This must be the place: That face in the mirror? Own it.
 

This must be the place: That face in the mirror? Own it.

I didn’t know what to say. Standing in the doorway of the music venue, he said it so casually. 
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Turning to face yourself: Comedian Dave Stone comes to Franklin
 

Turning to face yourself: Comedian Dave Stone comes to Franklin

It’s brutal honesty. Within the wide-spectrum of creative mediums, standup comedy may just be the most vulnerable and jarring of…
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Thrill of the dig: Gem mining alive and well in Macon County
 

Thrill of the dig: Gem mining alive and well in Macon County

Susan Boyette and her mother Martha Drew drove down from Tennessee early Friday morning to Rose Creek Mine outside of…
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Franklin museum a real ‘gem’
 

Franklin museum a real ‘gem’

At first glance, the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum may seem like a hokey tourist attraction, but visitors willing to…
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Community fights to keep babies born in Franklin
 

Community fights to keep babies born in Franklin

When Macon County residents joined together in 1971 to raise money to buy Angel Hospital and make it a community…
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Meadows: ACA repeal will offer better flexibility, lower premiums
 

Meadows: ACA repeal will offer better flexibility, lower premiums

The Affordable Health Care Act got a bit closer to repeal last week as the U.S. House of Representatives passed…
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What’s in the cards? Chamber, EDC try to stack the deck in Haywood’s favor
 

What’s in the cards? Chamber, EDC try to stack the deck in Haywood’s favor

Among the various organizations involved in economic development, one often finds a Chamber of Commerce and some development organization.
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Distillery hopes to pack economic punch
 

Distillery hopes to pack economic punch

If all goes well, Maggie Valley will soon be known as a place where some of the finest spirits in the world are crafted.
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Public hearing slated for new Publix site
 

Public hearing slated for new Publix site

Although speculation has been rife over the past year, plans for a Publix grocery store in Waynesville have finally been…
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Wake-up call: Fry Street closure sparks involvement from local business
 

Wake-up call: Fry Street closure sparks involvement from local business

A recent debacle between the town of Bryson City and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has been a wake-up call…
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Town board welcomes more community input
 

Town board welcomes more community input

Bryson City aldermen are quite aware of the rift created in the community over the Fry Street closure issue, but…
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Waynesville park acreage to grow by almost 20 percent
 

Waynesville park acreage to grow by almost 20 percent

As summer approaches, Waynesville’s green spaces are getting greener, but they’re also getting greater — in size. 
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Jackson talks capital: Five-year plan maps spending for school, health, animal shelter and courtroom projects
 

Jackson talks capital: Five-year plan maps spending for school, health, animal shelter and courtroom projects

From softball fields to health buildings to animal shelters, funding requests have been arriving hot and heavy to the Jackson…
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Stalled student housing project could revive
 

Stalled student housing project could revive

Two years have passed since developers first got approval to build a student housing complex along South Painter Road in…
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Developer to extend water and sewer access in Cullowhee
 

Developer to extend water and sewer access in Cullowhee

The Jackson County Commissioners have unanimously approved an easement through county land that will allow plans for a 72-bedroom development…
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Meadows: Obamacare repeal provides ‘net of protection’ for vulnerable
 

Meadows: Obamacare repeal provides ‘net of protection’ for vulnerable

Obamacare is one step closer to repeal as the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that would provide a…
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Student assault at Tuscola caught on video
 

Student assault at Tuscola caught on video

On Wednesday, May 3, a male student assaulted another student at approximately 9:30 a.m. at Tuscola High School. The assault…
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Weigh in on WNC transportation planning
 

Weigh in on WNC transportation planning

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants your feedback on its Draft 10-Year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which identifies the…
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Let commissioners hire tax collector
 

Let commissioners hire tax collector

To the Editor: I read the recent letter by Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and would just like to say…
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Mental health should be covered
 

Mental health should be covered

To the Editor: While the ACA is being re-considered I am asking why did we allow the insurance industry to…
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Party fracturing not necessarily bad
 

Party fracturing not necessarily bad

To the Editor: We know that the modern newspaper, in fact all media, feeds on controversy, some of it made…
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‘Born in Franklin’ may never be heard again
 

‘Born in Franklin’ may never be heard again

At some point in the future, here’s something you might never hear again: “I was born in Franklin.” Look no…
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This just isn’t going to get any better
 

This just isn’t going to get any better

“What? Over? Did you say ‘over’? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans…
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N.C. Senate back dangerous measure that could re-write U.S. Constitution
 

N.C. Senate back dangerous measure that could re-write U.S. Constitution

By Martin A. Dyckman • Guest Columnist Russian paratroopers dropping on the White House lawn could scarcely do more damage…
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Moonshine stills weren’t the only stills
 

Moonshine stills weren’t the only stills

All this spring, golden birch catkins were dangling throughout the woodlands of the Smokies region. These are the male, pollen-carrying…
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Voices from the trail: A.T. thru-hikers talk about trail names, motivations, and the on-trail experience
 

