Press release from City of Hendersonville: Hendersonville, NC (January 31, 2025) – The City of Hendersonville regrets to announce that Patton Pool will not be opening for the 2025 season due to extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The facility sustained significant impacts, and an estimated timeline for reopening has not yet been established. City […]
News Bulletins
Carrie Buchanan named executive director of Learning Pathways at William Randolph Campus
Press release from Asheville City Schools: Asheville City Schools is pleased to announce the appointment of Carrie Buchanan as the new Executive Director of Learning Pathways at the William Randolph Campus replacing Dr. Darwin Carter upon his departure from ACS. Buchanan brings 26 years of experience in education to the role, with a proven track […]
City of Asheville announces public meetings for community input on disaster recovery funding
Press release from City of Asheville: Asheville, NC – The City of Asheville invites residents to participate in one of six public meetings throughout February to learn about the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and provide input on your unmet needs related to Helene Recovery. The feedback received will influence the creation […]
Asheville Police seek public’s help in downtown hit and run
Press release from Asheville Police Department: Asheville, NC (January 31, 2025): The Asheville Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run that left a pedestrian with serious injuries in downtown Asheville last November. Officers responded near the intersection of Haywood Street and Montford Avenue around 5:42 p.m. […]
RiverLink, N.C. State Coop extension offering free streambank repair assistance
Press release from RiverLink: Asheville, NC. RiverLink is launching two new services to assist property owners whose streams have been damaged by Helene. First, in collaboration with the NC State Cooperative Extension Service, RiverLink is providing a series of free workshops demonstrating how to restore scoured, eroded streambanks and replant with native woody plants to […]
UNC Asheville sees an increase in Spring 2025 semester enrollment, improvements in student retention
Press release from UNC Asheville: UNC Asheville continues to see increases in enrollment, despite the challenges presented by Helene this past fall. The University’s student headcount for the Spring 2025 semester is 2,801, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to Spring 2024 and an increase of 4.7 percent from Spring 2023. Of that total, 2,594 […]
Buncombe County launches Helene recovery site
Press release from Buncombe County: Buncombe County has launched Buncombe Recovers, a Helene recovery website to keep the community informed on progress as we recover from the impacts of the storm. The site at engage.buncombecounty.org/buncomberecovers will provide up-to-date progress reporting, disaster recovery programs and resources, and information on rebuilding efforts. Buncombe Recovers will function as […]
Man sentenced to minimum of 70 months on charges of trafficking opium/heroin
Press release from Asheville Police Department: Asheville, NC (January 31, 2025): On Monday, a man was sentenced to serve at least 70 months in Buncombe County Court for charges stemming from an arrest in west Asheville in May 2024. On January 27, Dustin Ray Norton pled guilty to one count of felony trafficking in opium/heroin, […]
RSAA announces historic property conveyance as part of a bold reparative act
Press Release from Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville: On Saturday, January 25, 2025, history was made as the Presbytery of Western North Carolina (PWNC) unanimously voted to convey the former property of the West Asheville Presbytery Church to RSAA at no cost. This groundbreaking decision marks a transformative act of reparations, acknowledging Asheville’s painful history […]
Lassonde inaugurates its new Hendersonville production line and distribution center
Press release from Lassonde Industries Inc.: Lassonde Industries Inc. unveiled yesterday its newest beverage production line and expanded distribution center in North Carolina, the fruits of a $53 million investment. Media and local officials joined the company leadership for tours and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening. Lassonde’s Hendersonville manufacturing facility is now home […]
Electrify Asheville-Buncombe begins home energy navigator program
Press release from Let’s Go Electric: Electrify Asheville-Buncombe is now offering a Home Energy Navigator, a new service designed to support local homeowners as they transition to cleaner, more energy-efficient homes. Whether you’re interested in solar energy, heat pumps, induction cooking, or other home electrification options, the Home Energy Navigator program offers free, personalized consultations […]
Haywood County emergency Helene call center closing on February 7
Press release from Haywood County: After four months of providing vital support to our community during which we answered hundreds of calls and assisted many individuals, we have reached a point where the volume of calls at The Haywood County Emergency Helene Call Center, has significantly decreased to just one or two, and sometimes none, […]
Western North Carolinians to share their stories, needs, and priorities with state legislators
Press release from The NC Budget and Tax Center: The NC Budget & Tax Center, in partnership with the North Carolina Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) and MDC Inc., is hosting a telephone townhall event next Wed., Feb 5, for Western North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene to share their stories, voice their needs, and […]
Air quality forecast: yellow and green
Press release from Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency: Thursday, January 30, 2025, is a code YELLOW air quality forecast day for the valleys of Asheville and Buncombe County. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities. For the ridge tops, it is a code GREEN air quality forecast day. No health impacts are expected when air […]
UNC system campuses in Western North Carolina rebound with spring enrollment gains
Press release from The University of North Carolina System: Months after Hurricane Helene disrupted the academic year for thousands of students and their families, spring enrollment is up at the UNC System’s three mountain universities. Compared to spring of 2024, enrollment this semester increased 2.2% at Appalachian State University, 1.9% at University of North Carolina […]
North Carolina Helene recovery
Press release from FEMA: Key Messages One-day Agriculture Recovery Centers are underway and helping North Carolina farmers recover from Helene damage. Events are set Thursday and Friday in Buncombe and Watauga counties, respectively. Additional ones are set for Feb. 4 in Burke County and Feb. 5 in Avery County. Others are planned for Ashe, Mitchell […]
Asheville Police asking for public’s help locating missing man
Press release from Asheville Police Department: Asheville Police Asking For Public’s Help Locating Missing Man Asheville, NC (January 30, 2025): The Asheville Police Department is requesting the public’s help in their continued efforts to locate a missing person. This week marks the first anniversary of the disappearance of Gabriel Thor Crow. Gabriel Thor Crow (01/21/1997) […]
Buncombe County recovery updates
News release from Buncombe County: Changes to FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, Displaced Vehicle Tagging & County Pools to Reopen in May FEMA Disaster Recovery Center Update Due to building issues, FEMA will close its Disaster Recovery Center at the Asheville Mall at 6 p.m. on January 29. Two other centers will open in its place: […]
Air Quality Forecast Buncombe County – Yellow
Press release from NC Division of Air Quality: Thursday, January 30, 2025, is a code YELLOW air quality forecast day for the valleys of Asheville and Buncombe County. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities. For the ridge tops, it is a code GREEN air quality forecast day. No health impacts are expected when […]
Damaged Section of Swannanoa River Road Opens
Press release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation: Barricades have been removed and traffic is once again flowing on Swannanoa River Road (N.C. 81) between Tunnel Road (U.S. 70) and Fairview Road in east Asheville. N.C. Department of Transportation and contract crews completed an extensive reconstruction project near the WNC Nature Center in less […]
Upcoming events for photography book “Affrilachia: Testimonies”
Press release from historian Dr. Maia A. Surdam: Marshall-based photographer Chris Aluka Berry announces a series of events to celebrate the recent publication of his first book, Affrilachia: Testimonies (published in Oct. 2024 by The University Press of Kentucky). In this stunning visual history, Berry documentsthe broad spectrum of African Americans who have lived in the Appalachian region over the centuries. […]