New Stories
Noise ordinance changes come before Council July 27
Scheduled for a vote at Council’s regular meeting is a series of revisions to the city’s noise ordinance that would set specific decibel levels for downtown, as well as commercial and industrial areas, as measured from any property away from the source of the noise.
Letter: Business owners, nonprofit leaders support alternatives to policing
“From housing shortages to drug overdoses, Asheville’s crises stem from deep dysfunctions and injustices. For too long, our city has overinvested in punishment and underinvested in equity — reliance on policing is not the solution, it is the problem.”
Biz Briefs: Blue Ridge Pride debuts LGBTQ+ business alliance
Blue Ridge Pride, a nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ community in Western North Carolina, launched an online business directory for LGBTQ-owned and inclusive businesses called the Blue Ridge Pride Business Alliance on June 25. The directory, available at BlueRidgePride.org/Business, includes retail, food and drink, leisure and services and other categories. Businesses listed in the BRPBA directory […]
Q&A with Kareen Boncales, director of entrepreneurship at Mountain BizWorks
Many people who volunteer with the Peace Corps consider it a life-defining experience. Kareen Boncales is one of them. She served in Cameroon from 2009-11 in small enterprise development, teaching basic business skills to everyone from farmers to boutique owners. “I really admired that entrepreneurial spirit of turning challenges into opportunities,” she recalls. “I knew […]
Letter: Support citizen safety efforts first
“Should not the county/city focus on supporting citizen safety efforts before looking at marketing programs targeted at tourism?”
Out-of-town interest drives local real estate market
According to Redfin, a nationwide real estate brokerage, the average real estate budget for an outsider moving to Asheville was $615,500 as of April, 31% higher than the average local budget of $469,000. That disparity between outside and local buyers was greater than in either Charlotte or Raleigh.
Filmmaker transplants discuss working in Asheville
Lenny Lenox and Tabitha and Mason McDonald have found success in a local film industry that still has plenty of room to grow.
New dining options in neighboring towns bring a variety of flavors
In surrounding towns, new restaurants offer locals a good excuse to take a daytrip this summer.
Birthing pains
A recent Tuesday afternoon at the Western North Carolina Birth Center was unusually quiet. The birthing rooms were empty. No laboring mothers paced the halls; no infants wailed. The staff arrived for work, but the mood was forlorn. July 20 marked the close of the WNC Birth Center, the only 24/7 midwifery option in Asheville. […]
Critical race theory debate comes to Buncombe
Critical race theory, a set of ideas about the ways race influences society, drew 13 commenters at a June 3 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Education. Officials at both the county and Asheville city school systems say they do not explicitly teach CRT and encourage students to develop their own judgments.
Arts Council forms new Arts Coalition
Ten local arts leaders comprise the inaugural Arts Coalition leadership team. Also, Folkmoot returns to in-person events, plus more area arts news!
Asheville chefs share memories and recipes for global grilling
Editor’s note: Recipes for items featured can be found at the end of this article. Now that the Fourth of July is behind us but several more months of outdoor cooking remain, it might be a good time to set aside the sizzling sirloin and shriveled up hot dogs to poke around some more adventurous ways […]
Letter: Keep noise ordinance as is
“I believe that we should leave it as is — that’s part of the charm of downtown Asheville.”
What’s new in food: Pranom Pop-Up at Bottle Riot
Chef Dream Kasestatad returns to Bottle Riot. Plus: Punk Rock Hot Dogs returns to the Masonic Temple, Melting Pot Social opens and more local food news.