Voices from the trail: A.T. thru-hikers talk about trail names, motivations, and the on-trail experience

My pack was plenty heavy as I set out north on the Appalachian Trial from Carvers Gap, but with my…
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Cataloochee volunteers needed
 

Cataloochee volunteers needed

Volunteers are needed to help rangers manage traffic and establish safe wildlife viewing areas in the Cataloochee Valley area of…
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Drought beats a retreat
 

Drought beats a retreat

Severe drought is nearly vanquished in North Carolina, with the number of counties in that designation the lowest it’s been…
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The new local food guide is here
 

The new local food guide is here

The new Local Food Guide from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is here, including more than 800 listings of places…
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Smokies trails see status changes
 

Smokies trails see status changes

Closures and openings have resulted in status changes for some trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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The art of making it: HCC ‘Crafting Your Success’ summit
 

The art of making it: HCC ‘Crafting Your Success’ summit

So, you have the talent, imagination and output of an artist. But, do you also have the drive, business savvy…
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This must be the place: ‘In my heart, I am just a boy …’
 

This must be the place: ‘In my heart, I am just a boy …’

It was during the first sip of my second beer when it struck me. “Let’s go see Dave Davies.”
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New bluegrass book
 

New bluegrass book

Diving into the rich, vibrant and controversial history of bluegrass music, If You Can’t Play, Get Off the Stage: Bluegrass…
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Need I say more? The power of wit
 

Need I say more? The power of wit

When verbally attacked and left speechless by an assailant, who among us has not long afterwards pondered the mot juste…
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Down in the flood
 

Down in the flood

CeCe Hipps is one of the very few people in North Carolina who can say that she was at the epicenter of the two most significant postwar economic expansions in the state. 
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The past, present, and future of Haywood County’s economic development
 

The past, present, and future of Haywood County’s economic development

A new business or a new family moving to town isn’t solely due to the luck of the draw. Likewise, a shuttered mill or dilapidated neighborhood isn’t solely due to being dealt a bad hand.
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Cherokee court ruling declines to uphold Grand Council votes; Supreme Court to review decision
 

Cherokee court ruling declines to uphold Grand Council votes; Supreme Court to review decision

A recent ruling from the Cherokee Tribal Court has called the authority of Grand Council into question. Temporary Associate Judge Sharon Tracey Barrett denied a request for a court order stopping Tribal Council from pursuing impeachment against Principal Chief Patrick Lambert, though 84 percent of enrolled members who cast ballots during an April 18 Grand Council session voted to repeal the impeachment legislation.
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Cavy-crazed crowd convenes, competes
 

Cavy-crazed crowd convenes, competes

The stakes were as high as the hopes last weekend as competitors from across North America came together at the…
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New fire districts approved despite opposition
 

New fire districts approved despite opposition

Lake Junaluska residents opposed to a new Waynesville Fire District in their neighborhood will get one anyway, after a 2-1…
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Haywood County may dip into fund balance
 

Haywood County may dip into fund balance

Haywood County commissioners have set a date for the required public hearing in advance of passing next year’s budget —…
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More staff, higher pay boost Jackson schools budget request
 

More staff, higher pay boost Jackson schools budget request

With an eye to improving student performance and employee retention, Jackson County Public Schools has upped its budget ask to…
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Lopsided allocation favors SCC project over Jackson County Schools
 

Lopsided allocation favors SCC project over Jackson County Schools

Jackson County Schools has found itself at the back of the line to get a piece of the quarter-cent sales…
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Baby deliveries to cease  at Angel Medical
 

Baby deliveries to cease at Angel Medical

A difficult decision for Mission Health will now present a difficult decision for expecting mothers in Macon County.  With Mission’s…
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Mission to invest $45 million for new hospital in Franklin
 

Mission to invest $45 million for new hospital in Franklin

Along with the announcement to stop labor and delivery services at Angel Medical Center, Mission Health also announced plans to…
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Harris prepared to deliver more babies
 

Harris prepared to deliver more babies

With the current expansion of its New Generations Family Birthing Center, Harris Regional Hospital couldn’t be in a better position…
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Community backlash ensues following AMC decision
 

Community backlash ensues following AMC decision

Macon County residents have made a clear statement that they oppose Mission Health’s decision to discontinue labor and delivery services…
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A big thank you to Rep. Mark Meadows
 

A big thank you to Rep. Mark Meadows

All citizens of western North Carolina owe a big “thank you” to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and the Freedom Caucus…
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Thanks for the help with Panthertown
 

Thanks for the help with Panthertown

To the Editor: Friends of Panthertown and Mainspring Conservation Trust would like to thank all of our donors, including Jackson…
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Corporations are not U.S. citizens
 

Corporations are not U.S. citizens

To the Editor: Are you sick of government ignoring the people it was meant to represent? Do you want your…
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Votes will help Haywood Schools
 

Votes will help Haywood Schools

To the Editor: The Haywood County Schools Foundation is a participant in “A Community Thrives” project sponsored by Gannett, USA…
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