Commissioned by the French Broad River Partnership with $56,000 in grant funding from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Ecology Wildlife Foundation and Duke Energy, the research effectively seeks to fill out the river’s books. A team led by economist Steve Ha of Western Carolina University will analyze the monetary value of a healthy river to its eight-county watershed.
Armadillos were first seen in North Carolina in Macon County in 2007, and the first confirmed Buncombe County sighting took place in July 2014 near Leicester. Although urbanization and relocation by humans have helped the armadillo’s invasion, says N.C. Wildlife Commission biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel, climate change is likely a key factor.
Buncombe did see its unemployment tick up from the 2.8% April rate; the May rate was also higher than the 2.8% reported for the same month last year. However, the Department of Commerce noted that all of the state’s other metro areas also saw rate increases, and the Asheville metro area actually added about 1,900 nonfarm jobs in May.
Opportunities to celebrate local Special Olympians and veterans of past wars are coming up this spring. And with the arrival of warmer weather, the city of Asheville provides tips on securing garbage to promote peaceful coexistence with Western North Carolina’s burgeoning bear population.
Started in 2011, the Green River Spring Cleaning has grown every year, with ever more participants paddling in to cover the Lower Green and the Upper Green. “Our goal is to work the entire Green River, from Lake Summit to Lake Adger, about 30 miles,” Benedict says. “That’s a lot, but I believe we can do it.”
“This despicable proposal will absolutely result in the extinction of the red wolf in North Carolina and the greater Southeast.”
Asheville, NC
Local family has magic touch when it comes to catching record-breaking salmon in North Carolina.
The tiny northern flying squirrel has a new way to get around in the Unicoi Mountains along the North Carolina/Tennessee border — modified utility poles
That’s how we do it in North Carolina: A Wilkes County man landed a state-record catfish on his granddaughter’s Barbie Doll fishing pole.
