N.C. 50th Senate
 

N.C. 50th Senate

The 50th Senate seat represents Jackson, Macon, Swain, Clay, Graham, and Cherokee counties, along with a portion of Haywood. Republican…
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Swain manager’s decision-making under fire as campaign heats up
 

Swain manager’s decision-making under fire as campaign heats up

In the lead-up to the primary elections on May 4, criticism of the current administration is stewing underground in Swain…
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Jackson EDC debate is over, again
 

Jackson EDC debate is over, again

Anyone who thought the discussion over the Jackson County Economic Development Commission’s missing audits was over when the board closed…
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Demand for referendums impractical, says county attorney
 

Demand for referendums impractical, says county attorney

Haywood County Attorney Chip Killian had his response ready for the citizen activists who have incessantly demanded referendums on a…
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Early voting off to slow start
 

Early voting off to slow start

Early voting began last Thursday, April 15, and runs through noon on Saturday, May 1. As of press time Tuesday,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
 

The Naturalist's Corner

Earth Day: hope vs. optimism Lordy, lordy look who’s 40 — Earth Day and the EPA. Officially created and established…
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Trout Festival comes to Maggie Valley
 

Trout Festival comes to Maggie Valley

From buttered trout fillets to a trout race, all things trout will be celebrated during the 21st annual Great Smoky…
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Meet the candidates
 

Meet the candidates

Three District Court judge seats are up for election in the seven western counties. The race for judge isn’t partisan,…
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Bring poetry to the people
 

Bring poetry to the people

“April is the cruelest of months, breeding/ lilacs out of the dead land” — so wrote T.S. Eliot in the…
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Politicking illegal at county meetings
 

Politicking illegal at county meetings

At the last Haywood commissioners meeting, a citizen asked Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick and Commissioner Bill Upton to answer a political…
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Veterans take to Cherokee waters for healing
 

Veterans take to Cherokee waters for healing

I don't do people, Bart Crowe said matter-of-factly. But there he was getting his fishing tackle together to hit the…
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Rafe Hollister coins unique and authentic genre of mountain rock
 

Rafe Hollister coins unique and authentic genre of mountain rock

Diehard fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” would know there’s more than meets the eye to Rafe Hollister. The coarse…
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Haywood Waterways’ new leader
 

Haywood Waterways’ new leader

After years of being the in-the-stream science guy behind Haywood Waterways Association, Eric Romaniszyn is taking the helm as the…
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Debate Web site new to WNC election scene
 

Debate Web site new to WNC election scene

Shane Burrell’s idea was simple: create a Web site where political candidates can talk to directly to voters about issues.…
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Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues
 

Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues

Six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for three seats on the Haywood County board of commissioners. Only three from…
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Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues
 

Haywood commissioner candidates tackle the county’s hot-button issues

Six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for three seats on the Haywood County board of commissioners. Only three from…
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Scant primary in Jackson commissioner race
 

Scant primary in Jackson commissioner race

While three of five seats are up for election on the Jackson County board of commissioners, there is primary competition…
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Swain commissioner candidates
 

Swain commissioner candidates

Democratic candidates, pick four Steve Moon, 59, owner of a tire shop, incumbent Moon is finishing up his first term…
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Fiscal responsibility resounding theme in Macon election
 

Fiscal responsibility resounding theme in Macon election

This year in Macon County, three seats on the board are up for election. Each commissioner represents a geographic district…
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Catching air on the Nantahala
 

Catching air on the Nantahala

Big names in paddling will dish up their best stunts and tricks in the NOC Freestyle Shootout kayak rodeo on…
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Haywood commissioner candidates
 

Haywood commissioner candidates

Democrat candidates, pick three Raymond L. Brooks, 59, owner of trucking company Brooks has worked with citizens for more than…
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Cherokee casino renovation halfway home
 

Cherokee casino renovation halfway home

Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians celebrated the topping off of their new 21-story hotel tower, the centerpiece…
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Oversight of mental health foundation called into question
 

Oversight of mental health foundation called into question

Western North Carolina’s mental health agency may be headed for a civil war with its partner foundation. Smoky Mountain Center,…
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Swain and Graham strike deal over ambulance service to motorcycle Mecca
 

Swain and Graham strike deal over ambulance service to motorcycle Mecca

Swain County is nearing the end of an ongoing saga with neighboring Graham County over who will provide emergency services…
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Will cell phones rule the World??
 

Will cell phones rule the World??

