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WNC schools repeal mask mandates
School systems in all four counties of The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area are no longer requiring masks in schools.…
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Cooper urges mask mandate end as Omicron subsides
Case numbers continue to decline in Western North Carolina and statewide as the Omicron surge subsides.
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Haywood commissioners evaluate fiscal health, budget requests
Debt is rolling off the books and sales tax revenue is still through the roof, but because Haywood County will…
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Some details emerge, but questions remain in Maggie Valley motel death
More than a week after an unattended death was reported at Maggie Valley’s Our Place Inn, law enforcement officials still…
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In search of a sense of community: Highly-anticipated pub opens in Waynesville
Serendipity is a word Makyia Blair has been using a lot lately.
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This must be the place: Rock and roll is here to stay, come inside where it’s okay
It was that familiar smell that conjured a slew of memories.
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French theme park company in talks with EBCI for Exit 407 project
Representatives of a world-renowned French theme park company met with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council this week…
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Masks now optional in Jackson Schools
Effective Monday, Feb. 21, masks will be optional in Jackson County Schools. The decision was made at an emergency board…
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Smokies, Parkway, top NPS visitation list for 2021
The two most visited national parks of 2021 are located right here in Western North Carolina, according to figures released…
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Documentary to explore forest management debate
The Pisgah-Nantahala forest plan process is nearing its end, but a local filmmaker’s effort to produce a documentary exploring the…
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Outdoor Gear Builders names executive director
Outdoor Gear Builders has hired Brad Taylor as its first-ever full-time executive director, marking a milestone for an organization that…
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Forest Service plans prescribed burns
The U.S. Forest Service is planning prescribed burns for seven areas of the Pisgah National Forest this spring.
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Conservation trusts protect additional lands
Area land trusts are celebrating several recent accomplishments in the quest to conserve and protect ecologically significant land.
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Help available for Tropical Storm Fred losses
Farmers who suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Fred can now apply for help through the N.C. Department of Agriculture…
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Haywood Waterways director moves on
Nearly two decades ago, Eric Romaniszyn joined the nonprofit world as the new project manager for Haywood Waterways Association .
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Take the edge off winter with story hour
It’s late Saturday afternoon, February, that hour before supper when the little ones go bananas, and the 5-year-old and his…
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No endings, only new beginnings
I can’t tell you how many goodbye columns I’ve read over the years from reporters leaving their posts, lamenting over…
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From Me to We
“The story can’t be about the heroism of one person any more, it has to be about the heroism of communities.” —…
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Haywood library increases access
The Haywood County Public Library will take care of the work of renewing checked out items for patrons.
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Case counts drop as families mourn COVID deaths
COVID-19 cases are dropping precipitously both locally and statewide, with hospitalizations now hovering just above the 3,000 mark after hitting…
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Macon firefighter injured on fire line
A Macon County firefighter was flown to the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia with severe injuries last week after flames…
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Rep. Pless looks back on 2021
It’s been a challenging year in Haywood County government circles, especially on the state level.
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First board members selected for Waynesville’s new downtown group
Goodbye, Downtown Waynesville Association. Hello, Downtown Waynesville Advisory Committee.
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Cherokee debates term limit referendum language
In an unusual sequence of events Feb. 3, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed a resolution outlining a set of referendum…
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Masks now optional in Haywood schools
Masks are optional for students and staff of Haywood County Schools after the school board voted last night to remove…
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JCTDA rolls out tourism capital project fund
Jackson County Tourism Development Authority will open applications for its first round of tourism capital projects funds this year. This…
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Sylva tables chicken discussion
After community members showed up in force to object to certain provisions of Sylva’s proposed updated zoning ordinance, commissioners tabled…
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Capital needs in Macon pit capacity vs. affordability
Macon County has a long, expensive list of capital needs over the next decade, and commissioners took nearly three hours…
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Sylva approves plan for open carry alcohol
Despite a strong public showing against the proposed social district at Sylva’s town meeting on Thursday, commissioners voted 3-2 to…
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The alchemy of the melody: A conversation with Andrew Thelston
In terms of musical ambassadors within the melodic melting pot of a scene that is Western North Carolina, you’d be…
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This must be the place: I want to hold you in the Bible black pre-dawn, what was I thinking when we said hello?
It’s Sunday, Feb. 13. The Super Bowl will be underway in about six hours. I’m sitting at a table in…
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Decade in the making: Forest Service releases long-awaited Pisgah-Nantahala forest plan
A decade after convening the first meetings to discuss the impending process, the U.S. Forest Service has released a semi-final version…
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Wildlife Service to release red wolves in eastern N.C.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing nine red wolves for release into the world’s only wild population of…
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Haywood student wins climate art contest
A Haywood Early College student was one of three winners in a statewide art contest focusing on climate change.
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Oust plastic bags from Haywood
Volunteers are wanted for a community-wide effort to reduce consumption of single-use plastic bags, with a sew-a-thon planned for Friday,…
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HWA director moves on
After 18 years at the helm of Haywood Waterways Association, Eric Romaniszyn is leaving his position as the organization’s executive…
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Chimney Rock Groundhog says early spring coming to WNC
According to untrained non-meteorologist Pumpkin the Groundhog, spring is on the way for Western North Carolina.
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Making boys into men the Jocko Willink way
Many readers of The Smoky Mountain News, particularly younger adults, are probably familiar with Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL…
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Careless book banning is seldom a good idea
Removing the book “Dear Martin” from a 10th-grade English class at Tuscola High School likely didn’t prevent students in that…
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The nostalgia of football and Snoop Dogg
My mom was a tiny Southern lady who graduated salutatorian of her senior class and never said a cuss word…
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A party adrift after Trump’s tenure
To the Editor: Almost from the moment World War II ended, we have watched in horror as one dictator after…
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Republicans off to the races in NC-14
The first Republican forum in the NC-14 congressional race may have been light on specific policy proposals, but the eight…
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Smoky Mountain Young Republicans seek members
Last week’s GOP congressional forum wasn’t hosted by the state party, some national media outlet or even a local county…
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Saving our lifesavers: Donaldson pleads for help
A comprehensive assessment of Haywood Emergency Management Services completed in 2019 suggested that aggressive shift schedules put employees at greater…
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Donations sought for Carden scholarship
Beloved Western North Carolina author, educator and storyteller Gary Carden has immortalized himself though his life’s work of preserving and…
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Sylva begins budget discussions
With budget season in full swing, Sylva commissioners have begun discussing their priorities for how to spend taxpayer dollars in…
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Clear trends emerge in partisan voter registration
Two years ago, The Smoky Mountain News took a look at statistical data on the party affiliation of registered voters…
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