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WLOS propaganda is sickening
To the Editor: I am extremely uncomfortable knowing that our local television station, WLOS, continues to advance political content under…
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EPA’s Pruitt is doing a bad job
To the Editor: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is in violation of his oath of office. Our members of Congress are…
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Do we want another Andrew Jackson?
To the Editor: By the year 1808, the eastern Cherokee had adopted a written legal code. In 1820, they established…
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Through the raincloud: Agricultural community takes stock after record-breaking rains
A month of rain capped off by the arrival of Tropical Storm Alberto has caused massive flooding, landslides and loss…
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Chimney Rock State Park still closed
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is still closed due to storm damage, but Chimney Rock Village and Old…
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Grant helps preserve A.T. view
A $21,500 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will help Mainspring Conservation trust conserve a 504-acre property in Graham County.
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Kids in the Creek design winners announced
Lucas Cody of Bethel Middle School won this year’s Haywood Waterways Association Kids in the Creek T-shirt design contest.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Lake J eagles
Most readers know the pair of bald eagles that nested at Lake Junaluska this spring were unsuccessful. There is no…
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Judging a book by its cover
In Appalachia and the foothills and into the surrounding lands, we find log cabins — southern and rustic — constructed…
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Cold Mountain Music Festival returns to Lake Logan
The second annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will return June 8-9 to the Lake Logan Conference Center. The festival will…
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Jackson sheriff recognized
Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall was recently recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee as a…
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Belk to donate $20,000 to Haywood Habitat
A special presentation to Haywood Habitat for Humanity will be given at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at Belk in…
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WCU launches online dashboard of WNC
Western Carolina University has launched a new online information tool designed to provide easy access to recent economic trends in…
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WCU to get entrance sign
When you enter Western Carolina University from the four-lane, a green-and-white N.C. Department of Transportation sign is the only thing…
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Trustees endorse finalists for WCU chancellor
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees has endorsed a slate of three finalists for the position of chancellor to…
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WCU celebrates steam plant funding
Western Carolina University got some good news last week when the state legislature approved a budget bill that includes $16.5…
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Cherokee votes no on alcohol
A referendum vote asking Cherokee voters to OK a tribally owned beer, wine and liquor store off casino property failed…
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Jackson wrestles with budget crunch
With the deadline to adopt a new budget drawing ever closer, Jackson County Commissioners are still deliberating how to handle…
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Swain to receive remaining settlement funds
According to an announcement from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Swain County will finally receive the remaining $35.2 million owed…
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Jackson votes in favor of Blackrock conservation
A 441.5-acre piece of land high in the Plott Balsams is well on its way to being permanently conserved following…
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‘Sore loser’ bill would block ballot access for some candidates
North Carolina Republicans were quick to congratulate the first minor political party to gain official recognition by the State Board…
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No small feat: Dwarfs wrestle with perception, performance
Perhaps not unique in that the reasons for both its popularity and its controversy are intertwined like the limbs of…
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Franklin approves tax increase
The Franklin Town Council unanimously approved its 2018-19 budget on Monday night, which includes a 4-cent property tax increase for…
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Pickin’ potties: Franklin council debates best bathroom options for events
Tempers flared at the Franklin Town Council meeting Monday night as board members tried to find a solution to a…
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State budget aims to deliver more for less
Even though the process by which legislative changes to North Carolina’s $23 billion 2018-19 budget were made — shutting out…
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Everybody’s scared, everybody’s inspired: Shovels & Rope to headline Cold Mountain Music Festival
There’s a reason Shovels & Rope has evolved into one of the “must see” live acts in the music scene…
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Maybe believe: A conversation with Jon Stickley
When you dig into the music of The Jon Stickley Trio, you find yourself meandering farther down the rabbit hole,…
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This must be the place
I was thrown into the deep end. When I was 20 years old, I became a substitute teacher. I was…
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Franklin art scholarship winners
Justus Leighton Bailey and Abbey Cecilia Siek are the 2018 winners of the Arts Council of Macon County’s $1,000 Arts…
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Telling NOC’s story: Book shows early years of outdoor center through the eyes of staff, leaders
It was 1972, and the world of whitewater paddling was changing. Americans were just about a decade into experimenting with…
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Pigeon River Fund awards grants
Environmental groups in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties recently received a total of $217,010 to improve water quality, wildlife habitat…
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Cheoah and Tusquitee get new district ranger
The Cheoah and Tusquitee Ranger Districts of the Nantahala National Forest have a new district ranger following the May 29…
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Junaluska pool to reopen
The pool at Lake Junaluska will likely open this week following renovations that began in March.
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Highlands Biological gets new director
The Highlands Biological Foundation has a new executive director with the hire of Charlotte Muir.
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National Trails System turns 50
A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act will kick off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May…
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Parkway facilities open for the summer
Memorial Day Weekend signals the beginning visitor season on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with all facilities now reopen after winter…
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Retaining wall causes closure at Chimney Rock
A collapsed retaining wall at Chimney Rock State Park has caused the park to be closed since the collapse occurred…
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Learning bird songs is an art unto itself
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a May 2009 issue of The Smoky Mountain News. In the opaque early-morning…
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Sense of time and place resonates throughout this novel
Sometimes a writer so imaginatively recreates a place and a people that the book becomes a time machine, sweeping us…
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Something is wrong with this picture
I’ve been covering local governments in North Carolina for 30 years, and a small item in Macon County’s budget for…
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The party’s in there, and we’re out here
My wife and I are introverts who pretend to be extroverts, both personally and professionally, which means that we are…
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Gun rights advocates ignore amendment’s words
To the Editor: A gun rights rally was held on the historic courthouse lawn in Waynesville on May 19. Jeremy…
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Town board failed Plott Creek residents
To the Editor: In a recent Smoky Mountain News article, the writer confirmed the Waynesville Town Board overwhelmingly reached a…
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The truth no longer matters
To the Editor: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,”…
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Grants made for home repairs
Over the last couple months, there have been some grants made for home repairs to enable veterans, senior citizens, and…
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Sheriff warns of phone scam
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has received several calls from concerned citizens regarding a phone scam that is very specific…
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Apply for Maggie Valley boards
The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen is now taking applications for appointments for both the Planning Board and the Zoning…
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Waynesville seeks volunteer board applicants
The Town of Waynesville Board of Aldermen is accepting applications to fill the following vacancies on various community boards and…
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More Boy Scouts programming open to girls
Darrian Childers is quitting Boy Scouts after joining a local troop about three years ago when his family moved to…
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