Brevard Music Center pivots to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccinations

Press release from Brevard Music Center: This Friday, January 29, Brevard Music Center (BMC) will perform something a little out of the ordinary for a regional audience of hundreds of citizens. BMC will host Covid vaccinations for 400 area residents and has pledged to continue Covid testing and vaccinations for the general public as long […]

Henderson County launches COVID-19 vaccine waitlist for health care workers and adults 65 and older

Press release from the Henderson County Department of Public Health:  The Henderson County Department of Public Health has launched a COVID-19 vaccine waitlist for adults 65 and older and all health care workers. Individuals can sign up for the waitlist at www.hendersoncountync.gov/health. This waitlist will be the new method used to make appointments for the Health Department’s […]

Buncombe County COVID-19 vaccine locations will open at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 due to inclement weather

Press release from Buncombe County Government:  Due to predicted inclement weather, Buncombe County COVID vaccination sites will be opening at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. This weather delay applies to those receiving their first vaccine at AB Tech and to those receiving their second vaccine at A.C. Reynolds High School. Anyone scheduled for […]

Three mental health conditions contribute to violent offenses, WCU study finds

Press release from Western Carolina University:  Western Carolina University researchers find a disproportionate number of inmates with violent offenses suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and alcohol use disorder, and published their findings in the Journal of Criminal Psychology. Alexa Barrett, clinical psychology master’s student at WCU, and Al Kopak, associate professor of criminology […]

Pardee UNC Health Care continues COVID-19 vaccinations, anticipates rescheduling next week’s first dose appointments

Press release from Pardee UNC Health Care:  Pardee UNC Health Care will continue vaccination appointments scheduled through Friday, Jan. 29. As a result of recent diversion efforts by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Pardee, like many other vaccine providers in the region, will not receive a vaccine allocation for the […]

Buncombe County Commissioners approve additional money for One Buncombe fund

Press release from Buncombe County:  Small businesses looking for help getting through the winter as the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to hamper sales can apply for grants via the One Buncombe Fund. On Jan. 26, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved $150,000 to help reinvigorate the previous success of the campaign that helped […]

Buncombe County releases Jan. 26 COVID-19 update

Press release from Buncombe County: At its Jan. 26 meeting, Public Health Director Stacie Saunders provided the Board of Commissioners with an update on current COVID-19 positivity rates, vaccine supplies and County outreach efforts to communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The Buncombe County positivity rate dropped to 7.5 percent, a decrease of […]

Constitution, Green parties no longer recognized in North Carolina

Press release from the North Carolina State Board of Elections: The Constitution Party and the Green Party are no longer recognized political parties in North Carolina. Both parties failed to turn out the required 2% of the total vote for their candidate for governor or for presidential electors in the 2020 general election. (Read a […]

WCU hosts international diptych art exhibit with “true sense of place”

Press release from Western Carolina University:  Two practicing artists from two different cultures – India and the United States – came together to collaborate on a temporal experience of visual language. Now, the distinct result of those efforts is on display in the exhibition hall of H.F. Robinson Building at Western Carolina University. “Place – […]

WCMA grant to support Brevard College community service program

Press release from Brevard College:  Brevard College recently announced that it received a grant from the Walnut Cove Members Association (WCMA) to support community service activities during freshman orientation week later this year. The WCMA is comprised of a group of property owners that raises funds to support the community through member dues, donations, and […]

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy releases annual energy efficiency report

Press release from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy:  Today the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) released its third annual “Energy Efficiency in the Southeast” report evaluating recent trends in electric utility efficiency data, as well as recent policy trends and insights into how COVID-19 altered the efficiency landscape across the Southeast. This year’s report […]

Henderson County Public Schools will return to in-person learning Monday, Feb. 1

Press release from Henderson County Public Schools:   Following this afternoon’s approval by the Henderson County Board of Public Education, Henderson County Public Schools (HCPS) will Return to Learn in February under the same operations as in December before the Winter Break.  This means PreK-3 and eligible Intensive Intervention students will begin attending class on campus […]

Black Mountain launches “Take Out 21” program to support local restaurants

Press release from the Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce:  Take Out 21 initiative officially launches on January 27, 2021.  One of the industries hit hardest during COVID has been the restaurant industry.  In an effort to sustain food and brew businesses, Take Out 21 encourages area residents to pledge spending a minimum of $21 for […]

Rep. Brian Turner named to seven N.C. House committees

Press release from the office of Rep. Brian Turner:  Representative Brian Turner has been named to the following committees for the 2021 Session: Alcoholic Beverage Control Appropriations – General Appropriations – Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources Education – Community Colleges Environment UNC Board of Governors Nominations Wildlife, Vice Chair “I am ready to return […]

Asheville Outlets to host healthy food drive with MANNA FoodBank

Press release from the Asheville Outlets:  Asheville Outlets has announced a Healthy Food Drive with MANNA FoodBank from Tuesday, February 2 through Sunday, February 14, 2021. As food insecurity continues, Asheville Outlets has partnered with MANNA FoodBank to collect healthy nonperishable foods for distribution to those in need in western North Carolina. “The need for […]

State close to exhausting supply of COVID-19 vaccine first doses

Press release from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched a new online tool to help North Carolinians know when they will be eligible to get their vaccine. Find My Vaccine Group walks users through a series of questions to determine which vaccine group they […]

Buncombe County Commissioners recommend restaurants revert back to 50% indoor capacity

Press release from Buncombe County:  On Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chairman Brownie Newman signed an updated declaration of emergency that aligns with the state’s current declaration. Effective immediately, Buncombe County restaurant capacities will align with the state’s order of 50 percent. The decision was made as a result of key […]

Juvenile crime prevention programs eligible for $600K in grant funding opportunities

Press release from Buncombe County Government:  The Buncombe County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) is now accepting proposals for fiscal year 2021-2022. The JCPC announces the availability of small grants totaling more than $600,000 in state funding for local nonprofits and public agencies working to serve delinquent and at-risk youth in our community. The JCPC […]

Folk Art Center offers free craft demonstrations

Press release from the Southern Highland Craft Guild:  The Southern Highland Craft Guild invites visitors to experience daily craft demonstrations at the Folk Art Center from March through December 2021. Every day from 10am-4pm, two artists of differing medias will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booth. These free educational […]

Leicester Library transitions to door-side pickups, computer reservations only starting Tuesday, Feb. 2

Press release from Buncombe County Government: As Buncombe County responds to the COVID-19 public health emergency, staff from every county department is being reassigned to help with the effort. As a result of this staff redistribution, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Leicester Library will transition from in-person service to door-side pickups only. Reservations for computer […]