UNC Asheville’­s Health Fair attracts about 450, informs and educates in the process


A set of lungs breathed on the table, but one more easily than the other.  One was a soft pink and expanded and contracted with ease. The other was larger, darker and showed a tumor as a result of tobacco use. The booth, set up by Mission Respiratory Therapy, was one of about 40 at yesterday’s second annual UNC Asheville Health Fair organized by UNCA health and wellness student Emily Pineda. (photos by Megan Dombroski)

This weekend on a shoestring

The weather’s getting nippy, but it’s still a great time to get out and check out some events that won’t break the (piggy) bank. From winter gardening and holiday shopping to local authors and uplifting musical performances, this weekend’s got everything you need to lure you out of the house on the cheap. And as always, leave us a comment if you’ve got any more low-cost events you’d like to share.

Photos from Sept. 28 presentati­on by Alina Fernandez, daughter of Fidel Castro, at UNCA

On Sept. 28 at UNCA, Alina Fernandez, Fidel Castro’s daughter, shared a combination of her personal story and Cuba’s story to a room full of people standing and sitting anywhere they could fit.  She talked about Fidel as the leader of the “hairy men on TV” that shouted slogans about change and visited her at […]

Local Matters: The business of being a doctor, County Commission updates and UNCA environmen­talism

In this edition of Local Matters—the Xpress weekly news podcast—news intern Caitlin Byrd talks about her story on the business of being a doctor, reporter Jake Frankel gives details on the most-recent Buncombe County Commission meeting, and environmental reporter Susan Andrew talks about the ongoing efforts of a UNCA student environmental group.

Local towing policy is a racket

My son did a favor for a friend [recently] by offering a ride from an apartment complex in north Asheville called the Grove. When leaving, he discovered his car had been towed by All-Safe Towing from the half-empty parking lot to the tune of $150, which had to be paid in cash only. This is […]

Save the Concerts on the Quad

UNC-Asheville cannot afford to put on its Concerts on the Quad series this summer. My group is trying to save this tradition. For 20 years, people have been bringing their families, pets and a picnic to enjoy these concerts; more than 1,000 [would typically attend]. At this time we need $12,500 for four concerts or, […]

Build jobs, not buildings

Asheville has been getting a lot of new buildings around town, in such places as UNCA, Asheville High, AB-Tech and the courthouse. Where is the money coming from to fund all these? You guessed it: job cuts. The state is also reducing or cutting much-needed mental-health services across the North Carolina. UNCA cut staff or […]