Yes, local schooling has seen drama this year. Given those issues, Mountain Xpress chose education as one of the areas to spotlight in discussion with community leaders about insights from 2021.
Author: Able Allen
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Give!Local aims high in its seventh year
This season, Give!Local donors could help Asheville’s one-stop platform for philanthropy top $1 million. Since Mountain Xpress launched the annual campaign in 2015, the community has helped raise over $750,000, benefiting more than 100 area nonprofits.
Total individual donations grow 65% in annual campaign for good
Mountain Xpress’ 2020 Give!Local campaign to raise funds and awareness for 44 community nonprofits wrapped up on Dec. 31 as the most successful to date. The sixth annual effort saw 570 individual donors give a total of $233,564, a 65% increase over the previous year’s total of $141,207 from 400 donors. 2020’s impact was boosted […]
Regional businesses share success with nonprofits
For many WNC nonprofits, business support and partnerships comprise a significant part of their budgets. And while Asheville has a comparatively large number of nonprofits per capita, area businesses rise to the need.
Nonprofit camps face uncertain summer
Camps have already suffered layoffs and revenue loss without the spring season, says Sandi Boyer, executive director of the North Carolina Youth Camp Association. But if they can’t operate this summer, they will face nearly 22 months without earned income. “It would be devastating for the camp industry to not open at all,” she says.
Air quality forecast for Asheville, Saturday, March 28: Moderate (YELLOW and GREEN)
Saturday, March 28, is a code green air quality forecast day for the valleys of Asheville and Buncombe County. No health impacts are expected when air quality is in this range. For the ridge tops, it is a code yellow air quality forecast day. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities. This forecast is based on ozone levels. […]
Local LGBTQ community reconfigures weddings
For more than a decade, Jeanne Sommer of Hidden River Events has been hosting and presiding over same-sex partnership ceremonies on her farm in Swannanoa. “It doesn’t matter if it’s heterosexual or same-sex,” she says. “The ethics of good loving are what matters.” Since 2014, when a federal court ruling overturned Amendment 1 in North […]
Give!Local 2019 wraps up banner year for grassroots fundraising
A heartfelt thanks is in order, to the 414 individuals who donated to 2019’s Give!Local partner nonprofits, generating a total impact of $178,804. Every dollar goes directly to local nonprofits making a difference in the WNC community. Mountain Xpress’ fifth annual campaign to raise funds and awareness for local organizations benefiting the community has nearly […]
Republican Wayne King gets endorsement nod from Van Duncan
Wayne King, a Republican candidate for N.C.’s 11th Congressional District has announced an endorsement from Buncombe County’s former sheriff, Van Duncan. Duncan was elected three times as a Democrat. Just before leaving office in 2018 he changed his voter registration to be unaffiliated. The Citizen-Times reported at the time that Duncan was citing “an anti-law enforcement […]
Air quality forecast for Asheville, Tuesday, Nov. 26: Moderate (YELLOW)
Tuesday, Nov. 26, is a code yellow air quality forecast day for the valleys and ridge tops of Asheville and Buncombe County. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities. The rating is based on particulate matter in the air. For more information contact: WNC Regional Air Quality Agency 828-250-6777 Air Quality Forecast for Tuesday, 11/26/2019
New in nonprofits: Notable happenings in local organizations
For our nonprofit special issue, Mountain Xpress took a look at a spectrum of local nonprofits that have recently experienced significant changes or are in the midst of transformative shifts in management or focus. We also checked in on some of the largest grant funding awards our region has seen this year.
First-aid training for bleeding control catches on across WNC
Known as “Stop the Bleed,” a recent training at the U.S. Courthouse was part of a wave of education taking place at schools and other area institutions. Designed to empower non-emergency service bystanders in emergency situations, the session was conducted by Mission Trauma Services.
Maxwell Street access question prompts police confrontation
Reid Thompson, owner of two properties on Maxwell Street across from the Whole Foods loading dock, published a video of himself being handcuffed today while blocking the access of a delivery truck to the loading dock. He has racked up large fines for an unsanctioned short-term rental, and he has petitioned the city to allow […]
Checking in on staffing, strategy shifts at local nonprofits
When the time comes for a new leader or a new strategic direction, nonprofits recognize that sound decisions can mean the difference between a sustainable future and irrelevance. That’s why Mountain Xpress took a look at a spectrum of local nonprofits that have recently experienced significant change s or are now in the midst of transformative shifts in management or focus.
Sarah Duffer shifts student consciousness on climate change
Last year saw Duffer lead Asheville High School against 765 other teams from across the globe in the Drawdown EcoChallenge. The students achieved victory over the Taiwan Sugar Corporation in a leapfrogging race to make the most impact, earning most of their points through their time spent studying solutions to reverse climate change.
Finding the region’s next elected leaders
Politicos of all stripes have begun gearing up for a 2020 election that looks to be a broad moment of opportunity. In Asheville, ballots will include offices from president on down to City Council. Experienced campaign runners and elected officials are teaming up to try to recruit new candidates or train and encourage those already considering a run.
Air quality forecast for Asheville, Monday, Feb. 11: Moderate (YELLOW)
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, is a code yellow air quality forecast day for the valleys and ridge tops of Asheville and Buncombe County. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities. The rating is based on particulate matter in the air. For more information contact: WNC Regional Air Quality Agency 828-250-6777 Air Quality Forecast for Monday, […]
Quentin Miller sworn in as Buncombe County’s first nonwhite sheriff
Miller pledged to live up to his campaign promises of promoting the idea of a “community of we” and seeking ways to work together. “We must treat people with dignity and respect,” he emphasized. “We also request that you treat us with dignity and respect.
Asheville art insiders offer tours connecting crafters and art enthusiasts
One of the goals of Art Connections is to be an accessible link between art lovers and collectors and the high-quality art studios in the region.
Bear attack in Swannanoa leaves woman injured, bear dead
Toni Rhegness was walking her dog in her own yard last Tuesday, Sept. 18, when she had a dangerous encounter with bears attracted to her neighbor’s trash can. According to a press release from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Rhegness shouted at three black bear cubs to scare them away from the neighbor’s trash and […]
State board settles Buncombe dispute over early voting locations
After internal disagreement among the Buncombe County Board of Elections members, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has accepted a proposal for 11 early voting locations. Local board member Jake Quinn championed the continued use of the Grant Center to ensure access for the African-American community in the area.