Tribal Council candidates speak: General Election is two weeks away
 

Tribal Council candidates speak: General Election is two weeks away

The 2017 General Election will choose the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ next slate of Tribal Council representatives following Election…
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CEO answers concerns about Mission/BCBS contract
 

CEO answers concerns about Mission/BCBS contract

Mission Health Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ron Paulus took to social media last week to answer questions from patients regarding…
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Mission rolls out transition plan for BCBS patients
 

Mission rolls out transition plan for BCBS patients

Mission Health’s contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will expire Oct. 5, leaving thousands of patients to find…
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Jackson debates health department construction
 

Jackson debates health department construction

When the Jackson County Commiss-ioners met to discuss construction needs in the health department Aug. 8, the goal for the…
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Transportation plan for Jackson nears completion
 

Transportation plan for Jackson nears completion

After more than two years of meetings and mapping and analysis, the comprehensive transportation plan intended to guide Jackson County…
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Teen walks out of Smokies after 11 days missing
 

Teen walks out of Smokies after 11 days missing

After 11 days missing in the remote backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Chilhowee Lake, 18-year-old Austin…
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DSO returns to WNC
 

DSO returns to WNC

In their 20 years together, the members of Dark Star Orchestra have equaled — if not surpassed — the number…
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Comin’ Home: Former Black Crowes start anew with Magpie Salute
 

Comin’ Home: Former Black Crowes start anew with Magpie Salute

With the demise of The Black Crowes in 2015, Rich Robinson was in search of new digs.
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Roller coaster in the sky: Solar eclipses inspire awe and enchantment for WCU professor
 

Roller coaster in the sky: Solar eclipses inspire awe and enchantment for WCU professor

Enrique Gomez was 16 years old the first time he experienced the shadow of the moon. Gomez, now an associate…
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Monarchs get a home at Shelton House
 

Monarchs get a home at Shelton House

The gardens at the Historic Shelton House in Waynesville are now attracting monarch butterflies, thanks to the efforts of the…
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Pisgah students go big at Resource Conservation Workshop
 

Pisgah students go big at Resource Conservation Workshop

Two Pisgah High School students will end their summer in possession of newfound natural resources-related knowledge following the Resource Conservation…
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WNC gets new Wildlife Commission members
 

WNC gets new Wildlife Commission members

Western North Carolina will have two representatives on the 19-member N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission following a round of appointments by…
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Sunday hunting laws loosen
 

Sunday hunting laws loosen

A new state law will expand hunters’ ability to pursue their sport on Sundays.
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New Smokies science program to target schools
 

New Smokies science program to target schools

A new science education program will soon launch in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park thanks to a $1 million…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Beach bump
 

The Naturalist's Corner: Beach bump

Friends and followers of “The Naturalist’s Corner” know I’m keeping a year-list of birds I see/hear this year. As I…
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Book delves into our lingering racial problems
 

Book delves into our lingering racial problems

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war…
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Mission is merely seeking its fair share
 

Mission is merely seeking its fair share

Responding to Jeanne Dupois Editorial: We read with great interest the editorial from Jeanne Dupois regarding the many challenges that…
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Honor the dead, not the cause
 

Honor the dead, not the cause

To the Editor: In a recent spate of Confederacy hype, much has been racist and much has been misleading. However,…
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Government prayer has limitations
 

Government prayer has limitations

To the Editor: I appreciate and agree with your well-expressed thoughts on government meetings and prayer. Thank you for taking…
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In the words of Belushi, ‘I hate Illinois Nazis’
 

In the words of Belushi, ‘I hate Illinois Nazis’

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”…
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Cutting the apron strings
 

Cutting the apron strings

I’m entering a new phase of motherhood. Since becoming a mom in 2009, one or both of my boys have…
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WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’
 

WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’

On Monday, Aug. 21, Western North Carolina residents and visitors will have the chance to see a rare total solar eclipse.…
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Public, private sectors tackle affordable housing crisis
 

Public, private sectors tackle affordable housing crisis

The Haywood County Affordable Housing Task Force has run its course, completing an assessment and presenting recommendations designed to ameliorate…
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HCC unveils new public training building
 

HCC unveils new public training building

A brand new Public Services Training Facility was unveiled Monday at Haywood Community College.
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SCC weather balloon team to launch on eclipse day
 

SCC weather balloon team to launch on eclipse day

On Aug. 21, the day of the Great American Eclipse, 50 high-altitude weather balloon teams from across the country will…
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Waynesville residents wary of annexation, zoning
 

Waynesville residents wary of annexation, zoning

Grandview Circle residents concerned about property values and crime turned up at the Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting to get…
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Sneed vetoes power bill assistance program
 

