If this were the wild, he would already be gone
When next week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News hits the streets Wednesday, June 15, my youngest will be a…
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Finally got a tattoo, and it’s raising a few eyebrows
I got a tattoo a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t on a whim. I wasn’t intoxicated. I wasn’t in…
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Legislators passed smart coal ash plan
To the Editor: This is a critical time for our community and all North Carolinians. Decisions being made right now…
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Let’s build animal shelter to do the job adequately
To the Editor: I am seeing and hearing various opinions about the need for a new animal shelter in Haywood…
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Trump’s ‘nativism’ is just frightening
To the Editor: For one who has never held an elected office, Donald Trump is a brilliant politician. His TV…
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Sheriffs misrepresented
To the Editor: If you value honesty as an important trait for a Supreme Court justice, it should interest you…
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Still free to mix it up in the marketplace of ideas
Over this past Memorial Day weekend I found myself reading essays and columns about freedom, about military men and women…
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Vote ‘Yes’ for education sales tax
By David Belcher • Guest Columnist Voters in Jackson County will have the opportunity on Tuesday, June 7, to take…
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Nothing brings back memories like that first car
My daughter is turning 15 this weekend. Every 15 minutes, she reminds me that she will be driving a car…
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Trying times for school leaders in Haywood
Haywood County Schools has been a part of my life for 24 years now — as a journalist, the husband…
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The bugle never stops
One day recently as I was walking through the parking lot at Waynesville Middle School, a car slowly pulled up…
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Vote for Rick Bryson in June 7 primary
To the Editor: Rick Bryson is running as a Democrat for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Mark…
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Bryson is best choice to challenge Meadows
To the Editor: On June 7 citizens of the 11th Congressional District will be asked to vote again. Because of…
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Are we near the ‘who cares’ point for legal pot?
The last couple of years have brought a sea change in attitudes about marijuana. I’m convinced pot will be legal…
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That’s us, using our children as ‘escape goats’
My wife and I like to host small parties or entertain our friends every three years or so, not because…
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HB2 could be called ‘Hate Bill 2’
To the Editor: Recent letters have provided more smoke than light regarding HB2, also known as House Bill 2, which…
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Trump cares only about being the winner
To the Editor: For one who has never held an elected office, Donald Trump is a brilliant politician. His TV…
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The Left still has something to learn about tolerance
I’ve been observing something for years — though recently it has snowballed — and it has always struck me as…
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Let’s work toward a better Maggie Valley
To the Editor: Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “The republic is a dream. If we stop dreaming, we will…
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Governor’s office is still in the dark
To the Editor: There you are, governor of North Carolina, and somebody pushes a stack of papers in front of…
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Racism is not in the ‘eye of the beholder’
To the Editor: Sorry Dad, but in your column in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/17607), you…
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Connecting a new generation to 9/11
Recently, a group of Waynesville Middle chorus students were at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and when they…
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WCU students learning valuable lessons on civil discourse
It’s not the 1960s in terms of political activism, but recent episodes at Western Carolina University and across the country…
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A music nut makes the Merlefest pilgrimage
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am a complete nut about music. There are people for…
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No negative connotation in resignation
To the Editor: As a founding member of the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council, I offer for readers the following…
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Wallet issues and the legislature
To the Editor: They’re baaaaaaaaack. Yes, your N.C. Legislature is back in session and talking tax cuts. Hold on to…
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Vaccines important for pets
By Kristen Hammett • Guest Columnist As a pet owner, there are many things we do to keep our fur babies…
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Rep. Queen critical of GOP’s leadership, methods
“I feel like a one-legged man at an ass kicking. They don’t care for me because I call them out.…
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Carden mixes up the facts in book review
To the Editor: Gary Carden, in his book review in the April 6 issue (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/17428), claims that the McCarthy hearings…
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Little choice for Lake J. except merger
To the Editor: To this day, I have no doubt that the Lake Junluska and the City of Waynesville annexation issue will eventually…
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Completing Waynesville half marathon was a real thrill
There was a time when running was my saving grace. If I didn’t run at least four times a week,…
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New charters stir emotions, but time is a healer
When we reported that Mountain Discovery Charter School and Swain County commissioners were working together to hopefully build a gymnasium,…
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Kobe’s swan song turned out to be a masterpiece
“Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the…
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Socialism is not really such a dirty word
To the Editor: So much paranoia about socialism. We can talk about socialism in theory, in practice, as mixed with other…
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HB2 should be repealed immediately
To the Editor: As members of the Reconciling Conversation Group of First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, we are striving…
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What HB2 is really about — exerting power
To the Editor: The motivation for HB2 has nothing to do with bathroom safety. The motivation was to slap down…
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The ‘rich’ show less empathy
To the Editor: A recent research project with 200 students at University of California at Berkley explored the effects of…
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Help build a community that fights child abuse
By Julie Schroer • Guest Columnist As April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I want you to hang in…
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Call the hunting of bears what it is
To the Editor: I would like to request of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that you stop referring to the…
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Manage forests for wildlife, too
To the Editor: With recent news stories of elk doing damage to farms and the surprising number of bear living…
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Who would want to lead Waynesville?
To the Editor: I read your article on the hiring of a new town manager with some amusement and dismay.…
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My adopted state is an embarrassment
By Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist As a North Carolina woman who may or may not have a vagina (NOYB), I…
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N.C. conservatives go off the deep end
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist There are two major strains of conservatism in American politics, economic and social, and the…
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Stuttering, understanding race and Merle Haggard
When I was a little girl, I had a stuttering problem. The memories of struggling with words that started with…
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Community involvement is the key
To the Editor: I won’t be voting for Michele Presnell, but it seems silly for this newspaper and local elected…
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Opening Day brings renewed sense of hope
I have turned off the talk shows, put down the newspapers, avoided barbershops and changed the subject at family gatherings.…
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The arts thrive only if we support them
“The arts are so incredibly vital to a quality of life, smart business and the health of a community. The…
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On being a columnist for a small-town newspaper
Three months into this, I’ve decided that being a columnist for The Smoky Mountain News is potentially more challenging than…
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Questions for the legislature
By Dave Waldrop • Guest Columnist The North Carolina legislature has abandoned its responsibilities to public education under the guise…
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What lessons from the 2016 primary?
By Chris Cooper • Guest Columnist If I had to use one word to describe the North Carolina primary, it…
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