Red wolf. creative commons photo
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Death sentence?

On June 27 U.S. Fish and Wildlife (F&W) announced a proposed rule many in the conservation forefront have deemed as…
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Frazier’s latest novel is a marvelous read
 

Frazier’s latest novel is a marvelous read

... never acknowledging that the general culture is often stupid or evil and would vote out God in favor of…
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Small-town papers help knit communities together
 

Small-town papers help knit communities together

I’m dedicating my July 4 to the courageous journalists who were murdered last week at the Capital Gazette in Maryland.…
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Thoughts on water and traditions during the holiday
 

Thoughts on water and traditions during the holiday

Are you a lake person or a beach person? I always thought I was a beach person, but now I’m…
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Leaders need to act like adults
 

Leaders need to act like adults

To the Editor: Thank you so much for so eloquently stating your opinion in this article about “not much room…
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We are a nation in crisis
 

We are a nation in crisis

To the Editor: Children are being shipped around the nation with no records and officials are either lying about their whereabouts or…
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Troubling times for this country
 

Troubling times for this country

To the Editor: Troubling times? Very troubling times! Is America the beacon of liberty we claim to be? Is America…
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Performing arts center named in Belcher’s honor
 

Performing arts center named in Belcher’s honor

The academic unit that is home to Western Carolina University’s programs in music, stage, screen, art and design will be…
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Maggie Valley to join quilt trail
 

Maggie Valley to join quilt trail

Maggie Valley will be the next town to join the Appalachian Quilt Trail once a mural is completed inside local…
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The mural design was modeled on 1940s postcards from Sylva. Holly Kays photo
 

Sylva mural complete

A long-awaited mural is now complete in Sylva, marking the end of the Sylva Public Art Committee’s inaugural project. 
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Canton fifth is for the kiddies
 

Canton fifth is for the kiddies

The United States is and has been for some time embroiled in a great discussion about its role in the…
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Nearly 40 people turned up to Canton’s Town Board meeting June 28, many of whom were opposed to a proposed vehicle tax. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Vehicle tax hits roadblock in Canton

After two consecutive town board meetings during which Cantonians expressed strong opposition to a proposed vehicle registration tax, one thing…
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Candidates file for judicial races
 

Candidates file for judicial races

In addition to several referenda as well as federal, state and local legislative candidates that will appear on Haywood County’s…
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Sentence delivered in 2015 Smokemont murder
 

Sentence delivered in 2015 Smokemont murder

A Cherokee resident will spend four years in federal prison for his involvement in the 2015 stabbing death of 25-year-old…
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Haywood school board names principals
 

Haywood school board names principals

Several key staff positions within Haywood County’s high-performing public school system have been filled by some familiar faces, and there…
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Jay Coward addresses community members at the June 26 revival of the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance. Holly Kays photo
 

Sylva business community organizes against N.C. 107 plans

Dismay over preliminary road construction plans that would force 54 Sylva businesses to relocate has sparked a revival of the…
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Quilters celebrate 10 years of honoring veterans
 

Quilters celebrate 10 years of honoring veterans

Carlie Nichols has vivid memories of growing up during the Vietnam War — specifically she remembers how poorly Vietnam veterans were…
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A seat on Main Street: Waynesville approves sidewalk encroachments
 

A seat on Main Street: Waynesville approves sidewalk encroachments

A long-standing informal agreement between the Town of Waynesville and Main Street merchants has now been formalized, clarified and expanded…
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Waynesville budget gumbo could be hard to swallow
 

Waynesville budget gumbo could be hard to swallow

Property owners, single-family homebuilders and any Waynesville residents who own a car will see their cost of living increase over…
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U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, (from left) Swain County Commission Chairman Phil Carson, Rep. Mike Clampitt, Sen. Jim Davis, Rep. Kevin Corbin and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis pose for a $35.2 million check presentation to Swain County, closing out the North Shore Road settlement. Jessi Stone photo
 

Finally! Swain County receives North Shore settlement money

It’s a day many in Swain County didn’t think they’d ever live to see, but last Saturday county leaders were…
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Ricky Skaggs.
 

Music to my ears: A conversation with Ricky Skaggs

At 63, Ricky Skaggs has spent just about 58 of those years completely enamored and immersed in that singular “high,…
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The late Rob Hiassen, features writer/editor for the Capital Gazette.
 

This must be the place: Don’t shoot the messenger, literally

It’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a while now. When news broke last week of…
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Plein Air Festival wins award
 

Plein Air Festival wins award

Southeast Tourism Society has Cashiers Plein Air Festival one of the STS Top 20 Events in the Southeast for July…
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Bill Holbrook, a longtime farmer in Haywood County, reflects back over his years working the 175 acres in Bethel that make up Cold Mountain Farms. Now retired from farming, Holbrook was recently inducted into the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame.
 

