Sponsors, donations needed to provide Christmas for kids
 

Sponsors, donations needed to provide Christmas for kids

There are still plenty of children in need this Christmas in Swain County and your donation to the Swain County…
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Waynesville reservoir study could result in capacity increase
 

Waynesville reservoir study could result in capacity increase

Pristine and nearly untouched by the hands of humans, the Town of Waynesville’s watershed has been hailed as a visionary…
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Public not invited to Franklin hospital hearing
 

Public not invited to Franklin hospital hearing

Angel Medical Center held a public hearing Tuesday morning regarding a new potential location for the hospital on U.S. 441,…
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The Haywood shuffle: top county posts remain unfilled
 

The Haywood shuffle: top county posts remain unfilled

Employee turnover in local governments is nothing new, but Haywood County’s recent rash of retirements and resignations has resulted in…
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Raleigh hotelier purchases Balsam Mountain Inn
 

Raleigh hotelier purchases Balsam Mountain Inn

A Jackson County landmark has changed hands.
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This must be the place: ‘Life being what it is…’
 

This must be the place: ‘Life being what it is…’

Ten years ago this week I left my native Upstate New York for my first journalism gig out of college…
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Haywood sheriff investigating two deaths in Fines Creek
 

Haywood sheriff investigating two deaths in Fines Creek

Haywood County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate two deaths that occurred in the Fines Creek area.
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Haywood’s assistant county manager resigns
 

Haywood’s assistant county manager resigns

In a statement issued by Haywood County moments ago, the resignation of Assistant County Manager Talmadge “Stoney” Blevins was announced.…
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If you’re reading this, then we thank you
 

If you’re reading this, then we thank you

In this holiday season, I have much to be thankful for. At least that’s the way I see it, though…
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GOP’s tribal loyalty will be its downfall
 

GOP’s tribal loyalty will be its downfall

Many years from now, Americans are going to look back on the election of the 45th President Donald J. Trump…
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We must stop the coup
 

We must stop the coup

To the Editor: An American coup d’etat is in progress. There are no guns being fired, no booting out of…
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Is health care a right or commodity?
 

Is health care a right or commodity?

To the Editor: No one wants to talk about this question, least of all the folks who make our laws.…
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Tax cut is ill-conceived
 

Tax cut is ill-conceived

To the Editor: I’m confused! The stock market is at all-time high and unemployment is lower than we have seen…
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A stealth attack on the working class
 

A stealth attack on the working class

To the Editor: Unless Congress comes to its senses and rejects the misguided tax legislation currently being considered, working people…
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A German idealist sought refuge among the Cherokee
 

A German idealist sought refuge among the Cherokee

Christianus Gottlieb Priber was born in Zittau, Germany, where he was the son of a beerhouse owner. In October 1722,…
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A fire-forged laboratory: Scientists look to learn from 2016 wildfires
 

A fire-forged laboratory: Scientists look to learn from 2016 wildfires

When rain finally quelled the wildfires running rampant through the Southeastern U.S. last year, the public was breathing a collective…
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At home in the snow
 

At home in the snow

Muted under a blanket of fresh snow, the forests surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Western North Carolina stretch were quiet,…
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Parkway maintenance causes closures
 

Parkway maintenance causes closures

Boom axe operations along the Blue Ridge Parkway will result in closures at various locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway…
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Buncombe makes clean energy pledge
 

Buncombe makes clean energy pledge

Buncombe County Commissioners voted to commit to complete transition to clean and renewable energy during a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5.
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Rim Trail reopened following purchase
 

Rim Trail reopened following purchase

A portion of the Rim Trail near Hayesville that’s been closed since 2010 has now reopened to the public.
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New species found in Tennessee
 

New species found in Tennessee

A new fish species has been discovered in the South, with Tennessee Valley Authority biologists identifying the logperch, or Percina…
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Endangered fish found in new territory
 

Endangered fish found in new territory

A routine day of fish population monitoring turned exciting when Mainspring Conservation Trust biologists found a federally threatened fish in…
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New district ranger hired for Appalachian District
 

New district ranger hired for Appalachian District

The Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest has a new district ranger following the hire of Richard Thornburgh,…
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Latest GSMA musical release earns Grammy nod
 

Latest GSMA musical release earns Grammy nod

The Great Smoky Mountains Association’s newest musical release, “Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition,” earned a Grammy nomination recently…
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This must be the place: ‘I have been all over but I can’t help feeling stuck…’
 

This must be the place: ‘I have been all over but I can’t help feeling stuck…’

The crunching kept catching my attention. After finding a scarce parking space, it was a short, careful stroll from the…
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Debut novel from SMN writer
 

