Local youth meet state legislatures as part of TRU celebration

From the press release: Asheville, N.C. – 37 youth from Buncombe County joined more than 300 youth tobacco use prevention advocates in Raleigh on Thursday, Feb. 16th to celebrate successes in reducing youth tobacco use over the past decade. The celebration highlighted the successes achieved since North Carolina first began spending a portion of the […]

Local events planned for National Eating Disorders Week

From the press release: The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is launching its 25th annual National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAwareness Week) in an ongoing mission to bring public attention to the critical need to raise awareness and funding to battle eating disorders in the U.S. During NEDAwareness Week, thousands of people come together in […]

Quick study

No funeral bells rang out during a Feb. 13 forum on the future of the Asheville water system hosted by the local League of Women Voters. But a hand-bell choir practicing in an adjacent room at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church lent the event a solemn tone, underscoring the concerns voiced by many residents. More than […]

Benefit concert planned to support Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center

From the press release: Hendersonville, N.C. (February 21, 2012) – Save the date for “Wonderfully Made,” a Music for Life benefit concert to support Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center in Hendersonville. The interdenominational concert will take place on Friday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fletcher Seventh-day Adventist Church at 1141 Howard Gap Road. […]

Moffitt under fire: highlights from the Mountain Voices Alliance water forum

The Feb. 20 Mountain Voices Alliance water-system forum boasted 10 speakers, but most of the audience members seemed interested in just one: Buncombe County Rep. Tim Moffitt. These are some (but not all) of the highlights related to Moffitt’s comments and answers to questions directed at him during last night’s forum.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes) Representative Moffitt pauses to enjoy some bottled water when questions get hot.

LIVE: Coverage of Mountain Voices Alliance water-system forum

Tonight, Feb. 20, Mountain Voices Alliance is hosting an open forum about the future of the Asheville-Buncombe water system from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Jubilee! in downtown Asheville (46 Wall St.). For live dispatches via Twitter, follow staff reporter @MaryCaitlinByrd or #avlh2o or click through for a live feed and streaming video.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Barry Summers (right) and Rep. Tim Moffitt discuss issues during a break at the forum.

Asheville Downtown Association releases draft of Water Position Statement

The Asheville Downtown Association released a draft of their statement regarding the City of Asheville’s water system. In the release, the ADA says, “…the 25 year Water Authority experiment was a financial failure for the Citizens of Asheville.” This draft comes out on the day that Mountain Voices Alliance will host a forum about the […]

Rep. Patsy Keever to speak at Feb. 28 Youth OUTright event in Asheville

From the press release: Asheville, NC February 20, 2012—North Carolina State Representative (NC-115) Patsy Keever will be the guest speaker at Youth OUTright’s free 2012 winter event, “You Have a Million Reasons to Be Here,” on Tuesday, February 28 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, One Thomas […]

NC granted adjustment to medical loss ratio standard for health insurers

From the press release: RALEIGH— Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced North Carolina has received approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an adjustment to the applicable medical loss ratio standard for individual comprehensive health insurers in North Carolina. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to spend […]

Family Services of McDowell County will help victims of domestic violence from Jackson County

From The McDowell News: Family Services of McDowell County is offering its help for victims of domestic violence in a nearby county who are suddenly without a sanctuary. Effective Friday of last week, REACH of Jackson County was shut down due to financial problems. The agency provided a shelter and help for victims of domestic […]

Inaugural 5K to fund eagle habitat renovations coming up

From the press release: Since Grandfather Mountain added eagles to their showcase of indigenous North Carolina wildlife in 1981, these majestic birds-of-prey have been housed in an open-topped enclosure. All the eagles that have called Grandfather Mountain home were injured by gunshot, resulting in a full or partial wing amputation and leaving them completely flightless. […]

Mission performs revolutionary heart procedure

From the press release: ASHEVILLE, N.C., (Feb. 16, 2012) – Mission Health, recently named one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, continued its legacy of providing leading-edge heart care by performing the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery (TAVR) in Western North Carolina. The life-changing procedure is a treatment […]

Warren Wilson to hire 10 faculty members for next academic year

From the Warren Wilson Echo: The administration aims to hire 10 new faculty members for next year. Departments in search of new teachers include Art, Biology, Business, Creative Writing, Chemistry, Environmental Policy, Political Science, Religion, Physics and Social Work. “I don’t think this will be an easy decision, but it’s the good kind of difficult […]

Harrah’s donates $2,000 to Mountain Mediation Services

From the press release: CHEROKEE, N.C., (February 16, 2012) -Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel recently donated $2,000 to Mountain Mediation Services. This donation will help people in Western North Carolina communities settle conflicts and is part of the Community Relations Giving Strategy and partnership with Mountain Mediations. Mountain Mediation Services promotes peace and collaborative resolution […]