(194)
The Smoky Mountain News distributes 16,000 papers per week, comes out every Wednesday, and is distributed free at more than 600 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, and on the Cherokee Reservation. There are also stops in downtown Asheville. Smoky Mountain News has offices in both Waynesville and Sylva.
Have you checked to see if you qualify for a scholarship?
Attention seniors! Haywood County Schools Foundation scholarships are now open! Last year, we gave away more than $200,000 in scholarships to Haywood County Schools students. Download an application here or pick one up at your school's guidance center. Deadline is Friday, March 13.
http://www.hcsf.haywood.k12.nc.us/scholarships/
An eight-week training course for anyone interested in operating an agriculture-based business will kick off Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.
An eight-week training course for anyone interested in operating an agriculture-based business will kick off Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. About to enter its sixth year, the Appalachian Farm School is a pioneering program aiming to teach participants the busines...
It’s often been said that there’s wisdom to be found in the rhythms of nature, and that’s certainly true. But there’s also wisdom — and humor as well — in the words of those who spend their time outdoors, soaking those rhythms into their souls. Some of their words are featured here among The Smoky Mountain News’ favorite quotes from 2019’s outdoors section.
It’s often been said that there’s wisdom to be found in the rhythms of nature, and that’s certainly true. But there’s also wisdom — and humor as well — in the words of those who spend their time outdoors, soaking those rhythms into their souls. Some of their words are featured here ...
Good morning!
Today’s hike -Mt Leconte for sunrise. 4"snow, 8° and 30 mph wind gust.
photo Up N' Adam Adventures
Book review from Jeff Minick
“It was crazy. The surgeon told me the tumor was the size of a pear, which is scary but also confusing. I was like, ‘Did he go to med school or farmer’s market?’” That’s part of comedian Jim Gaffigan’s bit on YouTube about his wife Jeannie’s brain tumor. When Life Gives You Pea...
Letter to the Editor from Mary Curry of Cullowhee
To the Editor: Mr. Waldrop, as always, nails the truth to the sticking-place in his last letter to The Smoky Mountain News. Fellow citizens, are you not beyond sick of having your mind constantly invaded by President Trump’s hate-filled, childish insults even to his own appointees? By his obs...
This week's column from Susanna Shetley
When I was a little girl, my dad would make huge snack trays on New Year’s Eve and pour sparkling grape juice in crystal flutes for my sister and me. He and my mom had their own flutes brimming with champagne. Once we watched Dick Clark count down in Times Square, we’d clink glasses, spin noisem...
This week's column from A&E Editor Garret K. Woodward
It was around midnight when I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. With Maryland now in the rearview mirror, I pushed into rural depths of south central Pennsylvania. It was Christmas Eve and the temperatures had dropped to around freezing, a far cry from the sunshine felt earlier that day in Western North...
Cartoon, Jan. 1, 2020
At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the edito...
This week's opinion from SMN Publisher Scott Mcleod
I just turned the big 6-0. Sixty. What the hell? I’ve been reading essays on reaching this point in life, and I don’t seem to be taking this as philosophically as some. Unlike others, I don’t think I’ll be posting up on a barstool or relaxing in an easy chair and waxing poetic regarding the ...
Nantahala Volunteer Fire & Rescue
The Nantahala Gorge will be closed until slide is cleared. We will post when it is opened. Slide is near Ferebee Park.
A strenuous 4.7-mile hike on the Vineyard Gap Trail in the Turkey Pen area of the Pisgah National Forest will embark on Sunday, Jan. 5, led by the Carolina Mountain Club.
A strenuous 4.7-mile hike on the Vineyard Gap Trail in the Turkey Pen area of the Pisgah National Forest will embark on Sunday, Jan. 5, led by the Carolina Mountain Club. This scenic trail is located in the warmer Turkey Pen area with no water crossings. There is a one-third-mile steep part ne...
This week's Hot Picks from A&E Editor Garret K. Woodward
1 Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Joey Fortner (Americana/folk) at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3.
2 The Haywood County Arts Council annual show, “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be held through Jan. 4 in HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.
3 There will be a special “Pottery & Pints” class held by Viva Arts Studios from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Innovation Station in Dillsboro.
4 The Franklin Open Forum will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin.
5 Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host A. Lee Edwards (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4.
Last chance to see this local exhibit!
The Haywood County Arts Council annual show, “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be held through Jan. 4 in HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. The 2019 exhibit will feature 60 artists and almost 240 individual works of art for sale. The show provides a unique opportunity for budding artists ...
Popular Haywood County singer-songwriter Joey Fortner will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Andrews Brewing in Andrews.
Popular Haywood County singer-songwriter Joey Fortner will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Andrews Brewing in Andrews. Formerly of Soldier’s Heart and Through the Hills, singer/guitarist Joey Fortner is striking it out on his own with this rollicking new formation, one of rock melodies ...
