Archived (29807)
Children categories
Outdoor economy efforts continue
If the United States’ outdoor recreation industry were its own country, it would be the world’s 25th largest economy. And,…
Read More
Purchase will protect Canton water quality
A newly conserved 139 acres in Haywood County will connect the Town of Canton’s Rough Creek watershed property to other…
Read More
Tessentee Bottomland Preserve grows
An additional 43 acres has been added to the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve owned by Mainspring Conservation Trust in southern Macon…
Read More
Wildlife ambassadors available for school programs
This summer’s Mountain Wildlife Days event in Sapphire was one of the most successful ever, and Mountain Wildlife Outreach will…
Read More
The Naturalist's Corner: Aster-risk*
Blue, white, lavender and purple corymbs, racemes and panicles will glow from shadowy woods and blaze from sunny meadows from…
Read More
‘Lost Words and Obstacles:’ a review
“When the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary — widely used in schools around the world — was…
Read More
Proceeds from Mission Health sale to benefit WNC communities
How can $1.5 billion transform the health and wellness of Western North Carolina communities for decades to come? That’s the…
Read More
Three seek two aldermanic seats in Maggie Valley
They’re all hotel owners, they’re all devoted volunteers in their community and they’re all running for a seat on the…
Read More
Road project issue dominates Sylva commission race
The race for a seat on Sylva’s town board is competitive this year, with six people running for election to…
Read More
Last-minute dropout leaves Canton candidate unopposed
Much like this summer, a simple real estate transaction has led to important consequences for the Canton Board of Aldermen/women.
Read More
Clampitt makes it official
When North Carolina House District 119 voters get their ballots a little over a year from now, they’ll likely see…
Read More
Prominent local Democrat switches parties
When Jim Moore ran for Clerk of the Superior Court back in 2018 he did so as a Democrat, but…
Read More
Cannabis Commission veto upheld
Legislation creating a Cannabis Commission that would set the stage for hemp production on the Qualla Boundary has been overturned,…
Read More
Public hearing slated for former BI-LO property
A conditional rezoning request by developers of a 210-unit apartment complex located on the former site of a grocery store…
Read More
Ode to Raymond Fairchild, ode to mountain music
First and foremost, Raymond Fairchild was one of the finest banjo players who ever walked the face of the earth.…
Read More
Fingers like lightning: Remembering Raymond Fairchild (1939-2019)
Raymond Fairchild — a bluegrass legend in Western North Carolina — passed away unexpectedly Sunday afternoon at the age of…
Read More
This must be the place: That’s the way it goes, first your money then your clothes
For a moment, I had thought I’d gone crazy. Standing in the laundromat just a block away from my apartment…
Read More
Trump: a quintessentially American president
To the Editor: Think about it! Donald Trump didn’t need to be President. He much prefers business to government and…
Read More
There is no there there!
To the Editor: There is no there there! The “there” is the latest accusation from the Democrats that President Donald…
Read More
When life comes full circle
When I was 7 years old, my dad spent hours assembling my Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse, taking time to ensure every…
Read More
Cultivating visibility for WNC farmworkers
Fall is upon us and so are the beautiful colors and seasonal customs of our region. Just thinking of tomato…
Read More
TVA: No new floating home construction on the water
It’s been about three years since the Tennessee Valley Authority tried to remove all floating homes on its 49 lakes.
Read More
Money was a motivator for botanical exploration
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in an October 2003 edition of The Smoky Mountain News. The economic considerations behind the…
Read More
More land conserved at Highlands of Roan
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has purchased 62 acres at Doll Branch in the Highlands of Roan, an acquisition that…
Read More
Report pine snake sightings
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to know about pine snake sightings in North Carolina, found mostly in the southwestern…
Read More
Conservation purchase will protect elk, other wildlife on I-40
A 187-acre conservation purchase in Haywood County will allow for wildlife grazing and movement near Interstate 40.
Read More
Youth learn life lessons from bees
Students in the HIGHTS program, which works with vulnerable youth and their families in Western North Carolina, learn about more…
Read More
That Month In Tuscany serves up romance and adventure
At the public library that is my third home — my first home is a basement apartment, and my second…
Read More
Canton alderman candidate backs out of race
The race to fill an unexpired aldermanic seat in Canton just got a lot easier for Pisgah High School science…
Read More
This must be the place: Seen so many places, still don’t know where I’m bound
My 2019 festival season is over as of this past Sunday night at the “Blue Ridge Jam” at Pisgah Brewing…
Read More
Running jumping standing still: A conversation with Charlie Parr
In the matter of a song, Charlie Parr can make you laugh and cry, all while finding simple meanings and…
Read More
Sylva candidate drops out of race
This year Sylva voters will be given a ballot listing six possible names for three open seats on the town’s…
Read More
Election protest denied in Cherokee
After coming up short in the General Election Sept. 5, principal chief candidate Teresa McCoy filed an election protest Sept.…
Read More
Jackson Republicans push for commissioner removal
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners has gathered to conduct official business on 14 days since June began, but Commissioner…
Read More
New leaders inaugurated in Cherokee
A new chapter in tribal government began this week when the winners of September’s General Election were sworn in before…
Read More
Billy Graham left legacy of humility, compassion, unity
Billy Graham was just a local preacher from Montreat the first time that the Methodist Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat…
Read More
Budget stalemate could leave WCU out in the cold
Like all of North Carolina’s universities, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee has some pressing capital project funding needs that aren’t…
Read More
Franklin Graham talks impeachment, evangelism prior to Decision America Tour stop in Asheville
Had he any other man for a father, William Franklin Graham III might still have become known as a…
Read More
BearWaters Brewing wins medal, announces expansion
Western North Carolina’s brewery scene is a crowded, competitive place, but thanks to Canton-based BearWaters Brewing, Haywood County’s own small…
Read More
Drought worsens in North Carolina
Drought has deepened throughout Central and Western North Carolina, according to a new map published today.
Read More
Here’s the truth about immigration
By Paul Strop • Guest Columnist I read with interest a recent letter expressing concerns about immigration, truly one of the…
Read More
We must be honest about adolescent addiction
By Beth Young • Guest Columnist “It’s just a phase.” “They are just being teenagers.” “I drank when I was their…
Read More
Surprisingly, we were able to pull it off
Before we go any further, let me be clear: I am not the guy you want to put in charge…
Read More
The Naturalist's Corner: A tale of two monarchs
I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend scouting for an upcoming Alarka Expeditions trip, “Migration Celebration” which will…
Read More
Gift of the Mountains: Rooted in the Mountains connects Cherokee past and global future
It was an hour and a half after sunrise, and the day’s first rays had not yet touched Judaculla Rock,…
Read More
Two killed in Smokies car crash
Two people died during a three-vehicle collision at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Read More
Drought arrives in the mountains
A ban on backcountry fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was announced Sept. 26 following the release of…
Read More
Park recognizes first African-American naturalist
Florida resident Dr. Joe Lee earned recognition recently for his role as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s first African-American…
Read More
Learning American history through songs
In February 2019, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation released the results of a nationwide poll of 41,000 Americans testing…
Read More
In search of that ‘high, lonesome sound’: IBMA awards showcase celebrates 30 years
Just before he entered the main auditorium of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh this past…
Read More
