The U.S. Forest Service offered four alternative management plans for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests in 2020. It has decided to go with a fifth alternative.
Local volunteers provide ‘emotional first aid’ for tragedy victims
Deaths, injuries and fires are all in a day’s work for emergency service workers. They may also be part of a shift for Trauma Intervention Programs of WNC volunteers, who provide emotional first aid to family, friends and bystanders after traumatic events. This is the message that Hendersonville Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Justin Ward […]
From NC Health News: At Hinds’ Feet Farm, people with brain injuries can just be
One of just three day centers for people with brain injuries — and the only one in all of western North Carolina — Hinds’ Feet Farm in Asheville shows the benefits of holistic community-based services.
Q&A with Janet Cone, director of athletics at UNC Asheville
by Bob Rose The UNC Asheville athletic department is a modest NCAA Division I program by comparison to other top-level programs in North Carolina, such as the North Carolina Tar Heels or Duke Blue Devils. However, the Bulldogs’ longtime athletic director Janet Cone is a mover and shaker among college sports administrators. Cone is a […]
Community members address need for homeless shelter space
Asheville is gearing up to conduct its annual Point-in-Time count of unhoused community members Tuesday-Wednesday, Jan. 25-26. But even without the official numbers, which are typically released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in June, it’s clear that the city is facing a new reckoning around homelessness. The Asheville Police Department has […]
What’s new in food: Asheville Independent Restaurant Association hires new executive director
Asheville Independent Restaurant Association hire Kim Murray, co-owner of Creekside Taphouse, as its new executive director. Plus: Asheville Tea Co. offers Dry January recipes; MANNA FoodBank announces new chief executive officer; and plenty more!
Local resources support WNC’s first-generation college students
In April, Tanya Ledford left a 22-year-long education career teaching history and English at public schools in Henderson and Polk counties. But Ledford’s new job hasn’t taken her far from the classroom. She is now assisting Hispanic high school students, many of them the first in their family to seek a college education, through the […]
Local handling of COVID vaccine troubles breeds medical mistrust
Many Western North Carolina residents who spoke with Xpress say they shared their negative responses after COVID-19 vaccination with health providers. But they also say their concerns have been minimized or ignored, driving a lack of trust about the vaccines and the broader medical establishment.
Green in brief: King’s Bridge offers new public land in Mills River
Hendersonville-based Conserving Carolina transferred the 87-acre property, a former sod farm on the banks of the French Broad River, to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission after purchasing it for $440,000 with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fred and Alice Stanback.
Q&A with Jazmin Whitmore, owner of plus size consignment shop More to Love
Jazmin Whitmore always enjoyed fashion, yet struggled to afford buying clothes. As a plus-size woman, finding items in her size was also frustrating. It’s a struggle familiar to many women. According to a study on clothing size standards published in 2016, the average American woman is size 16 to 18. However, too many brands have been […]
What’s new in food: Dough House Vegan Donuts opens in Black Mountain
The Trashy Vegan owners launch a new doughnut shop in Black Mountain. Plus: Asheville Restaurant Week 2022 arrives; Spicewalla and Poppy’s Handcrafted Popcorn collaborate; and plenty more!
From CPP: How support for protecting Nolichucky River collapsed
Advocates say community members voiced concerns with no factual basis about federal Wild and Scenic designation for river in Yancey and Mitchell counties.
From CPP: The struggle over protecting the Nolichucky River
NC groups initially united behind a federal designation to protect a stretch of the Nolichucky River. But fears voiced in Tennessee put a snag in those plans.
Charles George VA leads virtual reality use for veterans
Caitlin Rawlins, innovation specialist for the Western North Carolina Veteran Affairs Health Care System, remembers vividly the first time that a patient at the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center long-term care facility used virtual reality. “She had cognitive impairment, a history of needing stays on our inpatient psychiatric ward because of agitation […]
Weaverville reconsiders water treatment expansion plan
A proposed doubling of Weaverville’s water treatment capacity has met with cost concerns from town officials and environmental worries from some local residents.
What’s new in food: Faux Lox Foods launches in Asheville
Vegans and vegetarians craving a lox bagel now have options thanks to Faux Lox Foods. Also: television personality Samantha Brown visits Asheville; Metro Wines hosts its latest tasting; and more!
Year in Review: WNC looks back on employment in 2021
As WNC heads into yet another year of economic uncertainty, Xpress asked regional business leaders, government figures and laborers about their takeaways from 2021 in the world of work.
What’s new in food: Molly Nicholie discusses her new leadership role with ASAP
ASAP prepares for its new executive director. Also: Mother Earth Food expands its mission with recent grant; Chow Chow announces 2022 dates; and more!
Year in Review: Community members discuss 2021 health concerns
While COVID-19 may have dominated WNC’s psyche in 2021, it was by no means the only health and wellness story Xpress told. Opioid abuse, mental health and self-care also emerged as major themes from the year.
Year in Review: Asheville chefs and restaurateurs reflect on another unusual year
What was 2021 like for local chefs and food entrepreneurs? Xpress caught up with a few to get their take on another challenging year.
Spending a moment with Asheville’s homeless residents
As Asheville City Council pursues low-barrier shelter and permanent supportive housing options for the area’s homeless population, Xpress listens to two residents as they share their experiences on the street.