Final reminder:
The cut off time and date to apply for the vacant two (2) year Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen seat is due to the Town Clerk (Vickie Best) no later than Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 by 5 p.m.
Click on the link below for the application for appointment.
https://maggievalleync.gov/town-news/application-for-appointment-to-the-board-of-aldermen/
Town of Maggie Valley - Where the Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Below are some key releases that have serendipitously found their way into my life — artists and melodies that illuminate truth and compassion within. Hopefully, the perceptive lyrics and mesmerizing tones of these albums will do the same for you. - Garret K. Woodward, A&E Editor
Picking your favorite albums of any given year is a wholeheartedly subjective endeavor. You’re drawn to what immediately captures your attention — whatever that song, record or genre may be. And, to that point, you find yourself sharing your musical discoveries with anyone who will listen ...
Unfortunately, there still seems to be some lingering confusion over what is fake news (the stories below) and what is not fake news (things you don’t agree with).
So take these stories with a grain of salt, but do take them as examples of what happens when The Smoky Mountain News decides to actually print “fake news,” and remember, if you read something in our paper at any other time of the year, it’s not fake news (even that one about the meth bear).
By Cory Vaillancourt • Fake News Editor | It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, it’s time for our annual installment of the Fake News Freakout, in which we take stories that sprout from a small grain of truth, harvest them, and then process them into a multi-layered cake of...
As we count down the last days of 2019, the year just wouldn’t be complete without The Smoky Mountain News’s annual spoof awards and Fake News Freakout. After such a busy year of covering the most important news in Western North Carolina, we enjoy taking a lighthearted look back — finding the humor and ridiculousness in the headlines and honoring those who have made their mark. So take a break, share a few laughs and get ready to wipe the slate clean in 2020. Congratulations to our winners and if you didn’t get an award don’t worry, there’s always next year.
As we ring in the New Year, The Smoky Mountain News likes to look back and reflect on the last year of news. The headlines that have graced our pages in 2019 have had an important impact on the people of Western North Carolina, and our staff has taken its job of reporting and analyzing those i...
The stars were quite amazing on New Year's night!
In the new year you should reach for the stars!
Frying Pan Tower - Photo by Chris Stinson
Sylva was named the nation’s slowest city for internet in a recent report from internet service comparison website www.highspeedinternet.com, and that struggle continues to be a frequent topic of conversation in town and county meetings.
Sylva was named the nation’s slowest city for internet in a recent report from internet service comparison website www.highspeedinternet.com, and that struggle continues to be a frequent topic of conversation in town and county meetings. One such discussion occurred during a county commissio...
Constance Owl’s master’s degree thesis is more than a means to a graduate degree in American history. It’s a portal to understanding, and perhaps saving, a disappearing language.
Constance Owl’s master’s degree thesis is more than a means to a graduate degree in American history. It’s a portal to understanding, and perhaps saving, a disappearing language. Owl, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who grew up in Cherokee County, is a second-year graduate stu...
A 51-acre conservation purchase in the Highlands of Roan will protect a prominent ridge near the Appalachian Trail.
A 51-acre conservation purchase in the Highlands of Roan will protect a prominent ridge near the Appalachian Trail. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy bought the Haw Orchard Ridge property, which adjoins the Pisgah National Forest just south of Roan High Knob, and will manage it as...
After vetting a large number of funding proposals, the foundation has awarded almost $1.5 million to local nonprofits and other organizations addressing the root causes of the community’s most pressing health concerns, including access to healthcare, education, transportation, poverty or quality of housing.
The Nantahala Health Foundation has announced its initial grants awarded to local organizations in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, and the Qualla Boundary. As a newly formed nonprofit, NHF focused its 2019 efforts on strategic planning and information gathering befor...
Commissioner Mickey Luker has not attended a commissioners meeting in person since Aug. 20, and while he has often been counted present via speakerphone, he has not phoned in at all in the past month.
The Jackson County Commissioners traveled to Cashiers for their Dec. 12 meeting, but Commissioner Mickey Luker — who was elected to represent the Cashiers area — did not attend. “When I saw Mickey’s name, I thought, ‘Oh goodness, Mickey’s going to be with us,’” Ralph Slaughter,...
The National Park Service is embarking on a system-wide effort to crack down on invasive animal species following the conclusion of a three-year research endeavor conducted by a panel of experts in fields ranging from park management to emerging technology.
The National Park Service is embarking on a system-wide effort to crack down on invasive animal species following the conclusion of a three-year research endeavor conducted by a panel of experts in fields ranging from park management to emerging technology. The Park Service reached out to memb...
The Naturalist's Corner with Don Hendershot
The official time of the 2019 winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is 11:19 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, Dec. 21. That is the time the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer and is directly overhead. That will be the shortest day and longest night of the year. For thousands of years civil...
