Smoky Mountain News

Smoky Mountain News Free independent news in WNC covering The Qualla Boundary; Haywood, Jackson, Macon & Swain counties
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With offices in Waynesville and Sylva, the Smoky Mountain News distributes 16,000 papers each and every Wednesday, free at more than 600 locations in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, on the Qualla Boundary and in downtown Asheville. Learn more at www.smokymountiannews.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SmokyMtnNews.

In the book Don Miguel Ruiz, a nagual (a spirit guide or wisdom keeper) from the Eagle Knight lineage of the Toltec, has...
11/16/2025

In the book Don Miguel Ruiz, a nagual (a spirit guide or wisdom keeper) from the Eagle Knight lineage of the Toltec, has been guided to share with us the powerful teachings of the Toltec.

Recently, I was gifted the use of a book to read on Native American wisdom by my Sylva dentist Dr. David McGuire. Thousands of years ago, the Toltec were known throughout southern Mexico as “women and men of knowledge” and who formed a society to explore and conserve the spiritual knowledge and ...

COLUMN: "Creating and cooking a homemade meal for people I care about is one of my favorite things to do. As all moms kn...
11/16/2025

COLUMN: "Creating and cooking a homemade meal for people I care about is one of my favorite things to do. As all moms know, it’s challenging to come up with a weekly meal plan, but I’m always honored and grateful to do it, and when we all sit down at the table to eat, it’s well-worth the effort."

About a month ago, my neighbor sent a text asking if I wanted some of her fresh basil which was growing in abundance. Together, we clipped a bagful of the herb, then she loaned me her “Moosewood Cookbook” so I could use the basil to follow the book’s pesto recipe. That afternoon, I made the mo...

“Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.”
11/15/2025

“Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.”

By the time this newspaper hits the streets on Nov. 12, it will have been 70 years to the day since Marty McFly was accidentally sent back to the future (1955) in a time machine created by Doctor Emmitt Brown in Hill Valley, California. The film was “Back to the Future,” which just celebrated it...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: "The decision facing Jackson County’s leaders is more than an administrative matter. It is a test ...
11/15/2025

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: "The decision facing Jackson County’s leaders is more than an administrative matter. It is a test of values. Will our commissioners uphold the long tradition of education, cooperation and integrity that has defined our community, or will they yield to a small, insistent minority determined to restrict access to educational information under the false banner of protecting children?"

To the Editor: The decision facing Jackson County’s leaders is more than an administrative matter. It is a test of values. Will our commissioners uphold the long tradition of education, cooperation and integrity that has defined our community, or will they yield to a small, insistent minority dete...

Kathryn Kirkpatrick and Annie Woodford will share poems from their latest collections, "Creature" and "Peasant," at 3 p....
11/14/2025

Kathryn Kirkpatrick and Annie Woodford will share poems from their latest collections, "Creature" and "Peasant," at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Kirkpatrick, a poet and literary scholar at Appalachian State University, is the author of eight poetry collections. Her forthcoming book, "Enraptured Space: Gender, Class, and Ecology in the Work of Paula Meehan" explores her decades-long engagement with the Dublin poet’s work.

Kathryn Kirkpatrick and Annie Woodford will share poems from their latest collections, "Creature" and "Peasant," at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 

Popular regional Americana/roots act Chatham Rabbits will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the Cowee School Arts & ...
11/14/2025

Popular regional Americana/roots act Chatham Rabbits will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.

The duo has released four albums: “All I Want from You” (2019), “The Yoke is Easy, The Burden is Full” (2020), “If You See Me Riding By” (2022) that nod to the old-time roots of their college string band pastime, with their new release “Be Real with Me” (2025) showing how much they’ve grown sonically.

Popular regional Americana/roots act Chatham Rabbits will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.  The duo has released four albums: “All I Want from You” (2019), “The Yoke is Easy, The Burden is Full” (2020), “If You See Me Ridin...

Florida-based indie/soul singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 6 p.m. tonight at Mountain Layers Brewing Company...
11/14/2025

Florida-based indie/soul singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 6 p.m. tonight at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.

Hailing from Elkins, West Virginia, Meade is a self-taught late bloomer who borrowed an old guitar from his father.

Florida-based indie/soul singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City. Hailing from Elkins, West Virginia, Meade is a self-taught late bloomer who borrowed an old guitar from his father. He began playing and writing songs in....

A special production of “Beetlejuice Jr.’ will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-15, 21-22 and 2 p.m. Nov. 16 and 23 at...
11/13/2025

A special production of “Beetlejuice Jr.’ will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-15, 21-22 and 2 p.m. Nov. 16 and 23 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

In this production, a strange and unusual teen befriends a mischievous ghost in this hilarious and haunting 90-minute version of the hit Broadway musical based on the Tim Burton film.

A special production of “Beetlejuice Jr.’ will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-15, 21-22 and 2 p.m. Nov. 16 and 23 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.  In this production, a strange and unusual teen befriends a mischievous ghost in this hilarious and haunting 90-minute v...

Root & Rise, a new community co-working space in the heart of downtown Waynesville, will host a grand opening on Friday,...
11/13/2025

Root & Rise, a new community co-working space in the heart of downtown Waynesville, will host a grand opening on Friday, Nov. 14 from noon until 8 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. Tour the space, meet the co-founders and learn more about membership options.

Waynesville’s newest co-working space is not a corner suite or a cubicle farm — Root & Rise, located on South Main Street, is designed to be welcoming, affordable and collaborative, with a purpose that extends beyond laptops and lattes.  “Having a space where people could build commun...

Featuring world-class culinary treats and marquee musical acts, the annual Highlands Food & Wine Festival will be held t...
11/13/2025

Featuring world-class culinary treats and marquee musical acts, the annual Highlands Food & Wine Festival will be held today through Nov. 16 at various venues within the community.

Featuring world-class culinary treats and marquee musical acts, the annual Highlands Food & Wine Festival will be held Nov. 13-16 at various venues within the community. • Thursday, Nov. 13: “Grand Tasting” with The Psycodelics at The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts (7-10 p.m.)• Fr...

“I have an opinion, just like everybody else, and you’re entitled to your opinion,” Kirkland said. “But at the end of th...
11/12/2025

“I have an opinion, just like everybody else, and you’re entitled to your opinion,” Kirkland said. “But at the end of the day, I’m willing to hear why you think your opinion is right, because it might be right.”

Jason Kirkland was sworn in as chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4, marking the end of an appointment process marred by transparency concerns and procedural misunderstandings.  The swearing-in ceremony began 15 minutes late, the individual facilitating the ceremony was...

“There is a lawful process created for this purpose administered by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. That is where ...
11/12/2025

“There is a lawful process created for this purpose administered by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. That is where claims must be reviewed, and where evidence must be tested."

Sen. Thom Tillis’ 2025 Lumbee Fairness Act is inching toward the finish line, allowing for full federal recognition of about 60,000 North Carolinians closer to their goal, albeit nearly 140 years after their first government petition.  The legislation was first introduced in January. Since th...

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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.

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