On June 1, Duke Energy Progress filed a request with the N.C. Utilities Commission to raise rates an average of 14.9 percent. Xpress examines why Duke says it needs more revenue and how the rate hike could affect local customers.
Conscious Party: The Memory of Fish
Proceeds from The Collider’s catered reception and screening of Dr. Jennifer Galvin’s documentary on Saturday, Sept. 9 benefit the Thomas R. Karl Internship Program.
Wanted: Nominations for Asheville’s Innovators
Xpress needs your help identify Asheville’s Innovators. Nominate someone using innovation to make our community a better place and they might be featured in an upcoming special issue.
MSD upgrades its infrastructure with capital improvement projects
To fulfill its critical mission and increase its capacity to deal with a growing service area and customer base, MSD is in the midst of a $266 million capital improvement project, which will help ensure that the community’s waste is properly handled and safely disposed of.
Local agencies work to improve water quality in Buncombe & Madison counties
This week, Xpress looks at the network of agencies and organizations working in Buncombe and Madison counties to improve water quality and position the French Broad as the region’s next great tourist attraction.
Communities along Upper French Broad work to restore water quality
In this two-part series, Xpress invites you on a guided a trip down the river as we examine the work of various communities to write the next chapter in the French Broad’s history, beginning with Transylvania and Henderson counties.
Eclipse-related events around WNC
Xpress rounds up educational programs and viewing parties.
TEDxAsheville shares talks around the theme ‘Awakening’
TEDxAsheville takes place on Sunday, Sept. 10. at Isis Music Hall. Tickets are on sale now and are likely to sell out in advance of the event.
Open borers
Asheville N.C.
Book seeks to elicit wonder of Linville Gorge
In this reissue of his 2005 collection of historical and contemporary accounts of Linville Gorge, author Christopher Blake depicts the wildness of a unique place alongside its role in human culture over time.
Aug. 15 breakfast to introduce farmers to thriving market
While Western North Carolina is already known for producing high-quality medicinal herbs, there’s still plenty of potential for growers to get in on the ground floor of a market that appears poised to expand. Farmers and others interested in opportunities in medicinal herbs can learn more at the Buncombe County Friends of Agriculture Breakfast on Aug. 15.
Duke’s no-coal goal moves forward
The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment unanimously approved Duke Energy’s conditional use permit to build a natural gas facility. The utility says the move will help it stop burning coal in Asheville by the end of 2019.
Great Smokies author recommends two hikes for eclipse viewing
Ben Anderson, author of Smokies Chronicle, recommends two hikes that offer exceptional vantage points within the path of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.
Krazy with Kudzu looks at good and bad of invasive vine
While pretty much everyone agrees kudzu is a big problem across the South, there seem to be as many philosophies for dealing with it as there are leaves on the vines. At Chimney Rock State Park’s Krazy with Kudzu event on Aug. 12, park visitors can learn about a variety of approaches to living with — or destroying — the pervasive plant.
Can the Woodfin Greenway & Blueway beat the odds?
While other planned greenways have bogged down in the face of rising costs — leaving the timeline for their construction in doubt — a flurry of fundraising, planning and design activity surrounds the planned Woodfin Greenway & Blueway. What does that project have going for it that other greenways don’t?
Start from seedling
The N.C. Forest Service offers a range of tree seedlings from varieties that flourish in the state. Customers can place their orders online now for fall delivery at distribution centers or by mail.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.