Bike thrift shop funds Trips for Kids’ excursions in WNC

At first glance, the 600-square-foot Bicycle Thrift Shop looks like a cubbyhole for discarded jerseys, muddied cleats and bikes that have been down a few trails. But a closer look reveals a gold mine for cycling enthusiasts on a budget who are looking to gear up. The money raised from sales supports Trips for Kids WNC, a nonprofit that helps kids get […]

N.C. Senate bill may dissolve AdvantageW­est, Citizen-Times reports

Part of North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s plans to turn the Department of Commerce into a public-private partnership that would be run like a business, Senate Bill 127 would mandate the dissolution of regional organizations like AdvantageWest and strip it of state funding. It passed a second reading in the Senate Monday night, May 13, by a 31-17 vote.a

Citizens organize to fight power-plant proposal in Transylvan­ia County

“Transylvania County could become home to a bio/renewable diesel fuel plant, the first of its kind in Western North Carolina,” the Hendersonville Times-News reported on April 3. Local residents have organized a campaign to fight the proposal, noting that a facility that generates power by burning MSW (municipal solid waste) could turn mar an otherwise pristine valley near Brevard, possibly diminish air and water quality and bring unwanted industrial traffic to the valley.