Sarah Boler, co-president of Mars Hill University’s National Organization for Women chapter, discusses role models, racial equity and taking back the night.
Asheville City Schools will revisit desegregation order
The Asheville City Board of Education asked attorney Chris Campbell to speak on the desegregation order’s history and legal status during a Jan. 28 meeting. While the board took no action, Chair James Carter indicated that members would consider asking the court to change or end the order in the coming months.
Q&A with Julie Silver, school nurse for Buncombe County Schools
Julie Silver wanted to be a school nurse from the time she was in nursing school. “It was fun because you got to do rotations through the different nursing careers and shadow them,” says Silver. “I really enjoyed going to do my shadows with the school nurses because it’s not just boo-boos and Band-Aids. There’s […]
WNC teens face additional struggles during COVID
While the overall number of emergency department visits was lower in 2020 than in 2019, potentially due to people avoiding hospitals out of COVID-19 concerns, the proportion of visits by teens with thoughts of suicide increased. Among North Carolina kids age 10 to 14, suicidal ideation visits accounted for 3.5% of all ED visits in 2020, up from 2.4% in 2019.
Local educators find peace after walking away
Area teachers discuss their decisions to leave the classroom and how their lives have improved as a result.
Parents of toddlers navigate masks, day care and feelings
Katie Ford, a family therapist, says it’s too early to tell if the societal shifts spurred by COVID-19 will have long-term effects on children born into this world. But she stresses that it’s more important than ever to validate kids’ feelings and let them know they’re not alone.
Local resources support WNC’s first-generation college students
In April, Tanya Ledford left a 22-year-long education career teaching history and English at public schools in Henderson and Polk counties. But Ledford’s new job hasn’t taken her far from the classroom. She is now assisting Hispanic high school students, many of them the first in their family to seek a college education, through the […]
Asheville settles lawsuit over ACSF scholarships
The lawsuit was brought by WNC Citizens for Equality, led by former Council member and Buncombe County Republican Party Chair Carl Mumpower, and charged that the scholarships excluded otherwise eligible applicants on the basis of race.
Pisgah wildlife education hub to close after flood damage
When Tropical Depression Fred tore through Western North Carolina in August, among the casualties was the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s executive board has moved to close and demolish the facility, replacing it with an expansion to the adjacent Bobby N. Setzer Fish Hatchery.
Year in Review: Education has challenging but encouraging year for locals
Yes, local schooling has seen drama this year. Given those issues, Mountain Xpress chose education as one of the areas to spotlight in discussion with community leaders about insights from 2021.
Former Asheville Council member sues city, Asheville City Schools Foundation over scholarships
A $10,000 scholarship for local Black students is the subject of a lawsuit by a group headed by a former Asheville City Council member. Carl Mumpower, president of WNC Citizens for Equality Inc. and a former chair of the Buncombe County Republican Party, filed a civil suit Oct. 11. It names the city of Asheville, […]
Xpress seeks student writing & art for 2022 Kids Issue
It’s time for local K-12 students to get creative! The theme for Xpress’ 2022 Kids Issue is “Simply Beautiful.” Deadline to submit art and writing for possible publication is Friday, Jan. 28.
Specialty shops find plenty of reasons to join Go Local
Dog & Pony Show and more than a dozen other locally owned, independent specialty shops joined the Go Local Card program in 2021. More than 500 businesses overall participate in the effort, now entering its 11th year, which has helped to raise nearly $200,000 for Asheville City Schools.
Anti-domestic violence org teaches healthy relationships to teens
“Healthy relationships are the best protector against abusive relationships,” says Chaka-Khan Gordon of Helpmate, an Asheville nonprofit providing services and support for survivors of domestic violence.
Q&A with Joseph Jamison, United Way equity and network specialist
“One of the biggest challenges students face is a lack of voice in a lot of decision-making within our schools and the community at large,” Jamison explains. “For example, debates over masks or virtual over in-person learning. We’ve all heard a lot of loud adult voices at the table, but I think most people would be hard-pressed to recall a news clip or an article where they heard what students thought about those decisions.”
Some local schools reject COVID advice from health officials
Xpress has identified at least seven local K-12 institutions that are not requiring all students to wear masks as recommended by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services StrongSchoolsNC toolkit and county public health leaders. Some have rejected other coronavirus measures as well, including isolating individuals with COVID-19 and recommending vaccinations.
Green in brief: Isaac Dickson solar system goes online
Six years in the making, a 300 kilowatt-hour solar array at Asheville’s Isaac Dickson Elementary School was officially dedicated Sept. 24. The $428,000 project is expected to save the school over $1.3 million in utilities costs over its 30-year operational lifespan.
Commissioners condemn Edwards’ school board proposal
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 for a resolution opposing Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards’ latest legislative move, an attempt to create district elections for Buncombe’s Board of Education.
Local governments, businesses grapple with cybersecurity
Once viewed as a problem primarily affecting national governments, global banks or multinational businesses, cyberattacks have started to hit closer to home. An August 2020 attack shut down classes at Haywood County Schools, while an attack earlier this year attempted to extort Asheville-based Allergy Partners for $1.75 million.
Cherokee fight to save language from extinction
In classrooms throughout North Carolina and Oklahoma, students are learning about the periodic table of elements or the origins of the Civil War. However, in some classrooms, the lessons are a bit more personal — Cherokee students are learning the history and language of their people. Cherokee speakers have made great efforts to keep their […]
Wellness in brief: Pardee expands monoclonal antibody infusion clinic
From February through early August, the Emergency Department at Pardee administered 400 infusions of the Regeneron antibody therapy, says chief nursing officer Carol Stefaniak. But following the infusion clinic’s relocation to an outpatient facility in Hendersonville Aug. 11, another 350 infusions were administered, reflecting high demand for the drug.