Opinion
He’s not gone, he’s just getting started
When I became a parent for the first time, I asked my brother what to expect. He already had two small children and another on the way.
“It’s overwhelming in every way,” he said.
He was right. It was, and it has been. They grew up too fast. That’s the oldest cliché in the book, but my God.
How about some respect for all athletes
Editor’s note: Bob Clark coached the Tuscola boys and girls discus and shotput athletes for the past three seasons. Prior to that he coached the boys and girls throwers for four seasons at Waynesville Middle School. Six of those seven years he was a volunteer.
This spring Tuscola High School’s principal, accompanied by the athletic director (AD), threw $30,000 of taxpayer money away to change the color suggested for the new Tuscola track.
MDMA will, eventually, help many with PTSD
As the executive director of the nonprofit Pearl Institute here in Waynesville, I wanted to express my gratitude to The Smoky Mountain News for the feature story written by Cory Vaillancourt about the recent decision by the FDA to request more research into using the drug MDMA in combination with therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Public radio called, and I tuned in
During a recent morning drive to Asheville, I felt a yearning to listen to National Public Radio (NPR). Typically my phone automatically connects to Bluetooth and a random song from Spotify plays from the speakers.
The Olympics: a beacon of hope in challenging times
Just when global news hit a fever pitch and there was little to hang onto in the way of goodness and humanity, the 2024 Paris Olympics began, which has offered many of us a much-needed reprieve and countless reminders of hope and triumph.
Standing for democracy, fairness and better government
Democracy means that we voters get to decide with elections which candidates are empowered to serve in our local, state and federal governments. Those elected officials are supposed to serve us, not their own personal selfish quests for wealth and power. We want our political leaders to listen to our wishes and provide us with essential government services.
Reminders of humanity in Mexico
One of the greatest advantages of traveling the world is being reminded how similar we all are, regardless of culture, race, language or religion.
A love letter to Appalachia
Editor’s note: This article first appeared online at the website “100 Days in Appalachia.” Meredith McCarroll is from Waynesville, went to Appalachian State and the University of Tennessee and resides in Brunswick, Maine. She is author of “Unwhite: Appalachia, Race, and Film” and co-editor of “Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy.”
The problem of childhood hunger can be fixed
A recent town hall in Cullowhee laid out a heartbreaking problem in our public schools, as well as a sensible solution. The problem is hunger. The solution is to provide free meals to all students in our public schools. But, how do we get there?
