Bikers raise cash for Parkway Mt. Pisgah campground project
 

Bikers raise cash for Parkway Mt. Pisgah campground project

A rehabilitation project for the aging amphitheater at Mount Pisgah Campground will get some funding thanks to a fundraising ride…
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Smokies telethon to support park projects
 

Smokies telethon to support park projects

A fundraising broadcast to support Friends of the Smokies will air 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, on…
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The eagle lady: Mager, preparing to leave N.C., reflects on 51 years of life with raptors
 

The eagle lady: Mager, preparing to leave N.C., reflects on 51 years of life with raptors

Doris Mager returned from her most recent doctor appointment with some grim marching orders. Her instructions didn’t have anything to…
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Macon Heritage fest to feature Plott hound lore
 

Macon Heritage fest to feature Plott hound lore

Learn about the fabled bear hunting dog — the Plott Hound — during a talk at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug.…
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Bug Apetit - a tasteful discussion about insects
 

Bug Apetit - a tasteful discussion about insects

Ever looked at a six-legged creature and thought of dinner? A program by “bug chef” Zack Lemann will explore the…
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Smokies visitation high at Cherokee
 

Smokies visitation high at Cherokee

Visitation has been strong in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year, with numbers for the first six months…
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Audio tour brings the Smokies to life
 

Audio tour brings the Smokies to life

A new audio tour for the Mountain Farm Museum at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee will give visitors to the…
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Parasitic gill lice found in Haywood waters
 

Parasitic gill lice found in Haywood waters

A new parasite has been confirmed on rainbow trout collected from the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County, as…
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We need to darken the way
 

We need to darken the way

perseids fallingperseids burning white hotperseids flame out I made sure to keep an eye out for falling stars last week…
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Behind-the-scenes rescuers: Emergency management team gears up for autumn rescue season
 

Behind-the-scenes rescuers: Emergency management team gears up for autumn rescue season

Summer’s not quite over, but emergency responders in Haywood County are already practicing their skills in preparation for rescue season,…
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Stocking suspended after disease found in trout
 

Stocking suspended after disease found in trout

Whirling disease has been confirmed in rainbow trout in the Watauga River in the Banner Elk area, and biologists are…
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Swain officer wins state boating award
 

Swain officer wins state boating award

A Bryson City man has been honored as North Carolina’s Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.  Brian Cookston, a…
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Show off your horse, tractor and truck at the Haywood fair
 

Show off your horse, tractor and truck at the Haywood fair

The Haywood County Fair is coming up, and with it some opportunity for friendly competition. Consider putting your hat in…
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Fly fishing museum aims to spur tourism, preserve angling history in Cherokee
 

Fly fishing museum aims to spur tourism, preserve angling history in Cherokee

It’s been more than 10 years since Alen Baker decided, while recuperating from surgery, to pass the time by writing…
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Celebrate solar at Innovation Brewing
 

Celebrate solar at Innovation Brewing

Fans of solar are invited to toast the success of a solar energy initiative launched in the mountains this spring…
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Have a wild time at the library
 

Have a wild time at the library

The animals of Balsam Mountain Trust will make the rounds next week in a pair of library programs in Waynesville…
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A look inside the museum
 

A look inside the museum

Step inside Cherokee’s newest museum, and the scent of freshly cut wood and tranquil lighting will immediately greet you with…
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From pies to model planes, Haywood Fair calls entries
 

From pies to model planes, Haywood Fair calls entries

It’s that time again — get together your best garden produce and crafty handiwork to enter in the Haywood County…
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Smokies offers hands-on science for high school interns
 

Smokies offers hands-on science for high school interns

Several local teenagers were among those who recently completed a six-week internship in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Bird flu fears trigger precautionary measures
 

Bird flu fears trigger precautionary measures

Fears that the bird flu could spread to North Carolina have prompted the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services…
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Ash killer arrives in WNC, firewood must stay put in Graham
 

Ash killer arrives in WNC, firewood must stay put in Graham

Emerald ash borers recently found in a Graham County trap mark the invasive insect’s first appearance in Western North Carolina…
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Panthertown gets improved parking area
 

Panthertown gets improved parking area

Improvements to the crowded trailhead parking on the east side of Panthertown Valley, a recreation area in the Nantahala National…
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Public comment open for state wildlife plan
 

Public comment open for state wildlife plan

A plan to guide wildlife management in North Carolina for the next 10 years is being developed and public input…
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Company for coffee
 

Company for coffee

Due to the generosity of great friends Bill and Elaine Cave of Asheville, my family has enjoyed a summer respite…
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With a little help from hunters, wildlife officials hope to curb the exploding bear population in the mountains
 

With a little help from hunters, wildlife officials hope to curb the exploding bear population in the mountains

