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 […]

Lockdown lifted at Henderson County schools

Press release from Henderson County Public Schools: After a report of an alleged weapon on campus, North Henderson High and Apple Valley Middle entered a precautionary “code yellow” lockdown at approximately 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. Deputies with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the campus, and as part of law enforcement’s security […]

Lecture at UNCA to explore how whiteness shapes multiracial spaces

Press release from UNC Asheville: Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, assistant professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will deliver a talk on “How Whiteness Shapes Multiracial Spaces: Lessons from Behind the White Picket Fence,” at UNC Asheville on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. The talk will take place […]

City asks for input on Strategic Partnership Funds

Press release from the City of Asheville: City of Asheville Strategic Partnership Funds are designed to help serve the community. The program has multiple goals, such as addressing disparities in low-wealth neighborhoods and developing partnerships to support school programs that help close the achievement gap. The fund is also charged with supporting Asheville City Council’s […]

Learn about ‘camera trapping’ wildlife at PARI

Press release from PARI: The public is invited to learn about “camera trapping” wildlife and the Candid Critters citizen science project during an Evening at PARI program Friday, Oct. 13 on the PARI campus. The evening’s activities will include a tour of the PARI site and, weather permitting, celestial observations with PARI telescopes. This Evening […]

Magical show highlights Disability Employment Awareness Month

Press release from The Vanishing Wheelchair: In October, celebrate National Magic Week and Disability Employment Awareness Month with a special production in Asheville. The Vanishing Wheelchair Little Theatre is the permanent home of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity for people with disabilities, The Vanishing Wheelchair Inc. The Little Theatre at 175 Weaverville Highway, Suite K, […]

ASAP’s Emily Jackson selected for national leadership program

Press release from ASAP: Leaders from Honolulu to Providence, R.I. — working across a range of fields, including social policy, community development, public health and government — have been selected to participate in the Culture of Health Leaders program. These leaders will explore a diversity of pressing issues in health and equity, such as addressing […]

Habitat ReStore thanks community with customer appreciation sale

Press release from Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity: The Habitat ReStore at 31 Meadow Road will thank the community for its ongoing support by offering 25 percent off storewide from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. All ReStore merchandise — including furniture, housewares, appliances, building materials, music, art, antiques and more — […]

Hendersonville Fire Dept. to conduct training exercises

Press release from the city of Hendersonville Fire Department: The Hendersonville Fire Department is participating in a Modern Day Engine Company Operation Class on Sept. 25-27. This class will train firefighters in hose advancement, search and rescue operations, forcible entry, flow path management, and live fire attack. The practical applications will take place at the […]