'A minor little thing:' Macon moved ahead on watershed ordinance revision

The Macon County Planning Board voted last week to recommend a revision of the water supply watershed ordinance to the…
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Hurricane Helene recovery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The National Park Service (NPS) continues to assess conditions and to address damage following the impacts from Hurricane Helene in Great…
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NCDOT offers update on I-40

From the Tennessee state line to about mile marker 4 of Interstate 40, the two eastbound lanes are either gone…
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Haywood Waterways hits septic repair milestone

Since 2006, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) and the Haywood County Environmental Health Department, with grant funds, have repaired 200 failing…
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State of the waterways: New report details potential impacts of ordinance revisions

The Macon County Commission decided this month to delay consideration of changes to its watershed and floodplain ordinances until at…
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Fall comes to the Smokies

Fall is a beautiful but busy time in the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors should plan their trips…
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Clingmans Dome receives a name change

The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted to change the name of Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi. Kuwohi is the Cherokee…
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Changes in effect for WNC deer season

New rules adopted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have shifted the timing of the western zone black-powder…
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Delayed harvest fishing regulations begin

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 34 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.  
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Junior Golf Program set for Lake Junaluska Golf Course

The Lake Junaluska Golf Course is hosting a Junior Golf Program for boys and girls under age 17 from 4-5:30…
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HCC hosts conservation heritage event

Haywood Community College, in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are hosting an event on the campus of…
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Sierra Club hosts talk about environmental election stakes

WNC Sierra Club Political Co-Chair Ken Brame will discuss what is at stake for the environment in this fall’s election.…
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Word from the Smokies: Fall adventure supports research into park biodiversity

As days grow shorter in the Great Smoky Mountains, the colorful landscape hums with life. Creatures large and small scurry…
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Cradle of Forestry announces fall events

The following are the Cradle of Forestry’s fall events:  Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day Times: 10 a.m. to 5…
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NC Wildlife Resources Commission director to retire

After 34 years of service to the state of North Carolina, Cameron Ingram, executive director of the North Carolina Wildlife…
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Drought expands in WNC

Over the last couple of weeks, the drought has expanded in Western North Carolina, and it now covers all of…
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Camp out with Misfit Mountain animal rescue

Join Haywood County’s Misfit Mountain Animal Rescue for the second-annual Pigs & a Blanket Festival & Campout this weekend. The…
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Ski Lake Junaluska Winter Youth Retreat

Experience the wonder of winter this season during a Ski Lake Junaluska Winter Youth Retreat in the mountains of Western…
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Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor…
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WNC Mountain State Fair winners bring home hardware

The following are winners in the N.C. Mountain State Fair’s opening weekend poultry, rabbit, sheep, goat and beef cattle categories…
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Doing battle with the world's deadliest animal: WCU researchers join the fight against mosquito-borne diseases

Sure, mosquitos are an important link in the food chain for amphibians, birds and other insects, but they’re annoying, they’re…
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Sorghum festival comes to East Tennessee

The 25th Annual Sorghum Festival will allow visitors to have the opportunity to observe sorghum cane being processed into molasses…
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Volunteers needed for the ‘Big Sweep’ stream cleanup

Haywood Waterways is calling for volunteers to take part in a county-wide cleanup event that removes tons of trash from…
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HCC hosts Dahlia Ridge Trail Run

Haywood Community College will hold the second annual Dahlia Ridge Trail Run on Saturday, Sept. 14. This 5K is a…
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GSMNP employees receive education award

A team of Great Smoky Mountains National Park employees was recently awarded the 2023 Excellence in Education Award at a National Park Service…
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Join Franklin Bird Club for Macon County walks

The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. Walks start at alternating locations:…
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Smokies spenders pump billions into local economies

A new National Park Service report shows that 13,297,647 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2023 spent $2.2…
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Moderate drought expands in WNC

Last week brought a moderate drought back to parts of Western North Carolina, and the latest state drought monitor report…
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Word from the Smokies: Dedicated Smokies volunteer force protects elk and people

At 3:30 p.m., traffic flows smoothly along U.S. 441 past the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The 80-some elk living in this…
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Haywood County reminds residents of mosquito dangers

As the summer season comes to an end, Haywood County Health and Human Services is urging residents to take immediate…
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Pause on ginseng harvesting continues in WNC national forests

The U.S. Forest Service announced that its pause on issuing permits to harvest American ginseng on the Nantahala and Pisgah…
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Smokies Life now accepting applications for writer’s residency

Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is now accepting applications for its fifth Steve Kemp…
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Fall Plant Sale at Lake Junaluska

The Lake Junaluska Fall Plant Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Nanci…
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Smoky Mountain Beekeepers hosting intro to beekeeping class

The Smoky Mountain Beekeeping Association is hosting an Introduction to Beekeeping class from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday,…
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Drought returns to Western North Carolina

After a month reprieve following an early-summer drought, parts of six North Carolina Counties — Haywood, Transylvania, Jackson, Swain, Macon…
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From mosquitos to medical school, WCU alumnus shares his story

Joe Davis, a double alumnus of Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s in emergency medical care and a master’s in…
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Local scout troop getting back on its feet

Scout Troop 318 of Waynesville, a troop with over 60 years of history, will be making a fresh start after…
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Enjoy the Mountain State Fair in September

Organizers with the Mountain State Fair sponsored by Ingles Markets are busy preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fair…
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Volunteers needed for Little Tennessee

Mainspring Conservation Trust seeks volunteers to participate in the annual Little Tennessee River Cleanup starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept.…
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Cherokee river cleanup honoring Long Man

Long Man, Ganvhida Asgaga, is a revered figure among the Cherokee, whose head lays in the mountains and feet in…
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Want to monitor water quality?

 In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western…
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Highlands to host native plant symposium

Highlands Biological Station is excited to announce the 2024 Native Plant Symposium, scheduled for Sept. 13-14. This two-day event will…
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Smokies announces Clingmans Dome closures

Clingmans Dome Road will be closed the mornings of Sept. 10, 12 and 16 to facilitate special educational programs for…
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Waynesville tennis courts to be resurfaced

The tennis courts located at Recreation Park at 285 Vance St. in Waynesville will be closed from Aug. 27 through…
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Hometown Pride: Bryson City welcomes home Olympic medalist

Evy Leibfarth may as well have been born on the river. Her parents met while working as raft guides on…
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WNC Sierra club to host talk on lithium mining, electric vehicles

Learn about the challenges and success of mining resources related to our transition to clean energy at the WNC Sierra…
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Tsali Ultra to host NC USATF Championships

The Tsali Ultra Trail Race, in its 15th year of operation, will host the NC USATF 50-Kilometer Trail Championships on…
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Burning trash violates state law

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is reminding North Carolinians: If it doesn’t grow, don’t…
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Jackson to install new baseball field lights

Jackson County Public Schools announced it is officially going out for construction bids to install lighting systems on its baseball…
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Word from the Smokies: Course helps students compare Smokies and tropical ecology

Deeya Khambhaita wasn’t sure what to expect when she signed up for a three-week summer course titled Comparative Temperate–Tropical Ecology…
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