To many people, winter weather spells trouble. Snowy, icy roads can cause accidents, delays and school closures. Business activity slumps. Travel plans are foiled. And the occasional power outage can really spark a snafu. Yet when I look out the window and see snowflakes swirling, those grown-up issues barely cross my mind. Instead, I am […]
Author: Jake Frankel
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Winter sports in WNC: Let the fun begin
Last winter was heaven for local winter sports enthusiasts. And this season has been off to a great start, with unusually cold and snowy conditions providing ample opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowball fights, snowmen and assorted backcountry adventures. We’re celebrating today, Dec. 21 – the first official day of winter – by culling together some of our favorite photos and videos from the last couple years of snowy escapades.
Winter sports in WNC: Let the fun begin
Last winter was heaven for local winter sports enthusiasts. And this season has been off to a great start, with unusually cold and snowy conditions providing ample opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowball fights, snowmen and assorted backcountry adventures. We’re celebrating today, Dec. 21 – the first official day of winter – by culling together some of our favorite photos and videos from the last couple years of snowy escapades.
A change in the weather? Long-range forecasts call for dry, mild winter
Both the National Weather Service and the WNC-based Ray’s Weather Center are predicting a drier, milder winter than normal this year. But that certainly hasn’t been the case so far. This is shaping up to be one of the coldest Decembers in Asheville’s recorded history. And we’ve already doubled the average snowfall for the month, with forecasters calling for more on Christmas Eve.
Buncombe County Commissioners annual retreat hints at upcoming priorities
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners met yesterday, Dec. 14, for a full day of brainstorming sessions on a wide variety of issues, including health care reform, a new marketing campaign, land-use regulations, a proposal to fund improvements at A-B Tech with a sales tax hike, and more. Here’s a few of the highlights.
It’s the economy, stupid
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Dec. 7 meeting Stimulus loan may fund Ingles improvements Revamped EDC aims to ramp up local economy At their final meeting before breaking for the holidays, the Buncombe County commissioners took action on several fronts with an eye toward boosting the local economy. Topping the Dec. 7 agenda was approving […]
Green Scene: Lost and found
At the height of Buncombe County’s housing boom, "Development was so popular in this area, people were buying land sight unseen or just with a flyover," notes Valerie True of Blue Ridge Forever. The resulting loss of farmland — 125,000 acres across Western North Carolina between 2002 and 2007, according to figures compiled by her […]
The Beat
The end-of-year lists and reflections have begun. Asheville Citizen-Times staffer (and former Xpress multimedia editor) Jason Sandford has been posting an entertaining series of lists on his popular Ashvegas blog. In the "Big Asheville Media Moves" category, he celebrated the return of television anchor and reporter Frank Kracher to WLOS. After a five-year absence from […]
The Beat: End-of-year lists from the blogoshere; cold and snow from the atmosphere
A look at what’s been happening in the local blogoshere: Ashvegas rounds up some of the recent changes at local media outlets; and Asheville City Council members Gordon Smith and Cecil Bothwell look back at their first year in office. Also, unusually cold and snowy weather continues to hammer WNC.
The Beat: Anarchists and cougars and bears, oh my!
A group of alleged vandals dubbed the "Asheville 11" once again grabbed headlines last week. About 40 people gathered Dec. 1 to support the suspects in a May 1 downtown vandalism spree that resulted in damage to several locally owned businesses. In the online post "Anarchists March in Protest of APD, Gentrification," Mountain Xpress reported […]
Buncombe County Commissioners: It’s the economy, stupid? ***UPDATED***
At its Dec. 7 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners took action on several fronts intended to help stimulate the local economy. The board voted unanimously to approve $99.74 million in federal stimulus loans to Ingles Markets, create a new economic development coalition and more.
The Beat: Anarchists and cougars and bears, oh my!
A look at what’s been making headlines this week: Anarchists hit the streets; the Asheville Police Department continues to investigate an armed home invasion in Montford; cougars move to WNC; a bear attacks a woman in Henderson County; the rainiest day on record for the month of November causes flooding; and an Arctic cold snap invades the mountains.
The Beat: Feeling thankful
The tough economy and higher fuel costs didn't keep travelers from taking to the skies or the highway this Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest travel time of the year. In "More Travelers Hitting the Roads in North Carolina," BlueRidgeNow reported that more than 1.1 million Tar Heel motorists drove more than 50 miles from home, up […]
The Beat: Feeling thankful
The tough economy and higher fuel costs didn’t keep travelers off the roads or out of the skies this Thanksgiving season, which is traditionally the busiest travel time of the year. But sadly, not everyone in Western North Carolina was able to afford the costs of travel – or much of any Thanksgiving celebration at all.
(Tasty?) Cribs: Gingerbread house display at the Grove Park Inn
The Grove Park Inn holds its 18th annual National Gingerbread Competition & Display through Jan. 2. This year’s showcase features about 250 artistic culinary creations submitted by imaginative contestants from throughout the country.
Feral Chihuahuas: “The Thanksgiving Day Massacre”
Local sketch comedy troupe The Feral Chihuahuas put together an ambitious pair of satirical Thanksgiving-themed documentary videos they’re calling “The Thanksgiving Day Massacre.”
Not ready for prime time
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Nov. 16 meeting Conservation easement preserves Upper Broad River farmland County finances sound, auditor reports At their Nov. 16 meeting, the Buncombe County commissioners held off on adopting an incentives policy for developers building work-force housing, saying it needed further tweaking. The policy was written in response to last month’s […]
The Beat: Crashing Pelosi’s party
Congressman Heath Shuler continued to make local and national headlines last week in the wake of his losing bid against Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats. The loss was a self-fulfilling prophecy for the three-term Western North Carolina representative, who, in the days before the race, admitted that he had little chance of winning. "I […]
The Best of WNC Bash was … the best!
A hearty thanks to everyone who came out and made last week’s “Best of WNC Bash,” the bestest Best of Bash EVER! Here’s a slide show from the awesome celebration, which featured epic sets from Josh Phillips Folk Festival, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Sons of Ralph and Asheville Vaudeville, as well as an amazing piecemeal feast provided by some of Asheville’s tastiest restaurants. Also in this post: Snippets from host Tom Scheve’s roast of all things “Best of WNC.”
The Beat: Shuler crashes Pelosi’s Party
Congressman Heath Shuler continued to make local and national headlines last week in the wake of his losing bid against Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats. In other lingering election news, incumbent Elise Israel and newcomer Chase Hubbard survived a recount and are set to serve as Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation district supervisors.
Shuler loses Minority Leader bid against Pelosi
In an outcome that he predicted himself, Western North Carolina Congressman Heath Shuler lost his Nov. 17 bid against Nancy Pelosi to lead House Democrats.