lillie fed raccoons at her house as long as I can remember, generations of them. When I was…
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The woke family is bad for U.S.
 

The woke family is bad for U.S.

To the Editor: The nuclear family in America has been the backbone of its strength. This sacred unit has been…
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Let’s hope America can think again
 

Let’s hope America can think again

To the Editor: Every once in a while an every-day experience provides the perfect example of a major issue and…
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HCAE policy excludes parents
 

HCAE policy excludes parents

To the Editor: Although I have no school-aged children, I read with interest the article about the Haywood County Association…
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Macon Middle principal suspended
 

Macon Middle principal suspended

Students at Macon County Middle School returned this week from spring break with a new principal at the helm —…
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Tribal LLC pursuing bid for two new casinos
 

Tribal LLC pursuing bid for two new casinos

In a special-called meeting Wednesday, April 13, Tribal Council approved a plan from EBCI Holdings, Inc. , to bid on…
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The Center for Domestic Peace has offices located at 26 Ridgeway Street in Sylva. Contact its 24-hour safeline at 828.586.1237. Holly Kays photo
 

Center for Domestic Peace expands services

Each April, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners declares Sexual Assault Awareness month. This year was no different, and Executive…
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UNC System sees surge in employee turnover
 

UNC System sees surge in employee turnover

Since July 2021, institutions across the University of North Carolina system have been experiencing massive increases in employee turnover —…
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Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on affordable housing
 

Swain commissioner candidates weigh in on affordable housing

Swain County’s Board of Commissioners will have two new members this year, at least one of whom will emerge from…
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Clockwise, from top left: Chuck Edwards, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Michele Woodhouse, Katie Dean
 

Democrats, Republicans target vulnerable Cawthorn in NC-11

Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District has garnered national attention for electing one controversial Trump-affiliated Republican congressman followed by another…
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Clockwise, from top left: Kim Moore, Frederick Buskey, Lisa Buchanan, Wesley McKnight, Abigail Clayton, Courtney Umphlett, Lynn Dillard, Joy Rose
 

Race for Jackson County School Board

Ten candidates are running for three open seats on the Jackson County Board of Education this spring. Only one incumbent…
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Clockwise, from top left: James Nash, Kirk Kirkpatrick, Jennifer Best, Tommy Long, Jeff Haynes, Terry Ramey, Erich Overhultz
 

Haywood commission candidates face significant challenges

Haywood County’s growing, and with that growth comes change – change not everyone is happy to see. Traditional hot-button issues…
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Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks to a gathering in Sylva in 2020.
 

Complaint filed against Cawthorn by fired staffer

Saying in a leaked recording that “we all want the ultimate goal of him never serving again,” Lisa Wiggins, a…
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Motion Makers sells all three stores
 

Motion Makers sells all three stores

After 36 years in business, Motion Makers Bicycle Shop owner Kent Cranford has sold all three stores to Specialized Bicycles,…
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The eastern hellbender is a distinct species from the mudpuppy, but both are species of special concern. T.R. Russ photo
 

Report hellbender, mudpuppy sightings

With fishing season underway for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, wildlife biologists at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking the…
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Ramsey Cascades Trail to get a makeover
 

Ramsey Cascades Trail to get a makeover

A two-year trail rehabilitation project will soon start on Ramsey Cascades Trail, one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s…
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N.C. Outdoor Recreation Industry Office Director Amy Allison addresses conference attendees. Steven Reinhold photo
 

Outdoor Economy Conference draws hundreds to Cherokee

More than 600 people from across the region, nation and Canada representing every facet of the outdoor industry converged on…
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Poultry events suspended due to bird flu
 

Poultry events suspended due to bird flu

All poultry shows and public poultry sales are suspended in North Carolina due to the threat of highly pathogenic avian…
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Thinking bigger: After 45 years, 
MST vision keeps growing
 

Thinking bigger: After 45 years, 
MST vision keeps growing

Jutting off from the left side of a typically busy Blue Ridge Parkway pull-off overlooking Mills River, an unassuming dirt…
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Good book, bad ending: ‘A Stolen Focus’
 

Good book, bad ending: ‘A Stolen Focus’

Sucker-punched. That’s how I felt when I finished reading Johann Hari’s “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — and How…
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Maggie Valley taxpayers deserve better
 

Maggie Valley taxpayers deserve better

It may sound like some kind of bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo, but trust me it’s not: the processes by which elected boards…
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Walking side by side with Freud and Jung
 

Walking side by side with Freud and Jung

One of my bachelor’s degrees is in psychology. I wanted to be a therapist or psychologist to help others. I’ve…
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Why should we care about Ukraine?
 

Why should we care about Ukraine?

To the Editor: Cory Vaillancourt’s March 30 roundup of what WCU professors have to say about the war in the…
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Smokies proposes park-wide parking fee
 

Smokies proposes park-wide parking fee

A visit to the nation’s most popular national park could cease being free if a groundbreaking proposal  put forth by…
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Speed a Little, Lose a Lot Campaign
 

Speed a Little, Lose a Lot Campaign

Famed NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte has a message for all North Carolinians: speeding belongs on the racetrack - not the…
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Scott Knibbs was killed in his home early on the morning of April 30, 2018. Facebook photo
 

Shooting case will test limits of qualified immunity 


In 2020, a trial court accepted the qualified immunity defense of Macon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Anthony Momphard for the…
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