Eliminating sugar from your diet can be a drastic improvement to your health, say local experts. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the major culprit, they add, representing half of Americans’ sugar intake.
Fix it: Commissioners tell Mission, Blue Cross to end dispute
As the deadline approaches for a contract between Mission Health and BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina to expire, Buncombe County commissioners are urging the two organizations to get a deal done.
Setting sail: Launch of hand-crafted sailboat to follow 11-year build
The launch ceremony for John Stevenson’s hand-built wooden sailboat will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, at the Asheville Sailing Club at Lake Julian Park, 406 Overlook Road Extension, Arden. The ceremony is free, open to the public and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Stevenson recommends coming early to inspect the boat pre-launch and staying later for an opportunity to sail.
Growing the next generation of farmers
The application period for the Farm Beginnings program of the Organic Growers School is open through Sept. 1. New farmers participating in the program receive more than 200 hours of training time. For the first time this year, the training will include at least 15 hours of one-on-one mentorship from an experienced farmer.
Conscious Party: Asheville Celebrates Teachers Extravaganza
WHAT: A self-care celebration for Western North Carolina educators WHEN: Wednesday Aug. 2, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. WHERE: Asheville Music Hall WHY: With the start of the school year quickly approaching, the days before teachers are thrust back into a hectic classroom are limited — a problem that i.b.mee, a nonprofit focused on empowerment […]
Forest plan revision highlights conflicting interests
For the first time in 23 years, the U.S. Forest Service is revising its management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, and some participants in the long, drawn-out process say it could be going better.
Cybersecurity conference boosts Asheville’s IT profile
With a new, larger location and a host of experts from across the cybersecurity world, the 4th annual Asheville Bsides cybersecurity conference comes to downtown July 28-29, in hopes of helping local businesses protect their digital networks and growing Asheville’s nascent IT industry.
Asheville professionals teach empathic discourse for uncertain times
In an increasingly divisive and violent world, many Ashevilleans are seeking a gentler and more compassionate way to communicate. Nonviolent, or compassionate, communication, practiced by several local helping professionals, emphasizes empathy and honest self-expression in building authentic relationships.
Bradley Johnston brings boutique dairy farming to Mills River
Mills River native Bradley Johnston has worked with cows all his life, but his newest venture — Mills River Creamery — is a departure from the high-volume wholesale dairy trade he used to practice. Johnston’s small herd of Jersey cows eat non-GMO feed and produce a type of milk that many find easier to digest than the usual supermarket fare.
Beer Scout: Riverbend Malt House meets Biltmore Estate
A new partnership introduces locally grown and malted barley to Asheville’s craft beer scene.
Asheville’s Ortho-Bionomy practitioners offer a structural approach to healing
Ortho-Bionomy is a technique developed by a British osteopath that utilizes the body’s own reflexes to reset the nervous system and allow space for healing and proper alignment.
BOOST in bloom
Four of Bullington Gardens’ many displays have a special significance this year: Each was designed by a team of Henderson County students as part of the BOOST job skills training program. Developed to give high school sophomores with special needs real-world work experience, the Hendersonville program blooms with the promise of future success.
Impacts from Brother Wolf’s moratorium on animal intakes expected to reach beyond Buncombe
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue‘s unexpected moratorium on animal intakes has raised a number of questions among people in the Asheville animal rescue community. Brother Wolf president and founder Denise Bitz recently announced plans to close the Joyce B. Cambron Adoption Center in Asheville and open a pet and farm animal sanctuary in Leicester in its place. […]
White nose syndrome is devastating WNC bat populations
The bad news for bat populations throughout the United States continues, and Western North Carolina is no exception. In one large Haywood County mine that was home to 4,000 bats in 2011, researchers found only 30 this winter.
At Secrets of a Duchess, customers get a dose of love and a shot of confidence
At Secrets of a Duchess wig shop, women have an opportunity to look healthy even when undergoing chemotherapy. Owner Judy Maisel helps them hold their head up high in public.
Making garden magic with mosses
Moss gardeners have it made in the shade when they visit Mountain Moss Enterprises in Brevard, where local author and moss promoter Annie Martin offers education and sells mosses to plant in your own low-light spots. The shop, which is open Mondays through September, also offers Martin’s book, The Magical World of Moss Gardening.
Local author chronicles a year of hiking in the Smokies
In 2016, local writer Ben Anderson decided to examine the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a fresh perspective. To mark the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, he completed 40 day hikes, which he documented in his first book,
Smokies Chronicle: A Year of Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Spay, neutering and behavior training save pets’ lives
The main reasons pets are surrendered are related to behavior problems and not spaying or neutering animals. Addressing these issues in annual visits can help save pets’ lives.
Brighter pastures in Leicester? Brother Wolf’s move triggers controversy
The president of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Denise Bitz, yesterday accused a former member of the nonprofit’s board and one-time foster parent of the year of fomenting “a local cesspool on a social media.” The comment was one of many contentious exchanges taking place this week on Facebook following Brother Wolf’s announcement it will be closing […]
Independence Day events around WNC
Whether you favor pig pickin’ or watermelon, live music or a dramatic reading of the “Declaration of Independence,” there’s something for everyone this holiday, and Xpress has all your pie-flavored, freedom-filled needs covered.
Take it outside: Asheville gets creative about eating outdoors
Local authors, chefs and bakers dish up ideas for imaginative open-air feasts.