The goal is that reading with a child will become a routine and will foster a love of reading on its own.
Author: Jessica Wakeman
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How might abortion restrictions impact child welfare in WNC?
WNC retains abortion access through Planned Parenthood’s Asheville Health Center, the region’s sole provider of the procedure. What is less clear, at least at this moment, is how restrictions on abortion will impact the area’s child welfare system.
Caregiving advice from the local pros
Buncombe County is expecting a large increase in its elderly population in the coming decades. The need for more caregivers will increase with the rise of the aging population.
Edwards, Republican panel talk ‘leftist agenda’ in schools
The N.C. Republican Party’s Aug. 17 panel discussion in Hendersonville was billed with the theme of “Family First.”
New grant increases mental health services to local schools
Childhood is romanticized as the most carefree time of one’s life. But anyone who endured bullying by classmates, or was raised with an alcoholic parent, or struggled to afford basic necessities, knows childhood has never been easy. There is widespread agreement that children’s lives have become more difficult with disruptions to education and family life […]
Dogwood Health Trust releases early childhood education data
The 66-page report depicts the landscape for working parents of children younger than 6 in WNC, early childhood education options and the education level and compensation of early childhood education providers.
Public weighs in on hospital applicants
Three hospital systems — AdventHealth, HCA Healthcare/Mission Health and Novant Health — are jousting for the opportunity to build a facility in Western North Carolina. During an Aug. 12 public hearing at A-B Tech, members of the public got to voice their opinions on who should provide the area’s newest hospital beds. Buncombe, Graham, Madison […]
Suicide prevention hotline debuts
On July 15, the federal government debuted 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a new, easy-to-remember dialing code that operates differently from National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
City, county file class-action lawsuit against HCA/Mission
Asheville and Buncombe County filed a class-action lawsuit against HCA Healthcare and Mission Health on July 27 in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit alleges HCA is attempting to monopolize health care in Western North Carolina. “The Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners felt it was necessary to take this step to […]
City, county districts stress school security
Uvalde, the deadliest school shooting in a decade, underscored persistent questions about school safety, stricter gun laws and ways to “harden” schools to help keep students and staff safe. In Asheville and Buncombe County, those topics are on the minds of families, law enforcement and school personnel.
Buncombe County announces four monkeypox cases
North Carolina has 53 cases of monkeypox as of July 29, according to a dashboard on the NCDHHS website. There have been no reported deaths from monkeypox in the U.S.
County, city strategize on opioid settlement spending
Representatives from the city and county recognize their respective spending must be intentional in focus and coordinated with each other’s work.
What happens when Asheville clears a homeless camp
The city of Asheville has contracted a company specializing in crime scene, hoarding and suicide cleanup to clear former homeless encampments.
More mental health services coming to WNC
Buncombe County is one of the 91 counties the Office of Rural Health has designated as experiencing a behavioral health professional shortage. In fact, the 2022 departmental map designates all 16 counties of Western North Carolina as experiencing a shortage.
Domestic violence nonprofit opens new Hendersonville facility
Safelight, a Hendersonville nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new facility June 29.
Q&A: Elizabeth Colton on life abroad, diplomacy and journalism
Growing up in Asheville nurtured Elizabeth Colton’s desire to travel. And she has Warren Wilson College, in part, to thank for it. Throughout her youth, Colton’s parents invited international students studying at the college to their home during holidays. In meeting these travelers, the young Colton knew she wanted to explore the world for herself. […]
Training service dogs helps veterans heal
Asheville can feel as if dogs have the run of the place. They are seemingly in every brewery and restaurant and on every trail. Nearly all of these animals are pets that might occasionally earn their keep by barking at a black bear in the trash or chasing a gopher from the tomato patch. But […]
Abortion ruling will impact Asheville’s Planned Parenthood
As the sole abortion provider in Western North Carolina, the Planned Parenthood in Asheville will become the closest legal abortion destination for millions of people.
RN rallies a common sight at Mission Hospital
Even at 8 a.m., June 2 was blazing hot outside Mission Hospital. Few trees lent little shade at the entrance to the complex. But the registered nurses who gathered that morning for a rally with National Nurses United are used to being on their feet for long periods of time in uncomfortable conditions. About 50 […]
Jubilee church hosts ‘microshelter’ for women
Monday is an important evening for the women living in the shelter at the Jubilee! Community. From 6-7:30 p.m., they break bread at the dining room table while they have “table talk.” It’s an opportunity to discuss the issues in their lives and collaborate on rules to make staying in their temporary home, the Jubilee […]
Natural health product sales increase during COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted more people to focus on their health, and the city’s many natural products stores rose to the occasion.