Twenty years ago, Sen. Martin Nesbitt spearheaded an initiative that aimed to make sure Western North Carolina wasn’t ignored when it came to bringing money, industry and jobs to the region. That initiative was the nonprofit agency Advantage West Economic Development Group, which covered a 23-county area, helped bring companies like Linamar and Sierra Nevada to […]
Author: Margaret Williams
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From the ‘Raleigh Report’ to ‘Politically Purple,’ get your state news in Asheville
In addition to regular updates by Mark Barrett with the Asheville Citizen-Times, there are two locally based sources for getting a fix on the news in Raleigh, where North Carolina legislators meet — one from former Mountain Xpress editor Nelda Holder and the other from the nonprofit, online media source Carolina Public Press.
The Atlantic releases story on the CTS contamination
Contamination from the long-closed CTS site on Mills Gap Road continues to garner national attention. The latest is “Don’t Drink the Water,” a story in The Atlantic magazine by Kevin Maurer. The story reviews the history of the contamination, from reports in 1990 to the “day the EPA showed up at [Terry Rice’s] door with bottled […]
Mountain Xpress earns first- and second-place in NC Press Association awards
Mountain Xpress won first place in two categories in this year’s N.C. Press Awards: Education Reporting and General Excellence for Newspaper Websites.
More snow? Get ready, NC, says governor’s office
With more snow and the chance for hazardous road conditions, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory says he’ll activate the State Emergency Operations Center tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 25. And Public Safety Sec. Frank L. Perry urges motorists to “stay off the roads adversely impacted by weather unless it is absolutely necessary to travel.” Here’s the governor’s full release: State […]
Thinking of spring? PARI notes the vernal equinox March 20
THE VERNAL EQUINOX (February 25, 2015) – Astronomers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute point out that at 6:45 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 20, the sun will cross the celestial equator in the sky heading north. This will be the first moment of spring. What is the astronomical significance of this event? At this […]
Graham County awarded $500,000 in NC rural infrastructure grants
Graham County — with the highest unemployment in Western North Carolina — has been awarded $500,000 to support the reuse of a 571,869 sq. ft. building in Robbinsville. The building was constructed in 1958 and has been vacant for three months. Oak Valley Hardwoods processes saw and dry lumber to be sold as a raw material. Oak […]
Local nonprofits thank Omni Grove Park Inn for donations
The Asheville City Schools Foundation, Children First/Communities in Schools of Buncombe County, Eliada Homes, the American Legion, Homeward Bound and the Council on Aging of Buncombe County publicly thank the Omni Grove Park Inn for helping raise almost$61,000 for their collective causes. Here are more details from Erica Bell, director of Development for the Asheville City Schools Foundation: […]
WNC colleges boost regional economy by $2 billion, study says
Earlier this week, North Carolina’s institutions of higher education released a study indicating a $63.5 billion economic impact in the state. Today, Western North Carolina’s colleges and universities point to the regional impact in this release from UNC Asheville: Public higher education institutions in Western North Carolina are responsible for injecting at least $2 billion […]
And the Wild South conservation-award nominees are…
Local nominees for conservation nonprofit Wild South include Jack Igelman of Carolina Public Press, Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen-Times, William David and Second Gear. Winners will be announced at the nonprofit’s 7th annual Green Gala Friday, March 20, at the Orange Peel in Asheville. Here’s more information about the awards: Wild South Announces 7th Annual Conservation Award Nominees ASHEVILLE, […]
EPA approves Eastern Band of Cherokee water-quality standards program
The reservation lands in and around Cherokee, N.C., have about 200 miles of streams with approximately 100 square miles of wetlands, and are known for the trout fishery, species diversity, clear mountain streams, and scenic views. Now they have the authority to administer water-quality standards under the Clean Water Act — one of only three […]
Stephanie Pace Brown and Matthew Burril join Airport Authority
The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority has two new board members: Stephanie Pace Brown and Matthew Burril. Here’s the GARAA press release about their appointments: ‘The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority welcomes new board members The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority (GARAA) is pleased to announce the addition of two new board members, Stephanie Pace Brown and […]
New study cites increased sulphur dioxide emissions at Duke’s Asheville plant
Beyond Coal and the Sierra Club released a study today, Feb. 19, indicating that Duke Energy’s Asheville plant may be exceeding federally regulated levels of sulphur dioxide, a toxin that aggravates asthma and causes other health problems. “Somewhere in the Asheville area, that [federal] standard is being exceeded about once every three to four days,” said Howard Gebhart of Air […]
Asheville officials urges residents to stay off roads tonight
As N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory also urged today, Asheville city officials asked residents to stay off the roads tonight: “As temperatures drop overnight, many roads are expected to refreeze creating dangerous driving conditions. Any unnecessary travel on roads is strongly discouraged. Additionally, extreme low temperatures and wind chill will make exposure a danger unless multiple […]
NC governor urges caution as weather problems continue
Stay off the roads if possible, says N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory: “This is not your typical North Carolina winter storm where the sunshine melts the snow and ice in a day or two. The extended low temperatures and black ice likely will make this a dangerous situation for several days.”
What’s plan for managing Cold Mountain Game Land? Public meeting March 9 in Clyde
Wildlife Commission Seeks Comments on Cold Mountain Game Land CLYDE, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2015) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is holding a public meeting on March 9 in Clyde to seek input on developing a management plan for Cold Mountain Game Land located in Haywood County. The meeting will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and will […]
Area shelters continue CODE PURPLE, offering emergency services
Area shelters continue CODE PURPLE activation and offer emergency cold weather services ASHEVILLE – In response to anticipated wintry weather, area shelters will offer emergency cold weather services to people who are currently experiencing homelessness and would not otherwise have a safe, warm place to stay. To minimize risk to people in Asheville and Buncombe County, when the temperature falls […]
Carolina Public Press receives $50,000 grant from Ethics & Excellence Journalism Foundation
The Ethics & Excellence Journalism Foundation awarded $50,000 to Asheville nonprofit Carolina Public Press to hire a managing editor to implement content strategies, manage reporting efforts, and oversee digital publishing programs.
NC News Service: Researcher finds social class impacts relationships
Match Made in Heaven? NC Researcher Finds Social Class Impacts Relationships Stephanie Carson CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Your compatibility with your partner may come down to dollars and cents, according to the research of a Duke University professor. Sociologist Jessi Streib studied couples in which each partner grew up in a different socio-economic class and […]
Brevard College will host Feb. 13 Global Divestiture Day
Earlier this year, the University of Maine System Board of Trustees voted to divest all direct holdings from coal companies. The action is part of a global movement to go “fossil free,” and on Friday, Feb. 13, — Global Divestment Day — Brevard College students, faculty and staff will gather on campus to call for the […]
Get ready for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count
Do you know a pine siskin from a redpoll? A Carolina wren from a song sparrow? Then get ready for the National Audobon Society’s annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Last year, bird watchers from 135 countries participated in the event, documenting nearly 4,300 species on more than 144,000 bird checklists. This year, it takes flight over […]