FROM THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES: … Highland Brewing Co.’s new Razor Wit was named one of the best beers of 2012 by Esquire magazine. The light summer brew was one of two dozen beers given the national attention at Esquire.com. It was the only North Carolina brew on the list, but Esquire also included beers from […]
News Bulletins
Fun on the coast: Elizabeth City preps for summer activities
PRESS RELEASE (Elizabeth City Area Convention and Visitor Bureau) Can you feel it? It’s almost here — summer! With long days and breezy nights, it’s the ideal season for families and friends to break away from the work-a-day schedule for a little old-fashioned fun. For a close-in getaway with a relaxed vibe and lots to […]
N.C. News Service reports that phone companies are no longer required to provide rural landlines
FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA NEWS SERVICE Landline phones may seem less of a necessity for city dwellers, but some in rural communities with limited wireless options count on getting a dial tone at their homes. In North Carolina, phone companies no longer are obligated to provide those landlines, as the result of changes made in […]
Recycling up 87 percent with big blue bins
Here’s the press release from the city of Asheville: ASHEVILLE – City of Asheville residents stepped up their recycling game in a big way following the introduction of “Big Blue,” the 96-gallon carts rolled out in April, with a whopping 87 percent increase in recyclables collected over April 2011. April was the first full month […]
Learn about our star: June 8 “Evening at PARI” session focuses on the sun
The presentation is part of PARI’s monthly Evening at PARI series and will be conducted by PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth. “The Sun has generated a great deal of interest lately, with a solar eclipse in May and the Transit of Venus in June,” said Whitworth. “The Sun holds the keys to energy and life […]
This Friday Asheville firefighters hit the streets to fill boots and raise money for MDA
From the press release: Asheville, NC. – Members of the Asheville Fire Department will brave the heat with boots in hand on Friday, May 25, 2012 from 10:00 AM -6:00 PM as they station themselves at the intersection of Haywood Rd. & Brevard Rd.. They will be raising money for their Fill-the-Boot fundraising campaign, with […]
McDowell County’s new animal shelter faces $1,000 fine
From the McDowell News: The county’s new animal shelter, operated by McDowell County Animal Outreach, is facing a $1,000 fine from the state because an inspector found in April that the conditions there had not improved since a previous inspection the month before. In addition, another state inspection conducted last week shows problems with cleanliness […]
WakeMed and UNC Health Care reach an agreement
From the press release from the North Carolina General Assembly: Raleigh, N.C. – With the support of Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, Representative Harold Brubaker and Senator Tom Apodaca worked with WakeMed Health & Hospitals and UNC Health Care to develop partnerships in important areas of medical education and health […]
Park Ridge Health welcomes new medical-surgical director
From the press release from Park Ridge Health: Hendersonville, N.C. (May 23, 2012) – Park Ridge Health is excited to welcome Leigh Angel, M.S.N., R.N., C.N.M.L., as Director of the Medical-Surgical Unit. Angel has provided patient care in Western North Carolina over the past 10 years in various capacities, including as a staff nurse, unit […]
Pack Square Park Conservancy considers future plans, releases statement
Earlier this week, blogger “Ashvegas” (aka Asheville Citizen-Times staffer Jason Sandford) reported via Twitter, “The Pack Square Conservancy has decided to disband, cease operation.” Later, Ashvegas updated the report, noting on his blog, “The nonprofit created to oversee the redevelopment of Asheville’s crown jewel of a downtown park is considering its options now that the […]
Eugenics compensation bill passes first legislative hurdle
PRESS RELEASE (North Carolina Dept. of Administration): Rep. Larry Womble, a longtime champion of eugenics victims, made an emotional return to the North Carolina General Assembly on May 22 to urge colleagues in the Judicial Committee towards a favorable recommendation on H974, the Eugenics Compensation Program bill. “This has been an 11-year fight for me, […]
NC State University Professor publishes study on Twitter use during disasters
From NC State University news services: A study from North Carolina State University shows how people used Twitter following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, highlighting challenges for using the social media tool to share information. The study also indicates that social media haven’t changed what we communicate so much as how quickly we can […]
NC State Wildlife announces rules for 8th annual photo competition
From a NC Wildlife Resources Press Release- The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will hold the eighth annual Wildlife in North Carolina photo competition, with entries accepted from June 1 until Sept. 1, 2012. This year, rules require entrants to be either a current magazine subscriber or younger than 18. “Last year, nearly 1,000 photographers entered […]
Haywood Road community meeting to be held May 30 at Vance Elementary
From the press release: The Haywood Road Vision Plan Committee along with the West Asheville Business Association and the City of Asheville will hold a community meeting concerning the development of a Haywood Road Vision Plan on Wednesday, May 30 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of Vance Elementary School, 98 Sulphur Springs Road. Committee […]
WCQS features “This I believe” essays from local students, will be aired May 28 – June 8
From the press release from WCQS: In 1951 journalist Edward R. Murrow asked famous and everyday people to write essays about their beliefs – and to record them for broadcast. The This I Believe essays became a touchstone for radio listeners across the country – giving voice to the core values of a nation. This […]
Xpress Food Writer Mackensy Lunsford named as finalist for Altweekly awards
Mountain Xpress Food Writer Mackensy Lunsford has been named a finalist in the 2012 Altweekly Awards for publications with a circulation under 50,000. Winners will be announced in the next few weeks, but here are the finalists: Independent Weekly (NC): The man who designed the Oreo cookie and A brief history of pimento cheese by […]
Man shoots himself near Haywood County line after police chase this morning
The details are scant, but here’s the report from the AC-T: “Smoky Park Highway near the Haywood County line was shut down this morning as deputies investigate a chase. Authorities said officers with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office pursued a man driving a pickup truck around 11 a.m. The driver stopped, and as officers approached […]
North Carolina gets new tool to track and find Medicaid fraud
From WRAL: RALEIGH, N.C. — Last year, North Carolina spent about $10 billion on taxpayer-funded Medicaid claims, covering everything from doctors’ bills to mental health care for low-income residents. Spotting scams in all that money has been difficult, until now. With help from IBM, the state has a new tool to crack down on fraudulent […]
Fletcher-based kayak maker looks to hire twice its initial estimate of workers for new plant
Blueridgenow.com (the Hendersonville Times-News website) reports: Business is so good for Legacy Paddlesports, the kayak manufacturer is hiring twice as many workers as originally anticipated for its new plant in Fletcher. In January, CEO Bill Medlin said the $4.5 million facility would initially employ about 50 workers, but now he’s looking to hire as many […]
Lenoir-Rhyme University, Catawba Valley Astronomy Club hosts public observing night Friday, May 25
PRESS RELEASE Lenoir-Rhyne University in conjunction with the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club is sponsoring a “Public Observing Night.” This event will be held on Friday, May 25, weather permitting, at the Minges Science Building Observatory on the L-R campus. Observing will begin at 8:00 pm and conclude at approximately 10:30 pm. The public is invited […]
Dine at Vinnie’s tomorrow night and 10 percent of proceeds will go to WCMS Foundation
From an announcement from the Western Carolina Medical Society: Dine out TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 23 from 5:00pm – 9:00pm at Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian restaurant and provide needed health care to our uninsured and low income population of Buncombe County. Vinnie’s will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation.