Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton was in Asheville April 19, the last stop in a seven-city tour to promote his Joining Our Businesses to Schools Commission. Dalton also touted the success of North Carolina's Learn and Earn early college initiative, which enables students who may not be a good fit with traditional schools to earn both […]
Author: Michael Muller
Showing 106-116 of 116 results
Let’s get political: League of Women Voters host candidates’ forum
Nearly 100 people turned up at UNCA's Reuter Center April 21 to hear five Republicans and one Democrat explain how they would represent North Carolina's 11th Congressional District if voters sent them to Washington in November. Candidates Dan Eichenbaum, Ed Krause, Jeff Miller, Greg Newman, Kenny West and Aixa Wilson all attended. Only Republican Jake […]
Party like it’s 2010
Democrats and Republicans in Buncombe County have been busy lately — the Democrats packed the ornate fifth-floor chamber of the Buncombe County Courthouse on April 17 to hold their annual party convention, while Republicans gathered the same day to celebrate the grand opening of their new headquarters in a defunct carpet warehouse on New Leicester […]
The Biz: Coffee philosphers
Coffee philosopher Have a chat with Dripolator owner Jay Weatherly and it's easy to forget you're talking with a successful businessman. Part urban planner, part philosopher, part community organizer, part sustainability advocate — in many ways, he epitomizes a new breed of Asheville entrepreneurs who refuse to let a recession slow them down. The three […]
Stomping for Nesbitt
Perennial Republican candidates R.L. Clark and Don Yelton are vying for the chance to challenge North Carolina Senate Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt this fall in the 49th District, which includes a chunk of Buncombe County. Clark served two terms in the state Senate in the 1990s, and Yelton most recently mounted an unsuccessful bid for […]
A primary primer
What does it take to win the Republican nomination for Congress in North Carolina's 11th District? Ask each of the six men hoping to take on incumbent Democrat Heath Shuler come November and you'll likely hear six different answers — ranging from grass-roots activism to experience to faith in God to who's got the most […]
The Biz: Shift (and slip) happens
Slip happens In an economy where businesses are struggling to maintain a positive bottom line, the last thing they need is unnecessary expense — especially in the form of lawsuits. The latest data shows that there were 167,452 emergency room visits and 624 deaths associated with slip and fall accidents — 73 percent of which […]
Bankers bearish on local economy
Five of the area's top banking executives addressed a crowd of nearly 80 financial-services professionals at an April 1 forum sponsored by the Great Smokies chapter of The Risk Management Association. The event was held at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce in downtown Asheville. Bankers' point of view: More regulation will likely translate into […]
The Biz: WNC Business Briefs
Puzzle solved Yet another homegrown Asheville business has found a creative way to turn adversity into something special. Ben Biber, the founder and president of BZ Kids, saw that local schools were hurting for basic educational supplies — and teachers were using their own money to buy them. Puzzled: First grader Makayla Brown, 7, plays […]
The Biz: WNC Business Briefs
Better business through poetry Internationally acclaimed poet, speaker and naturalist David Whyte will be in Asheville Saturday, May 8, for a morning lecture and afternoon workshop designed to help local businesses navigate the current economic climate. A favorite of Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits alike, Whyte is noted for his insight, wisdom and humor. "No […]
The Biz: Business news around WNC
Local attorney bakes cakes to drum up business You can't flip a channel without seeing a TV ad for a personal-injury attorney in Western North Carolina. But Asheville attorney Ruth Smith has come up with an innovative way to advertise her business: She's baking cakes. "I've just started my injury law firm, and although I've […]