Debut novel from SMN writer

Smoky Mountain News writer Holly Kays has introduced her new novel, Shadows of Flowers.
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Forget the frenzy, settle in with a book
 

Forget the frenzy, settle in with a book

For many of us, Christmas preparations require the endurance of a marathoner and the speed of a lab rat on…
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Macon League of Women Voters disbands: Members reflect on 27 years of work toward a well-informed community
 

Macon League of Women Voters disbands: Members reflect on 27 years of work toward a well-informed community

An aging membership, the inability to recruit younger members, a lack of civic engagement and a shift away from nonpartisanship…
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Asheville LWV chapter picking up steam
 

Asheville LWV chapter picking up steam

While the Macon County League of Women Voters had to disband this year due to low membership and community involvement,…
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Spread of opioids puts strain on sheriff resources
 

Spread of opioids puts strain on sheriff resources

On any given day, the Haywood County Detention Center is full of people suffering from substance abuse and/or mental illness…
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Sheriff receives grant to hire four new deputies
 

Sheriff receives grant to hire four new deputies

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $480,963 grant that will allow the department to hire four full-time…
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Canton Confederate Christmas controversy quashed
 

Canton Confederate Christmas controversy quashed

When Canton Alderman Dr. Ralph Hamlett recently proposed a parade entry policy that would limit inappropriate speech during the town’s…
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Pride of a nation: Cherokee wins first-ever state football championship
 

Pride of a nation: Cherokee wins first-ever state football championship

Pride-filled pandemonium reigned in Cherokee Saturday night, Dec. 8, as the victorious Cherokee Braves football team returned to town. Police…
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Mission back in network for BCBS policyholders
 

Mission back in network for BCBS policyholders

After a months’ long battle, Mission Health hospitals and its affiliates will be back in Blue Cross Blue Shield’s network…
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Franklin council, mayor sworn into office
 

Franklin council, mayor sworn into office

Franklin’s new and returning councilmembers were recently sworn into office and immediately started conducting business during the December regular meeting.
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Brunch Bill one step closer to reality in Maggie Valley
 

Brunch Bill one step closer to reality in Maggie Valley

As the town’s former police chief and also as a woman of faith, Maggie Valley Mayor Saralyn Price said last…
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Freshman retention dips at WCU
 

Freshman retention dips at WCU

After years of steady upward progress, the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate at Western Carolina University dipped slightly for students who enrolled…
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Admissions interest rises at Western
 

Admissions interest rises at Western

When Chancellor David Belcher asked Sam Miller, Western Carolina University’s vice chancellor for students success, to tell the Board of…
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Haywood School Board to fill vacancy
 

Haywood School Board to fill vacancy

After submitting applications, one of three men will be selected to fill a vacancy on the Haywood County School board…
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New home for Nudge City?
 

New home for Nudge City?

The Town of Waynesville solved one problem Nov. 28 by deciding where, exactly, video gaming parlors may in the future…
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Tribal Council removes alcohol commissioner
 

Tribal Council removes alcohol commissioner

In a split decision, the Cherokee Tribal Council voted Dec. 7 to remove a member of the Tribal Alcoholic Beverage…
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Embracing the season: Cross-state trek presents challenge and reward for Asheville hiking legend
 

Embracing the season: Cross-state trek presents challenge and reward for Asheville hiking legend

At 34, Jennifer Pharr Davis has conquered her fair share of long-distance hikes, and then some. Her 2011 hike of…
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Disc golf tournament raises money for nonprofits
 

Disc golf tournament raises money for nonprofits

A recent disc golf tournament in Waynesville earned nearly $2,000 to support Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood County Special Olympics.
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Land protected at Highlands of Roan
 

Land protected at Highlands of Roan

Land conservation in the Highlands of Roan area got a boost with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s purchase of 142…
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New trail opens in Murphy
 

New trail opens in Murphy

The first phase in construction of a new trail system is now complete with the opening of the Piney Knob…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A long time coming
 

The Naturalist's Corner: A long time coming

Some time around mid-September I added tic number 207 to my 2017 bird list. It was a merlin I saw…
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Send lawyers and rubles
 

Send lawyers and rubles

To the Editor: Special counsel Robert Mueller has uncovered more Russian characters mingling with Trump campaign officials than are found…
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Sexual violence and the workplace
 

Sexual violence and the workplace

By Buffy Queen • Guest Columnist “Sexual violence is a societal issue that requires systemic change. Sexual violence does not occur…
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Holiday traditions are worth their weight in gold
 

Holiday traditions are worth their weight in gold

Growing up in Weaverville and living in Waynesville, I’m very comfortable with small town Christmases. I wouldn’t know how to…
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