Meet The Candidates

What is home? Is it a place you belong because of the color of your skin, or the beliefs you hold dear? Home is where the poetry is at this…

In a do-it-yourself city comes a festival that celebrates the do-it-yourself spirit. “Big Love Fest: Unchained and Independent” sort of sounds like an indie film. It’s actually an indie festival…

Mipso Trio’s first gig back in 2010 was a benefit show for an on-campus organization at UNC. Their second was a fundraiser for the Hope Chest in Asheville. Considering this,…

Mary Konsoon, an artisan from the West African Republic of Ghana, has a lofty goal — to get flush enough in her batik business that she can continue supporting extended…

The theme of this spring's Lake Eden Arts Festival is "celebrating the blues" and the lineup includes blues great Taj Mahal, Afrobeat heir Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and Preservation…

Local Americana outfit (really, more country than alt-county) The Honeycutters return with sophomore album, When Bitter Met Sweet. The band is helmed by singer-songwriter Amanda Platt and guitarist Peter James.…

It may be hard to believe, but local newgrass band Acoustic Syndicate is about to hit a major milestone: its 20th anniversary. In a way, the band goes back even…

Frontman Josh Ricchio describes his songwriting style as "catchiness incarnate," which is a pretty good summation of Brooklyn-based trio Freak Owls. The tracks on the band's new six-song EP, Orchestrates,…

Asheville Wordfest will "celebrate the voices of poets from many cultural and aesthetic contexts" from May 2-6, with free spoken word events scheduled throughout Asheville. See website for complete schedule: http://gratefulsteps.org/ashevillewordfest.  …

A train, laden with coal, pulls slowly past Knife & Fork restaurant in Spruce Pine, N.C., following the banks of the glistening Toe River. It’s early Sunday morning and, in…

The Biltmore Estate is making notable culinary changes. As you may recall, Damien Cavicchi, former chef/owner of Sugo, is now the executive chef at Biltmore, overseeing all of the restaurants…

Interested in backyard composting but need a little guidance? Curious about composting with worms? Attend the next Sustainable Living Workshop. With support from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, the Hendersonville-based…

Since 1965, skateboarding (and rollerskating) in downtown Asheville has been illegal. But that long ban might soon come to an end. At its April 24 meeting, City Council voted 5-1…

Sitting on the couch in her Fairview home, Bonnie Gundlach points to the scar below her left knee where a surgeon removed a malignant melanoma in the late 1980s. “It…

I don't like what you've been doing with “News of the Weird.” Sometimes you don't run it at all. Other times, you cut it down in size. I notice you…

Mmmmm. The farmers market. I'm a local musician who plays gigs around town and occasionally out of state or out of country. And I have to say, that of all…

I just went to the Boyd's BBQ expo in Hendersonville. Among the games, vendors and exhibits was one big bad behemoth of an armored vehicle called a Lenco BearCat. This…

I was flying out of the Asheville airport at 4:19 p.m. My wife couldn’t drive me so I decided to investigate taking the bus. This is what I found out.…

The National MS Society would like to thank the people of Asheville for their support of Walk MS: Asheville on April 21. Approximately 400 walkers and 40 volunteers came together…

The proposed marriage amendment is simply another item on the agenda of the religious right. Aggressive fundamentalist groups have a wide-ranging plan for America that includes as many restrictions on…

Why do you hate me? I see the signs all over. Your “vote for the marriage amendment” banners everywhere reminding me of your hate, and that you don’t want me…

During the past 29 years that I have lived in Asheville, I have voted consistently — though sometimes unenthusiastically — in all the elections. This upcoming election is very different…

I have known Ellen for two years, or 14 years as I measure time. Through no fault of my own I was homeless and had suffered all the ill effects…

With all the claims, half-truths and denials rampant in our political-candidacy system, do you ever wonder what the real person is like, who she really is? I certainly do. And…

Patsy Keever has been a faithful servant to citizens of our area from the time she was a school teacher through her service on the county commission and state Legislature.…

I urge you to take advantage of early voting and cast your support for Holly Jones and Brownie Newman for County Commissioner (District 1). Both have worked hard in their…