Press release from City of Asheville: Important changes: -10-person maximum per bus to go into effect March 25. -More buses added to busiest routes to accommodate this need. -Route 170 will not run 7:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. trips (these buses will be reassigned to peak-hour busiest routes. In order to follow the guidelines in […]
News Bulletins
April 2 Buncombe County Board of Education meeting moved to 4:30 p.m.
Press release from Buncombe County Schools: The time of the Buncombe County Board of Education’s regular session on April 2, 2020 has been changed to 4:30 p.m. in the Minitorium via Electronic Means. At 3:30 p.m. a closed session will be held in the Beaucatcher Room for the purpose of discussing confidential personnel, student and […]
DuPont and Holmes State Forests temporarily closed
Press release from N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: N.C. Forest Service officials have temporarily closed DuPont State Recreational Forest and neighboring Holmes Educational State Forest effective at 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, restricting public access until further notice. All trails, trailheads and forest facilities are closed until further notice. Parking areas, both designated […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park closes
Press release from the National Parks Service: Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that all park areas, except the Foothills Parkway and the Spur, will close at noon on Tuesday, March 24 through Monday, April 6, in a continuing effort to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel […]
Mountain BizWorks offering new COVID-19 Rapid Response Loan
Press release from Mountain BizWorks: Mountain BizWorks is providing NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loans as as vital resource to help Western North Carolina small businesses be resilient and adaptive in the face of the corornavirus crisis. These are primarily designed to be a timely source of bridge loan financing until businesses can access SBA Disaster or […]
Burnsville ballad singer Bobby McMillon receives prestigious arts fellowship
Press release from South Arts: South Arts, the nonprofit regional arts service organization advancing Southern vitality through the arts, announces the recipients of two fellowship programs. Nine visual artists (one per state from AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN) will each receive a $5,000 State Fellowship; additionally, they are now in competition […]
U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest federal disaster loans to NC companies
Press release from U.S. Small Business Administration: The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to North Carolina small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today. SBA acted under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and […]
Mills River announces public park closures
Press release from the Town of Mills River: Effective March 23, 2020 the Town of Mills River has closed the following facilities to the public: • Dog Park • Playground • Basketball Courts • Tennis Courts These areas will remain closed until further notice. The walking trails and picnic shelter are available. Park visitors are reminded […]
Rep. Fisher named to Special House Committee on COVID-19 and to Education Working Group
Press release from the office of Rep. Susan Fisher: Rep. Susan C. Fisher was named to the North Carolina House Select Committee on COVID-19 and to the Education Work Group within that committee. “Public schools are always a top priority of mine,” noted Rep. Fisher. “The current crisis is not just a public health and economic […]
Gov. Cooper extends school closure date to May, orders group limit to 50 people
Press release from the office of Governor Roy Cooper: Today, Governor Roy Cooper ordered tighter limits on gatherings and extended school closures statewide to May 15, 2020. The order also closed some businesses that require close social interaction and limited visitors to long-term care centers. The Executive Order’s effective date will be Wednesday, March 25. “Each […]
MountainTrue to host online information session
Press release from MountainTrue: In an effort to reduce public exposure to the COVID-19 virus, regional conservation group MountainTrue canceled its previously scheduled series of in-person comment parties and events and moved them online. On April 7, MountainTrue will host a online info session during which Josh Kelly, MountainTrue’s public lands biologist, will present the […]
Rotary Club of Asheville responds to COVID-19
Press release from the Rotary Club of Asheville: The Rotary Club of Asheville makes changes to help those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. For the first time in our memory the Rotary Club of Asheville weekly meetings have been suspended. Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, communities worldwide are looking for additional support […]
Asheville City Schools extends at-home learning through May 15th
Press release from Asheville City Schools: During today’s press conference, Governor Roy Cooper announced all public schools across North Carolina will remain closed through Friday, May 15th. This, of course, includes Asheville City Schools. As a result, please know: Along with our dedicated teachers, the Curriculum and Instruction Department will continue to facilitate at-home learning. […]
Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas take new steps in wake of COVID-19
Press release from Duke Energy: Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas today announced a comprehensive set of steps to help customers, communities and employees manage the economic hardship caused by COVID-19. “This is an unprecedented crisis that requires an unprecedented response,” said Lynn Good, Duke Energy’s chairman, president and CEO. “We hope the customers and […]
Hola Community Arts offers COVID-19 updates for Spanish speakers
Press release from Hola Community Arts: As government officials warn about the dangers of the coronavirus, they’re doing so predominantly in English. They’re potentially not reaching the 1.3 million Spanish speakers in the Carolinas who aren’t proficient in English to make sure they know how to stay healthy. “Pandemic messaging isn’t effective if people can’t […]
NCDOT crews to repair New Leicester Highway locations
Press release from N.C. Department of Transportation: N.C. Department of Transportation crews will repair two significant depressions on the north end of New Leicester Highway starting on Monday, March 23. The repair projects — one just north of Meadows Town Road and the other just east of Sandy Mush Creek Road — will take about […]
Blue Ridge Parkway announces closures to park restrooms and camping shelter
Press release from National Park Service: The Blue Ridge Parkway is announcing additional modifications to its operations in support of federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. As conditions change in our nation and region, the Parkway will continue to implement operational changes that help ensure the health and safety of […]
City of Hendersonville announces additional closures and restrictions
Press release from the City of Hendersonville: The City of Hendersonville has announced additional closures and restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The City of Hendersonville Operations Center at 305 Williams Street is now closed to visitor traffic. The public is asked to use phone and online options to conduct all business. Any […]
Blue Ridge Humane Society continues to offer pet owner support
Press release from Blue Ridge Humane Society: With the added stress of the coronavirus crisis, Blue Ridge Humane Society would like to outline the resources they are able to provide to the public. Blue Ridge Humane seeks to not only find new loving homes for pets in need but also help keep current pets with […]
Public urged to report suspected COVID-19 fraud
Press release from the Department of Justice: U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray of the District of North Carolina today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov. In coordination with the Department of […]
All APD buildings now closed to the public
Press release from City of Asheville: In an effort to ensure the highest safety for our police officers and Asheville Police Department (APD) personnel, as well as decrease the chances for the spread of COVID-19 within our community, all APD buildings, including the Municipal Building and all district resource centers, will close to the public […]