For Western North Carolina, it was bigger than when Eric Rudolph was caught Dumpster diving in Murphy. After 67 years, the North Shore Road controversy was over. Saturday, Feb. 6 — the day after the Swain County commissioners voted to accept the agreement — was wet, cold and icy. Not the most auspicious conditions for … Read more
If you made your way around downtown Asheville on a Saturday night last December, you might have noticed that staff members at several local businesses were wearing the same shirt. It was no coincidence: You were witnessing the birth of Asheville Grown. Growing local business: Local merchants are supporting the Asheville Grown campaign in numerous … Read more
A pair of joint law-enforcement task forces made high-profile drug busts in recent weeks. On Jan. 28, Buncombe and Henderson County sheriff's deputies made the largest narcotics-related cash seizure in Western North Carolina history after a traffic stop on Interstate 26 found 1,083 lbs. of marijuana and $1.1 million in cash in a horse trailer. … Read more
A project conducted by Appalachian State University is gathering the histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people living in the Appalachian region. "We're not just looking for people who grew up here but transplants, those who moved here or lived here and moved away," archivist Kathy Staley explains. "Asheville has a very robust LGBT … Read more
Just over five years since its adoption, Looking Homeward: the 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County needs tweaking, say those working on the issue. Utilizing the "housing first" model — in which homeless folks are placed in housing immediately, without preconditions such as finding a job or getting treatment for addiction … Read more
A Black Mountain couple will play key roles in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Olympic couple: Jennifer and Andrew Marsh, of Black Mountain-based event management consultants Event Mercenaries, will have key behind-the-scenes roles at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Marsh Andrew Marsh, the owner and president of event-management … Read more
Hank Dunn, the newly hired president of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, says he's ready to listen, plan and engage. During an on-campus reception, Dunn, whose hiring was announced Jan. 25, sketched out his long-term goals: put student success first, make the college a top choice for students, create an atmosphere where people want to work, … Read more
The founders of a new Web site that promises to put the power of "social couponing" in the hands of consumers unveiled their work last Thursday in downtown Asheville. YuDeal.com will work as a social-media tool for people and businesses to share coupons with one another, James Parker, YuDeal's head of consumer relations, told a … Read more
In a long-sought settlement, the National Park Service will pay Swain County $52 million, approximating today's cost of a county road that was flooded in the 1940s when Fontana Lake was created. On Feb. 5, county commissioners voted 4-1 to accept the settlement, which will be paid in installments and placed into a trust fund. … Read more
The solar fixtures crowning a West Asheville laundromat are not the flat-panel type that's become almost commonplace these days. Like most such devices, they're angled to catch the sun, but each panel also sports a large tubular tank perched atop an array of tubes. Sunny work: Entrepreneur Kevin Wei and Green Opportunities graduate Michael Moore … Read more
