Tryon gets one step closer to honoring the legendary soul singer; the Historic Resources Commission honors local champions; and more area arts news.
New Stories
What’s new in food: Sunday Suppers, strawberries and SnoBalls spring into May
Chefs Andrew McLeod and Ashley Shanti kick off a new Sunday Supper Series, strawberry season is underway, New Orleans-style shaved ice arrives in Woodfin, Curate hosts an online cephalopod dinner, paid farm apprenticeships are cropping up and more local food news.
Letter: Clamp down on illegal fireworks
“I ask the Asheville police and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department to please issue some type of warning to those who plan to repeat last year’s Fourth of July at-home fireworks extravaganza.”
Buncombe commissioners must rein in the TDA
“Other cities have used their occupancy taxes to direct millions to infrastructure and social programs while still supporting vibrant tourism industries. Why can’t we?”
Letter: Pratt & Whitney plant is no great deal for community
“The game is rigged to exploit us, and the promise of jobs for a few is the currency to get communities to comply.”
Letter: Nondiscrimination ordinances are important step
“I’m grateful that local leaders have worked to make the feelings of inclusion I’ve experienced now a legally prescribed reality for all LGBTQ+ people.”
Asheville Archives: Residents protest proposed rate increase for streetcars, 1921
In 1921, amid an economic depression, Asheville Power & Light Co. attempted to raise streetcar rates by 2 cents. The proposal did not sit well with local residents.
Buncombe plans $5M training partnership with Pratt & Whitney
The 20,000-square-foot facility, to be operated by A-B Tech, would “provide a pipeline of skilled workers prior to the plant opening, helping to recruit qualified candidates and pre-train and post-train employees.” The funding would come from future county bonds that would be repaid through local sales tax revenues.
Video premiere: Ryan “RnB” Barber’s ‘Funk Yo Feelings’
Xpress talks with singer/songwriter Ryan Barber and filmmaker Kira Bursky about their latest video for Barber’s newest single, “Funk Yo Feelings.”
Light a Path helps incarcerated people take the next step
Sybriea Lundy counts herself lucky to have been able to participate in programs offered by Light a Path, an Asheville-based nonprofit that brings yoga and movement to underserved populations, while serving the final 2 ½ years of her sentence for drug trafficking at the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women. The organization also helped Lundy reenter and connect with the Asheville community upon her release.
Transformative donation will fund new MANNA FoodBank facility
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $9 million to MANNA FoodBank, the biggest gift in the nonprofit’s history. It comes not a moment too soon, as the organization faces a sudden rise in food insecurity and a facility pushed to its limits.
Letter: Gaining a better perspective through dowsing
“Dowsing is a method of accessing and gaining entrance into one’s intuition.”
Nonprofit news in brief: Race raises $6,860 for Riley Howell Foundation Fund
The inaugural Mighty Four Miler race in Waynesville raised $6,860 for the Riley Howell Foundation Fund, which makes grants to organizations that support victims of gun violence. Plus, grant opportunities, leadership changes and news of note among area nonprofits.
Chow Chow returns with a reset
National and local issues of injustice and imparity laid bare in 2020 guided planning for the 2021 Chow Chow reboot.