Archived (28842)
Children categories
Free kids festival coming to Haywood fairgrounds
A free kids festival featuring music, activity areas, performances and give-aways will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.…
Read More
Cemeteries ensconced by park remain a source of consternation
It is a day Lawrence Hyatt looks forward to all year — venturing into the Smokies backcountry to pay homage…
Read More
Lake Junaluska’s bold new plan to reclaim its future
Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has unveiled a $40 million, 10-year campus master plan in hopes of bolstering convention…
Read More
One-size-fits-all tourism brand sought for Jackson
Ask vacationers why they pick Jackson County, and you might heard words like “escape,” “relief” and “tradition.”
Read More
Lots of winners in festival grants
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will hand out a bevy of grants for festivals and niche tourism projects throughout…
Read More
Folkmoot back in the tourism grant fold
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will restore annual grant funding for Folkmoot USA, reversing a move last year to…
Read More
Maggie aldermen bow out of business approval process
The Maggie Valley town board will soon divest itself from the role of both judge and jury for new businesses…
Read More
Flourishing in a fading art form
It’s Monday morning, and Mary Lou Rinehart is taking a moment to relax. Owner of Clyde Ray’s Flower Shop in…
Read More
Horse trading comes full circle in Jackson school budget
Jackson County Schools brokered a sweet deal with county commissioners last year, or so it seemed at the time. School…
Read More
Tuscola High School student arrested for threats of mass violence
A 16-year-old Tuscola High School student was arrested by Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies Thursday afternoon, April 18, and charged…
Read More
More school counselors could afford needed ounce of prevention
If a student at Central Elementary has a particularly tough weekend at home, school counselor Leslie Smith won’t get to…
Read More
National Guard send off one of many seen in WNC during decade-long conflict
As Lieutenant James Rossi took the stage in his fatigues, a toddler’s voice cut across the auditorium, breaking the otherwise…
Read More
No good deed goes unpunished in state’s domestic violence funding formula
The domestic violence nonprofit REACH of Macon County is facing a more than $80,000 shortfall next year due partly to…
Read More
Neighborly lifeline for domestic violence victims could fray at the edges unless Jackson steps up
Nearly a year has passed since a domestic violence support agency in Jackson County abruptly shut down under financial duress,…
Read More
Libraries brace for hit: Libraries play offense over state budget cuts
For years, state funding for libraries has been on the decline. But librarians in Western North Carolina are not taking…
Read More
DOT to pave the way for new casino coming to Murphy
The construction of a bridge and entrance road to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ second casino in Murphy has…
Read More
‘We’ll go back’: Sylva doctor who helped at Boston bombing vows not to let terrorists win
As the manhunt ends, the nation begins to cope and the primary suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing either lay…
Read More
The blue-grey gnatcatcher is a mighty mite
Elizabeth and I were sitting on the deck Monday evening when a tiny bird made an abbreviated appearance — apparently…
Read More
Beginners luck, or magic touch?
Fire is a life source. Without fire or some other form of heat, it’s nearly, if not impossible, to survive…
Read More
Volunteers needed to liaison with elk viewers
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to impart wildlife viewing etiquette in high-traffic tourist areas at the…
Read More
Delve into nature with Highlands Nature Center day camps
The Highlands Nature Center is offering a lineup of summer Nature Day Camps for children. Five different camps on ecology…
Read More
Stomach bug takes to the A.T.
