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Franklin proposes to hold tax rate
Town of Franklin Manager Summer Woodard recently presented the town council with a proposed budget for 2019-20 that would maintain…
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Macon manager proposes tax increase
For the first time in several years, Macon County Manager Derek Roland is proposing a small property tax increase moving…
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New Shining Rock board chair Haynes speaks out
It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for Shining Rock Classical Academy, which has dealt with a variety of administrative…
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Shining Rock defends interim head
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories on Haywood County’s public charter school, Shining Rock Classical…
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Feeding the fight against food insecurity
On one of the first warm sunny Saturdays early in Western North Carolina’s tourist season, the traditional signs of a…
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Sylva police chief to retire
After 22 years with the Sylva Police Department and two years as its head, Sylva Police Chief Tammy Hooper will…
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Legal action dropped against Franklin
Five Macon County residents are dropping their legal action against the town of Franklin for deeding over the sacred Nikwasi…
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Homeless shelter management decision coming up for Jackson
The return of warmer weather means that Jackson County’s cold weather homeless shelter has been closed for two months, but…
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Haywood budget presented to commissioners
For the second year in a row, Haywood County taxpayers can expect no increase in property taxes, thanks to increasing…
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Canton joins opioid lawsuit
Of all the victims of the nation’s opioid epidemic, probably the most overlooked are the municipalities that have to expend…
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N.C. Senate opposes Catawba casino
A bipartisan majority of senators in the N.C. General Assembly have signed a letter opposing a Congressional bill that would…
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Efforts to keep McCoy off Cherokee ballot continue
Tribal member Robert Osley Saunooke is not giving up on his efforts to see Teresa McCoy barred from candidacy in…
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Court bars decertification hearing for McCoy
In a divided opinion, the Cherokee Supreme Court decided that Teresa McCoy will not have to participate in a second…
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Shining Rock hiring decision will have to wait
The search for Shining Rock Classical Academy’s next head of school will continue, after the board took no action following…
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Life at two miles an hour: A.T. hikers share their stories
From flip-flops to overnights to the quintessential northbound thru-hike, there are many different ways to experience the Appalachian Trail on…
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A.T. hikers share their stories
From flip-flops to overnights to the quintessential northbound thru-hike, there are many different ways to experience the Appalachian Trail on…
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Trillium Gap Trail rehab has begun
A two-year trail rehabilitation project is now underway at the Trillium Gap Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,…
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Find local food
The 2019 edition of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Local Food Guide is now available, an essential source for finding…
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Professor receives honor from New York Botanical Garden
Jim Costa, executive director of the Western Carolina University Highlands Biological Station and a professor of biology at WCU, has…
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Pain was the norm with old-time dentistry
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News on May 14, 2003. Old-time dentistry as practiced here…
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Deserving books that may pique your interest
On the red wooden chair near my desk, 14 inches high, is a mound of books waiting for review. Three…
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Buddha on a hill: A conversation with David Crosby
The world has gone haywire and David Crosby is mad as hell about it. And though the years may change…
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This must be the place: You’ve got to trust your instinct and let go of regret
With the wind howling in my face, the Polaris ATV rounded the third curve of the Rockingham Speedway. The odometer…
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Combine reason and emotion, Democrats
To the Editor: Reason and emotion are the two fundamental bases for decision-making. We are facing some historic decisions in…
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Help make schools safer
To the Editor: Each year since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the number of incidents of gun violence on…
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The friend everyone needs
Let’s be honest for a minute. Most of us lie to our friends on a fairly regular basis and are,…
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When will the school shootings end?
“But for the grace of God, it could have been my child.” News of college and school shootings cut straight…
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Updating voter registration records
Have you moved, changed your name, mailing address or phone number since you registered to vote in the county, state…
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Bethel bridge earns National Register designation
The oldest metal truss bridge in the state of North Carolina has earned inclusion on the National Register of Historic…
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Dogwood Health Trust to transform communities
The Health Equity Coalition will hold a forum to explore new ways of connecting community to philanthropy. The $1.5 billion…
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Reflections on Haywood NAACP pilgrimage
By Katherine Bartel • Secretary, Haywood County NAACP “My little brother Isaiah is, as you would call it, ‘a boy of…
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Insurance premiums rise for Jackson employees
Jackson County employees are now paying significantly higher premiums for their health insurance following a plan change that went into…
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Price tag falls for Green Energy Park project
A Green Energy Park makeover under discussion in Jackson County could be a good bit cheaper than originally discussed, with…
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Council nixes proposed penalties for campaign law violations
A proposed ordinance that would have laid out the criminal penalties for violating laws regulating election campaign practices was withdrawn…
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Shooter pleads guilty to second-degree murder
On Friday, May 3, Justin Scott Fuller, 31, of Waynesville, pled guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of…
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Canton looks to maintain property tax rate
The Town of Canton’s preliminary proposed budget shows an increase over last year from $8.7 million to more than $9.2…
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Clyde park to reopen
Much like the Pigeon River itself, it’s been a long and winding journey for the Town of Clyde in recovering…
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Protest filed — again — against McCoy’s candidacy for chief
Following a battle that involved hearings before both the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Board of Elections and the Cherokee…
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On the upswing: Golf industry changes with the times
Golf is more than a game in Western North Carolina — the wellbeing of the popular past time can be…
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Grievances filed against Shining Rock interim head
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories on Haywood County’s public charter school, Shining Rock Classical…
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Make way for elk (and trout): Haywood, Jackson counties seek designation as state’s elk and trout capitals
If you want to see an elk, the Elk Capital of North Carolina would probably be a good place to…
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New mapping program available for farmers
A new program will allow growers to map crops by herbicide-resistant traits.
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Farm Bill causes changes for loan limits
The 2018 Farm Bill resulted in higher farm loan limits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among other changes.
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Crews conquer fire in Linville
The Brushy Ridge Trail near Linville Gorge reopened last week following successful containment of a 3-acre fire there April 30.
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Magnolia trifecta
It’s May! That means my 2019 Forest Service bird survey has begun — another six weeks of roaming the wilds…
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Still jazzy after all these years
I first discovered Lawrence Ferlinghetti in high school and his book Starting From San Francisco and have read everything he’s…
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Remembering Riley as a seventh-grader, during Teacher Appreciation Week
The thing I miss about teaching is human connection, being part of something bigger than myself. When I was in…
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Diversity strengthens our community
To the Editor: A letter to the editor in The Smoky Mountain News (Let’s All Embrace God’s Healing, March 27,…
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Jesus, health care and a fair system
To the Editor: On Saturday I went to the Jackson County Recreation Center for a workout. I was guided into…
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