Some kids have faced social isolation during the pandemic with schools closing and being unable to see their friends. Some youth camps opened their doors in the summer so kids could engage with peers and learn instead of having their eyes glued to a screen.
With the area’s formerly booming tourism industry mostly on hold as COVID-19 infection rates in nearby markets remain high, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority faces an uncertain future. Add in a leadership transition, potential changes to the legislation that controls the distribution of local occupancy tax revenues and public hostility to the industry, and more questions than answers emerge.
The independent movie theater will open Sept. 11 at the earliest and hold a pop-up screening Sept. 5 at plēb urban winery.
Asheville made national headlines the night of June 2, when Asheville Police Department officers destroyed medical supplies and forcibly handled volunteer medics during international protests for racial justice. Xpress spoke with several people present at the medic station; they say the reasons for their outrage go far beyond the damage to supplies.
Starting this weekend, a task force of public health and law enforcement officials will begin issuing citations for restaurants and breweries in violation of COVID-19 safety guidelines.
More relaxed regulations mean food trucks can operate at apartment complexes, community centers, libraries and other locations as long as they are more than 50 feet from an occupied residence.
“What is the sense of stores stating they require patrons to wear masks when they do not enforce it?”
Registered nurses at Mission go public with frustrations over alleged staff shortages and safety concerns during pandemic, as the National Labor Relations Board says votes on union representation will be counted Sept. 16.
Al Whitesides, the sole Black member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, and his three Democratic colleagues approved the resolution over the opposition of the board’s three Republicans. The county government is now aligned with Asheville City Council, which unanimously passed a similar measure on July 14.
The Oak Street Gallery of First Congregational UCC opens the second part of its social justice series on Aug. 6.
The Center for Craft’s new exhibit will be on display through Oct. 30.
Asheville Community Theatre’s annual “Project Runway”-esque show pivots will be livestreamed on Aug. 8.
“We saw immediately that popcorn seemed to become a comfort food with parents sending it to their kids, friends to friends, companies to staff working remotely,” says Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn owner Ginger Frank.
Regina Lynch-Hudson’s four new short films are available to view via the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s website.
Eleanor Underhill’s 2018 solo debut, “Navigate the Madness,” made plain her desire to expand her musical vision to encompass a wider view. But even that eclectic collection of songs might not prepare listeners for the great creative leap forward that is her newest record, “Land of the Living.”
While Asheville and Buncombe County K-12 schools are planning to start the academic year with heavy reliance on remote learning due to COVID-19, the area’s colleges and universities are taking a more aggressive approach in returning to campus. Western North Carolina’s higher learning institutions are bringing back students from across the state and around the country.
“Please listen to health experts, parents and teachers before opening our schools.”
