A parody image is at the heart of Debbie King’s lawsuit. Monroe Miller photo
 

Haywood Meme lawsuit escalates with arrival of First Amendment attorneys

Months ago, just after he finished mopping the floor with pro se defendant Eddie Cabe, Haywood County attorney Rusty McLean…
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ACLU files suit against state for ADA violations
 

ACLU files suit against state for ADA violations

A magistrate judge recently recommended that a federal district court judge order the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to…
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Pay for court-appointed lawyers remains stagnant
 

Pay for court-appointed lawyers remains stagnant

Under the Sixth Amendment every criminal defendant has a constitutional right to legal representation — and if you can’t afford a…
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The first sawmill at Sunburst was located not far from where this sign is today. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Sunburst — a short history

It was a struggle from the start — getting in, getting people and supplies up and getting the lumber down…
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Bethel Rural Community Organization works to preserve the past
 

Bethel Rural Community Organization works to preserve the past

After nearly 245 years, Haywood County’s Bethel community remains just a small part of a relatively small county, but the…
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Haywood’s two new commissioners (front, left to right) Tommy Long and Mark Pless are joined by incumbents (rear, left to right) Brandon Rogers, Chairman Kevin Ensley and Kirk Kirkpatrick. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Historic Haywood commission sworn in

It was fitting that District Court Judge Donna Forga was on hand Dec. 3 to swear in the two new…
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Ghosted: Clock runs out on latest Ghost Town redevelopment plan
 

Ghosted: Clock runs out on latest Ghost Town redevelopment plan

The strange saga of Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town amusement park has more twists and turns and more highs and lows…
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Commissioner Ron Mau took issue with a post on the Jackson County Democratic Party’s website that said his campaign signs made the writer think of the Chinese dictator Chairman Mao. Holly Kays photo
 

Campaign rhetoric criticized in Jackson

A May blog post titled “Chairman Mao or is it Chairman Mau?” was the topic of an impassioned statement Jackson…
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Anti-gunners endanger their fellow citizens
 

Anti-gunners endanger their fellow citizens

To the Editor: As I have said on many occasions, anti-gunners like to ignore the very important comma sign in…
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Animal control went beyond call of duty
 

Animal control went beyond call of duty

To the Editor: This is a shoutout for the folks at Haywood County Animal Services. Last Sunday (Nov. 19) late…
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Get rid of Trump?
 

Get rid of Trump?

To the Editor: A recent letter writer said that the Democrats will do almost anything to get rid of Trump.…
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Meadows reacts too lightly to ethics rebuke
 

Meadows reacts too lightly to ethics rebuke

It sure would be nice for his constituents to hear Rep. Mark Meadows come out with a mea culpa regarding…
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Out of touch with the Black Friday banshees
 

Out of touch with the Black Friday banshees

I’ve set my phone on vibrate so that I can watch the game while enjoying my holiday concoction of Chex…
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Dan Pittillo instructs a friend’s young children in the ways of botany. Stan Hammer photo
 

Planted in the mountains: WNC botanist reflects on a lifetime of discovery

Dan Pittillo has made his name as a botanist, but he could easily have ended up a dairy farmer instead. …
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A new solar microgrid has been installed at Mt. Sterling. NPS photo
 

Power line to be removed at Mt. Sterling

Duke Energy is working on its final phase of a solar project at Mount Sterling, removing utility poles and overhead…
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The property is easily visible from the Appalachian Trail. SAHC photo
 

Key land conserved in Roan Highlands

A 324-acre property in the Highlands of Roan is now in public ownership thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. 
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Recycling and sustainability success at WCU is partially a result of good communication about shared responsibility, say members of the student group Eco CATS. WCU photo  
 

WCU recognized as a green college

For the eighth year running, Western Carolina University has been named one of North America’s most environmentally responsible colleges by…
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What a woman! Why I love Camille Paglia
 

What a woman! Why I love Camille Paglia

Fierce. Honest. Libertarian.  Those are just three of the reasons why author and professor Camille Paglia has fascinated me for…
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Drake takes Macon airport under its wing
 

Drake takes Macon airport under its wing

Drake Enterprises is spreading its wings further into the community as it takes over management of the Macon County Airport. …
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Rick Bryson, owner of Bryson’s Car Wash, tells commissioners and audience members why he opposes the road plan. Holly Kays photo
 

Sylva residents speak out against road plans

A Sylva town meeting this month drew a crowd of people to speak against the N.C. 107 road plan, but…
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Speedy’s Pizza and the Valero Gas Station & Convenience Store are both on the N.C. Department of Transportation’s preliminary list of businesses that could be displaced. Holly Kays photo
 

TWSA to develop ideas to help displaced businesses

With the N.C. 107 project continuing to move forward, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority is beginning to talk about…
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President Jimmy Carter (right) and wife Rosalynn sit in the sanctuary at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

The essence of power is a towel

There, in Sumter County, Georgia, not far from the Alabama line lies the tiny town of Plains (pop. 784), a…
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A graphic rendering from design company LS3P shows what SCC’s new health sciences building will look like upon completion in 2021. Donated image
 

