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Tour the best of Haywood’s gardens this summer
The best blooms and greenery in Haywood County will be on display with this year’s Haywood County Garden Tour Saturday,…
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New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system
Newbies to Tsali Recreation Area in Graham County will have an easier time navigating the 37-mile trail network thanks to…
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Operation box turtle: Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up
Joel Harrington has always been a fan of turtles. Of all animals, really — he is a veterinarian — but Harrington has…
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32 years and counting for birding expedition
This past weekend marked the occasion of the 32nd annual Great Smokies Birding Expedition. Fred Alsop, the ornithologist at East…
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Crazy little thing called love
Love. What a loaded word. Let’s skip the love of country, the love of family, the love of nature, the love…
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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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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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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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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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YMCA camp gets ready to open in Swain
A little more than a year ago it was nothing more than an open grassy field surrounded by forest, but…
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Businesses rally to change Maggie town plan
An alliance of business owners opposing Maggie Valley’s proposed town center master plan is growing stronger and becoming more organized…
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EMS costs throw a wrench in Jackson budget talks
Ambulance service in Jackson County could more than double in cost to taxpayers if commissioners decide to fund the full…
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Search for new manager progresses in Jackson
The interview process will soon begin in the search to replace Chuck Wooten, who will retire from his position as…
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Animal shelter estimate tops $5 million
When a report estimating cost and space needs for a new animal shelter came back with a staggering price tag…
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Large tax rate increase likely for Sylva
Sylva’s leaders have known for a year that taxes would have to go up in 2016, but it’s unlikely any…
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Haywood Health Foundation sets high goals for 2016
The Haywood Healthcare Foundation managed to generate enough funding to have a major impact on the health needs of Haywood…
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Blue Ridge National Heritage Area tackles the $50,000 question of hospitality training
The tourism industry doesn’t always agree on much. They argue over the best logos and ad campaigns, whether to fund…
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Casino strategizes to keep good hires on board
Busy season is coming at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, and management there is working to get all hired up for summer.
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Hospitality help is hard to find: Tourism businesses looking for seasonal help
Melanee Lester has been sorting through a 4-inch-high stack of applications on her desk for the last couple of weeks,…
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How sincere is your smile? Stakes are high in the never-ending quest for seasonal tourism workers
It happens like clockwork every year. As the calendar creeps toward May, the roads get crowded, lines at the grocery…
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How may we help you? Tourism’s future in the hands of frontline workers
It’s a conundrum the best minds in tourism have been trying to crack for decades.
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Lawsuit filed over closure of Central Elementary
A lawsuit was filed this week against the Haywood County School Board alleges ulterior motives were at play for closing…
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TVA to make a decision on houseboats May 5
Tennessee Valley Authority officials have confirmed that its board of directors will make a decision on May 5 regarding the…
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Haywood’s best kept secret: Bosu’s Wine Shop opens new space
With the quiet evening sun fading behind the Great Smoky Mountains last Thursday evening, a single building glowed bright at…
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This must be the place
America has never been great. Let’s just get that out of the way. Sure, we’ve had plenty of high points,…
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Historic Canton hotel enters next chapter
Heading up the stairs at the historic Imperial Hotel, there’s an electricity in the air, a vibe that’s familiar, yet…
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Greening Up Youth Talent winners
The 19th annual Mountain Youth Talent Contest was held at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival in Sylva on Saturday,…
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Art exhibit at Canton Library
The Canton Library Visual Arts Exhibit is currently featuring work by Denise McCullough, a 94-year-old acrylic artist.
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Trout Capital, North Carolina: Jackson County pushes to land unique designation
Jackson County is on its way to becoming the trout capital of North Carolina after county leaders unveiled a plan…
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Whitewater club gets a boost from grants
The Nantahala Racing Club has landed nearly $45,000 in grants for the 2016 season, encouraging the Swain County nonprofit in…
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Bear baiting rules loosened
Bear hunters can now use unprocessed food as bait for a larger part of the hunting season, according to temporary…
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Firefly lottery opens
A lottery to see the synchronous fireflies light up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will open at noon Friday,…
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Fire danger high
Fire danger is high in North Carolina, with low humidity and lack of rain over the past few weeks resulting…
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Elkmont building in Smokies burns
Nature knocked an item off the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s to-do list when a fire sparked a structure in…
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Ozone season is here
It’s ozone season in North Carolina again, that time of year when warm weather and pollution can combine to result…
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Watershed moments
Elizabeth Vickery, a senior at Western Carolina University, peers into a dip net along with Cullowhee Valley Elementary School student…
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Swain A.T. hiker raises money for kids at risk one step at a time
A Swain County fishing guide has left his rod behind to embark on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, aiming to raise…
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Waynesville men come out on top in Alaska motor adventure
A pair of Waynesville men are home after a third-place finish in the harrowing Alcan 5000 motor vehicle race across…
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Smoky birds
I just finished four wonderful days of birding in the Smokies, helping out with the 66th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage.…
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An epic tale of revenge on the frontier
As you probably know, The Revenant, this astonishing survival tale was recently made into a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio in…
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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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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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Connecting Pets and People
In recognition of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day on April 30, The Smoky Mountain News is highlighting the organizations…
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Saving Preacher
It was a chilly pre-spring day when Olivia Hickman ventured to the Waynesville Recreation Park, looking for nothing more than an hour or so of play with her 2-year-old son on the wooden jungle gym. But a dog lying on the outskirts of the area soon became the center of attention.
Macon animal rescue struggling to hold on
Appalachian Animal Rescue was bustling with activity Monday morning. Staff members were getting the shelter back in order following an adoption event and several families searched for a furry companion to take home.
Connecting displaced cats with FUR-ever families
Jamie Powell has a special talent. She can not only tell the 100 cats living at FUR’s feline sanctuary apart, but can even remember their names — despite the revolving door of cats being continually rescued and adopted out.
$1 million pledged for new Haywood facility
In a perfect world, an animal shelter is just a temporary stopover for pets in search of a new owner.
