Business, nonprofit roundup: Homeowner grant applications now open

Owning a home has its perks, including building wealth, stable housing costs and the freedom to make  a space your own. But, owning a home has some nonnegotiable costs: the mortgage, home insurance and property taxes. 

Buncombe County’s Homeowner Grant Program can help with those costs that cannot be put off. The program gives qualified homeowners within the county a grant of up to $300, and those living within the City of Asheville could receive up to $500. Grantees may choose to have funds applied to their property tax bill and/or directly to mortgage or homeowner’s insurance. 

To qualify, residents must own residential property in Buncombe County that they have lived in as their primary residence for at least five years and earn at or less than 80% of the area median income ($52,350 for an individual, $74,800 for a household of four). This year, the program was made available to mobile home owners.

Eligible households cannot already be receiving tax deferment assistance available for the elderly, disabled or veterans and must not have more than $60,000 in liquid resources, such as cash on hand or funds available in checking and savings accounts combined.

“If you think you may qualify, but you aren’t sure, please give our team a call,” Economic Services Director Phillip Hardin said in a July 15 press release. “We know there are a number of unique circumstances, and our staff will work with homeowners to help find solutions.”

To apply, visit avl.mx/e12 or call 828-250-5500. Applications will be received through Monday, Sept. 30. Applicants who received grants last year will need to reapply to the program.

Dogwood welcomes new executive

Following a national search, Dogwood Health Trust announced last month that Rebecca Noricks joined the organization as the vice president of communications. Noricks, who most recently served as a communications officer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich., where she led communications strategies in support of the foundation’s mission and commitments to racial equity, is responsible for developing and implementing internal and external communication strategies that advance Dogwood’s purpose, vision, values and culture. 

Kids hair salon opens

Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts for Kids is now open at 11 Crispin Court, Suite E-104, in South Asheville in the Gerber Village plaza. The children’s salon features bright colors, whimsical decor-themed vehicle chairs and offers sensory-safe services and a variety of other toys children can enjoy before, during and after their haircuts. Pigtails & Crewcuts Asheville is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit avl.mx/e11. 

Warren Wilson gains Division III status

Warren Wilson College was awarded membership in the NCAA Division III effective Sunday, Sept. 1 for its leadership and steady growth in athletics. To achieve Division III status, the college added men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s rugby, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s triathlon. The college also added a full-time sports information director and strength and conditioning coach. The additional teams have contributed to a growth in student-athletes, which have made up 40% of new students for the last two years.

Asheville Rotary aids Mexico sanitation project

The Asheville Breakfast Rotary Club was awarded a $39,000 Global Grant from Rotary International for a sanitation project to serve the community of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico. The grant will be used to provide environmentally friendly sanitation facilities and waterless toilets and is the start of a longer-term goal to expand access to sanitary facilities throughout the area. The club’s global grant-writing committee is led by Asheville resident Bill Biddle, whose role is to find and coordinate service projects abroad that benefit indigent people in one of Rotary’s areas of focus.

Airport adds security check lane

To meet growing demand, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Asheville Regional Airport opened a fourth security screening lane last month. According to the airport, Asheville is surpassing last year’s passenger numbers this peak travel season, which runs from the summer through October. The TSA security checkpoint opens at 4 a.m. each day and closes after the last scheduled departure of the day. Flight delays could cause the TSA to close before departure, so airport officials advise that passengers arrive at least two hours before a flight’s boarding time. 

Aston Park’s Galsim honored

Nancy Galsim, a certified nursing assistant at Lutheran Services Carolinas’ (LCS) Aston Park senior care community, received the organization’s Loyal Service Award for 2024. The peer-nominated award recognizes teammates who fulfill LSC’s mission by serving clients and residents in an extraordinary way. Only seven out of 2,500-plus teammates from across the Carolinas are honored each year. Galsim has been with LSC since 2000 and was nominated by Aston Park Executive Director Marsha McClure.

Changing of the guard at Pisgah Legal

Pisgah Legal Services, which provides free legal advice, pro bono lawyers and other services to underserved populations in Western North Carolina, said earlier this year that Jim Barrett would retire after serving as executive director of the organization for 41 years. Barrett celebrated the occasion at Highland Brewing Co. on July 18. Jaclyn Kiger, who joined Pisgah Legal Services in 2010, began serving as the nonprofit’s executive director Aug. 3

Take it to the (green) bank

Asheville-based solar energy company Sugar Hollow Solar announced a partnership with the N.C. Clean Energy Fund to launch a solar lending program. This partnership aims to make solar energy accessible and affordable for more North Carolinians by offering financing solutions with below-market rates and no dealer fees. The N.C. Clean Energy Fund operates on the “Green Bank” model, successfully pioneered in other states, with a mission to accelerate investment in clean energy solutions and increase climate resilience in North Carolina, particularly benefiting underserved populations. More information at avl.mx/dgd. 

Nina Simone home restoration begins  

Work began last month to preserve Nina Simone‘s childhood home in Tryon. The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Historic Trust for Preservation, hired Every Angle Inc. as the general contractor for the work in which the home will be restored as an interpretative​ historic site dedicated to telling the story of the iconic singer’s early life. The first phase entails installing an exterior accessibility ramp, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and installing interpretative landscape elements. The project is expected to be completed this fall. 

Curwen joins TDA team

Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority announced Jay Curwen as director of sports, film and entertainment effective Aug. 12. According to a press release, Curwen is an Asheville native and veteran sales executive and brings extensive experience in outdoor recreation, event management and film production to the role. 

Be weird, give back

Asheville Cat Weirdos, a local nonprofit helping cat owners with emergency veterinarian bills, spay-and-neuter vouchers, cat food and supplies, is hosting a food drive Sunday, Aug. 18 at Pet Supermarket at 244 Tunnel Road, U.S.  70,  from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The nonprofit will collect donations of cat food, litter, treats and toys, and offer raffle tickets for a basket of pet supplies. Asheville-based animal rescue nonprofit FurEver Friends will host an on-site adoption event during the food drive.