St. John’s wort. Holly Kays photo
 

Floral delight: Native plants expert leads Parkway tour in search of rare species

“When we get out, we’re going to walk across the street and I’m going to show you the most sacred…
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Trailhead expansion complete near Mount Mitchell
 

Trailhead expansion complete near Mount Mitchell

The South Toe Trailhead parking area across from Black Mountain Campground in the Pisgah National Forest has been reopened now…
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Wilderness therapy provider joins chamber
 

Wilderness therapy provider joins chamber

A wilderness therapy business that launched locally in May 2018 is now a member of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. 
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New WNC trail wins national award
 

New WNC trail wins national award

Weed Patch Mountain Trail, which opened last year in the town of Lake Lure, has been recognized as one of…
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Man dies following car accident near Clingmans Dome
 

Man dies following car accident near Clingmans Dome

Cherokee emergency responders were among those who answered the call following a fatal vehicle accident on Clingmans Dome Road in…
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Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death
 

Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death

Investigators with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of David…
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A stirring story of America’s push west
 

A stirring story of America’s push west

Sometimes we open a book, slip into its pages, and find ourselves the recipients of three wonderful gifts: information and…
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Unhealthy debate: Medical experts debunk claims by anti-vaccination advocates
 

Unhealthy debate: Medical experts debunk claims by anti-vaccination advocates

Education, litigation, big pharm, little children, doctors, disease, disability, death — the debate surrounding vaccination thrives at the intersection of…
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Big changes will soon come to distilleries across North Carolina. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

High spirits: craft distilling bill will help the industry

A highly-anticipated reform bill that will open up new revenue streams for the state’s estimated 80 craft distillers has cleared…
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Waynesville Rep. Joe Sam Queen speaks at a town hall meeting in Waynesville on Saturday, July 20. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Budget stalemate drags on

Although Republicans still control both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly, Democratic victories in the 2018 legislative election stripped…
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State passes ‘Death by Distribution’ law
 

State passes ‘Death by Distribution’ law

Gov. Roy Cooper signed the Death by Distribution Act into law earlier this month, making it easier for prosecutors to…
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Ladybug Bone, 6, adds a few strokes to a painting created at the Rally for Recovery. The piece will be displayed at the Analenisgi Recovery Center. Holly Kays photo
 

Creating a recovery community: Cherokee holds fourth annual Rally for Recovery

By now, most everyone is familiar — often far too personally — with the toll of the opioid epidemic. Lost lives,…
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Newly posted signs ask drivers to slow down while driving South River Road. Donated photo
 

River Road not safe enough, citizens say

A group of residents living along South River Road in Jackson County say they’ve noticed an uptick in the number…
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Officials with Angel Medical Center recently presented their plans for the replacement hospital set to be constructed off U.S. 441 in Franklin.
 

Angel Medical Center project moves forward

Plans to construct a new Angel Medical Center in Franklin moved forward last week after the town planning board approved…
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Members appointed to Jackson health board
 

Members appointed to Jackson health board

Eleven people were appointed to the Jackson County Board of Health on Tuesday, July 16, following a 4-1 vote from…
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No contest in Bryson City race
 

No contest in Bryson City race

The Bryson City Board of Aldermen race had little interest this year with only three candidates signing up to run…
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Contests in Haywood are few, but important
 

Contests in Haywood are few, but important

The races for this fall’s municipal elections are set, and depending on where you live, things could get interesting. 
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Six sign up to run for Sylva commissioner
 

Six sign up to run for Sylva commissioner

Unless someone else signs up to run for Mayor of Forest Hills by noon on Friday, July 26, the Sylva…
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Franklin Mayor Bob Scott swears in Dinah Mashburn to fill the unexpired term of her late husband  Billy Mashburn in January 2018.
 

Full slate of candidates in Franklin

Now that the sign-up period is over, there’s a full slate of candidates running for seats on the Franklin Town…
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The mural on the Ward Plumbing & Heating Building on Mill Street in downtown Sylva. (photos: Garret K. Woodward)
 

Sylva Art + Design Committee gets the ball rolling

Huddled around a table at the White Moon Coffee Shop on Mill Street in downtown Sylva one recent rainy afternoon,…
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This must be the place: If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will
 

This must be the place: If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will

Though the roads were slick from heavy rainstorms on Tuesday morning, I momentarily couldn’t figure out why my truck was…
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Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death
 

Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death

Investigators with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of David…
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A festival that all of WNC should embrace
 

A festival that all of WNC should embrace

It’s fascinating to watch a cultural arts organization grow up, mature, get a little long-in-the-tooth, and then re-define itself to…
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I’m grateful for the fleas
 

I’m grateful for the fleas

It’s important for us to name that which brings us gratitude. This week, I’m grateful for the fleas that invaded…
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The mountains are calling
 

The mountains are calling

To the Editor: As mid-summer escorts me past three personal milestones — the one-year anniversary of the death of my…
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Time to jettison elected leaders
 

Time to jettison elected leaders

To the Editor: The dead silence of the Republican members in Congress responding to Trump’s blatantly racist comments against sitting…
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The time is now for the Earth
 

The time is now for the Earth

To the Editor: The latest issue of Sierra had to be one of the most depressing in a long time.…
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Yellow poplar.
 

