Ready for anything: Green Opportunities Kitchen Ready grads hit their careers paths running
In 2016, 42 students enrolled in the GO Kitchen Ready program, and 79 percent of them graduated. Of those students, 72 percent were employed within three months of graduation, the majority within the culinary/hospitality industry.
Stump sprout to shout about
Asheville
How interstate highways changed the face of WNC
As plans move ahead for the Interstate 26 Connector project through Asheville, community members look back to reflect on the profound impact major road construction projects have had on the region.
Labor pains: WNC unions at a crossroads
In Western North Carolina and across the country, labor unions seem to be a dying breed these days, and many local residents don’t seem overly concerned about it. Yet WNC’s complex history of unionization stretches back to the late 19th century. From high-profile labor disputes and the emergence of “right to work” laws to the […]
Mile by mile: Improving bus service could help alleviate Asheville’s food deserts
Expanded bus routes and hours could help more Asheville residents gain consistent access to healthy food. But a more effective city transit system may be a little way down the road.
Black History Month event to focus on Asheville restaurant industry
The reception will honor Asheville’s black chefs, restaurant owners and hospitality employees.
Park place
Asheville
Proposed APD policy favors de-escalation over force
A proposed Asheville Police Department policy hashed out with substantial citizen input could mark a change in the way officers handle volatile situations, proponents say. If the policy is adopted as expected, officers will have to explain how they approached the situation and what they did to try to calm things down before resorting to […]
Pisgah Legal Services leads local movement to protect Obamacare
In an effort to emphasize the importance of access to affordable health insurance coverage for North Carolinians, Pisgah Legal Services held a press conference Tuesday in partnership with the North Carolina Justice Center. Speakers included political and legal advocates for the ACA, as well as residents who offered stories about their experiences with affordable care and health insurance.
Asheville events celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Asheville will celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a number of community events. The annual Prayer Breakfast, now in its 36th year and one of the country’s oldest such events, expects to draw a big crowd. The breakfast’s founder, Oralene Graves Simmons, says, “It is a time to stand up, speak out and unfold the dream.”
Great endings & fresh starts: Final days to help Give!Local nonprofits
As the two-month campaign nears its close, donations are surging toward the philanthropic project’s second-year goal of $60,000. Anyone thinking about making a donation is urged to do so quickly. The effort to raise funds for 47 outstanding WNC nonprofits ends at the stroke of midnight, Dec. 31.
Cherokee spirituality straddles past, present and future
“You have to take time to look at yourself, look at your spirit and where you come from, and let the spirit guide your interests and love.”
Invest ye merry gentlemen
Asheville
Diverse Muslim community finds common ground in Asheville
“You could say I was hungry for the truth without even realizing I was searching for it,” says Western North Carolina native Joseph (Yusuf) Gantt, “and that led to a journey of maybe 10 or 15 years in which I finally recognized Islam. It satisfied my hunger.” Two of Gantt’s family members, his mother and […]
DA Todd Williams to file no charges in fatal police shooting of Jai “Jerry” Williams
No charges will be filed against Asheville Police Department Sgt. Tyler Radford for shooting and killing local man Jai Lateef Solveig (Jerry) Williams. Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams says an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation has revealed that Radford acted lawfully and justifiably in self defense.
Taking stock: Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council’s year in review
The past year has brought a few changes to the organization, including new coordinator Kiera Bulan.
Julian Award winner Trudie Henninger: Connecting kids with nature as citizen scientists
For several weeks this past spring, Trudie Henninger led a class of kindergarteners outside to monitor and study the changes in nearby redbud trees. The process was slow. The kids grew restless. “They’re not doing anything, they’re not doing anything!” they insisted. But then one day, the whole class came running inside, chanting, “They’re blooming, […]
Julian Award winner Susan Sides: Feeding our hunger for food and community
Since she was a child, Susan Sides has had her fingers in the dirt, helping her mother with the family garden. That early experience had a profound impact, fostering a passion that continues to this day: Since its inception in 2009, Sides has worked as executive director and garden manager at the Lord’s Acre in […]
Facing the future: What happens when a nonprofit leader steps down?
Thirty years is a long time to devote to any pursuit, and Karen Cragnolin, the oft-honored founding mother of RiverLink, can attest to that. During that time, she says she held every job in the organization and was planning to finally move on this year when, during surgery, she suffered an aneurysm that robbed her […]
Asheville Thanksgiving events build community through food
A few local organizations and businesses are highlighting gratitude and strengthening community this Thanksgiving through food-focused events that are open to all.