Planting a seed

In the former Square D plant in Emma, vacant since the electrical-components manufacturer moved operations to Mexico in 2005, Jennifer Lapidus perches on a 1-ton “tote” of grain. Behind her stand dozens more just like it; in front of her looms a towering wooden mill. There’s enough grain here to make 37,000 loaves of bread. […]

WNC poised for economic growth, panelists say at Advantage West event

Touting the success of Harrah’s Casino and such improvements as a state-of-the-art school and a rural broadband network undertaken by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian, panelists at Advantage West’s annual Economic Summit — including Vice Chief Larry Blythe, pictured — said that Western North Carolina has the ingredients to thrive. (photos by Max Cooper)

The Asheville Argus: Birds, Part I


I park my car in front of the Masonic Temple, and between there and the bistro I encounter two young boys doing their best to kick pigeons on the sidewalk, a half-dozen street performers, and a man screaming violently at passersby. In spite of all of this, it’s the enormous falcon that draws a crowd.

Eyes on the street

Walk out in the street and ask anybody — ask the beggars or the tourists, the hippies or the Bible thumpers, the artists or the accountants — and they’ll tell you the world is going to hell. As a photographer, this means good things for me. I've been shooting pictures in Asheville for a decade […]

Venture Local: Conference explores the local-business movement

On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council will host Venture Local, a forum that convenes investors and business owners for a discussion of the growing local-business movement. And the night before, Asheville Green Drinks will host Slow Money NC’s co-founder, Carol Peppe Hewitt, for a discussion about the importance of investing in local “food sheds.”