For the uninsured and underinsured, local mental health nonprofits are filling the gap, but they struggle with funding.
Green in brief: Chestnut Mountain Nature Park opens to public
About 35 acres of the nearly 450-acre tract — purchased by the nonprofit Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 2020 and recently transferred to the town of Canton — are now open, including the Berm Park mountain bike skills course and a mixed-use hiking/biking trail.
Program seeks to improve health among Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Center for Native Health, a nonprofit focused on culturally competent health care among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the UNC Asheville-UNC Gillings Masters of Public Health Program announced the partnership April 21.
Pilot program addresses social drivers of health
The Healthy Opportunities Pilot is focusing on food insecurity during its first phase.
Gardening with Xpress: Leaf mulch, mushroom compost and dahlias!
In this month’s gardening feature, local expert Chloe Lieberman explores the qualities and uses of leaf mulch versus mushroom compost, how to separate and plant dahlia tubers and some tips for caring for dahlias once they’re in ground.
Commissioners to consider $70M in bond referendums on November ballot
One referendum would authorize $30 million in borrowing for conservation projects while a second referendum would authorize $40 million in bonds for affordable housing efforts.
Q&A: Jeff Ashford talks opossums, biodiversity and venomous spiders
Xpress speaks with Jeff Ashford about his work at Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, the appeal of opossums and his unusual home pet.
Community paramedics introduce medication-assisted treatment for opioid use
Buncombe County EMS has a new tool for helping an individual suffering from an opioid overdose: medication-assisted treatment, or MAT.
Q&A: Ashley Featherstone of Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency
Growing up in Hendersonville, Ashley Featherstone assumed she would move away for work. “I was always told that you could never find a job here,” she recalls. “There are [fewer] jobs here than there are in places like Atlanta and Charlotte. But I just decided that I was going to find a job.” And she […]
One year after freeze, farmers, scientists talk the future of WNC apples
The late freeze in spring 2021 caused millions of dollars in damages throughout the region, as well as price hikes and supply chain issues for many local farmers and distributors. How worried should they be about WNC’s tumultuous weather?
From CPP: New domestic violence shelter gets boost from ARPA funds
Jackson County, home to Western Carolina University, has no domestic violence shelter, but efforts to combine federal dollars and other funding are working to change that.
Beer Scout: Sierra Nevada, Hi-Wire explore different sides of sustainability
Chris Frosaker discusses what goes on behind-the-scenes in Hi-Wire’s expansions while the Sierra Nevada sustainability team offers an update on its work.
Wellness roundup: Acupuncture clinic opens
South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness, a clinic founded by Autum Kirgan, licensed acupuncturist, opened in February.
Q&A: Joe Hollis, founder of Mountain Gardens
Joe Hollis’ whole life is Mountain Gardens, a botanical garden in Western North Carolina that he has cultivated over 50 years. Hollis focuses on growing useful plants, especially medicinal herbs and perennial vegetables, and passing along his plant wisdom to students and apprentices. Workshops, seeds and bare root plant sales support Hollis and his garden. […]
Buncombe sheriff seeks raises for jail employees
In an effort to boost recruitment, Buncombe County Sheriff Miller is asking the Board of Commissioners to approve a salary increase of up to $7 per hour — roughly 37% — for detention officers. Since last January, 83 officers have resigned from the jail, while only 64 have been hired.
Green in brief: MountainTrue seeks ban on single-use plastics
A study conducted by MountainTrue found an average of 19 microplastic particles — pieces smaller than 5 millimeters, formed by the breakdown of larger plastics — per liter of water in local river systems. Exposure to microplastics has been tied to allergic reactions and other health impacts in humans, as well as negative effects on fish.
From UNC Media Hub: North Carolina’s mountain bike trail builders create the rides
Western North Carolina is a mountain biking hub on the East Coast. And demand for new trails is high. Since the beginning of the pandemic, mountain biking has skyrocketed in popularity nationwide.
Q&A with Karin Rogers, interim director of the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center
Whether by hiking the debris flow pathway of a landslide or reading arcane scientific articles, Karin Rogers dedicates herself to understanding complex scientific data so she can translate that information for ordinary people to understand.
How local health care workers are tackling burnout
Seeking mental health support can be stigmatized in the culture at large. But for health care providers, the stigma associated with experiencing a mood disorder or feeling overwhelmed can be even more pronounced.
Study puts $3.8B annual price tag on French Broad
A recently completed study, commissioned by the French Broad River Partnership in 2019 and led by economist Steve Ha of Western Carolina University, sets the total economic value of the French Broad and its tributaries at $3.8 billion per year. By comparison, the Blue Ridge Parkway that also runs through Asheville creates about $1.3 billion in economic output per year.
From CPP: Tackling stormwater with ARPA funds in Brevard
The city in North Carolina’s rainiest county is putting much of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward stormwater infrastructure.