×

Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 12658
Booth display class for the farmers market
 

Booth display class for the farmers market

Farmers market vendors can get tips on how to set up their booths at a free seminar called “Booth Display…
Read More

Comment

In the land of water and rock
 

In the land of water and rock

Like Old Esdras in the Bible, some live in a land of milk and honey. Here in the Blue Ridge,…
Read More

Comment

And now for something completely different
 

And now for something completely different

So what’s in the news nowadays? Any bad news for the environment? Let’s see. Wednesday, February 13, 2013, in the…
Read More

Comment

Mountain anglers gain toehold in national fly fishing scene
 

Mountain anglers gain toehold in national fly fishing scene

Like New York is known for its basketball legends, and Texas is known for its football stars, Western North Carolina…
Read More

Comment

Walmart to Sylva: No scrimping on our sign size
 

Walmart to Sylva: No scrimping on our sign size

Walmart has asked Sylva leaders for a pass on local sign regulations as it prepares to replace its older signs…
Read More

Comment

Riverside development proposed in Cullowhee
 

Riverside development proposed in Cullowhee

A large residential development proposed near Western Carolina University could boost Cullowhee’s revitalization movement and cater to the region’s professional…
Read More

Comment

MedWest asks patients: What do you want?
 

MedWest asks patients: What do you want?

The new CEO of MedWest-Haywood is rounding on the county, asking residents about the hospital’s past performance and how to…
Read More

Comment

Nonprofits struggle to win back funding
 

Nonprofits struggle to win back funding

It’s been five years since the recession hit, and nonprofits in Haywood County are still struggling to get by after…
Read More

Comment

Cherokee scores federal storm clean-up assistance
 

Cherokee scores federal storm clean-up assistance

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians became the first tribe in the nation to receive a Presidential Declaration of Disaster…
Read More

Comment

State cuts judges to keep legal system ticking
 

State cuts judges to keep legal system ticking

State funding cuts for magistrate judges are taking a toll on rural counties and the judges themselves. Long hours, a…
Read More

Comment

Tide of support carries Lake Junaluska, Waynesville toward merger
 

Tide of support carries Lake Junaluska, Waynesville toward merger

Lake Junaluska homeowners and community leaders spoke out strongly last week in favor of merging with Waynesville, setting the stage for a bill to work its way through the N.C. General Assembly this summer declaring Lake Junaluska part of the…
Read More
Cherokee becomes first tribe in space
 

Cherokee becomes first tribe in space

It’s 20 degrees outside and Spencer Thomas is standing on a Cherokee soccer field holding a balloon. “Hopefully, everything goes…
Read More

Comment

Cherokee Tribal Council mulls over second casino
 

Cherokee Tribal Council mulls over second casino

Cherokee Tribal Council was asked to green light the construction of a second $110 million casino and hotel near Murphy…
Read More

Comment

Rash’s Appalachia is both rich and flawed
 

Rash’s Appalachia is both rich and flawed

Ron Rash’s latest collection of short stories echos a theme that runs through all of his works: an awareness that Appalachia…
Read More

Comment

Getting the 'word' out
 

Getting the 'word' out

It’s a sunny, crisp afternoon in the high hills of Tuckasegee and Thomas Rain Crowe throws another log into the…
Read More

Comment

Angelina Ballerina comes to Franklin
 

Angelina Ballerina comes to Franklin

The musical “Angelina Ballerina” will be onstage at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the…
Read More

Comment

Roller girls host ‘Spring Fling’Her’ bout
 

Roller girls host ‘Spring Fling’Her’ bout

Smoky Mountain Roller Girls “Spring Fling’Her” bout against G-Force (Gastonia) is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at the…
Read More

Comment

Wheels Through Time to be featured on TV cable show
 

Wheels Through Time to be featured on TV cable show

Wheels Through Time Museum, one of America’s most famous motorcycling destinations located in Maggie Valley, will be featured on the…
Read More

Comment

Pride of the Mountains in the spotlight at band directors convention
 

Pride of the Mountains in the spotlight at band directors convention

Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will be highlighted next week at the national convention of the…
Read More

Comment

Textile art exhibit opens in Waynesville
 

Textile art exhibit opens in Waynesville

The exhibit “Textures” featuring the work of nine textile artists will open next week at the Haywood County Arts Council’s…
Read More

Comment

Don’t be in a rush to cut courthouse trees
 

Don’t be in a rush to cut courthouse trees

To the Editor: I am concerned that the decision to remove the trees at the courthouse was hasty and ill-judged.…
Read More

Comment

Once again, we need to save Needmore
 

Once again, we need to save Needmore

To the Editor: After all the time and effort put forth by the citizens of Macon and Swain counties, the…
Read More

Comment

The roots of the U.S. gun culture
 

The roots of the U.S. gun culture

To the Editor: In all the current commentary about gun violence in the wake of the tragic shooting at Sandy…
Read More

Comment

A great night of music at the Bardo Center
 

A great night of music at the Bardo Center

To the Editor: What a wonderful evening recently at the Bardo Arts Center. Western Carolina University School of Music presented…
Read More

Comment

Joining Waynesville right move for Junaluska
 

Joining Waynesville right move for Junaluska

To the Editor: From my perspective, much of the discussion of whether or not to allow annexation of Lake Junaluska…
Read More