A pesky stomach virus has turned up among hikers along the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, especially on a stretch…
Read More
Hikes explores pocket of old-growth forest
A guided hike involving some off-trail bushwhacking to a little-known stand of old growth forest in Graham County will be…
Read More
Share your favorite swimming holes
Don’t be greedy and keep your favorite swimming hole for yourself. A regional environmental organization is developing a new guide…
Read More
Arbor Day plantings planned for Island Park
An Arbor Day flower planting will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 20, at Island Park in…
Read More
Tour de Cashiers bike ride off and pedaling
Riders are gearing up for this year’s Tour de Cashiers coming on Saturday, May 4. The route will feature stunning…
Read More
Poacher gets jail time for killing bear cub
A Robbinsville man was sentenced to five months in prison last week for killing an black bear cub in Nantahala…
Read More
Earth Day rant
Earth Day 2013 is Monday, April 22. The first official “Earth Day” occurred in 1970 and environmentalists celebrated. Environmental lawyer…
Read More
Sharpening their skills: HCC lands spot on the national lumberjack scene
Dana Dowdy raised a razor-sharp axe above her head, let it hover a moment and then slammed into her competition…
Read More
History of Cherokee War is top notch
We Americans sometimes forget how new we are to the history of the world. Here in Western North Carolina, for…
Read More
Presnell not interested in freedom of religion
To the Editor: I was horrified to learn that my representative in the N.C. House, Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, co-sponsored…
Read More
Drive a hard bargain with railroad
To the Editor: I’d like to ask the Jackson County Commissioners why, in the midst of high unemployment and a…
Read More
Rep. Presnell violates oath of office
To the Editor: There are conflicting lights in which to view the co-sponsorship by Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, of the…
Read More
Legislators should support Haywood room tax hike
The room tax hike being sought by Haywood leaders needs to pass and deserves the support of the legislative delegation…
Read More
Students to share ideas at Discovery Forum
Western Carolina University will host its inaugural Discovery Forum, an event designed to encourage students to share innovative ideas for…
Read More
Haywood County prepares for 30th annual Senior Games
Seniors around the region are gearing up for Senior Games during the month of May. In Haywood County, registration will…
Read More
Homelessness to Hope: a campaign to improve teen support services
Barium Springs, a nonprofit that serves troubled youth, is hosting its first Giving Them Hope Breakfast at 8:30 April 25…
Read More
Social worker charged in cover-up agrees to talk as part of plea bargain
A Swain County social worker pleaded guilty in court this week to doctoring and fabricating records two years ago following…
Read More
Keeping it real: Waynesville ponders historic district guidelines
The town of Waynesville has hired a consultant to help create mandatory design standards for buildings in historic districts.
Read More
Macon forges ahead with $1.1 million ballpark
Macon County commissioners narrowly voted last week to buy a 50-acre tract for $550,000 to create a sprawling baseball and…
Read More
Building freedom through mobility
It was a moment that forever stuck with Don Schoendorfer. While on vacation in Morocco several years ago, the southern…
Read More
Emergency action plans layout game plan well before disaster strikes
What if a tornado ripped through Western North Carolina? What if a tanker hauling dangerous chemicals overturned on Interstate 40?…
Read More
Macon County pledges suite of raises all around
Macon County government employees will have a fatter paycheck now, thanks to a new pay plan approved last week by…
Read More
Robbery ring targeting vacation homes busted
Ten suspects have been charged in connection with a rash of property crimes in the Cashiers and Glenville area.
Read More
Pigeon Gorge dead spot could be solved soon for AT&T cell customers
A new cell phone tower in the Pigeon River Gorge could mean fewer dropped calls as motorists cruise down Interstate…
Read More
Swain inmates no help on roadside trash pickup
Swain County commissioners said they have fielded queries lately about why jail inmates aren’t put to work picking up trash…
Read More
Lake Junaluska merger with Waynesville sails through Senate
A state bill that would bring Lake Junaluska into Waynesville’s town limits has cleared the N.C. Senate and is now…
Read More
County commissioners cry foul over state budget proposals
County commissioners across the state are protesting proposed state budget cuts and bills that they say pass the buck and…
Read More
Cherokee leaders green light second casino near Murphy
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians could open a new $110 million casino in Murphy as early as spring 2015,…
Read More
Trial by dirt
While sunlight, water and good soil may seem a simple enough equation for getting a plant from seed to fruit,…
Read More