Mt. Pisgah view

Green in brief: State budget brings millions in environmen­tal funding to WNC

Among the largest allocations are $12.2 million to accelerate the purchase and opening of Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe County, $7.2 million for the removal of hazardous dams in WNC and $5 million to upgrade the city of Hendersonville’s wastewater treatment plant.

Celebration of Isaac Dickson solar system

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.

Local companies lead the way as Asheville considers composting service

Asheville and Buncombe County have worked for several years on plans to reduce the area’s solid waste stream, but implementing “pay as you throw” and municipal composting programs remain in the realm of good ideas rather than reality or even future plans. But the city says it hasn’t given up on initiatives to divert more waste away from the landfill.

Mellow Mushroom celebrates #40YrsBake­d

On Aug. 20, popular pizza chain Mellow Mushroom will celebrate 40 years in business by offering customers extremely cheap eats, including a $2.50 small cheese pizza. Mellow Mushroom’s marketing team is encouraging patrons to celebrate their event, Way back Wednesday, by posting social media under the hashtag #40YrsBaked – a slogan that may or may not refer to the company’s stone-baked pizza.

The Biz

There are many roads to prosperity, but most folks don’t think of dead farm animals and livestock poop as particularly promising raw materials. One local firm, though, is building a booming business helping the state’s agricultural industry turn these and other organic waste byproducts into sweet, loamy compost that slashes costs while helping protect the […]