Comment

Give McCrory, GOP a chance before piling on
 

Give McCrory, GOP a chance before piling on

To the Editor: Ms. Abel’s letter said that the state’s Democratic ideals are fading fast since the last election (“State’s…
Read More

Comment

Making tourism sustainable as economic development
 

Making tourism sustainable as economic development

By Ken Stahl • Guest Columnist There appears to be controversy concerning the proposed 2 percent occupancy tax increase. This…
Read More

Comment

Haywood picks up  the torch on landslide hazard mapping
 

Haywood picks up the torch on landslide hazard mapping

A team of laid-off state geologists will soon start mapping landslide hazard zones in Haywood County after a coalition of…
Read More

Comment

To map or not to map? Jackson ponders the question amid spate of rain-induced landslides and steep slope rewrite
 

To map or not to map? Jackson ponders the question amid spate of rain-induced landslides and steep slope rewrite

Jackson County planning board members are considering whether to re-start a landslide hazard mapping initiative that was axed by the…
Read More

Comment

Cherokee leaders contemplate second casino in Murphy
 

Cherokee leaders contemplate second casino in Murphy

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians could decide soon whether to move forward with a second casino near Murphy, but…
Read More

Comment

WCU opens up the door for wine and beer sales at performance venue
 

WCU opens up the door for wine and beer sales at performance venue

People attending productions at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center may soon have the chance…
Read More

Comment

Drinking up the essence of thought, innovation
 

Drinking up the essence of thought, innovation

It’s a room full of strangers, ideas and alcohol. Still in its infancy yet gaining steam, the Drink-N-Think congregation came…
Read More

Comment

HCC president finalists to remain off the record
 

HCC president finalists to remain off the record

The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees has decided not to release the names of its finalists for president of…
Read More

Comment

Troubling spike in foster children prompts budget shortfalls
 

Troubling spike in foster children prompts budget shortfalls

The number of children in foster care in Haywood County is on the rise, a depressing sign for Department of…
Read More

Comment

Proponents of Haywood room tax increase rebut criticism
 

Proponents of Haywood room tax increase rebut criticism

The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board responded to outcries from Maggie Valley business owners about a proposed lodging tax…
Read More

Comment

11th-hour deal saves 100 Franklin manufacturing jobs
 

11th-hour deal saves 100 Franklin manufacturing jobs

In a move that could save nearly 100 jobs and keep a Franklin factory from closing, an English-based company struck…
Read More

Comment

The harbingers of spring are upon us
 

The harbingers of spring are upon us

As you read this it may well be freezing or even icy outside. But before long you’ll be outside working…
Read More

Comment

News from the AT
 

News from the AT

Teachers invited to bring the AT into their classroom Teachers and educators interested in incorporating the Appalachian Trail into their…
Read More

Comment

U.S. 441 through park should reopen by May 15
 

U.S. 441 through park should reopen by May 15

Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is expected to be repaired and open by…
Read More

Comment

Mountain scramble to Black Rock
 

Mountain scramble to Black Rock

The third annual Assault on Black Rock will test the strength and stamina of trail runners as they try to…
Read More

Comment

Hikes of the Smokies series kicks off
 

Hikes of the Smokies series kicks off

A guided hike in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be held on Tuesday,…
Read More

Comment

Louisiana lagniappe
 

Louisiana lagniappe

I know, I know, we’ve been in Louisiana for two weeks now, but when I look back at some of…
Read More

Comment

Follow me, into the wild
 

Follow me, into the wild

The last time I went camping I was 10 or 11. I was in my grandparents’ backyard, snug in my…
Read More

Comment

Prepping for the AT 2,184 miles to be ‘in the moment’
 

Prepping for the AT 2,184 miles to be ‘in the moment’

During the next several weeks, thousands of people will leave from Springer Mountain in Georgia and begin the 2,184-mile trek…
Read More

Comment

Emotions run high as Lake Junaluska task force votes for merger
 

Emotions run high as Lake Junaluska task force votes for merger

A Lake Junaluska task force voiced overwhelming support last week for merging the 765-home community with the town of Waynesville before a packed audience of homeowners. SEE ALSO: Ongoing coverage The 14-member task force has spent 10 months weighing the…
Read More
Jackson commissioners mull request for deputies in elementary schools
 

Jackson commissioners mull request for deputies in elementary schools

Jackson County commissioners have postponed a decision on hiring deputies to man the county’s elementary schools. The school board and…
Read More

Comment

New Haywood sheriff pledges modern, professional leadership
 

New Haywood sheriff pledges modern, professional leadership

There’s a new sheriff in town. Greg Christopher, a 51-year-old former lieutenant in the N.C. State Patrol, assumed the role…
Read More

Comment

Re-learning those old, familiar (bird) songs
 

Re-learning those old, familiar (bird) songs

I like “old time rock and roll” too. And I recently got some of my old time records, CDs, iPods,…
Read More

Comment

Climbing event at Chimney Rock
 

Climbing event at Chimney Rock

An event called “Climbin’ the Chimney” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 2 is an opportunity to for…
Read More

Comment

Duke grants to aid education, environment
 

Duke grants to aid education, environment

Duke Energy is helping to fund new educational and environmental projects as part of its hydropower relicensing agreement in the…
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.