“But whatever you decide, please don’t let anything stop you from voting!”
Author: Xpress Contributor
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From NC Health News: Ticks continue creeping southward in North Carolina
The coronavirus pandemic may have slowed reporting of tick-borne diseases in the state, but the insects are more prevalent than ever and are heading south, some carrying relatively new diseases.
From NC Health News: Summer camps get creative to carry on in pandemic
Some kids have faced social isolation during the pandemic with schools closing and being unable to see their friends. Some youth camps opened their doors in the summer so kids could engage with peers and learn instead of having their eyes glued to a screen.
From NC Health News: Rural providers get creative with mental health outreach post-COVID
The pandemic has isolated rural residents with mental health needs. But these North Carolina providers are finding creative ways to connect.
From CPP: Working for HCA: Asheville nurses protest conditions at Mission Hospital, win ruling on forming union
Registered nurses at Mission go public with frustrations over alleged staff shortages and safety concerns during pandemic, as the National Labor Relations Board says votes on union representation will be counted Sept. 16.
From CPP: Not ready for prime time? Virtual school decision follows Asheville’s glitch-plagued virtual meeting
NC schools struggle with options, as teachers oppose in-person learning. Some districts embrace virtual instruction contracts with for-profit company.
From CPP: School districts face concerns from NC teachers over reopening plans
Teachers fear for their health under some NC school district plans, with other districts moving toward online-only instruction to begin school year.
From NC Health News: Waiting for a kidney during a pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on both routine kidney care and the number of transplants. At the same time, the estimated 37 million American adults with chronic kidney disease are at greater risk of contracting the virus.
From NC Health News: North Carolina’s coronavirus surge, explained in three charts
With more numbers than ever, it can be hard to understand the magnitude of the pandemic in North Carolina. N.C. Health News created three charts to help make sense of coronavirus in the state.
There goes Vance …
Exploring the Swannanoa Gap
The route through the Swannanoa Gap — where present-day Old U.S. 70 and Mill Creek Road intersect — was first carved out by Archaic Indians as they came up out of the Appalachian foothills and followed Swannanoa Creek on the way to hunting and gathering opportunities in the mountains. Later, Buncombe County’s first white settlers climbed through the gap as they moved into the area. Historian Dan Pierce shares the gap’s history and culture, as well as suggestions for exploration.
From CPP: Program supports WNC farmers and offers food relief during pandemic
With farmers losing access to customers and many people facing food insecurity during pandemic, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project offers a solution.
Help protect water quality in WNC’s national forests
“Right now, the U.S. Forest Service is drafting the next forest management plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests … and, unfortunately, the current draft is inadequate in a few very important ways when it comes to protecting water quality.”
WNC’s Latino farmworkers feel COVID-19 impacts
As “congregate living settings,” migrant farmworker camps have been listed as high-risk locations for virus transmission — not just by counties throughout Western North Carolina, but by state health officials and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Asheville hip-hop pioneer MC Huggs remembered for his talents and generosity
Fellow local hip-hop artist Michael “Foul Mouth Jerk” Capra pays tribute to his late friend, who laid the foundation for Asheville’s rap scene.
From CPP: Governor: Masks mandatory in NC; Phase 2 restrictions extended
Masks will be required in public places on honor system except when eating or drinking. Businesses that don’t require masks may be cited.
From North Carolina Health News: As COVID-19 threatened western N.C., a new approach to fighting it in long-term care
Well before COVID-19 hit Western North Carolina, Henderson County formed a strike team to respond to outbreak in long-term care facilities. As the months wore on, the team proved invaluable to staff and residents at Cherry Springs Village, an assisted living facility in Hendersonville.
J Hackett on wounds old and new
J Hackett spoke with Xpress on June 2 about his experiences as a black community leader during the coronavirus pandemic and, now, the protests and grief experienced locally in response to George Floyd’s death on May 25 at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
From CPP: Asheville police action at protest medic station draws outrage
Police chief describes strike against medic station as preemptive because water bottles have been thrown on previous nights.
From CPP: Media coalition sues Cooper, cabinet agencies for COVID-19 records
Carolina Public Press and other news media organizations filed a lawsuit May 28 to obtain public records relating to state’s tracking and handling of COVID-19 crisis.
A portrait from Hot Springs during COVID-19
As of May 25, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, there are zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hot Springs. However, the town is still following statewide protocols to help flatten the curve of coronavirus infections, and businesses such as Laughing Heart Lodge have borne the impacts.