Contractor selected for SCC health building

The Michigan-based Christman Company will carry out a $17.66 million contract to construct a new health sciences building at Southwestern…
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Amanda Swimmer stands surrounded by family after she is named a Beloved Woman in February. Holly Kays photo
 

Cherokee loses treasured tribal elder

Cherokee has lost its second honored member in the space of a month with the Nov. 24 death of Amanda…
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Macon wants out of flat fee defense program
 

Macon wants out of flat fee defense program

While the North Carolina Legislature included Macon County in a pilot program to change the way court-appointed lawyers are paid,…
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Tom Maher, executive director for Indigent Defense Services Office of North Carolina, speaks to lawyers Brad Ferguson and Karla Wood about the pretrial release program. Jessi Stone photo
 

Lawyers needed for pretrial pilot program

The success of a pretrial release program being piloted in Jackson and Haywood county’s judicial district hinges on a handful…
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Chris Hillman.
 

This must be the place: ‘We’ll climb that hill, no matter how steep’

There was something so cozy about that navy blue 1992 Toyota Camry. With my mother behind the wheel of her…
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Health departments investigate cases of Legionnaires
 

Health departments investigate cases of Legionnaires

The Jackson County Department of Public Health and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Public Health and Human Services are…
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Lorna Sterling’s husband benefitted from the in-home hospice services of the Homestead. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

In-hospital hospice just not the same

By Lorna Sterling • Guest Columnist Like many in the Haywood County community, I am concerned about the transfer of…
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Thoughts on Thanksgiving and traditions
 

Thoughts on Thanksgiving and traditions

Funny how when you’re living in a moment, you don’t realize how truly special the moment is. Only later in…
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Cartoon, Nov. 21, 2018
 

Cartoon, Nov. 21, 2018

By Will Studenc
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Why own an Assault rifle?
 

Why own an Assault rifle?

To the Editor: The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,…
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Hopes for a long life and many travels
 

Hopes for a long life and many travels

To the Editor: In response to the guest column in the November 7 issue regarding immigration, if you live long…
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Guest columnist omits history
 

Guest columnist omits history

To the Editor: In the November 7 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, Guest Columnist Autumn Woodward related a harrowing…
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GOP leader should be gracious in victory
 

GOP leader should be gracious in victory

To the Editor: While I agree with Cecil GOP Precinct Chair Ted Carr’s statement in Cory Vaillancourt’s “Eastbound and down”…
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Activists fast for climate awareness
 

Activists fast for climate awareness

A group of climate activists based in Asheville is nearly finished a 10-day Thanksgiving fast aimed at bringing attention to…
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Rare shrub seeds for sale
 

Rare shrub seeds for sale

Alarka Institute in Cowee is now selling seeds from the Franklinia, one of the rarest shrubs in the world.
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Fallen rock causes Parkway closure near Asheville
 

Fallen rock causes Parkway closure near Asheville

Tanbark Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed until further notice after pieces of the tunnel’s natural rock ceiling…
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Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains National Park representatives cut the ribbon Nov. 14 on the rehabilitated Rainbow Falls Trail. NPS photo
 

New trail project announced

A two-year effort to rehabilitate Rainbow Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now complete, and the…
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Guests view art pieces on display. Bren Photography photo
 

Art raises cash for the Parkway

An art-focused fundraising event raised more than $40,000 for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation last month, allowing for education and…
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An angler ties a new fly. SMN photo
 

Learn to tie a fly

A weekly fly tying class has started at Outdoor 76 in Franklin, held 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday. 
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Sochan grows along a river. NPS photo
 

Plan proposed to let Cherokee members gather sochan

An environmental assessment for a rule that would allow members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to gather sochan…
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Hooded merganser on a recent foggy morning at Lake Junaluska. Don Hendershot photo
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Eye on the lake

Lake Junaluska is an amazing resource. It is home to the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, the World Methodist…
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You can’t make this stuff up
 

You can’t make this stuff up

One of my favorite and most often used aphorisms in this lifetime has been “you can’t make this stuff up.”…
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Inventory of life: Twenty-year effort to count Smokies species adds 1,000 to science
 

Inventory of life: Twenty-year effort to count Smokies species adds 1,000 to science

By late November, the trees at 5,000 feet are mostly bare, once-green leaves covering the forest floor like a brown…
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Plott Balsam conservation project gets funding
 

Plott Balsam conservation project gets funding

A plan to conserve more than 900 acres of high-elevation terrain in Jackson County will move forward after the Clean…
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LifePoint, RCCH merger a done deal
 

LifePoint, RCCH merger a done deal

LifePoint Health and RCCH HealthCare Partners have completed their merger and will now begin operating as one united company under…
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Carol Skaziak, founder of Throw Away Dogs Project in Pennsylvania, is pictured with Kanon, a K9 trained officer adopted out to Bryson City Police Department. Donated photo
 

SBI finds no crime committed in Bryson City K9 death

After conducting a limited review into the death of a Bryson City K9, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations…
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Meadows sanctioned over handling of office harassment
 

Meadows sanctioned over handling of office harassment

A pair of congressmen — one Democrat and one Republican — were slapped with sanctions by the House Ethics Committee…
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New business coming to Macon County
 

New business coming to Macon County

The Macon County Industrial Park will be getting a new tenant after county commissioners approved a lease for TECO Inc.…
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