The Sounds and the stories
 

The Sounds and the stories

By Michael Beadle In gathering the performers who would help make the Sounds of Jackson County a reality, organizers invited…
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The sounds of Jackson County: Landmark collection of local performers bands together for Jackson County library fundraising event
 

The sounds of Jackson County: Landmark collection of local performers bands together for Jackson County library fundraising event

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Backstage at Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, the rehearsal room buzzed…
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Western counties celebrate hospital sale
 

Western counties celebrate hospital sale

A visiting team from LifePoint Hospital network made the rounds to their newly acquired hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain…
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State budget provides raise for teachers: Critics say raise is ‘phony’
 

State budget provides raise for teachers: Critics say raise is ‘phony’

It took nearly two months of conferencing, but a state budget bill is finally passed and signed. At the heart…
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Record enrollment expected as WCU classes begin
 

Record enrollment expected as WCU classes begin

The Western Carolina University community is making preparations to welcome what is expected to be a record number of students…
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Franklin, Forest Hills pass fracking resolutions
 

Franklin, Forest Hills pass fracking resolutions

Two more local governments in Western North Carolina have passed resolutions opposing fracking this month. Franklin and Forest Hills are…
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Hagan visits Cherokee, touts Native American Children Act
 

Hagan visits Cherokee, touts Native American Children Act

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan visited the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation Aug. 6, meeting with Chief Michell Hicks, Vice…
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Whiteside cell tower off table
 

Whiteside cell tower off table

The cell phone tower proposed for the Whiteside Cove area is off the table for now. Verizon has “indefinitely suspended”…
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Haywood’s detergent war: Schools opt for EcoLab over local supplier
 

Haywood’s detergent war: Schools opt for EcoLab over local supplier

A Haywood County businessman who has historically supplied dishwasher detergent and rinse agent for Haywood County school cafeterias lost his…
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A concessionaire’s conundrum: Pisgah Inn owner hoping NPS contract renewal yields 10 more years of local ownership
 

A concessionaire’s conundrum: Pisgah Inn owner hoping NPS contract renewal yields 10 more years of local ownership

By mid-August, there’s already a chill in the air outside Pisgah Inn. Employees and experienced guests walk around in pants…
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Pitching ‘Play On’: Jackson considers who to woo and how
 

Pitching ‘Play On’: Jackson considers who to woo and how

The type of visitors being eyed by Jackson County tourism officials fall into various categories. Each one of those “types”…
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Round three: Haywood County takes on political adversary in property value dispute
 

Round three: Haywood County takes on political adversary in property value dispute

A challenger in the Haywood County commissioner race lost ground last week in a fight with the county over his…
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The Golden Mouse: A Children’s Poem for Adults
 

The Golden Mouse: A Children’s Poem for Adults

Editor’s note: George Ellison’s column this week is a sort of fable based on one of the seldom-seen (almost mythical)…
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Runner jogs the Parkway to raise funds, awareness
 

Runner jogs the Parkway to raise funds, awareness

A Winston-Salem man is hoping to set a record for a good cause with his plan to run the entire…
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Road improvement to close Black Balsam
 

Road improvement to close Black Balsam

A popular trail access area and jumping off point for the Shining Rock Wilderness area at Balsam Road will be…
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Jackson market celebrates tomatoes and 100 years of Cooperative Extension
 

Jackson market celebrates tomatoes and 100 years of Cooperative Extension

This year’s Taste of the Market celebration at Jackson County Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 16 in…
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Grant helps Waynesville Parks and Rec get paddling
 

Grant helps Waynesville Parks and Rec get paddling

A $25,000 Pigeon River Fund grant will help the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department purchase kayaking supplies to add paddling…
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Cataloochee documentary to screen in Jackson
 

Cataloochee documentary to screen in Jackson

The historical documentary film Cataloochee will be shown at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,…
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Breakaway breezes into year five
 

Breakaway breezes into year five

More than 400 riders will push off from Lake Junaluska Aug. 16 for the fifth year of the Blue Ridge…
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Tailgate Market to celebrate kids’ love of watermelon
 

Tailgate Market to celebrate kids’ love of watermelon

The watermelons will take over Aug. 16 at the Original Waynesville Tailgate Market’s August Kids Corner Market.
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DuPont mountain bike rides and trail runs to help the trails
 

DuPont mountain bike rides and trail runs to help the trails

A Save the Trails ride and run through DuPont State Forest will be held Aug. 23 to help Pisgah Area…
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Summer in the park a win-win
 

Summer in the park a win-win

A handful of teachers, high school and college students recently completed a program designed to teach them about the Great…
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Friends of the Smokies telethon to air
 

Friends of the Smokies telethon to air

Friends of the Smokies will take to the silver screen from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, for the…
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If you can float it, you can boat it: Franklin Rotary spearheads RiverFest on the Little Tennessee
 