Letter to the Editor from Nancy Kay of Sebastapol, California
To the Editor: Thank you for reporting on the recent animal cruelty case in Haywood County. The suffering of so many animals is truly horrific. Perhaps the silver lining that can come from this terrible tragedy is recognizing and then fixing the corruption that exists within the Haywood County syste...
This week's column from Chris Cox
The hardest thing to get used to is the stillness. The quiet. The absolute absence of any movement at all. Day after day, everything is just as it was the day before. His old Ford pickup is backed up to the garage, with the headlights pointing straight at our deck like a pair of eyes keeping watch.....
This week's column from A&E Editor Garret K. Woodward
Give or take, it’s about 1,010 miles from Waynesville, North Carolina (my current home) to Plattsburgh, New York (my hometown). I know this fact seeing as about twice a year I roar up and down the interstates of the Eastern Seaboard either heading home for the holidays or back to Southern Appalach...
Letter to the Editor from Brittney Lofthouse
To the Editor: Five years ago, shortly after partnering with the Sheriff’s Office to begin a Safe Kids coalition in Macon County, I went through a 5-day course to become a certified car seat technician. During the rigorous five-day course, taught by experts who traveled here from Raleigh, I learne...
Guest column from Mark Jamison of Jackson County
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist | In Democracy’s Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy, the political philosopher Michael Sandel discusses the tension between concepts of citizenship as a participatory responsibility and concepts of government as merely a transactional entity, a...
Zumba to benefit Sarge's
A Zumba fundraiser will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 28 in the Haywood County Animal Shelter’s Education Room.
Taught by certified instructors Monica Marija Green and Abigail Leatherwood Newton, proceeds from this event will go to Sarge’s Medical Fund to help animals. A donation of $10 is suggested to be given on-site. RSVP at www.sargeanimals.org.
Sarge’s original mission is to save animals from euthanasia in the Haywood County Animal Shelter, because when we started, more than 50 animals per week were being put down because of lack of space.
This week's Hot Picks from A&E Editor Garret K. Woodward
1 There will be a special performance by Darren Nicholson and friends, titled “Uptown Downhome,” at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
2 The “Polar Express” will depart on select times through Dec. 31 from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City.
3 Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host “The Great Gatsby” New Year’s Eve Party at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31.
4 The Swain County Genealogical & Historical Society will present “Remembering Hol Rose and Babe Burnett,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson City.
5 Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host Joey Fortner (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3.
144 Montgomery St
Waynesville, NC
28786
Publisher - Scott McLeod [email protected] Advertising Manager - Greg Boothroyd [email protected] News Editor - Jessi Stone [email protected] Reporter - Cory Vaillancourt [email protected] Reporter - Holly Kays [email protected] Reporter - Garret Woodward [email protected] Advertising Sales Rep - Hylah Birenbaum Haywood, Buncombe and Smoky Mountain Living Ad Manager [email protected] Advertising Sales Rep - Amanda Bradley Jackson, Macon, Swain and Cherokee [email protected] Advertising Sales Rep - Susanna Barbee Haywood [email protected] Classified Sales Rep - Scott Collier [email protected] Designer - Micah McClure [email protected] Designer - Travis Bumgardner [email protected] Designer - Jessica Murray [email protected] Office Manager - Amanda Singletary [email protected]
| Monday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Smoky Mountain News posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Smoky Mountain News:
The Cherokee High School Choir performs “Amazing Grace” during this morning’s inauguration ceremony for officials elected in the September General Election. For more inauguration coverage, pick up the Oct. 9 issue of The Smoky Mountain News.
Another gorgeous sunset over Waterrock Knob Friday, Oct. 4
Revolutionary War monument being installed at the Haywood County Courthouse.
Haywood County Special Olympics now underway!
Riley Howell's funeral will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Stuart Auditorium - Lake Junaluska will provide a livestream video of the service. Check back Sunday at 5 p.m. for a link to the live feed or visit Lake Junaluska's page directly.
Riley Howell procession back to his hometown from UNC Charlotte .
A NCDOT contractor has already started removing debris from the area of Friday night's rock slide on I-40 near the Tennessee state line. The Pigeon River Gorge will be closed about one week. Many roadways in the mountains are closed due to flooding. Visit DriveNC.gov for the latest travel conditions. Video courtesy of A Shot Above - Aerial Photography/Videography of Western North Carolina
The rain may be over, but Jonathan Creek is still flowing swiftly at Maggie Valley’s Parham Park.
This drone footage from A Shot Above - Aerial Photography/Videography of Western North Carolina shows the area the town of Waynesville has designated as a redevelopment area in hopes of securing tax credits that would allow the old hospital to be renovated into affordable housing units. Read more at https://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/26251-waynesville-steps-up-to-address-affordable-housing-crisis
The Pigeon River at Waterville in Haywood County was running high and fast on Saturday. Holly Kays video.