North Carolina has a bear problem, and wildlife officials hope hunters can help. The population of black bears has been…
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Take a road trip on the Jackson farm tour
 

Take a road trip on the Jackson farm tour

From shitakes to goats to greenhouses, farms and gardens in Jackson County will let the public in for a behind-the-scenes…
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Race Waynesville’s Main Street Mile
 

Race Waynesville’s Main Street Mile

A 1-mile race through downtown Waynesville on Friday, Aug. 21, will benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Greenville, S.C.
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Franklin gardens a home for wildlife
 

Franklin gardens a home for wildlife

Several Franklin property owners have made it a priority to garden with wildlife in mind, earning recognition from the National…
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Feds decide to put hold on wolf program
 

Feds decide to put hold on wolf program

Reintroductions of endangered red wolves in eastern North Carolina will cease for the rest of 2015 following a decision by…
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A natural fit: Balsam nature center a hub for research and education in the mountains
 

A natural fit: Balsam nature center a hub for research and education in the mountains

“Hey buddy, you about ready to come out?” Michael Skinner asks the juvenile broadwing hawk standing in the back of…
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Hendersonville woman becomes 50th person to hike the MST
 

Hendersonville woman becomes 50th person to hike the MST

The tally of people who have hiked the entire 1,150-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail reached 50 when Lorie Hansen, of Hendersonville, took…
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New guide highlights the best of Haywood’s homemade
 

New guide highlights the best of Haywood’s homemade

The new agritourism guide for Haywood County is out, highlighting farmers markets, plant nurseries, pick-your-own farms, roadside produce stands, Christmas…
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Sunday hunting now OK in North Carolina
 

Sunday hunting now OK in North Carolina

Sunday hunting with firearms will now be legal on private property following passage of the Outdoor Heritage Act by the…
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Senior walking group forming in Haywood
 

Senior walking group forming in Haywood

Seniors interested in getting out for an early morning walk this summer are wanted for a now-forming group through the…
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Food pantry training program aimed at strengthening food supply for needy
 

Food pantry training program aimed at strengthening food supply for needy

A pilot education program for food pantries and other emergency food providers will hold a series of training classes from…
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Wildlife to sweep Sapphire
 

Wildlife to sweep Sapphire

Mountain Wildlife Days will return to Sapphire Valley Resort outside Cashiers July 17-18 this year, bringing plenty of opportunity to…
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Bee photographer to share images and stories; Bee conference at Lake J
 

Bee photographer to share images and stories; Bee conference at Lake J

A program titled “4,000 Reasons to Love (and Protect) Native Bees” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16,…
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Hazel Creek area reopen following bear attack
 

Hazel Creek area reopen following bear attack

Backcountry trails and campsites are open again in the Hazel Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for…
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What is white-nose syndrome?
 

What is white-nose syndrome?

If you’ve heard rumor of an ecological catastrophe called white-nose syndrome, a lecture at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at…
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Tribe earns award for greenhouse project
 

Tribe earns award for greenhouse project

A newly completed greenhouse project in Cherokee earned the tribe recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency this summer. 
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Trail work causes closures in the Smokies
 

Trail work causes closures in the Smokies

Trails in the Forney Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Bryson City will be closed this…
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Summer skies
 

Summer skies

My family and I made a quick run up to Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway around dusk last…
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A hidden gem: Waynesville vet can’t get away from biking mountain roads
 

A hidden gem: Waynesville vet can’t get away from biking mountain roads

For veterinarian Brian Birthright, what would become a lifelong passion for biking began in the most fitting of ways —…
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The low-down on lightning
 

The low-down on lightning

Lightning is one of nature’s most ephemeral forces, but scientists are still able to detect and measure these electrical displays.…
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Ginseng lottery open
 

Ginseng lottery open

Ginseng collectors have until July 15 to put their names in the hat for the U.S. Forest Service’s annual lottery…
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Cherokee welcomes four-legged athletes
 

Cherokee welcomes four-legged athletes

DockDogs to be held in Cherokee July 10-12, will showcase three days of leaping dogs doing tricks in mid-air while…
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Man dies in kayaking accident
 

Man dies in kayaking accident

A man paddling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last Wednesday (July 1) died after his kayak capsized. Kenneth…
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Lake Junaluska shoreline to become more stable
 

Lake Junaluska shoreline to become more stable

A $3,360 grant from The Fund for Haywood County will allow Haywood Waterways Association to do some work on the…
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To each his own: Nature week allows age-stratified exploration for families
 

To each his own: Nature week allows age-stratified exploration for families

It’s day four of the Family Nature Summit, and the troops are working hard on a wooded piece of land…
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Remembering the old ways
 

Remembering the old ways

By Wil Shelton • SMN Intern For Whittier resident Anne Hill, sharing the history of Appalachia goes far beyond the realm…
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