N.C. State University’s North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share program provided more than $100,000 in matching funds to help eight N.C. agricultural producers secure nearly $1.2 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants. The recipients were announced last week, including Sunburst Trout Co. in Canton, N.C. The press release is below: Agricultural businesses receiving VAPG […]
News Bulletins
Applications now available for civilian police academy in Waynesville
From the Mountaineer: An upcoming free series of classes aimed at educating the public about behind-the-scenes action in the Waynesville Police Department will kick off in March and will offer people an opportunity to volunteer within the department. The six-week long civilian police academy will cover every topic including record keeping, canine patrol, search and […]
Macon County commissioners question term limit proposal
From Smoky Mountain News: If Macon County commissioners decide to impose term limits for the planning board, beleaguered planning members could become the only ones out of dozens serving on various county boards who are subject to limits on how many years they can serve. Historically, Macon County commissioners lacked enough volunteers to fill the […]
Hendersonville high school basketball player scores 1000th point
From the Times-News: The five seniors started the game and the five juniors closed it up for Hendersonville on Senior Night as the Bearcats put a strong finish to a rough start against Polk County on Tuesday night at Jim Pardue Gymnasium to make their record 20-0 with a 78-50 win. Senior Sam Wilkins needed […]
State political tremors continue; Myrick steps down, Blue may step up
Nine-term Congresswoman Sue Myrick of Mecklenburg County has announced that she is stepping down and will not run in the upcoming election. Her position is considered a “safe seat” Republican stronghold, and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Pendergraph is expected to run for the Republican nomination with Myrick’s blessing. In the Democratic aisles, state Sen. Dan […]
Volunteers sought for invasive plant control event
From the press release: The Western North Carolina Alliance, as a partner of the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Weed Management Partnership (SACWMP), seeks volunteers to participate in an Invasive Exotic Plant Control Event on Saturday, March 3 along the Appalachian Trail in Hot Springs. Details: Who: Volunteer work day with SACWMP What: Invasive Exotic Plant Management […]
Locals raising funds for drought-imperiled legendary Tarahumara racers of Mexico
Sports Illustrated online has a short piece about Asheville locals Will Harlan and Mickey Mahaffey, who have been, of late, raising funds for the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyons, in Mexico. The Tarahumara, who are world-famous long-distance runners, are facing a severe drought this season. After trekking from his North Carolina home to Mexico’s […]
Jennifer Pharr Davis wins ultra runner award
Jennifer Pharr Davis, Hendersonville native and Asheville business owner, has won the outstanding performance of the year for women by UltraRunning magazine, setting a record time for traversing the Appalachian Trail. She covered the 2180-mile trail, which runs from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia in 46 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, averaging nearly […]
Belgian company visiting A-B Tech Feb. 8
Here’s the press release from A-B Tech: An A-B Tech business incubator tenant, RGEES, LLC, Energy Efficiency Systems, will host a Belgian company interested in their business at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Small Business Incubator at the College’s Enka site. The Belgian company, Watts-On, is looking for U.S. suppliers in the field of […]
Brevard resident named national spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity
Here’s the press release: BREVARD NC RESIDENT MARLA “THE FLYLADY” CILLEY NAMED NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL (Brevard, NC – February 7, 2012) – Marla Cilley of Brevard, North Carolina, known to millions of women who follow her as “The FlyLady,” this week was named spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity International, an organization […]
Help is available to remove abandoned mobile homes
Have an abandoned mobile home on your property? Can’t afford to have it updated or removed? There is help available in Buncombe and Henderson Counties. Abandoned mobile homes can be an eyesore, blighting the surrounding area. Abandoned mobile homes often become havens for criminal activities or partying youth. Unfortunately, they can also attract curious children, […]
Frost would take shine off apple growers gains
According to the Hendersonville Times-News, While a dose of spring fever has spread through the mountains this unusually warm winter, farmers are not so enthusiastic. The early bud development in apples and other crops beginning to take place can pose serious problems if a sudden, late-winter cold snap hits the region. “Everybody is very concerned,” […]
Mission Health, Transylvania Hospital team up to save baby with rare condition
From the press release: Asheville, N.C., Feb. 8, 2012 – Medical teams at Mission Health and Transylvania Regional Hospital recently joined forces to save a newborn with a rare medical condition. The baby, delivered Jan. 17, was born with a rare defect called vasa previa. According to the International Vasa Previa Foundation, fetal blood vessel(s) […]
NC firm recalls chicken salad products due to possible Listeria contamination
From the press release: Bost Distributing Company doing business as Harold Food Company, a Bear Creek, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,200 pounds of chicken salad products. The products contain eggs that are the subject of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall due to concerns about contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of […]
Mission settles fraud case with US Department of Justice
According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mission Hospital will pay the federal government $1.5 million to settle Medicare fraud allegations that it performed certain medical procedures on an inpatient basis when they could have been done as less costly outpatient procedures. Mission President and CEO Ronald A. Paulus said Tuesday that physicians, not the hospital, determined […]
So far, 8 candidates for Henderson County Sheriff have announced
According to the Hendersonville Times-News, At least eight people have expressed interest in replacing Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis, less than 24 hours after commissioners announced that Davis’ medical retirement had been approved. The Henderson County Republican Party has formed a 10-member committee to interview those on the candidate list, which so far consists of […]
In open letter, Asheville Council member seeks to address concerns about Basilica land offer
Full letter from Asheville City Council member Marc Hunt below: Many citizens have written me recently regarding the future of the City-owned area across from the Basilica of Saint Lawrence. I appreciate and share the concerns being expressed. The Basilica is a historical and architectural treasure we must protect, and the Catholic Church has always […]
Award-winning documentary “Bag It” comes to Asheville
From the press release: The Western North Carolina Alliance is hosting a screening of the award-winning environmental documentary Bag It at UNC Asheville on Thursday, February 16. Try going a day without plastic. Plastic is everywhere and infiltrates our lives in unimaginable and frightening ways. In this touching and often flat-out-funny film, we follow “everyman” […]
Japanese storytelling event comes to the Folk Art Center
Ikebana International of Asheville opens its 2012 program year with a cultural exploration of Kamishibai (kah-mee-she-bye), a form of Japanese storytelling. “The Paper Crane,” one of Japan’s best-loved children’s stories — described as “paper-theater” — will be presented by cultural liaison Emiko Suzuki of Japan and Hendersonville. This event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. […]
No Fanaticon this year
From Fanaticon’s website: Thank you for your interest in FANATICON™! There are currently no plans for a future show. The organizers and planning team wish to thank all the artists, vendors, organizations, volunteers and attendees who made FANATICON and FANATICON2 so successful. And our deepest thanks to the Asheville Art Museum who made it all […]
Video: Carolina Day School’s awesome near-space balloon flight
Last week, the students and staff of Carolina Day School launched the CALVIN-1, a high-altitude balloon they built themselves. The balloon reached an altitude of 104,758 feet (just shy of 20 miles, placing it right in the middle of the stratosphere) and traveled over 150 miles before coming back to Earth near Denton, NC. The […]