Digital Disconnect
Volume
21
/ Issue 41
Cover Design Credit:
Anna WhitleyCover Photography Credit:
Pat Barcas
Like 40 percent of their fellow Americans, many rural residents in the Sandy Mush area of Buncombe County don't have access to high-speed Internet. Xpress takes a look at the digital divide.
arts
Panda Bear on transformation, handmade songs and kid critics
During the past 15 years, no band has had a bigger impact on the sonic trajectory of independent music than Animal Collective. But within that talented membership, none has had…Smart bets: Jeff Thompson
With his 2014 release, eclectic local creative Jeff Thompson says he’s finally penned an album that “comes from and appeals to the mind, the heart and the booty simultaneously.”Matthew E. White’s subtle calibration
Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Va., White grew up with pop music. The result of his talent filtered through those influences is music that's tough to describe. “If I…Smart bets: Tennis
Denver-based husband-and-wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore have been dreaming up sea-inspired retro-pop together as Tennis for half a decade now.Local playwright Waylon Wood stages sentimental “Letters and Notes”
“It’s a strange process; it’s like osmosis,” says producer, writer and director Waylon Wood of his latest play, Letters and Notes Found on the Windshield at the Piggly Wiggly Parking…Smart bets: Miles Wide
The term “independent musician” doesn’t quite convey the extent of Kyle Donovan’s dedication to the do-it-yourself ethos. Performing under the name Miles Wide, the self-taught musician acts as his own…State of the Arts: RAD Studio Stroll moves to a new weekend
Each spring and fall, thousands of art and craft collectors and enthusiasts converge on the River Arts District for the biannual studio strolls. Now, as the stroll enters its 21st…Smart bets: Jacqueline Terry
Jacqueline Terry is a park ranger and will soon be heading out to Glacier National Park in Montana for a five-month stint. But along with her love of nature and…food
From the hearth: Smoky Park Supper Club breaks new ground
When the Smoky Park Supper Club opens this summer, it will be the nation’s biggest eatery made out of those recycled containers, but it will also boast something equally curious:…Asheville Food Park to offer year-round food destination, social space
The floods of 2004 brought 8 feet of water into the building — previously a bar built in 1948 — sealing its fate after already being shuttered for five years.…Small Bites: What to do for Mother’s Day
Asheville moms are a diverse bunch, but it’s likely most would agree that a whole day dedicated to honoring and pampering them is an OK thing. For many, that might…living
Healthy Eating and Living conference educates medical professionals
To help those with eating disorders, first you have to see the problem, and that's a key focus of the eighth National Healthy Eating and Living Conference being held on…City building blocks: Shipping container structures are stacking up in Asheville
Shipping containers seem to be the new architectural craze, and with the construction of the Smoky Park Supper Club — Asheville’s first commercial structure built from containers (19 of them,…movies
Screen scene: Local film news
A documentary on the Tarahumara tribe, registration for the 48 Hour Film Project, results of the 8th annual Music Video Asheville and more.news
Nonprofits by the numbers
Mountain Xpress took a look at the 441 nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status in Buncombe County and more than 10,300 nonprofits in the whole state. We found that the large and…Nonprofits seek creative funding in Buncombe County
On April 14, representatives from 43 nonprofits requested funding from Buncombe County, as part of the county’s community development grant program. But these organizations make up only 9.6 percent of…Local nonprofits face uncertain future
In the bumpy post-recession landscape, these service-oriented organizations face significant challenges. Xpress asked several local nonprofit consultants to comment on what those challenges are and how they can be overcome.Democracy or bunkum? Buncombe commissioners debate the merits of longer meetings
Doing the county's business takes longer these days. Meetings of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners now regularly run three hours or more, some say because of a partisan split…Community Foundation promotes local philanthropy
Last year, the foundation distributed $14.2 million to local groups and individuals, including a record $346,500 in scholarships for 175 students, while continuing to maintain and grow its asset pool.…Locally focused giving: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
Retired businessman Ray Hust and a group of local forward-thinking people gave the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina its start in 1978. By 1990, the foundation had $5 million…Digital disconnect: Some Buncombe rural residents get left behind
Like 40 percent of rural U.S. households, many Sandy Mush residents in northwest Buncombe County can’t get Internet service that meets the Federal Communications Commission’s current definition of broadband.Businesses at 45 S. French Broad Ave. unveil big changes
“We don’t add anything until we find out that people in the community really want it,” says Hopey & Co. co-owner Danette Hopey. The expansion into the renovated space, she…Letter writer: Where was the city planning for Merrimon Avenue?
"While the article’s focus was on 'pedestrian safety,' it at least attempted to take a step at raising the issue. Yes, pedestrian safety is certainly an issue on Merrimon. But…opinion
Attack the blocks
The growing problem of a lack of affordable housing in and around Asheville loom large over the city.Letter writer: Celebrate Mother’s Day with kindness to animal mothers, too
"This Mother’s Day, let’s reflect on the largest population of mothers in our country: the many billions of female cows, chickens, pigs and other animals on our farms. How do…Big Tobacco smokes Warren Wilson College
When I was in college back in 1969, we could smoke in class, and when I later started working in a medical research lab, we could smoke there too, even…