The Asheville City Board of Education voted 4-2 at its Dec. 9 meeting to provide bonuses to employees who volunteered in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene.
New Stories
Smart Bets: Come Hell or High Water Studio Tour
More than 75 WNC artists will have work for sale online and in person during the event, Dec. 14-15.
Letter: Help derail cynical power grab of a bill
“It is a 131-page mashup of a bill, cynically named, ‘Disaster Relief.’ I can only guess the disaster referred to was their shellacking by North Carolina voters!”
Smart Bets: Merry Main Street
Burnsville’s annual holiday celebration happens Dec. 13.
What’s new in food: WNC Tip it Forward
The collaborative initiative from Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, ArtsAVL and GBX Group aims to address immediate and long-term recovery for local food-service and creative sector workers. Also this week, Fish Night at Regina’s Westside, Cocktails with Kris Kringle, a sad farewell to Vivian, a new home for the RAD Farmers Market and much more.
Opinion: People living in tents — a real story, or a pretext for political outrage?
By now, this story of locals living in flimsy tents post-Helene has taken on a life of its own. So where does the truth lie? Are we edging into urban myth territory, or are our neighbors toughing out the coldest temperatures of the year in lightweight tents?
Regulators order CSX to stop dredging rock from Nolichucky River
The Army Corps of Engineers has ordered CSX to stop mining the Nolichucky riverbed for material used in railroad repairs, according to a copy of a letter shared by The Southern Environmental Law Center, which has sued over the issue.
First round of lead tests for Asheville water customers comes back with encouraging results
“Out of 159 samples taken from mid- to late-November, nine had detectable levels of lead on the first draw,” said Water Resources spokesperson Clay Chandler.
Letter: Nuclear war would dwarf Helene
“Survivors will be without law and order, without medical care, without food, and suffering from radiation sickness. There will be no help.”
Letter: Focusing on things that matter
“As parents, teachers, employers, employees and citizens, what we do at the local level has consequences for our community, state, nation and the world.”
Letter: Three cheers for Chandler at water department
“Although there are many, many heroes deserving of recognition and acclaim during these weeks, none stand out quite like Clay Chandler and his people at the Water Resources Department.”
Smart Bets: PERSPECTIVES with Chloe Moore
The manager of Southside Community Farm will discuss modern food justice initiatives in a Dec. 11 virtual conversation hosted by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center.
Carmen Atwater discusses the impact Helene has had on local bees
“Fall is already a nectar scarce time of year, and the storm was immediately followed by our first frost, so it really was a triple whammy,” says Carmen Atwater, founder of Feral Farms.
BCS swears-in new board members, elects chair
A study to determine the feasibility of the consolidation of Buncombe County’s two public school districts continues on schedule despite Tropical Storm Helene.