Jackson County cabin built from one poplar tree

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in July 2004. I recently read about a log…
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Evy Leibfarth trains on the water in Tacen, Slovenia, where she competed in the ICF World Cup No. 3 last month.
 

Dreams on the water: Bryson City paddler, age 15, wows international audience

On Friday, June 21, a 15-year-old girl from Bryson City took her place in the water for the first heat…
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An infected bat displays the tell-tale white fungus associated with white nose syndrome. NPS photo
 

Deadly bat disease spreads to more N.C. counties

There’s more bad news for bats following winter surveys that detected the deadly-to-bats white nose syndrome in four new counties…
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Volunteers pick up trash along Allens Creek. Donated photo
 

Adopt-A-Stream turns 10

The Adopt-A-Stream program in Haywood County turned 10 this year, with 1,600 volunteers spending 4,000 hours removing more than 27…
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William Oliver was 12 years old when he arrived by train from Georgia, crossed Lake Junaluska by boat and spent the summer of 1919 collecting fees at the Lake Junlauska Golf Course. Lake Junaluska photo
 

Junaluska golf course turns 100

The Lake Junaluska golf course turns 100 on July 24, and in honor of the anniversary golfers will be able…
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A few good books about old times
 

A few good books about old times

In 1960, when I was in elementary school, the pop group Dante & the Evergreens rocked my young ears with…
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New book details the history of the John C. Campbell Folk School
 

New book details the history of the John C. Campbell Folk School

In Craft & Community, regional author Anna Fariello presents the early history of Western North Carolina’s John C. Campbell Folk…
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This must be the place: And it’s one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
 

This must be the place: And it’s one, two, three, what are we fighting for?

Lately, or more so in recent years, I find the only way I can drown out the constant barrage of…
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Not the same ole song and dance: Folkmoot finds success in year-round programming, preserving legacy
 

Not the same ole song and dance: Folkmoot finds success in year-round programming, preserving legacy

In its 36th year of cultural exchange through song and dance, Folkmoot remains a moving target, one that constantly evolves…
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Rep. Joe Sam Queen.
 

Millions and billions — Correction from last week’s guest column

By Joe Sam Queen • Guest writer When it comes to talking about millions and billions, getting tongue-tied or misquoted…
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Queen: Dems ‘won’t cave’ on budget veto, Medicaid expansion
 

Queen: Dems ‘won’t cave’ on budget veto, Medicaid expansion

North Carolina’s budget standoff shows no signs of ending, weeks after Gov. Roy Cooper, D-Rocky Mount, followed through on a…
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More candidates needed in Webster and Forest Hills
 

More candidates needed in Webster and Forest Hills

With just three days to go before election filing closes, there is still a dearth of candidates for open seats…
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Haywood candidates slow to sign up
 

Haywood candidates slow to sign up

With the deadline to file for municipal office fast approaching — noon on July 19 —Haywood County voters may end…
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Candidates sign up for Franklin race
 

Candidates sign up for Franklin race

Only two candidates have signed up to run for four open seats in the Franklin Town Council as of Tuesday…
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SCC design students display work
 

SCC design students display work

Seven students in Southwestern Community College’s Advertising & Graphic Design program formally presented their work during Portfolio Day in the…
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The Jackson County Recreation Complex in Cullowhee. www.rec.jacksonnc.org photo
 

Survey results bode well for indoor pool in Jackson

A survey aimed at gauging support for an indoor swimming pool in Jackson County came down favorably for pool proponents,…
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Cost increases for Skyland Drive sidewalks
 

Cost increases for Skyland Drive sidewalks

The price tag on a project to install sidewalks along Skyland Drive in Sylva has more than doubled, with town…
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The intersection of N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 is one of the more problematic areas along the congested road. Holly Kays photo
 

Year of study yields little change for N.C. 107 project

After putting nearly 300 hours and just short of a year toward an effort to develop an alternative vision for…
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Canton to revamp archaic pool hall ordinance
 

Canton to revamp archaic pool hall ordinance

A pair of local entrepreneurs will soon open a billiard hall in downtown Canton, so long as substantial changes are…
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Undocumented students still eligible for free tuition at HCC
 

Undocumented students still eligible for free tuition at HCC

Haywood Community College’s “tuition-free guarantee” seems to be off to a solid start but the school also wants residents to…
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No negligence in Jackson jail death, DA says
 

No negligence in Jackson jail death, DA says

After reviewing a State Bureau of Investigation probe into the January death of Melissa Middleton Rice, who at the time…
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A feasibility study recommends access improvements to the Tuckasegee River in Bryson City.
 

Study shows benefits of building river park in Bryson City

The Tuckasegee River Alliance is looking at possible ways to increase access to the Tuckasegee River as it runs right…
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