Press release From REI In thinking of things to be thankful for this holiday season Friends of the Smokies, and any hiker who has hiked the Chimney Tops trail to the spectacular mountain ridge views, are thankful to Recreational Equipment Inc. for helping fund the work of the Smokies Trails Forever program. REI donated $5,000 […]
News Bulletins
Asheville’s Green Opportunities gets $800,000 food-insecurity grant
Press release from Green Opportunities Green Opportunities, a nonprofit, community development corporation, has been awarded a $800,000 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant to create jobs and reduce food deserts in Asheville’s riverside communities. “These efforts will sustain themselves long after the grant monies are utilized, employing at least 34 people by […]
City announces nominees for downtown Asheville BID board
From the Asheville City Council agenda, the proposed members for the board of the proposed downtown Business Improvement District: At the October 9, 2012, formal meeting, City Council adopted a resolution creating a downtown Municipal Service District, also known as a Business Improvement District, in downtown Asheville. The resolution states “that a permanent board of […]
Asheville NC DENR staff receive 2012 Pigeon River award
Full announcement from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: RALEIGH – Staff with the state Division of Water Quality’s Asheville office have been honored with the 2012 Pigeon River Award for significant contributions to protecting Haywood County’s land and water resources. The Haywood Waterways Association presented the award Thursday night to the […]
Seven Falls fraud case widened: Two more more men charged with Vinson, C-T reports
News report from the Asheville Citizen-Times, Clarke Morrison A federal grand jury has indicted two more people in a massive fraud scheme involving the failed Seven Falls development. Accountant George M. Gabler and appraiser Aaron Ollis are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aiding and abetting bank fraud in the 34-page superseding indictment […]
APD investigates afternoon shooting in West Asheville
Press release from Asheville Police Department The Asheville Police Department responded to a shooting in the parking lot of McDonald’s located at 401 Smokey Park Highway. APD and paramedics located 32 year old, Joshua Wilson Early, of Canton suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Early was sitting in a vehicle in the parking […]
State investigates farm waste spill in French Broad River, Asheville CItizen-Times reports
News report from the Asheville Citizen-Times, by Sabian Warren A Fletcher dairy farm with a history of past environmental violations is under investigation by the state for what officials call a major spill of raw animal waste into a popular section of the French Broad River. N.C. Division of Water Quality inspectors found waste entering […]
Asheville Council member Marc Hunt: strengthen watershed conservation easement
Full announcement from Marc Hunt: Between 1916 and 1927, the foresighted citizens and leaders of Asheville acquired the 17,000-acre North Fork and Bee Tree watersheds near Black Mountain to be protected forever as pristine sources of clean drinking water for the community. In 1996, the City took a step toward ensuring that permanent protection by […]
Mars Hill College winter graduation set for Dec. 4
Here’s the press release from Mars Hill College: Mars Hill College will confer bachelor’s degrees on an expected fifty-five graduates at winter graduation ceremonies on Friday, December 14, at 5 pm, in Moore Auditorium. The most common majors are education, business and social work. Keynote speaker for the graduation will be James P. Cain, former […]
UNCA singers to make sixth White House appearance
Press release from UNC Asheville News Services The UNC Asheville Singers, also known as the Studio 18 vocal ensemble, will perform at the White House for a reception hosted by President and Mrs. Obama and attended by hundreds of dignitaries and invited guests. The ensemble will board a bus for the nation’s capital December 12; […]
Details on the Dec. 6 meeting about River Arts District Transportation Project
Here’s the info via the city of Asheville website: Meeting announced for River Arts District Transportation Project On Thursday, December 6, the City of Asheville will host a public meeting to present information and receive feedback about the River Arts District Transportation Project, a section of the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay, TIP U-5019. This is the […]
All N.C. Flags to be half-staff for National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Press release from Office of the Governor Governor Perdue today ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities be lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, December 7, in observance of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Defined in Public Law 103-308, the designation memorializes the surprise attack of December 7, […]
Most of NC, including WNC face drought conditions
Here’s the press release from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Lack of adequate rainfall has thrust 65 counties into a moderate drought and left another 16 counties abnormally dry for this time of year. “Although we still haven’t had any reports of public water supplies being affected, we are seeing impacts to […]
Two UNCA faculty members win literature awards
Press release From UNC Asheville News Services Richard Chess and Katherine Min of UNC Asheville’s literature faculty were both awarded prestigious honors this fall semester. Chess was named Western Region Distinguished Poet by the North Carolina Poetry Society and its Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series. Min was named the winner of the Sherwood Anderson Foundation Fiction […]
NC Justice Center: New unemployment insurance proposal will harm NC families
Full announcement from the NC Justice Center: RALEIGH (December 5, 2012) – Policymakers unveiled a proposal this morning that will cause extreme harm to unemployed families and North Carolina’s economy for years to come by severely cutting unemployment benefits, eligibility, and the duration of benefits, all while doing nothing to address the long-term financial footing […]
Government internship deadline approaches, final day to apply is Dec. 10
Press release From the North Carolina Department of Administration RALEIGH – North Carolina residents attending a college, university, technical institute or community college have until Monday, Dec. 10, to apply for one of up to 75 paid state government internships available for summer 2013. The 2013 State Government Internship Guide describing all available opportunities and […]
UNCA Chancellor Anne Ponder named National Collegiate Honors Council Fellow
Press release From UNC Asheville News Services UNC Asheville Chancellor Anne Ponder has been named a Fellow by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). Ponder was among several higher education leaders to receive this honor, bestowed at the NCHC’s annual conference, held last month in Boston. NCHC chooses Fellows based upon sustained contribution to honors […]
Asheville’s transit system rolls out nine new buses
Full announcement from the city of Asheville: ASHEVILLE – Upgrades to Asheville’s transit fleet continue with the replacement of nine buses with newer models. The new buses, two hybrids and seven diesels, began partial service this week and are expected to be in full operation within the next ten days. The streamlined models are expected […]
‘Defend our Water’ protest planned for Dec. 8
Here’s the message from organizers via City Council member Chris Pelly’s email newsletter: Dear Asheville Neighbor, On election day last month 86% of Asheville voters said ‘No’ to the idea of selling or leasing the Asheville water system. In fact, as AC-T op-ed writer John Miall commented after the election, “I can’t remember a time […]
Artist Ian Wilkinson receives NEA grant for Colorado mural project
Dispatch from Kyle Sherard: Grant awards for the National Endowment for the Arts’ 2013 fiscal year were announced on Tuesday evening. Among the recipients, specifically the “Art Works I” awards, was Asheville painter and muralist Ian Wilkinson. The following text is seeded from the NEA website: Colorado Adams State College Alamosa, CO $10,000 Category: Access […]
State Board of Education, legislators divided over virtual charter schools, reports NC Policy Watch
from NC Policy Watch by Sara Ovaska The N.C. Board of Education is poised to pass rules Wednesday that would restrict the way virtual charter schools operate in the state, despite the objection of legislative leaders that say the state board is overstepping its powers. The state board, the entity that sets rules and oversees […]