Caples named CEO of Haywood Regional
 

Caples named CEO of Haywood Regional

Haywood Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint Hospital, announced that Greg Caples has been named its new chief executive officer,…
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Midnight Hole
 

Man missing in the Smokies

A search is underway for a missing man in the Big Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Smokies bear euthanized after scavenging human remains
 

Smokies bear euthanized after scavenging human remains

On the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 11, backpackers were hiking the Hazel Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Protestors took to the streets July 11 to show their opposition to the Confederate solider statue on the hill below Sylva's historic courthouse, now the Jackson County Public Library.
 

Sylva, Jackson County discuss next steps for Confederate statue

With nearly six weeks now elapsed since Jackson County Commissioners voted to cover up the Confederate flag on the base…
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Sept. 11, 2001
 

Sept. 11, 2001

September 11 snuck up on me this year. I was listening to public radio this morning when they discussed commemorations…
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Debate Fact-Checker: Zingers, Jabs and Lies
 

Debate Fact-Checker: Zingers, Jabs and Lies

Congressional candidates’ claims rated for truthfulness By Sally Kestin and Peter H. Lewis AVL Watchdog In their first public face-off,…
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Tuscola grad serves aboard USS Ronald Reagan
 

Tuscola grad serves aboard USS Ronald Reagan

 Waynesville native and Tuscola High School graduate Samuel Lalemand is serving aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which is continuing…
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Low-interest loans available for businesses impacted by COVID
 

Low-interest loans available for businesses impacted by COVID

The Southwestern Commission Council of Governments is pleased to announce the availability of low interest loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs…
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Demolition of WCU residence halls to begin Sept. 16
 

Demolition of WCU residence halls to begin Sept. 16

The exterior walls of Western Carolina University’s Scott and Walker residence halls — a pair of nine-story, no-frills, 1960s-era, dormitory-style…
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To Helen Back - A Local’s Guide
 

To Helen Back - A Local’s Guide

My family history goes back a good ways in Northeast Georgia and particularly in Helen. My mom grew up on…
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Smokies telethon canceled, donations still needed
 

Smokies telethon canceled, donations still needed

Due to the pandemic, Friends of the Smokies has had to cancel its annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, which…
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Virtual book club will explore climate change solutions
 

Virtual book club will explore climate change solutions

A virtual book club through the Highlands Biological Foundation this fall will cover the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan…
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The Table: Insatiable Appetite for Cooking
 

The Table: Insatiable Appetite for Cooking

Welcome to the table, where I will contribute a semi-regular column about cooking and food and my insatiable addiction to…
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Waynesville rec opens additional facilities
 

Waynesville rec opens additional facilities

The Waynesville Recreation Center and Old Armory will reopene for additional activities at 30 percent capacity at 7 a.m. Tuesday,…
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Jackson rec announce reopening plans
 

Jackson rec announce reopening plans

The Jackson County Recreation Centers in Cullowhee and Cashiers will reopen on Monday, Sept. 14, but with significant operational changes. 
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Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation
 

Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation

Law enforcement is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred just before 3 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near milepost 364…
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Biking is a popular pastime at DuPont. David Vance photo
 

Beyond the waterfalls: Asheville writer releases first written history of DuPont State Forest

Danny Bernstein’s fascination with DuPont State Recreational Forest began soon after she moved to Asheville in 2001.  “The first hike…
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Mild fall color display predicted for WNC
 

Mild fall color display predicted for WNC

The fall color forecast is looking dim for 2020, according to the annual prognostication offered by Western Carolina University biology…
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Pros & Cons of a Solo Parenting Vacay
 

Pros & Cons of a Solo Parenting Vacay

A couple summers ago, my two little boys and I spent four days in sunny Orlando. It was a last…
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Ford and East prepare for their adventure. Donated photo
 

Tour de Smokies fundraising challenge begins

At midnight Friday, Sept. 4, a pair of experienced Smokies hikers embarked on a 900-mile challenge in the Great Smoky…
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Pandemic prompts huge absentee ballot request
 

Pandemic prompts huge absentee ballot request

What’s happening in North Carolina right now with absentee ballot requests is staggering.  Currently there are around 7.1 million registered…
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The shadow pandemic takes its toll
 

The shadow pandemic takes its toll

Lately I’ve been feeling tightness in my chest, an inability to take a nice relaxing breath. When I told my…
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Trump has many accomplishments
 

Trump has many accomplishments

To the Editor: I keep hearing the term systemic racism. I assume this means racism built into our nation’s systems…
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What if we tried thinking instead of screaming?
 

What if we tried thinking instead of screaming?

