Before Asheville City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting of Sept. 8, the six members will interview six contenders to fill the seat vacancy left by Vijay Kapoor. Later in the evening, they’ll hear what the community thinks about another hot topic: hotels.
Running is making a resurgence: From people who found running as a way to get out of the house and stay active, to die-hard marathoners, the pandemic is prompting people to reevaluate their relationship with the sport.
Under the new order, gyms and other fitness facilities will be allowed to open at 30% capacity, museums and aquariums will open at 50% capacity and playgrounds will open with no capacity limits.
“Parvin’s article is not relevant to most people’s experience living in Asheville at this time.”
By the numbers, the 2,5855 COVID-19 cases reported Aug. 29 marked North Carolina’s highest daily increase to date. But the figure was inflated by approximately 1,000 cases, tested over the first half of August, that had previously gone unreported to NCDHHS by LabCorp.
“Asheville residents struggle to buy houses here because of stagnant wages, under- and unemployment, and ballooning home prices due to folks from other places buying homes ‘sight unseen.'”
Despite high unemployment and ongoing uncertainties related to the pandemic, Asheville’s real estate market is booming. Local agents and lenders say a majority of their new clients are leaving densely populated cities as they seek lower housing costs and greater insulation from COVID-19.
“I am a student at UNC Asheville, and I have witnessed firsthand the prompt measures that the university has taken to ensure our safety.”
Despite a lack of definitive evidence that COVID-19 can spread through heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, residential and commercial property owners are looking for ways to preemptively protect themselves and their customers from potential airborne transmission.
“I, personally, along with other residents here, have seen a number of government officials ignoring safeguards.”
According to a staff report available before the meeting by Jennifer Barnette, Buncombe County’s budget director, the money comes from two federal programs funneled through the N.C. State Board of Elections. The federal coronavirus rescue package accounts for about $183,000 of the funding, while the Help America Vote Act provides the remaining $172,000.
COVID-19 testing rates have slowly dropped over the past several weeks, both in North Carolina and across the country, said Dr. Mandy Cohen. But for those who do get tested, she emphasized, state labs have the capacity to quickly process results.
The looming eviction crisis has threatened renters for months, teasing tenants with temporary relief measures that end just when cash-strapped residents need them the most. In North Carolina, up to 42% of households are at risk of eviction.
“I felt really an obligation to come here today to say hello to the people of North Carolina,” President Donald Trump told a cheering crowd of supporters upon his arrival at the Asheville Regional Airport on Aug. 24.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by his daughter, Ivanka, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, toured Flavor 1st Growers and Packers in Mills River on Aug. 24 to see firsthand how local farmers are working to feed individuals in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a community, we deserve better, and as a community, we can reimagine what public safety looks like.”
At a time when COVID-19 makes meeting up for in-person sports less safe, says Asheville Parks and Recreation staffer Maxime Pierre, virtual activities provide an outlet for competition and help to keep the department relevant. But he says video games also allow the city to engage with a larger group of residents than had been served through traditional sports.
“Stick to the facts, instead of using sensationalism.”
A week into the start of the academic year for Asheville and Buncombe County K-12 schools, local officials remain in open, weekly conversations with district administrators to help manage the spread of COVID-19.
Nearly 1,050 households have received over $453,000 in emergency assistance from the fund for necessities such as housing, utilities and transportation. And roughly $853,000 has been loaned to 92 area businesses to help them weather the coronavirus’s economic impacts, contributing to the retention of 674 jobs.
Inspired by an article about the city of Hendersonville’s efforts to help community members struggling to pay for utilities during COVID-19, resident Lia Barth called the city’s customer service department to contribute to a randomly selected water customer with a delinquent bill. Other residents soon followed suit.