The dam at Lake Junaluska.
Richland Creek in Frog Level.
Flooding in Clyde.
Live from the Waynesville Apple Harvest Festival
Western Carolina University's "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band band is a big draw for prospective freshmen, with more than 10 percent of that class joining the band each year. Pick up next week's issue of SMN to find out why, and in the meantime enjoy this video from band practice Oct. 5.
This cascade is one of many beautiful places on the 912-acre property in Jackson County that The Conservation Fund and Mainspring Conservation Trust are working to conserve, but a state-level dispute is causing a delay in grant award decisions vital to the project. Pick up The Smoky Mountain News tomorrow to learn more.
Standing on a 5,462-foot peak in Jackson County, you can see Bryson City, Cherokee, Waterrock Knob and Sylva, as well as mountain waves far beyond those towns. If requested grant funding from The Clean Water Management Trust Fund comes through, the 441-acre property and likely the 471-acre tract adjoining it will be conserved. Pick up SMN on Wednesday to learn more.
Flooding near Charlie’s Corner in Hazelwood.
Flooding during the storm at Charlie’s Corner in Frog Level.
Cherokee storyteller Kathi Littlejohn is on a mission to record the places and stories important to Cherokee history through a series of videos she's creating through a grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Read more next week in the Aug. 22 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, and in the meantime watch Littlejohn tell the story behind Soco Gap, today located along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Her completed videos are on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhmpuYfZ8pw9NWXINQATTQ.
Smoky Mountain News is at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company tonight watching an amazing performance from Thailand. 🇹🇭 Folkmoot USA The "Official" North Carolina International Folk Festival
A pair of elk out for a Tuesday evening stroll in Maggie Valley. Probably getting ready to head over to Folkmoot.
After a long journey away from his herd in Maggie Valley, this young male elk was spotted browsing backyards in Henderson County earlier this summer, but he met his match when a vehicle hit him when he wandered onto I-26 July 1. Pick up the July 11 issue of The Smoky Mountain News to learn more. Video courtesy of Bradley Jones.
One and a half years after wildfire swept through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the effects are still visible along various trails near Gatlinburg, as shown in this video taken on Rainbow Falls Trail. Pick up the May 23 issue of The Smoky Mountain News to learn more.
After two trips up the steep trail to Rainbow Falls, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's mule team descends the trail for a well-earned rest. Pick up the May 16 issue of SMN to learn more.
Ever wondered how huge logs and other building materials make it miles up the trail in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Pick up the May 16 issue of The Smoky Mountain News to get the inside scoop on the park's mule packing program.
Appalachian dinner at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company featuring Ol’ Dirty Bathtub to raise funds for Folkmoot USA The "Official" North Carolina International Folk Festival
Be sure to pick up tomorrow's paper for a story about an alternative view of kudzu, "the vine that are the South." Here kudzu enthusiast Zev Friedman smashes up freshly harvested kudzu for processing.
Did you know that the much-hated kudzu plant actually has many culinary and medicinal uses? Here Kudzu Camp organizers Justin Holt and Zev Friedman are using it as a thickener for sumac honey tea. Learn more in the March 28 issue of SMN.
Richland Creek is looking more like a river after all this rain!
Richland Creek in Waynesville flows between snow-covered banks for a few more hours Jan. 18 before warmer temperatures melt the white stuff away. Video by Holly Kays
The first falls on the Cullowhee Falls Trail is pure ice right now! Holly Kays video.
These weeks of extra-wintery weather have gone a long way toward freezing up Cullowhee Falls below Lake Glenville! It's a chilly hike but definitely worth the experience. Holly Kays video
A quick video of a frozen Lake Logan this afternoon. Footage by Liam McLeod.
Icy Tuckasegee River in Bryson City this morning!
The view from Thunder Struck Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway was nothing short of amazing this morning! Though, as evidenced by the whining in the latter part of the video, a certain dog was eager to stop looking and continue adventuring. Video by Holly Kays.
Have you been to Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville? The display is open nightly through Dec. 31!
Swain County commissioners held a dedication ceremony to rename the Old NC 288 Park after David Monteith. Monteith passed away this March and served as a commissioner for over 20 years. He was a adamant activist for the needs of his community. The park project was something he was very proud of.
A great time was had at Folkmoot USA The "Official" North Carolina International Folk Festival Scottish Dinner event last night. Great food from Absolutely Yummy Catering and Scottish music and dance!
If you heard seven loud cannons going off in Bryson City don't be alarmed - it was just the dedication ceremony for the Swain County Charters of Freedom. Now you can view a replica of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights outside the County Administration building.
Smoky Mountain Living Magazine
144 Montgomery StBlue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine
144 Montgomery StImmaculate Assumptions, Publishers
132 B Teague Loop