So many good things in one place
The socket wrench felt comfortable in my hands, which was a good thing: a quick look in a nearby box…
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Reminders of humanity after a grueling day
In today’s unpredictable, chaotic world, we’re in search of anything that offers hope for humanity.
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Warning on archives is just too much
To the Editor: One can find treasures in the most improbable places. For me, the Letters to the Editor captures…
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GOP actions weaken republic
To the Editor: Republicans keep claiming that Democrats are destroying the country. They use emotionally laden words like “socialism” and…
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Texas abortion law appears unconstitutional
To the Editor: The anti-abortion law enacted by Texas appears strong and worrisome. But, is it really strong? This major…
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Sewer flies, mice and mold; schools need help
By John deVille & Kenya Donaldson Complaints ranged from undrinkable water, termites and even sewer flies. There was extreme overcrowding near a…
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Blaming unvaccinated is somewhat misplaced
To the Editor: In the Sept. 1 opinion piece titled, “Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility,” Norman Hoffman states that the…
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Enough with the divisiveness
To the Editor: Before I ramble on with my allotted 400 words, entertain these two ideas that I believe we…
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Access to public Records within reach
By Sandy Hurley and Bill Moss Guest Columnists When the 2021 session of the General Assembly began, passage of legislation…
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A new day dawns for downtown Waynesville
It was tough to witness the demise of the Downtown Waynesville Association. The DWA has a long, proud history, one…
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Learning from the young to protect our planet
My 12-year-old son is extraordinarily inquisitive. Since he was a little boy, he’s inquired about everything from politics and finances…
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Truth matters, but some don’t see it
To the Editor: I fear for my country. The cause of my anxiety is the judgment that our nation has…
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Time to end the filibuster
To the Editor: In November 2020, millions of voters like me went to the polls and cast a ballot for…
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Politicians pandering to American paranoia
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist | Two heart-rending articles occupied the front page of the Florida newspaper that I…
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Vaccine mandates a good bellwether
To the Editor: Cops threatening to quit over vaccine mandates is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform police departments. Let them…
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Climate columnist cherry picked facts
To the Editor: After reading guest columnist Patrick Gleason’s column in the September 7 issue of The Smoky Mountain News,…
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Does Gleason think the earth is flat?
To the Editor: The SMN does not have any comics, but some of the letters to the editor are a…
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Democrats try to destroy America
To the Editor: Our forefathers proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence that we have certain inalienable rights, those being the…
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Gleason’s reality is a fantasy
To the Editor: In his editorial, Patrick Gleason claimed that Dr. Curry’s editorial on climate change was not based on…
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Is this really our democracy?
To the Editor: “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism” was a popular statement in George Bush’s presidency during protests…
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Reflections of a 9/11 mental health volunteer
By Scott Hinkle • Guest Columnist | Twenty years ago on September 14, I was one of only two passengers…
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Finding an antidote in baseball
Aside from the global darkness of a pandemic, political strife, natural disasters and the impending anniversary of 9/11, there is…
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The time to act on climate change is now
By Steve Wall • Guest Columnist | The place — Canton; the time — 7 a.m.; the date — September…
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Why WNC remains vulnerable to flooding
By Milton Ready • Guest Columnist | Psst! Have you heard that remnants of Tropical Storm Fred passed over Western…
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Climate alarmism is not based in reality
By Patrick Gleason • Guest Columnist | The alarmist rhetoric and proclamations found in Mary Jane Curry’s recent column published…
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Pay close attention to these names
To the Editor: Pay close attention to the following names: Darin Hoover, Rosario Pichardo, Nicole Gee, Hunter Lopez, Daegan Page,…
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SMN opinion pages are required reading
To the Editor: The opinion pages of the August 18 edition of your excellent paper should be required reading.
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Maskless, unvaccinated bear a responsibility
To the Editor: In the Aug. 11 edition, a letter from a Franklin man was posted in both print and…
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Cawthorn should think before he speaks
To the Editor: For many years I served as a Child Medical Examiner for Haywood County. I was also a…
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Devastation all around, but there is a light
The time stamp on the photo from my iPhone reads 7:29 a.m. It was Wednesday, Aug. 18, a mountain morning…
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It’s an important time to remain vigilant
By Mark Jaben • Guest Columnist | Two big things are happening in Haywood County this week. First, a tremendous…
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The social impact of personal decisions
To the Editor: Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve heard many rationalizations to justify the decision not to get…
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We should restrict lies, misinformation
To the Editor: Americans have created for themselves quite a quandary trying to interpret both the literal and the intended…
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Who has fallen prey to politics?
To the Editor: While I welcome the mandatory masking decision the Haywood County School Board made during its Aug. 21…
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There is no middle ground with Covid
With the Delta variant raging across the state and school systems in every direction hurriedly moving to mask mandates for…
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A new generation’s Saigon moment
By William Hite • Guest Columnist “You have all the watches, but we have all the time.” — Taliban adage It’s…
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Letter made curious, inaccurate claims
To the Editor: When I first read Jim Gaston's letter to The Smoky Mountain News claiming to champion independent thinking…
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The truth is not as simple as it seems
So here’s a reality of the explosion of information that we all live with today: it is now more difficult…
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When distractions — and watchful angels — soothe grief
They say the weeks leading up to the anniversary of a loved one’s death are harder than the day itself. …
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Don’t let states restrict voting
To the Editor: Most Americans would agree a free and fair election system is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Yet…
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Time to stop the Fear and repression
To the Editor: Today, the mask debate has become so ludicrous that many people still falsely think it’s “safety first” to wear…
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The ‘new normal’ just isn’t acceptable
“It’s the new normal.” It was the husband who had spoken. The couple we had encountered were lean, fit and…
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Sometimes the plan is to not have a plan
There is the dream my wife has every so often that haunts her. She’s on vacation and it’s the last…
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Cawthorn too inept to be in Congress
To the Editor: Every time Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks, I am reminded of the movie “Billy Madison” and the line:…
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Giveaways get votes
To the Editor: Lately we hear praise of Democrats and Joe Biden for spending trillions of dollars in aid to…
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