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Swain Democrats endorse replacement for Monteith
The Swain County Board of Commissioners now has a vacancy after the sudden and saddening loss of longtime Commissioner David…
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NC Republicans introduce anti-gay marriage bill
UPDATE: House Speaker Tim Moore has said the “Uphold Historic Marriage Act” will not be heard in the North Carolina…
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Showdown at GOP gulch: Tracing the origin of turmoil in the Haywood Republican Party
A shake up in the Haywood County Republican Party has pitted mainstream party members against an ideological “patriot” faction. The…
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Auto emissions testing in Haywood to go?
Residents of Haywood County stand to save at least $1 million a year if relaxed emissions standards become law —…
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New rural fire districts coming to Waynesville
Widespread inequality in the rates Haywood County residents pay for fire protection is about to come to an end.
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Mainspring projects to transform East Franklin
Mainspring Conservation Trust has several cleanup projects in the works that once completed will transform East Franklin for the better.
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Joint initiative to create Nikwasi-Cowee corridor
Much of Western North Carolina’s native history is hidden in plain sight along the Tennessee River Valley from Otto to…
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Folkmoot's Cultural Conversations: At the intersection of inequality
Cultural bias and conflict aren’t new to Western North Carolina; chattel slavery and Cherokee removal still leave a deep and…
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Canton seeks input on bike and pedestrian plan
Cycling enthusiasts who want to help steer the direction of Canton’s proposed Comprehensive Bicyclist and Pedestrian Plan may want to…
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One small step toward ending discrimination
North Carolina and its citizens are better off with HB2’s repeal. It’s a giant step forward, and despite criticism from…
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Admit it Tar Heel fans, you were squirming
I was all set to write another column on Donald Trump, who somehow seems more unhinged with each passing week,…
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We can’t trust anything Trump says
By Norman Hoffman • Guest Columnist A guest column by Joseph Trisha in the March 22 edition (www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/19589) makes a plea…
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Take the money out of politics
To the Editor: We the people of these United States deserve a better way to put into power those who…
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Employers should provide benefits
To the Editor: I have one thing to say to the business owners who feel that equal pay for equal…
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Why so much disrespect for Trump?
To the Editor: From where comes all this hate and disrespect directed at the President? I expect and respect differing…
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The president must be impeached
To the Editor: It’s terrible that such a thing has come to pass, that the “so-called President” must be removed,…
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One day we may have healthcare for all
To the Editor: Our Congressman Mark Meadows may have forgotten the needs of the voters who elected him. While Meadows…
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Get the money out of politics
To the Editor: We are loudly and frequently reminded of the many things that we are supposed to be afraid…
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Freshmen legislators are led astray
To the Editor: Like Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and others before them, Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and Kevin Corbin,…
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A conservative wants to conserve
To the Editor: I am a conservative. I conserve. A conservative wisely preserves, conserves and saves. A conservative secures and…
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Insubordinate public servants
To the Editor: If you were the boss of three employees (let’s call them Mark Meadows, Thom Tillis, and Richard…
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Trump still holds the upper hand
To the Editor: The media is crowing over this so-called big loss for Trump by having to postpone the elimination…
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A fox sighting is always a delight
In the natural world here in the Blue Ridge, there are certain visual images that rivet the attention of human…
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A perfect place: Walking Lake Junaluska fuels Hill’s fight against cancer
Ron and Chrissy Hill were all set for their retirement in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, having bought a house…
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Museum receives historic donation
The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians received the largest single donation it’s ever seen when Georgia resident Bob…
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An ancient story well told
In Jennifer Frick-Ruppert’s statement of intent at the back of her book, The Legend of Skyco, she states “While this…
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This must be the place: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
It was familiar, yet weird. Over the last two weeks I’ve crossed paths twice with my immediate family. Once down…
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The art of being in ‘the now’: Tony Award nominee, WCU professor Terrence Mann on acting, life
When you’re in the presence of Terrence Mann, you find yourself within reach of an energy — a vibe, perhaps…
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Lake Junaluska wins six awards
Lake Junaluska has won six awards from the United Methodist Association of Communicators for video production, publications, social media, photography…
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Haywood GOP leaders overthrown
A power struggle has embroiled the Haywood County Republican Party over the past several months, culminating in the mass overthrow…
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Patriot faction of Haywood GOP blindsided by ousting
Eddie Cabe suspected something big was afoot in the weeks leading up to the annual precinct gathering of the Haywood…
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Resolution targets Presnell partisan bill
After expressing his outrage early last month over a bill that would make school board elections partisan in Haywood County,…
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Cost could keep Franklin aldermen from changing their name
“What’s an alderman?” is a common question town officials hear when trying to explain what they do to members of…
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Strange bedfellows emerge in HB2 ‘repeal’
An admittedly imperfect compromise that could end the tempest of controversy surrounding North Carolina’s HB2 has been reached, but not…
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More Trump budget cuts hit home
Renewed concerns about the local impact of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts and his attempts to repeal the Affordable…
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Jackson ponders $20 million health building
A new health sciences building at Southwestern Community College would allow an additional 288 students to prepare for in-demand health…
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Folkmoot’s Cultural Conversations: Identifying identity
Hundreds, if not thousands of “civic ambassador” programs begin each month in cities and counties across the nation, including in…
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Town denies train’s request for Fry Street closure
Kim Albritton was visibly shaken up when she walked out of Bryson City Town Hall on Monday night.
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Election season begins for Cherokee council race
The race for Cherokee Tribal Council will feature 45 candidates competing for 12 seats around the horseshoe table when the…
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Sylva to vote on funding for Mill Street lane reduction
A plan to turn two-lane Mill Street in Sylva into a one-lane road will soon move forward if town commissioners…
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High hopes in Hazelwood hang on revamped parking lot
A small assortment of businesses in the 400 block of Hazelwood Avenue have been flourishing of late despite suffering through…
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Dillsboro river park gets unanimous approval
A new river park in Dillsboro is no longer just a proposal after the Jackson County Commissioners voted unanimously April…
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If Trump fails, there is always 2020
To the Editor: Regarding Mr. Martin Dyckman’s op-ed published in the March 8 issue of The Smokey Mountain News, I…
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Never forget the past
To the Editor: The other day I read something that chilled me to the bone, especially considering the direction the…
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Thank the EPA for WNC’s success
To the Editor: I was born in a steel town in 1948. When I was 2, we moved to a…
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Like mercury on slick glass
To the Editor: Please don’t even try to convince most people that Republicans are slow to change due to some…
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There are more than cornfields in the Midwest
I’m severely under-acquainted with the Midwest. My older son has a game on his Kindle that asks him to identify…
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Meadows makes his mark in the swamp
Where’s Mark? As in Rep. Mark Meadows, our Republican congressman who reportedly represents the rural and economically challenged residents of…
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Stories from mountains: Cherokee man keeps old stories alive, one hike at a time
The last known footprint of the slant-eyed giant Judaculla is not easy to get to. First, there’s the drive to…
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Assault on Blackrock draws high turnout
Despite some negative publicity last month when spikes were planted along the trails at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, turnout was…
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