While there’s light at the end of the proverbial COVID-19 tunnel, Western North Carolina residents cannot let down their guard. Over the last week, the percent of positive COVID-19 tests has risen to 7.8% in Buncombe County; the county’s daily COVID-19 case counts now average 100 or higher.
Marshall’s wind phone offers a unique conduit for connecting with those who have died or are absent.
Organizations providing food assistance to North Carolinians experience higher demand as unemployment increases.
Hospitals across the state are bracing for a coronavirus surge that could push them to the brink.
As the state prepares to distribute the first doses of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, a local resident who participated in a Phase 3 clinical trial for the development of pharmaceutical developer Moderna’s vaccine shares her experience.
On Nov. 18, nonprofit Conserving Carolina announced that it had entered a contract to buy an unused 19-mile rail corridor between Brevard and Hendersonville for conversion into a greenway. Backers hope the Ecusta Trail will become a regional draw for running and biking enthusiasts.
After threats of demolition, the Enka clock tower will be preserved. Local historians and advocates find lessons from it for future preservation efforts.
On Dec. 8, Asheville City Council voted to move forward with the removal of the downtown obelisk, which memorializes Confederate Gov. Zebulon Vance. Sandra Kilgore was the only member in opposition.
Starting Friday at 5 p.m., North Carolina will move into a modified stay-at-home order, requiring most people to remain in their homes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. All businesses will be required to close by 10 p.m.; all on-site alcohol consumption must end by 9 p.m.
Because the monument stands on city property, Asheville City Council will have the ultimate say; Council is expected to take that vote at its regular meeting on Dec. 8.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman lists land use policy as a top priority for the new commission, sworn in on Dec. 7. Board members will likely revisit the county’s land use plan, a document originally developed in 1998 and last updated in 2013, in response to rapid community growth.
Following a weekend of consecutive record increases in new COVID-19 cases, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 2,240 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Dec. 6 — the fifth consecutive state high for coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
It’s time for local K-12 students to shine! The theme for Xpress’ 2021 Kids Issue is “My Great Idea.” Deadline to submit art and writing for possible publication is Friday, Jan. 29.
“When governing ourselves, listen to both sides of the argument and take your stand, but remember, efficient government is like walking in a culvert. There is plenty of room on both sides, but the water flows the smoothest in the center.”
On Nov. 10, Asheville City Council authorized the city’s sanitation division to purchase 340 bear-resistant trash carts for customers to rent on a first-come, first-served basis.
With COVID cases rising, Black Mountain retailers worry that the modest rebound they’ve seen this fall might fade away before the holiday shopping season can give their balance sheets a much-needed yearend boost. But several factors could work in their favor: a strong commitment from residents to support their local stores, a sense that smaller shopping districts pose less risk than crowded city centers and widespread compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines.
On Dec. 3, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 5,637 new cases, more than 1,000 above the previous record set on Nov. 22 and the largest margin by which a previous high has been exceeded.
State plans to make COVID-19 vaccine available for free, prioritized first to health care workers, residents and workers at long-term care facilities.
While beds and ventilators were a concern for hospitals early in the pandemic, officials now worry about having enough trained staff to handle the rising case load, and frontline workers cope with burnout.
Asheville Integrative Medicine will close next month, a victim of COVID-19 and the ensuing recession.
“In the midst of 2020, we learned that the impossible can become possible through the power of community.”
