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CBC double-dipping
They say great minds think alike, and who am I to argue with “They?” The Franklin Bird Club and Carolina…
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Charting the future: Wildlife Commission proposes hunting season on elk
Fifteen years ago, a herd of 52 elk set foot in their new home — the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Cattle-loading facility, intended for Jackson County, could come to Swain
Rob Hawk’s been trying since spring to find a landing place for the grant he’d helped get for a cattle…
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Franklin approves plans for new subdivision
Plans for a brand new residential subdivision in Franklin will move forward after the town board of aldermen approved a…
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Franklin cops to begin using body cameras
As allegations of police brutality continue to dominate the news all across the country, many law enforcement agencies have turned…
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Three candidates run for U.S. Representative
Incumbent Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, will face a challenger in next year’s election to represent the 11th District of North Carolina…
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Female suspect sought in stabbing incident
Two Haywood County men have been apprehended while one woman is still at large in connection with the stabbing of…
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Emergency animal clinic to open this spring in Waynesville
Pet owners in the western counties will soon have a shorter drive to tackle when their furry charges are in…
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Election snapshot: A primer on who’s running for state seats
Voters in Western North Carolina have barely taken down the Christmas tree but will soon find themself in the throes…
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Jackson schools consider artificial turf field
School officials in Jackson County will be crossing their fingers over the next few weeks, hoping to get a low…
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Macon County Health takes over animal services
As of Nov. 1, 2015, Macon County Public Health took on the additional responsibility of overseeing animal services in Macon…
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Swain animal control ordinance takes shape
After conducting research and gathering public input for several months, an ad hoc committee finally has a working draft for…
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Neighbors worry about impact of indoor firing range
Members of a tranquil farming community with deep roots in Haywood County fear their way of life will be ruined…
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Haywood commissioners take a pass on shooting range controversy
Haywood County commissioners aren’t likely to intervene in the controversy over a proposed indoor firing range and gun store coming…
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Turning Haywood’s shuttered hospital into apartments hinges on tax credits
The plan to convert the old hospital in Haywood County into low-income apartments isn’t a done deal. It’s contingent on…
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Abandoned hospital to find new purpose
A new plan is the works to convert the abandoned old hospital in Haywood County into an affordable housing apartment…
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Weather doesn’t trip up traditions
When we wake up on Christmas Eve, it is nearly 70 degrees and raining so hard that when our miniature…
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Haywood just not prepared for growth
If there was ever a time in recent memory when Haywood County leaders and its citizens need reminding that they…
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People of Franklin in good hands
To the Editor: Kudos to Bob Scott, mayor of Franklin, for his decision to take his oath of office on…
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Plants and animals who choose to hunker down
The evergreen plants and birds that overwinter here in the Southern Appalachians have made fundamental “choices” in how their lives…
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Funds for open spaces cut by half
A federal fund that supports parks and open spaces across the nation has been spared, but was reduced to half…
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N.C. national forests get new supervisor
North Carolina has a new U.S. Forest Service forest supervisor in Allen Nicholas, who currently works as forest supervisor for…
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Smokies plates raise $800K in 2015
Sales of license plates supporting the Friends of the Smokies were strong in 2015, with sales in North Carolina and…
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Appalachian Trail use breaks records in 2015
The number of Appalachian Trail hikers passing through the trail’s “psychological midpoint” in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, hit an all-time…
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Students learn about chemistry, fish and water quality through trout raising project
When the holidays wind down and schools go back in session, kids in some Western North Carolina classrooms will have…
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E.M. Forster 1907 novel relevant today
When I was in graduate school at Western Carolina University back in 1970, I encountered a remarkable teacher, Dr. Louise…
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New direction for ‘Stories of Mountain Folk’
In 2008, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA), a Western North Carolina not-for-profit 501c3 organization, began recording “Stories of Mountain…
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New Year’s Eve at The Imperial
A New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party will be held from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, at The…
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Open call for vendors
An open call is currently underway for artists, crafters, environmental groups and food vendors for the 19th annual Greening Up…
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Balsam Range Winter Concert Series returns to the Colonial
Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will kick off the sixth annual “Winter Concert Series” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2,…
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This must be the place
I cracked the foamy Sam Adams Boston Lager and relaxed into my seat. Christmas Eve. Red-eye flight. Charlotte to Burlington, Vermont.…
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Beer, Bluegrass, and Bloodshed: The Best of Arts & Entertainment 2015
With each impending New Year, we tend to take a look back and reflect on just what made the last…
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Former Jackson commissioner booted from TWSA board
Doug Cody was quite clear in his request to the Jackson County Commissioners when he showed up at their meeting…
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Warm start to winter puts dent in ski-based tourism
The winter tourism industry in Haywood County is reeling from unseasonably warm temperatures that have shuttered Cataloochee Ski Area during…
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2015: News in review
Time to put a bow on 2015 and call it wrapped. But not just yet, at least not for all…
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Roberts Burns Night a unique event
To the Editor: Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, is the only poet or musician that has a worldwide…
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Forest plan does not need more wilderness
To the Editor: I vehemently oppose designating more wilderness areas within the Pisgah and Nantahala Forests. These lands are already…
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Put aside Fry Street prejudices
To the Editor: I have been a proud employee of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) for nine years and an active…
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I swear, it’s really much ado about nothing
Sometimes in the world of journalism, the story becomes more about the reaction than the original news event. By my…
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Possum Drop on for New Year’s
After taking a hit in court earlier this month, the folks behind the annual Clay’s Corner Possum Drop got some…
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Six candidates vie for two Macon commission posts
Six candidates have signed up to run for two commissioner seats in Macon County next year.
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Canton proposes $2 million pool project
Canton’s outdoor pool has given the community a place to gather, play, exercise and relax for more than 70 years.
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Seven in running for Swain commission
Seven candidates will be vying for two commissioner seats in Swain County next year.
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Elk hunting by permit being debated by wildlife commission
As the elk herd in Western North Carolina continues to grow, an elk-hunting season could become a possibility under a…
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Jackson hires planning director
After plugging along for seven months without one, Jackson County will welcome a new planning director when 2016 begins.
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Cashiers development gets green light for expansion
A plan to double the capacity of a planned development near Cashiers got the go-ahead from Jackson County commissioners when…
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Haywood commissioners vexed by attendance record of tax collector
Haywood County commissioners expressed concern this week over what they claim is poor work attendance of the county tax collector,…
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Uncontested primaries on tap for Jackson
Though both of the Jackson County commissioners up for re-election will have competition when November rolls around, the primary season…
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Seven seek two commissioner seats in Haywood
Two additional Republicans joined the race for Haywood County commissioner in the final days of the candidate sign-up period that…
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Swearing to God still carries political weight
Public officials aren’t required to place their hand on a Bible to be sworn into office, but a majority of…
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