Sneed vetoes power bill assistance program

Principal Chief Richard Sneed has vetoed legislation that Tribal Council passed in July setting up a program to pay power…
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Despite district distractions, groups prepare for 2018
 

Despite district distractions, groups prepare for 2018

Although Haywood County’s municipal elections in Canton, Clyde and Maggie Valley will garner the most attention through November, state legislative…
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Tribal Council candidates speak
 

Tribal Council candidates speak

Election Day is drawing ever nearer for Cherokee Tribal Council, with all 12 seats up for election Thursday, Sept. 7.
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Bryson City board unsure about passing ‘brunch bill’
 

Bryson City board unsure about passing ‘brunch bill’

Bryson City Board of Aldermen has been discussing potential changes to alcohol regulations that could allow local businesses to sell…
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Ledbetter connector plan tossed; Funds will go to Monteith Gap Road instead
 

Ledbetter connector plan tossed; Funds will go to Monteith Gap Road instead

A plan to build a connector between Ledbetter Road and Monteith Gap Road in Cullowhee has been scrapped following the…
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Ridge top homes eliminated from Cullowhee development plan
 

Ridge top homes eliminated from Cullowhee development plan

The Jackson County Planning Board approved construction of the 38-home Solitude Development in Cullowhee in August 2016, but following concern…
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Haywood officials condemn Charlottesville violence
 

Haywood officials condemn Charlottesville violence

Elected officials from across Haywood County and from across party lines were quick to speak out in the wake of…
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Hundreds show to denounce Charlottesville violence
 

Hundreds show to denounce Charlottesville violence

About 200 people gathered in front of the Haywood County Historic Courthouse Monday evening to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville…
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WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’
 

WNC welcomes ‘The Great American Solar Eclipse’

At 2:35 p.m. on Aug. 21, Western North Carolina residents and visitors will have the chance to watch as the…
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What to do, where to go?
 

What to do, where to go?

WNC prepares to celebrate Solar Eclipse
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Prepare to shoot: Eclipse photography takes research, preparation
 

Prepare to shoot: Eclipse photography takes research, preparation

It’s safe to say that a good solar eclipse photo requires a bit more preparation than your average snapshot.
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Local governments plan for the worst, hope for the best
 

Local governments plan for the worst, hope for the best

There are still many unknowns as the historic Total Solar Eclipse approaches Aug. 21, but local governments are trying to…
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Behold the Seer: Chris Robinson Brotherhood roll on
 

Behold the Seer: Chris Robinson Brotherhood roll on

The CRB sports a curious and mischievous grin these days, whistling a tune near-and-dear to their hearts, all while slowing…
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Blue Cross rejects Mission's latest proposal
 

Blue Cross rejects Mission's latest proposal

More than a month has passed since Mission Health announced it would terminate its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield…
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Striking a balance between praying and politics
 

Striking a balance between praying and politics

Prayer as part of government meetings has a long — and often contentious — history in this country, and a…
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At what age does nostalgia set in?
 

At what age does nostalgia set in?

When I was just about the same age my son is now, my dad took me to Atlanta to see…
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Trump could learn from Boy Scouts
 

Trump could learn from Boy Scouts

To the Editor:     On July 4, the President of the United States addressed the quadrennial Jamboree of the…
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Cherokee had uses for many local plants
 

Cherokee had uses for many local plants

For the ancient Cherokees and other southeastern Indian tribes, the greatest causes of illness were the spirits of vengeful animals.…
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To try a tri: Race day is a whirlwind for  a first-time triathlete
 

To try a tri: Race day is a whirlwind for a first-time triathlete

As I stood freezing on the dock above 67.3-degree Lake Logan, the main thought running through my head was a…
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Emerald ash borer confirmed in Haywood County
 

Emerald ash borer confirmed in Haywood County

The emerald ash borer has been discovered in Haywood County, making it the 32nd confirmed county to which the invasive…
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The solar eclipse is coming
 

The solar eclipse is coming

News of the upcoming solar eclipse has been hard for Western North Carolinians to avoid this season, and the big…
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No way to stop the flow: A conversation with Tim O’Brien
 

No way to stop the flow: A conversation with Tim O’Brien

In the annals of bluegrass history, the chapter on multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien is not only long and bountiful, it’s also…
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This must be the place: ‘Catch my soul, catch the very light ... ’
 

This must be the place: ‘Catch my soul, catch the very light ... ’

It does mean something. Sitting in the darkness of the Grail Moviehouse last Thursday, this overwhelming feeling of deep sadness…
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