Beth Copeland named grand marshal for holiday parade

Press release from the Asheville Downtown Association: Asheville, N.C. — The Asheville Holiday Parade, presented by Bojangles of WNC, rolls, dances and marches through downtown Asheville on Saturday, Nov. 18 beginning at 11 a.m. The parade features nearly 100 entries including marching bands, dance and cheer squads, nonprofits and businesses. This year’s parade theme is […]

Consulting firm establishes U.S. headquarters at The Collider

Press release from The Collider: Asheville, N.C. — Whether it is violent extremism, climate change, Ebola, or food production, Wasafiri Consulting has helped navigate Africa’s most intractable and complex challenges. Now it is setting up its U.S. headquarters in Asheville, at The Collider, to apply its expertise to America’s own wicked problems. “Large-scale problems appear […]

Asheville holidays to feature expanded Winter Lights Downtown 

Press release from the city of Asheville: Asheville, N.C. — Asheville’s holiday season will sparkle a little brighter this year, accented by some fresh décor. The city of Asheville is pleased to announce that its Winter Lights Downtown partnership with The N.C Arboretum will not only continue for a second year, but also expand. The […]

Asheville Police request assistance to identify suspect in armed robbery

Press release from Asheville Police Department: Asheville, N.C. ­– On Tuesday, Oct. 24 at approximately 8:52 p.m. a black male wearing dark pants, a dark hoodie, a red face covering, black/white shoes and blue medical gloves entered the Jimmy Johns at 2 Hendersonville Road and pointed a firearm at staff, demanding access to the cash register. An undisclosed […]

Transgender Day of Remembrance to be held Nov. 20

  Press release from Tranzmission: Asheville, N.C. – Our local nonbinary and transgender community’s observance of the 19th International Transgender Day of Remembrance will be held at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20. Volunteer attendees will take turns reading aloud the names of those lost to transphobic violence over […]

Hurricane relief donation drive extended to Oct. 14

Press release from MANNA FoodBank: The storms might have passed, but daily emergency assistance in hurricane-affected communities is still greatly needed. MANNA FoodBank, Mission Health Asheville Campuses, Buncombe County Schools, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and Smart Insurance Agency are teaming up to host a disaster relief drive Oct. 2-14 to help support communities affected by […]

Program to teach beginning forest farming

Press release from Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center: Join ​the ​Appalachian ​Beginning ​Forest ​Farmer ​Coalition ​for ​a two-day fall ​training ​event ​at ​the ​beautiful ​Montreat ​Conference ​Center. ​The ​program ​will ​focus ​on ​all ​of ​the ​ways ​to ​add ​value ​to ​Appalachian ​native ​forest ​crops ​like ​goldenseal, ​black ​cohosh ​and ​ginseng ​so ​that ​you ​can ​make ​money ​doing ​what ​you ​love! ​ Demonstrations, ​hands-on ​activities, ​case ​studies ​and ​expert ​talks ​will ​cover ​specialized ​topics ​on ​forest ​botanicals ​from ​harvest ​to ​the ​shelf. ​We’ll ​kick ​off ​Friday ​with ​pre-conference ​tour ​from ​1-3 p.m. ​of ​community ​processing ​facilities ​and ​laboratories in the area, ​and ​come ​together ​at ​Montreat ​starting ​at ​4 p.m. ​for ​a ​group ​welcome ​dinner ​and ​Vendor/Maker ​Share ​Fair, ​where ​participants ​will ​have ​the ​opportunity ​to ​share ​what ​they ​are ​doing ​or ​just ​peruse ​the ​tables ​and ​meet ​like-minded ​folks ​who ​are ​doing ​interesting ​things ​with ​forest ​botanicals. ​Saturday ​we’ll ​have ​options ​for ​demonstrations ​on ​ways ​to ​add ​value ​to ​your ​raw ​ingredients, ​local ​business ​case ​studies, ​and ​group ​lectures. ​Sunday ​morning ​we’ll ​dive ​into ​creative ​marketing ​and ​the ​multitude ​of ​regional ​resources ​available ​to ​assist ​you ​in ​your ​endeavors. Topics ​covered ​include: ​harvesting, ​drying, ​packaging, ​labeling, ​tincture ​and ​other ​herbal ​product ​making, ​nursery ​and ​eco-/agritourism ​opportunities, ​essential ​oil ​production, ​and ​more! ​Our ​teaching ​team ​of ​makers, ​producers, ​industry ​representatives, ​cooperative ​extension, ​growers, ​lab ​personnel, ​and ​our ​forest ​farming ​community ​members ​will ​gather ​and ​share ​knowledge ​and ​experience ​over ​this ​fun ​weekend ​together ​with ​plenty ​of ​opportunities ​for ​networking. ​ Join ​us ​for ​a ​beautiful ​autumn ​weekend ​in ​the ​Blue ​Ridge ​Mountains, ​options ​available ​for ​on-site ​accommodation, ​meals, ​and ​individualized ​session ​registration ​to ​fit ​all ​budgets. ​Cost ​of ​the ​full ​two-day ​event ​is ​$80 ​including ​all ​meals, ​demos, ​lectures, ​and ​gatherings. ​Option ​to ​add ​on ​a ​Friday ​pre-training ​tour  ​for ​$10. ​For ​folks ​traveling ​in, ​various ​lodging ​options ​are ​available ​for ​a ​separate ​cost, ​including ​at ​the ​Montreat ​Lodge ​for ​$20 ​per ​person ​per ​night. ​ Check out the draft agenda here. Register for this event here.

Professor to present perspectives on Southern Appalachian dance

Press release from UNC Asheville: Historian Gordon McKinney, professor emeritus at Berea College will present a talk, “The Legacy of Southern Appalachian Dance: From Whose Perspective?” This event takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center. Tickets are available at the door; a $5 donation to the Western North […]

Duke Energy releases dam safety information for coal ash sites

  Press release from the Southern Environmental Law Center: More than two weeks after local community groups notified Duke Energy that they planned to bring enforcement actions against it for withholding legally required critical dam safety information for coal ash sites across North Carolina, Duke Energy posted the information. A spill from Duke Energy’s leaking […]

Camp in the ‘old style’ at the Cradle of Forestry

Press release from National Forests in North Carolina: The Cradle of Forestry in America invites the public to explore a re-created campsite of the early 1900s during its “Camping in the Old Style” event, Saturday, Oct. 14. A classic camping interpretive team known as the Acorn Patrol demonstrate the low-tech/high-skill approach as practiced in the […]

Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award goes to Julia Franks

Press release from the Western North Carolina Historical Association: The Western North Carolina Historical Association is pleased to announce the selection of the 62nd winner of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. This year the winner of the Award is Jullia Franks for her novel Over the Plain Houses. In making the award the Selection Panel […]