Hickory Nut Gap Farm will join forces with the National Young Farmers Coalition to host a free dinner and networking evening for new and future farmers on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Confederates at Calvary
Last month marked the 400th anniversary of the introduction of slavery to North America, triggering a new round of national soul-searching about human bondage and its complex legacy. And closer to home, Lost Cause-era monuments to Confederate figures at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher also raise significant questions about the country’s troubled history and this region’s place in it.
A Growing Concern
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Wellness in brief: Honoring pediatric cancer patients, boosting breast cancer research
A celebration of the courage of pediatric cancer patients at Well Played Board Game Café on Wall Street in downtown Asheville will collect new and unused Legos and the card game UNO for patients. Attendees can also create greeting cards and paint “kindness rocks” for patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Mission Children’s Hospital.
Pollinator advocates rally against neonics-treated plants
Both local and corporate retailers are committing to reduce or eliminate use of the popular but harmful insecticide.
The quest for quiet dining
People with hearing difficulties or sensitivities often struggle in Asheville’s busy restaurants and other social settings.
News briefs: City plans Haywood Street improvements; announces affordable housing work session
Council to discuss temporary hotel ban The city’s Planning and Economic Development Committee voted on Aug. 29 to put the question of imposing a temporary moratorium on new hotel construction to the full Council at an upcoming meeting. First proposed by Council member Julie Mayfield, a moratorium could give the city time to develop new […]
Long Arm of the Law
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
P&Z recommends denial of new riverside restaurant
Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended to deny conditional zoning for Jettie Rae’s, a seafood restaurant proposed along the French Broad River. Asheville City Council will make the final decision on whether the project will receive approval.
Bullington Gardens hosts fall plant sale
Fall-blooming perennials, shrubs, trees, gently used gardening items and more will be available at the two-day annual event.
We Choose to Go Green
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
September Alzheimer’s events build awareness, provide support
For those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, the slow but — as yet inevitable — decline associated with the brain disorder is an ordeal. Events and fundraising walks in September aim to provide support for ongoing Alzheimer’s research while also helping family members and others affected by the disease feel less alone in the struggle.
Organic Growers School 2019 Harvest Conference offers in-depth workshops
The two-day conference features workshops from area experts on forest farming, medicinal herbs, wild edibles and hemp growing.
Warren Wilson College launches an industrial hemp program
The new program will work with local farmers and landowners in an effort to develop hemp as viable crop for Western North Carolina.
Wellness in brief: Community supports Poore, foundation names Chiang
Fundraisers to support injured Hendersonville Fire Department Capt. Josh Poore abound, while Western Carolina presents a program exploring the connection between wilderness and wellness.
City, county debut results of renewable energy planning
The $100,000 report, commissioned from Massachusetts-based consultants The Cadmus Group, finds that local government action will be insufficient for Asheville and Buncombe County to run operations entirely on renewable energy by their goal date of 2030 without the purchase of renewable energy certificates or significant state-level regulatory changes.
Sightings of three-legged bears worry locals
Justin McVey, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s wildlife biologist for the region that includes Asheville, says the commission has not received an unusual number of reports of three-legged bears in recent days despite social media posts suggesting sightings of at least nine separate bears with missing or injured legs within a 25-mile radius of Asheville.
Buncombe County tests new app for emergency responders
This fall, two Buncombe County high schools — T.C. Roberson and A.C. Reynolds — will begin using the Vitals app, which provides information about participating students’ physical, mental and behavioral conditions to school resource officers and other first responders.
Commissioners consider medication-assisted treatment endorsement
Board chair Brownie Newman, Vice Chair Jasmine Beach-Ferarra and member Amanda Edwards have placed a resolution endorsing the Sheriff’s Office’s use of MAT on the commission’s agenda for Tuesday, Aug. 20. The treatment is currently offered to the jail’s pregnant female inmates, but Buncombe officials hope to expand its availability to all incarcerated individuals.
WNC farmers experiment with resilient crops for a changing climate
Recognizing the importance of crop diversity in a changing climate, local farmers are working to develop new crops for Western North Carolina.
Armadillos roll into Western North Carolina
Armadillos were first seen in North Carolina in Macon County in 2007, and the first confirmed Buncombe County sighting took place in July 2014 near Leicester. Although urbanization and relocation by humans have helped the armadillo’s invasion, says N.C. Wildlife Commission biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel, climate change is likely a key factor.