In a unanimous vote, the county Board of Commissioners directed staff to maintain the county’s current library branches — including those in Black Mountain, Oakley/South Asheville and Swannanoa — and explore other ways to improve the system.
What’s new in food: Cultura continues Cultivated Community Dinner Series
Contemplating the mostly unused space that was and eventually will again be home to Cultura restaurant on Coxe Avenue, chef Eric Morris envisioned monthly collaborative pop-ups with local chefs, particularly those cooking from personal cultural traditions. “I wanted to get more perspective on what other people are cooking, give chefs without their own brick-and-mortar some […]
Takeaway is here to stay
Like every small town and big city in America, Asheville faced unprecedented challenges when COVID-19 turned the entire restaurant industry upside down, sending many to a takeout-only model that required a dependence on food containers, bags and disposables. Unsurprisingly, that had a significant impact on waste and recyclable collections.
From CPP: NC counties base jail decisions on controversial consultant work
Recommendations to build bigger jails in North Carolina often come from the same firms that land jail design contracts, reports Jordan Wilkie of Carolina Public Press. Consultant methods may stack the deck in favor of big investments in jail construction.
From NC Health News: Six Republican counties in WNC pledged their support for Medicaid expansion. What’s changed?
For months, the CEO of the Cherokee Indian Hospital has quietly traveled to county commission boards throughout the western part of the state, giving presentations on the benefits of Medicaid expansion. As local leaders throughout the conservative region show support for the policy, will they change the minds of state Republicans?
What’s new in food: Zero-waste market and café expands in Mars Hill
, BBQ fest on the river and Contrada is back in business on Wall Street
What’s new in food: Sugar & Snow Gelato opens on Riverside Drive
Sugar & Snow Gelato opens on Riverside Drive. Also: Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive prepares its launch; The Scarlet Bee rolls into town; and more!
What’s new in food: Water Street launches on N. Lexington
Water Street opens, Bold Rock adds downtown tap room, Noble Cider adds Sunday brunch and more
News in brief: Disaster relief available for Fred victims
The N.C. Division of Employment Security announced the approval of Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits on Sept. 10. The move follows a federal major disaster declaration Sept. 8 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and White House at the request of Gov. Roy Cooper.
Buncombe to cover funding gap for Family Justice Center
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved nearly $97,000 in new spending from the county’s fund balance to cover nine months of services that had previously been supported by the Governor’s Crime Commission.
Contested Woodfin election driven by development concerns
Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the governing body for the town of roughly 8,000 people to the northwest of Asheville. Challengers and incumbents alike agree that concerns over development, particularly The Bluffs at River Bend proposal, are driving interest in a normally quiet race.
Census data paves way for WNC redistricting
The N.C. General Assembly must take census results into account as members create new voting district boundaries that reflect the state’s population growth and follow strict legal criteria. Western North Carolina’s state Senate and U.S. House districts are both likely to see changes for the 2022 election cycle.
Citizen guide to land development coming in January
As part of the Local News Ideas-to-Action Series, the Virginia-based national media nonprofit American Press Institute awarded Xpress a $9,300 grant to create a guide to local government decision-making for land development. The guide will cover the stages of review that projects face on their way from concept to final approval, what aspects are considered at each step and what avenues exist for public input.
Local rally responds to Texas abortion ban
Amid signs reading “My body, my choice, my right” and chants of “We won’t go back!”, supporters of reproductive rights gathered at Pack Square on Sept. 6 as a local response to Senate Bill 8, a ban in Texas on abortions of pregnancies of more than about six weeks. The Speakout for Reproductive Freedom, organized […]
What’s new in food: Benne on Eagle welcomes new chef
Benne on Eagle hires a new chef, We Give a Share welcomes an executive director, the Getaway fries fish on the river and more local food news.
Community-based summer programs battle academic inequality
While the statistics are bleak and the systemic obstacles are many, local individuals and community-based organizations are pursuing their own approaches to tackling long-standing inequities among students at Asheville City Schools.
Community debates Buncombe library plan
To focus resources on larger regional branches, a proposed Library Master Plan would close three existing libraries in Black Mountain, Oakley/South Asheville and Swannanoa. Neighborhood groups in those areas fiercely oppose the changes, as they’ve made clear in recent community listening sessions hosted by the county.
City equity office struggles amid staffing issues
The office finds itself without any permanent staff and has no public process for hiring new employees. The vacancies come after a wave of resignations, as well as public criticism from former employees and elected leaders about a lack of support and accountability for equity work.
What’s new in food: Asheville Cider Crawl expands
Asheville Cider Crawl is set for Saturday, Aug. 28, plus the Omni Grove Park Inn hosts its 29th annual National Gingerbread House Competition, Metro Wines raises money for homeless pets, and more local food news.
Buncombe reinstates COVID emergency, indoor mask mandate
The requirement covers all “business establishments, offices and workplaces, public transportation facilities and vehicles, and any indoor place the public is invited or allowed to enter and gather,” with the exception of weddings, funerals, religious gatherings and “other activities constituting the exercise of First Amendment rights.”
What’s new in food: Noble Cider reimagines its downtown location
Noble Cider reinvents its downtown presence, plus ASAP’s Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program expands, a new tailgate market emerges in Leicester, Sunflower Diner shutters and more local food news.