The best reason of all to play
It’s one of those late March days that can’t make up its mind whether winter is really over or might…
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Student protestors deserve gratitude
I’ve always admired those who speak out, those who have opinions and feel compelled to share them.
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Schools have become political battlegrounds
By John deVille • Guest Columnist Given all the challenges and unwarranted criticism those of us who work in public…
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And the children shall lead
To the Editor: In the wake of school shootings and #NeverAgain, school administrators are faced with the issue of how…
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Making new memories during Easter week
Growing up, we had a little blue and white camper at Ocean Lakes Campground in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. It…
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Leaders need to do more to stop carnage
By Stephen Wall • Guest Columnist I was disappointed to read Interim Superintendent Bill Nolte's post on the Haywood County…
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Can’t we just talk about gun legislation?
Last week, a United Airlines flight attendant forced a passenger with a small dog to put the dog in an…
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Don’t rely on fake Fox News
By Norman Hoffman • Guest Columnist It is truly amusing to see an apparent “conservative” say that liberals are out…
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On the way to a Trump dictatorship
To the Editor: This is in response to Nan Smith’s “Liberals have lost touch with reality” in the March 7…
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Cat museum preps for 2018 opening
To the Editor: The mice in the Old School Antique Mall on 441 South are heading for the hills because…
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Commander in chief is too fond of Russia
To the Editor: Article 11, section 2 of the Constitution says “The President shall be the Commander in Chief of…
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Too often, we ignore the calls for help
Doing nothing to enhance school safety is not an option. Thoughtful gun control measures would be helpful and are one…
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Maintaining a nostalgia for unique main streets
Recently, I spent time in the tri-cities of Rutherford County, N.C. Spindale, Forest City and Rutherfordton make up this trifecta…
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The U.S. has become an oligarchy
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Do politicians read their mail? It depends. A recent New Yorker article on Christopher…
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‘Your everlasting summer. You can see it fading fast’
Half the battle is just getting out of the house and on the road. Whenever we travel, we all understand…
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Psychologists, counselors and nurses will make schools safer
By Virginia Jicha • Guest Columnist I was in the process of writing about the need for school nurses when the…
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Time to take back the NRA
To the Editor: I would like to add some additional comments to Martin Dyckman’s guest column in the Feb. 21…
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Our senators are bought and paid for
To the Editor: Our state’s senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, have consistently opposed event he most modest form of…
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Liberals have lost touch with reality
To the Editor: In reference to a recent article I read in The Smoky Mountain News, maybe if you took…
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The pendulum will swing — it has to
Would you turn your back on a long and meaningful friendship because of widening political differences? I won’t do it,…
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My faith is both strong and unique
I didn’t go to church growing up, but my parents were the godliest people I knew. They were giving, compassionate,…
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Americans deserve better health care
To the Editor: Politicians love the photo op with veterans. We celebrate the wounded warrior, but seldom praise the system…
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President’s budget is simply immoral
To the Editor: The White House budget for 2019 seems designed to hurt the elderly and people born with disabilities.…
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Attitudes toward guns have changed dramatically
To the Editor: I grew up in a small, rural community, one not unlike many of the small towns in…
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Voters need to realize what Trump really is
To the Editor: Try as hard and I can, I just can’t make myself believe someone would write such as…
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NRA controls our politicians with blood money
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Cars don’t kill. Drivers do. Remember that? No one does, because although Detroit dragged…
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We can change, as the past has shown us
My grandfather loved guns. He had a magnificent collection, including a dazzling array of pistols, shotguns, and rifles, some very…
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Public broadcasting cuts would not serve WNC well
By Peter Nieckarz • Guest Columnist The Trump administration in mid-February unveiled its proposed federal budget for 2019. The proposal calls…
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Breathing in the good
My life is starting to even out. And while I’m happy about this, a peaceful, comfortable life doesn’t offer as…
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Meadows talks out of both sides of his mouth
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, seems to be having a bout of selective amnesia instead of working for…
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Rep. Clampitt needs to listen to constituents
To the Editor: First, I want to thank Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, for holding this latest town hall meeting.…
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Time to rid Duke of its monopoly
To the Editor: When I think about the purpose of industry, it is that our children would have good lives.…
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Military parade is just a bad idea
To the Editor: Have we lost our sanity? A military parade is an unconscionable waste of national resources, particularly galling…
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Vote Phillip Price in Democratic primary
To the Editor: I appreciated Cory Vaillancort’s story “Unseating Mark Meadows” describing the candidates running against the now-millionnaire incumbent representing…
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Let’s fix Confederate Monument issue
The Jackson County, North Carolina Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) wishes to communicate…
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Whatever you think honey, really
“I’m absolutely starving,” my wife says, digging through her purse for something as I walk into the kitchen, clearing my…
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Your gift can unlock a child’s potential
Among the many gifts my parents gave me, both the most powerful and the most mysterious were the books that…
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Meadows protects Trump instead of our democracy
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and some of his fellow Republican representatives may just have become a danger…
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Trump’s detractors are the hypocrites
To the Editor: I read the article by Smoky Mountain News columnist Chris Cox titled, “I can’t stomach the hypocrisy…
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Who is it that has blood on their hands?
To the Editor: There is an ad posted on Donald Trump’s campaign website and YouTube page. It states that if…
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Electoral College idea just won’t solve problem
To the Editor: That was a clever rebuttal (Jan. 24) from Samuel Edwards to my column on why North Carolina…
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Life is too short for cheap beer, bad coffee
I’m not a snob. In fact, I’m more of a bleeding heart. But when it comes to beer and coffee,…
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School systems need help with class size mandate
By John deVille • Guest Columnist This is a letter I sent to Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin. Macon County Schools, Haywood…
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Let’s get back to honoring all women
To the Editor: Have you told your mother? Your sister? Your aunt? Your niece? Simply put, have you explained to…
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National park backlog needs attention
To the Editor: I want to commend Holly Kays for her great story on “Breaking the Backlog." I hope that…
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Third party efforts futile in U.S.
To the Editor: I appreciated your article on third parties. The frustration of the people with the two major parties…
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GOP legislature has stolen my vote
To the Editor: My vote has been stolen. It has been stolen by the Legislature of the State of North…
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