A “doughnut hole” of contamination in DuPont State Recreational Forest likely will be cleaned up in the coming year as a remediation plan moves forward. State officials held a public comment session on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Transylvania County Public Library, but only a half dozen people attended and just one came forward to comment. […]
Before taking the stage at a local middle school to talk about HIV/AIDS prevention, Michael Harney overheard one pre-teen boy offer a preview to another. “He’s going to pray to the vagina,” one boy said. Apparently, word gets around, says Harney. “I fall on my knees and offer thanks for vaginas because none of us […]
Rape cases result in convictions only 3 percent of the time, and when they do, a light sentence can add to the trauma many victims experience.
The inaugural Unsung Hero Awards ceremony took nearly a year to plan, according to Rasheeda McDaniels of the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services, one of three sponsors. The others were UNC Asheville and Date My City. “It was worth every minute,” McDaniels said as the nearly three-hour program ended Sunday evening. The […]
The third annual African Americans in Western North Carolina Conference is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 27-30 at the YMI Cultural Center downtown and the University of North Carolina Asheville Sherrill Center. The conference activities are free and open to everyone, and include a reception at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, panel discussions and documentary films […]
At the Pisgah Legal annual poverty forum, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman noted that the U.S. ranks next to last of industrialized nations in child poverty rates. Photo by Leslie Boyd
With numbers of sexually transmitted illnesses rising across the nation, local and state public health officials are particularly worried about the impact of a new and unique illness: the Zika virus. Zika is transmitted by infected mosquitoes, but unlike other such illnesses, it can also be transmitted by sexual contact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. The […]
Emerald ash borers have been detected in WNC, and that’s not good news for the region’s forests.
Mission Health has confirmed that a patient was treated for the Zika virus earlier this month. Dr. Chris DeRienzo, chief quality officer for Mission, said in a statement released by the hospital that the person was treated and released during the weekend of Aug. 13. “The virus was not contracted locally,” the statement said. “The […]
A new partnership between Mission Health and GE Healthcare, announced at a press conference Friday morning, could save the health care system and consumers more than $40 million in unnecessary health care costs over the decadelong course of the project.The partnership calls for optimization of imaging experience and use, as well as easing patient-care […]
At a time when the nation is reeling from racially fueled violence and grieving the losses of young African-American men and five Dallas police officers, a small haven of racial love, respect and understanding in downtown Asheville is gearing up to celebrate its success with a 150th birthday party (see box, “If You Go”). […]
Brad Blackburn wanted to visit his old school one more time before it’s demolished next month. He came on Friday with his wife, Shelly, and mother, Bobbie, who both were teachers at the school, and decorated with walls with their names and those of his two sons, also alumni. Asheville Middle School, a fixture on […]
Asheville author Ashley English practices what she preaches by hosting a community potluck to celebrate the release of the softcover version of her book, Handmade Gatherings.
In a town where tourists come for the food, people who live on the margins of society often feel unwelcome in restaurants, even if they have the money to pay for a meal. But at 12 Baskets Café, they are welcome and valued.
A route has finally been chosen, but numerous details about the long-delayed I-26 Connector through Asheville — including the scope of the project and how the new roadway will affect nearby residents — remain unclear. After decades of debate, the N.C. Department of Transportation has settled on a route for the Interstate 26 project through […]
Yarn aficionados will be out in force this weekend for the Western North Carolina Yarn Crawl. With 11 locally owned yarn shops participating, knitters, crocheters and weavers likely will find everything they’re looking for. In preparation for the event, Purl’s Yarn Emporium owner Elizabeth Schell was out on Wall Street in downtown Asheville on Monday […]
The so-called Bathroom Bill is no more about bathrooms than the so-called Voter ID bill was about identification, the Rev. Dr. William Barber II told a gathering of about 150 people at Hill Street Baptist Church on Tuesday, April 26. “Read the rest of it,” Barber said. The new law, HB2, takes away the rights […]
What Emily Dawson wants in life is a workplace where she doesn’t feel threatened. At least that would be a good start. Instead, she feels more threatened since the passage of House Bill 2, which she says relegates her to a restroom full of men, who likely will be hostile at the thought of seeing […]
The Mother Earth News Fair returned April 9-10 to the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher, bringing to the area a host of workshops, demonstrations, vendors and exhibits related to homesteading, natural health, small-scale livestock production, renewable energy, gardening, green building and more.
Asheville organizations rely on partnerships and volunteers to offer meals to hundreds of people in need each week.
More than 150 workshops and demonstrations will cover everything from fermenting vegetables to cheesemaking, basketry and soapmaking, living off the grid, getting the most out of a small garden and raising chickens.
