“I believe that if you refuse to wear a mask, and/or refuse to social distance, you should not be allowed to enter a hospital and place our valuable health care workers at risk and use medical resources.”
New Stories
Smart Bet: In Solidarity
The Asheville gallery’s new online exhibition doubles as a fundraiser for nonprofits fighting for justice and equality.
Local resident discusses the challenges of being blind during COVID-19
Throughout his adult life, Gary Ray has been visually impaired. COVID-19, he says, has created new obstacles for himself as well as others in the blind community.
Author Leah Hampton examines modern life in Appalachia
On July 14, Waynesville resident and former Western Carolina University instructor, Leah Hampton, will celebrate the release of her debut book, “F*ckface: And Other Stories.” Several of the book’s tales take place in and around the Asheville area.
The Grey Eagle Taqueria teams with BearWaters Brewing
The owners of the Asheville music venue are taking their taco business to Haywood County.
COVID-like illness rates increase statewide
North Carolina’s COVID-19 trends continue to move in the wrong direction, according to a July 2 update by Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s secretary of health and human services. But in addition to tracking lab-confirmed cases of the disease, NCDHHS is also tracking COVID-like illnesses reported at health care facilities, which can give early warning of subsequent COVID-19 numbers.
Letter: Confederacy reminders should reflect on evil, not honor
“Appropriate remembrance of its ravages through the centuries should evoke reflection on human evil, not honor its perpetrators.”
Pandemic worsens disparities for local LGBTQ people
Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, both LGBTQ youths and adults faced obstacles that others never had to think about. And COVID-19 has only exacerbated those disparities.
Letter: Why not open Asheville’s watershed to recreation?
“This would be a huge asset to the people of the surrounding communities.”
Asheville Archives: City youths launch Polio Prevention Club amid the 1948 outbreak
In August 1948, the Polio Prevention Club formed. The youth-led organization worked to raise funds for the Asheville Orthopedic Home, which treated the majority of the region’s polio cases during the summer outbreak.
Letter: Let’s work through monument issue together
“Perhaps our Confederate monuments need to be replaced with monuments representing the horror and evil of slavery while also honoring the Black families.”
Local researchers explore weather’s role in COVID-19 spread
New research, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, suggests that humidity plays a greater role than does the temperature in the spread of the novel coronavirus. “Weather is just another factor that we need to be incorporating in our infectious disease modeling,” says lead author Jennifer Runkle, an environmental epidemiologist with the Asheville-based North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at N.C. State University.
Acoustic Asheville: Andrew Scotchie
The Asheville guitarist/vocalist performs a trio of songs from throughout his career.
Letter: Freedom requires responsibility
“Freedom does not give one the right to take away or risk another person’s life in an act of a grossly irresponsible extremism.”