Cherokee communities debate representation
 

Cherokee communities debate representation

A request to change the way tribal members in the westernmost reaches of the Qualla Boundary are represented on Tribal…
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Cheap tuition proposal could cost WCU millions
 

Cheap tuition proposal could cost WCU millions

How would you like to pay a mere $500 a semester to attend Western Carolina University?
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Increases cause Jackson to ponder EMS contract
 

Increases cause Jackson to ponder EMS contract

When a funding request for Emergency Management Services came in for more than double what Jackson County is paying now,…
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New president settles in at Angel Medical
 

New president settles in at Angel Medical

For someone who has spent most of her life in Ohio, moving to the mountains of Western North Carolina has…
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Contract commits county to pay for central office move
 

Contract commits county to pay for central office move

A little-known contract crafted in 1980 will take center stage in coming months as Haywood County school officials and county…
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Haywood’s central office move contingent on fate of old hospital
 

Haywood’s central office move contingent on fate of old hospital

Haywood County School officials could be ousted from their central office by early spring 2017 to make way for an…
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Jackson to vote on tax for education projects
 

Jackson to vote on tax for education projects

When the polls open June 7, Jackson County voters will have a choice to make — whether to OK a…
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Wrong bear euthanized in Smokies incident
 

Wrong bear euthanized in Smokies incident

The case of a 400-pound bear euthanized after a hiker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was bitten in…
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A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities
 

A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities

It’s been three years since a vigorous debate about charging for backcountry camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Kids get creative with waterways
 

Kids get creative with waterways

Haywood County’s young artists got some recognition for the T-shirt designs they dreamed up to celebrate Kids in the Creek,…
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Local runners take top spots in half marathon
 

Local runners take top spots in half marathon

Runners from up and down the East Coast converged on Waynesville this month to try their stride at the Gateway…
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Park Service archives get new home
 

Park Service archives get new home

A new home for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s collection of artifacts and archives recently opened its doors in…
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Cashiers gets second farmer market
 

Cashiers gets second farmer market

A new farmers market will launch in Cashiers this week, providing a weekly supply of local foods from 3 to…
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See birds of prey up close
 

See birds of prey up close

An up-close glimpse of creatures such as the Eastern screech owl and Northern bald eagle will show birds of prey…
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Old-time remedies explained
 

Old-time remedies explained

See old-time remedies in action with a demonstration by Smokies naturalist Ila Hatter, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May…
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Trout waters open
 

Trout waters open

Delayed-harvest trout waters will open for the summer on Saturday, June 4, giving anglers the chance to catch a dinner…
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WCU tops ‘best-of’ list for outdoors colleges
 

WCU tops ‘best-of’ list for outdoors colleges

Western Carolina University came in on top in an online magazine poll looking for the region’s premiere outdoor adventure college.
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Canucks amongst us
 

Canucks amongst us

You’re hiking streamside through a rhododendron tangle when you hear a short, musical trill – it kind of mimics the…
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Are we near the ‘who cares’ point for legal pot?
 

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’
 

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’
 

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
 

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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Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador
 

Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador

When life gets hectic, most people have a vacation spot where they go to unwind — perhaps a family cabin…
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NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics
 

NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics

When Team U.S.A. marches into the Olympic stadium this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Opening Ceremonies of…
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Sculpture winds through WCU trails
 

Sculpture winds through WCU trails

A nature-based sculpture project launched by Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum aims to feature outdoors art while promoting discussion…
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Plant defenses are not-so-pleasant for us humans
 

Plant defenses are not-so-pleasant for us humans

Like poisonous serpents, some plants developed toxic properties in order to protect themselves against predators. Besides insects, the major plant…
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Teaching children how to succeed at life
 

Teaching children how to succeed at life

Near the end of The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups, Dr.…
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New stage to open next month
 

New stage to open next month

Sitting on a bench one recent sunny afternoon, Steven Lloyd gazes to his right, a big smile immediately rolling across…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I awoke to yelling outside.
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Camera crazy: Downtown Sylva comes alive during filming of big-budget movie
 

Camera crazy: Downtown Sylva comes alive during filming of big-budget movie

An air of excitement and expectation reigned over downtown Sylva last week as crews and stars alike rolled in to…
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The long road to the big screen
 

The long road to the big screen

Getting a movie to come to town isn’t something that happens overnight.
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‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Three Billboards,’ and economic ripples
 

‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Three Billboards,’ and economic ripples

“Three Billboards” isn’t the only major filming project going on in Jackson County this month. Last week, ABC wrapped up…
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Seasoned administrator to take helm at HRMC
 

Seasoned administrator to take helm at HRMC

Rod Harkleroad has been named as the new chief executive officer of Haywood Regional Medical Center.
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World Methodist Museum to mark 60 years
 

World Methodist Museum to mark 60 years

A celebration will be held May 22 to mark the 60th birthday of the World Methodist Museum, which is located…
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Waynesville rolls out compromise in ongoing food truck debate
 

Waynesville rolls out compromise in ongoing food truck debate

New rules for where and how food trucks can set up shop in Waynesville attempt to balance the popular and…
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Haywood’s dropout program rescued
 

Haywood’s dropout program rescued

An innovative high school dropout program in Haywood County was rescued from the chopping block this week after county commissioners…
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Democratic candidates face off in congressional election
 

Democratic candidates face off in congressional election

Two Democratic candidates will face off in the June 7 election for a chance to unseat U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows,…
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Comment

Obscure budget stats a ‘bellwether’ of economic recovery
 

Obscure budget stats a ‘bellwether’ of economic recovery

Haywood County could be turning a corner after a slow, stubborn climb out of the recession, according to some obscure…
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For a change, Haywood isn’t facing a dire budget year
 

For a change, Haywood isn’t facing a dire budget year

Haywood County commissioners were greeted with silence at their meeting Monday night when they asked if anyone in the audience…
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Predatory attack or ill-fated dinner search?
 

Predatory attack or ill-fated dinner search?

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is terming an incident that left a Las Vegas man with a puncture wound…
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Bear euthanized following backcountry bite
 

Bear euthanized following backcountry bite

Campers at the Spence Field Appalachian Trail Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spent a harrowing evening in…
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Cherokee pays off millions of debt
 

Cherokee pays off millions of debt

A massive load of debt left the shoulders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians last week following enactment of…
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Events for readers and writers
 

Events for readers and writers

Salvation sought through moonshine  Terry Roberts will present his new novel The Holy Ghost and Speakeasy and Revival at 3…
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The Left still has something to learn about tolerance
 

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
 

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
 

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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Comment

Racism is not in the ‘eye of the beholder’
 

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
 

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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Hot Springs fire contained
 

Hot Springs fire contained

The verdict is in on a fire that had been blazing for two weeks near Hot Springs — after burning…
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Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis
 

Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis

After two years of closure, Hanging Dog Campground in Cherokee County has reopened through a collaborative effort between the county…
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