At their first meeting of 2014 on Jan. 7, Buncombe County Commissioners unanimously agreed to give $1.12 million in cash grants to Jacob Holm Industries to help it expand local operations. They also agreed to spend $213,726 to hire 17 new county workers at the Health and Human Services Department and approved new zoning regulations governing renewable energy facilities.
Here at last are our picks for the ten best films of the year — and they’re sure to be the cause for much wailing and gnashing of teeth. One notable omission is sure to raise eyebrows and even hackles. I mean everybody is supposed to have 12 Years a Slave on his or her list, right? Here’s the thing (and I think I can speak for Mr. Souther, too), I have the utmost respect and admiration for the film. I think it is brilliant. I am cheering for Chiwetel Ejiofor to win that Best Actor Oscar, and I’ll be cool with it if 12 Years a Slave takes Best Picture. I think it’s a fine film and a powerful one, but something about the film feels just a little at arm’s length and keeps it from engaging me fully on an emotional level. That aside, here are the lists
Florida native Mary James didn't earn her stage name, Mean Mary, from kicking puppies or pantsing bandmates. It's all about her musical skills, namely her "lighting-fast fingers and raw, unmistakable vocal sound." James could read music before she could read words and co-wrote songs at age 5, according to her bio. She recorded her debut … Read more
The Steep Canyon Rangers threaten to break some bluegrass rules with their eighth LP, Tell the Ones I Love. Following a succession of increasingly sparkling productions, the new album is the group’s most freewheeling affair yet — it may also be itsbest. The performances were captured live as the Rangers played together in a circle, … Read more
It was good to see that “Rethinking Mental Health: Local Practitioners, Groups Reject Mainstream Treatment” [Feb. 6 Xpress] was your fifth most viewed post in 2013. In 1978, Judi Chamberlin published the book On Our Own: Patient Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System. In 2013, Allen Francis published Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt Against … Read more