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist If Alexander Graham Bell were alive today he’d probably be carrying an iPhone. Based…
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Time to tackle immigration reform
 

Time to tackle immigration reform

Now that the health care debate is over, here’s what we have: a very middle-of-the-road health insurance reform package. Most…
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Swain candidates address task of pulling county out of the red
 

Swain candidates address task of pulling county out of the red

Nine Democrats and four Republicans have set their sights on four open commissioner seats in Swain County. A primary on…
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Dillsboro bats looking for new homes
 

Dillsboro bats looking for new homes

Throughout the years-long bickering over the future of the Dillsboro Dam, the little brown bats that spent the summer in…
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Deadly fungus could annihilate even the most common bats
 

Deadly fungus could annihilate even the most common bats

Nine bat species across the South are at risk from a deadly fungus decimating certain bat populations known as white-nose…
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A modern take on Chaucer’s classic
 

A modern take on Chaucer’s classic

eoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: a Retelling by Peter Ackroyd. Viking Press, 2009. 436 pages Being an old English teacher,…
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Live-Art fundraiser offers ‘Backstage Pass’ to creation
 

Live-Art fundraiser offers ‘Backstage Pass’ to creation

Looking for a high-energy spring art evening that’ll make your jaw drop, open your eyes and please your palate, give…
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Remembering when books were magic
 

Remembering when books were magic

We’re still at it—considering books and related matters like shelving strategies, bookplates, home libraries, favorite books, and “How do we…
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The Naturalist's Corner
 

The Naturalist's Corner

Spring in the watershed The Town of Waynesville’s annual spring pilgrimage to the Waynesville Watershed will be Saturday, April 24.…
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A tale of two sports at new Jonathan Creek Park
 

A tale of two sports at new Jonathan Creek Park

It’s not often that soccer players go head-to-head with softball and baseball athletes. But whenever Haywood County decides to build…
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A knack for helping others
 

A knack for helping others

With a long trail of accomplishments already behind him, Tony Giorgio is ready to work his magic on Western North…
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Friedman aims to take ‘green’ thinking to Raleigh
 

Friedman aims to take ‘green’ thinking to Raleigh

Avram Friedman is not your average North Carolina political candidate. Born in the Bronx, Friedman studied political science at Hunter…
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TWASA looks for long-term solution on orphan sewer lines
 

TWASA looks for long-term solution on orphan sewer lines

Last month, officials from the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority and the Town of Sylva clashed over who was responsible…
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The Naturalist's Corner
 

The Naturalist's Corner

Spring’s a buzzin’ Mom was a little concerned the other day as she helped Izzy find a butterfly net to…
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Smoky Mountain Center privatizes services
 

Smoky Mountain Center privatizes services

Smoky Mountain Center, the mental health management entity for Western North Carolina, has finally gotten itself out of the game…
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Jackson ridge law review off the table
 

Jackson ridge law review off the table

The Jackson County planning board is no longer contemplating revisions to the county’s ban on ridge top construction. The ridge…
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Marking Easter with a community of three
 

Marking Easter with a community of three

When I was young, Easter was a circumscribed affair. We woke up, hunted for painted eggs in the backyard, ate…
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Residents challenge price tag of new DSS building in Haywood
 

Residents challenge price tag of new DSS building in Haywood

A handful of Haywood County residents are demanding a vote by the people before county leaders proceed with purchasing the…
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New standards to shine light on WNC air quality
 

New standards to shine light on WNC air quality

New federal standards for ozone will be issued by year’s end, and the verdict will determine whether Western North Carolina…
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GOP contenders
 

GOP contenders

There are six Republicans vying for a shot to run against Congressman Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, this year. The six Republican…
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WNC Fly-Fishing trail adds trophy trout water in Cherokee
 

WNC Fly-Fishing trail adds trophy trout water in Cherokee

The Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail has added a new stop on the map for anglers — the Raven…
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Peregrine falcons take up new nesting spot on Whiteside Mountain
 

Peregrine falcons take up new nesting spot on Whiteside Mountain

A pair of endangered peregrine falcons has established a new nesting spot on Whiteside Mountain near Highlands, forcing a relocation…
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GOP hopes voter anger will help beat Shuler
 

GOP hopes voter anger will help beat Shuler

Republicans hope 2010 will be their year to reclaim the congressional seat representing Western North Carolina — a seat they…
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President Obama’s change brings debt and doubts
 

President Obama’s change brings debt and doubts

By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist Plunging public support for Obamacare accelerates presidential efforts to convince the nation that great…
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Malicious prosecution lawsuit dismissed
 

Malicious prosecution lawsuit dismissed

A malicious prosecution lawsuit by a woman accused of misappropriating flood relief donations was dismissed by a federal judge last…
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Design under way for old Wal-Mart renovations
 

Design under way for old Wal-Mart renovations

The deserted Wal-Mart near Clyde will be hardly recognizable once Haywood County is through with its makeover of the megastore.…
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