It’s September 2020, and you’d have to be living as an anchorite in the deserts of New Mexico if you…
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The North Country of Upstate New York. Garret K. Woodward photo
 

This must be the place: I get the urge for going, but I never seem to go

Labor Day 2020. After finishing up my arts feature for this week’s newspaper, I jumped into the old Tacoma and…
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Drive-in music series rolls into Maggie Valley
 

Drive-in music series rolls into Maggie Valley

A few months ago, Russ Keith was cruising down U.S. 19 through the heart of Maggie Valley. Soon, he noticed…
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Republican Madison Cawthorn (left) and Democrat Moe Davis squared off last weekend in a debate series that marked their first face-to-face meeting of the campaign, during which both candidates are seeking to replace Mark Meadows as Western North Carolina’s congressional representative. Holly Kays photos
 

N.C. 11 candidates face off

Congressional candidates Moe Davis and Madison Cawthorn clashed last week in a pair of debates spanning two days and three…
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Madison Cawthorn addresses crowd of supporters in Biltmore Park in Asheville.
 

Strong support for Cawthorn outside NC-11 debates

Updated 9/11/20, 12:30 p.m. While N.C. Congressional District 11 candidates Moe Davis and Madison Cawthorn got into a heated debate…
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WNC moves into new phase of COVID
 

WNC moves into new phase of COVID

As the number of new cases begins to stabilize in Western North Carolina, medical directors urge people to keep doing…
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Georgia, Colt and Daisy Coble pose in front of their dad’s new store.
 

Why not grow? Mike Coble’s hope for downtown Waynesville

By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | It’s 10 O’Clock on a Monday morning. I stroll into J. Gabriel Home…
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Cherokee man dies in Swain jail
 

Cherokee man dies in Swain jail

Joseph William Lomas, 25, of Cherokee, died while being detained at the Swain County Detention Center on Aug. 28. 
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Foundation awards $18,700 to area nonprofits
 

Foundation awards $18,700 to area nonprofits

When Haywood-area Realtors merged with their Charlotte counterparts earlier this year to create the Canopy Realtors Association, one big reason…
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Flag burning suspect taken into custody
 

Flag burning suspect taken into custody

Quick police work coupled with private surveillance footage landed a Haywood County woman behind bars on several counts related to…
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Cherokee passes COVID-adapted budget
 

Cherokee passes COVID-adapted budget

In a narrow vote Sept. 3, the Cherokee Tribal Council approved a Fiscal Year 2021 budget that reflects the economic…
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Missing teen reported in Jackson County
 

Missing teen reported in Jackson County

UPDATE Sept. 9: Lafon has been found safe and unharmed. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is requesting assistance locating missing…
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Jackson approves plan to return students to classroom
 

Jackson approves plan to return students to classroom

The Jackson County Board of Education voted to proceed with Phase 2 of the district’s reentry plan at their work…
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Haywood woman wins $1 million lotto
 

Haywood woman wins $1 million lotto

On Thursday, the new Carolina Black Millionaire Edition game delivered its first $1 million prize to Caterra Ponton of Clyde.
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Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation
 

Early morning Parkway shooting under investigation

Law enforcement is investigating an early morning shooting that occurred just before 3 a.m. this morning near milepost 364 on…
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WCU professor shares annual fall color predictions
 

WCU professor shares annual fall color predictions

Autumn leaves and the natural beauty of fall colors across Western North Carolina are a seasonal sensation that draw thousands…
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HRMC fitness center plans phased reopening
 

HRMC fitness center plans phased reopening

Following Governor Cooper’s press conference Tuesday, Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will begin a phased reopening plan to best…
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Jackson County manager receives four-year contract extension
 

Jackson County manager receives four-year contract extension

Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously to offer County Manager Don Adams a four-year contract extension following a closed-session discussion on…
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In 2019, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians purchased both the 198-acre Dumplin Creek property and a 122-acre tract on the other side of Interstate 40. EBCI image
 

Tribe to develop themed destination on Sevier County land

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has announced its intention to develop a 200-acre mixed-use development envisioned as an “experiential…
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How I lost 70 pounds in a year
 

How I lost 70 pounds in a year

Last summer, I thought I could never lose weight — it was too hard, I was too busy and life just…
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Tips to stay fit during a pandemic
 

Tips to stay fit during a pandemic

Q&A with Beth Sanderson Hooper: Teacher, Mom and Fitness Extraordinaire 
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Let's Rumble - Ask Us Anything
 

Let's Rumble - Ask Us Anything

Part of our goal here at Rumble is to start and continue conversations among women. We want to know what’s…
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More facilities reopen in the Smokies
 

More facilities reopen in the Smokies

Previously closed facilities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the first time…
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Rolling hills and forested mountains characterize the Rogers Cove land that Terry Rogers has farmed his whole life.  Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy photo
 

Legacy in the land: Terry Rogers inducted to WNC Agricultural Hall of Fame

Nobody who knew Terry Rogers was surprised by the sprinkling of jokes that pervaded his acceptance speech.  One was a…
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CCNC Crew Members Alicia Pennachio and Peter Chege use a crosscut saw on a downed tree. Donated photo
 

AmeriCorps members complete trail work

High-priority trail work on the Black Mountain Crest Trail in the Nantahala National Forest is now complete thanks to a…
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Join the Bucket Brigade
 

Join the Bucket Brigade

The Bucket Brigade is looking for people who are tired of passing by the same trash each day and want…
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