If you can float it, you can boat it: Franklin Rotary spearheads RiverFest on the Little Tennessee

When Franklin RiverFest’s Anything That Floats Raft Regatta kicks off Aug. 23, Warren Cabe hopes to see the Franklin Fire…
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Novel explores life in  Chairman Mao’s China
 

Novel explores life in Chairman Mao’s China

After running into numerous critical references to this little novel, which has won a series of international awards and has…
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State gives lip service to fracking concerns
 

State gives lip service to fracking concerns

To the Editor: The Johnny-come-lately public hearing on fracking scheduled by the N.C. Mining and Energy Commission (MEC) at Western…
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Cell towers, fracking, and food trucks
 

Cell towers, fracking, and food trucks

To the Editor: First, kudos to Gerald Green and the Jackson County Planning Council for requiring Verizon to use cell…
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Is torture an aberration or a trend?
 

Is torture an aberration or a trend?

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist Based on actual events, the movie “The Railway Man” tells the story of how British…
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Craft beer fest returns to Waynesville
 

Craft beer fest returns to Waynesville

The Waynesville Craft Beer Faire will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the American Legion…
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In search of the best sweet potato recipe
 

In search of the best sweet potato recipe

The 40th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, at Western Carolina University.  The event will once…
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Masters of Illusion come to Harrah’s
 

Masters of Illusion come to Harrah’s

The Masters of Illusion’s Believe The Impossible professional magic showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at…
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WCU Big Birthday Bash celebrates 125 years
 

WCU Big Birthday Bash celebrates 125 years

Western Carolina University’s 125th anniversary Big Birthday Bash will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the…
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Music, animals and fun return to Haywood fair
 

Music, animals and fun return to Haywood fair

The 2014 Haywood County Fair will be held Aug. 19-24 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Lake Junaluska. Bingo will…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

He was beloved by all who knew him. Richard Coker embodied the spirit of Appalachia. As a co-owner of the Cataloochee…
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So funky you can smell it
 

So funky you can smell it

Who the hell are those guys? It’s a question constantly asked about Porch 40, a Sylva-based funk/rock outfit barreling out…
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Creation or evolution: an age old debate
 

Creation or evolution: an age old debate

As the nation debates the role of creation and evolution in the classroom, a research paper assigned in a 10th-grade…
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Cashiers residents form civic group
 

Cashiers residents form civic group

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Members of the Cashiers area are organizing a new civic association to direct the…
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Grassroots organizing
 

Grassroots organizing

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer As residents in the Cashiers area pull together to address their community’s needs through…
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Town will be forced to make adjustments
 

Town will be forced to make adjustments

Waynesville’s residents have long reaped the benefits of the town’s electricity enterprise — a sideline business that was making $1.2…
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Waynesville could be hostage to Progress Energy prices
 

Waynesville could be hostage to Progress Energy prices

Two years ago, the future of Waynesville’s electric system — a lucrative cash cow for the town — was turned…
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Where did we come from? Student perspectives vary
 

Where did we come from? Student perspectives vary

As judges and lawyers, politicians and lobbyists, and parents and school officials debate the place of evolution and creationism in…
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The thrill of the chase lives on
 

The thrill of the chase lives on

Through the years, I’ve written at every opportunity about Aquilla (Quill) Rose — Civil War veteran, fiddle player, storyteller, moonshiner,…
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Celebrating culture and the need for a library
 

Celebrating culture and the need for a library

There are many worthwhile upshots from The Sounds of Jackson County recording project, but two stand out among them: one,…
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The vicarious lives of parents
 

The vicarious lives of parents

I wasn’t very good at sports when I was a kid. I wanted to be good — the star of…
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Trees up close and personal
 

Trees up close and personal

Winter is a great time for studying tree identification. The mountains look steel-gray from a distance. The forest, up close,…
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Seeking a new chill
 

Seeking a new chill

By Michael Beadle Freezing temperatures may keep some people bundled up indoors, but not Adam Fox. When the temperatures dip…
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Winter Fishing is more than it gets credit for
 

Winter Fishing is more than it gets credit for

By Eugene Shuler Winter is a great time to go fishing. Don’t believe me? Just look at what you don’t…
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A mysterious masterpiece
 

A mysterious masterpiece

By Chris Cooper Beautiful and alarmingly odd, Andrew Bird makes music that ambles pretty far outside description or categorization. “Chamber…
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Petal to the metal: Franklin metal artist Victor Raul Moraloza grows in art as in life
 

Petal to the metal: Franklin metal artist Victor Raul Moraloza grows in art as in life

By Michael Beadle For Victor Raul Moraloza, each day is a gift. From being a high school wrestling champion to…
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Recommended diversions
 

Recommended diversions

TV Yeah, fine: burn your television, TV is bad. It’s mind numbing and makes us lazy. Blah blah blah. But…
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