From the ground up: Holbrook reflects on a lifetime of agriculture

Bill Holbrook has been a lot of things in his 71 years on earth — a factory worker, a manager, a…
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Volunteers help plant native trees and shrubs along the Pigeon River at BearWaters Brewing in Canton. Donated photo
 

BearWaters develops river access

The Pigeon River flows a little healthier thanks to several riverbank improvements made at BearWaters Brewing in Canton. 
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A view of Bryson City about 1920. WCU archive
 

A rich newspaper account of Bryson City circa 1910

Despite the boosterism (and alliteration) that permeated a front page layout (perhaps instigated by the ever-energetic Jack Coburn, who is…
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A visit to the library and some amazing finds
 

A visit to the library and some amazing finds

On my last visit to the public library, I picked up Kathryn Sermak’s Miss D & Me: Life With The…
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Jamie Kent.
 

All-American mutt — Jamie Kent

As the music capital of the world, the bright lights of Nashville have always been a tough place to make…
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Macon County.
 

This must be the place: The heart has its seasons, its evenings and songs of its own

“If you see all the people playing corn hole in the driveway you’re at the right place,” the familiar voice…
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There’s not much room left in the gutter
 

There’s not much room left in the gutter

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders got asked to leave a restaurant because the owner can’t stand her boss’…
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After the shock, and the pain, life goes on
 

After the shock, and the pain, life goes on

It has been about eight months since my stepfather died. My mother has been talking about getting her house in…
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We are fractured as a nation
 

We are fractured as a nation

To the Editor: All of us who rely upon the local news as a monitor on morality have heard and…
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Environmentalism needs a new leader
 

Environmentalism needs a new leader

To the Editor: One question that keeps going over and over in my mind is, will there be an environmental…
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Anti-Trump vitriol just too much
 

Anti-Trump vitriol just too much

To the Editor: Oh my goodness! What an amazing bunch of nonsense from anti-Trump letter writers in the June 20…
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Whitner named Alumni of the Year
 

Whitner named Alumni of the Year

Bryan Whitner, 1998 Haywood Community College criminal justice graduate, was named Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award recipient for 2018. 
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SCC student starts recovery podcast
 

SCC student starts recovery podcast

A student in the Substance Abuse Treatment program at Southwestern Community College, Stephen Steen recently paired his passion for helping…
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Royal Phillips (above, with author Ray Bradbury) engaged in a relationship with a Catholic priest. Donated photos
 

A life stranger than fiction: Local author releases novel of true-life confessions

As Royal Phillips packs up her belongings that signify the last 20 years she’s spent in Waynesville and prepares for…
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Mental health advocates from across the region gathered last week for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Caiyalynn Burrell Child Crisis Center, a new mental health facilities for youth in Asheville. Donated photo
 

New mental health crisis center to open in WNC

A new mental health facility in Asheville is set to open this summer to serve children and teens in Western…
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Philip Belcher, brother to the late Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher, prepares to read David Belcher’s last personal statement during a June 23 memorial service. WCU photo
 

WNC celebrates life of David Belcher

For the son of a small-town Baptist preacher who studied to become a classically trained pianist — only to find…
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Citizens took pens to maps June 21 at a public input session for Waynesville’s forthcoming comprehensive plan. Cory Vaillancourt photo
 

Waynesville workshop reveals vision, goals

Although the philosophical basis of the Waynesville comprehensive plan is rooted in academic concepts and professional standards related to long-term…
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Jackson committee to tackle affordable housing woes
 

Jackson committee to tackle affordable housing woes

A committee focused on increasing affordable housing options in Jackson County has been created following a unanimous vote of the…
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Meadows floats immigration fix
 

Meadows floats immigration fix

As House Republicans scramble to address the ongoing family separation issue on the nation’s southern border, several competing bills have…
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Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council Chairman Adam Wachacha speaks to the Cherokee Tri-Council in Tahlequah, Oklahomaon a resolution denouncing family separations. Donated photo
 

Cherokee tribes condemn family separations

The three Cherokee tribes joined voices last week to decry the recent surge of family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border. 
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Rate increase for Duke Energy customers denied
 

Rate increase for Duke Energy customers denied

When residents gave testimony back in January adamantly opposing Duke Energy Carolinas’ rate increase request to the North Carolina Utilities…
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Macon passes $51 million budget
 

Macon passes $51 million budget

Following plenty of public input, Macon County commissioners approved a final budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year that includes more…
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The Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center in Canton recently reopened after a $2 million renovation. A Shot Above photo
 

County could take over Canton sports complex

Taxpayers in the Town of Canton are about to again test political will, as the town has of late entered…
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Canton’s Colonial Theater (above) is in near-pristine condition but operates at a $110,000 yearly loss. File photo
 

Pay to play: recreation spending a burden for some small towns

Among the various spending categories in many municipal budgets — general government, public safety and the like — one can…
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TWSA Chair Tracy Rodes speaks during a June 19 work session to finalize the 2018-19 budget. Holly Kays photo
 

TWSA closes the lid on 2018-19 budget

Hookup fees are set to plummet for water and sewer customers in Jackson County following adoption of the Tuckaseigee Water…
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DA: Trooper not at fault in deadly crash
 

DA: Trooper not at fault in deadly crash

District Attorney Ashley Welch has completed the review of the SBI investigation into the events of July 25, 2017, involving…
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