Black Mountain
GOVERNMENT
Asheville voters remain divided after presidential debate
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Following the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden on Thursday, June 27, many Asheville citizens said that although they felt the debate did not meet their expectations, it did not stop them from choosing their preferred candidate. Laurie, who did...
North Carolina group proposes 100-bed homeless shelter with leftover federal funds
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A work group in North Carolina is aiming to allocate $3.6 million in leftover Federal American Rescue Funds to create shelter spaces for the local homeless population. A shelter planning workgroup session at Haywood Street Church in Asheville on Wednesday focused on one option that...
The Blade turns ten
This month marks the tenth anniversary of the Blade’s launch. Our co-op offers our thanks to our supporters and this statement about where we’ve been as well as the path ahead. Above: The skyline of part of downtown Asheville by night. Photo by Max Cooper. Ten years ago...
Asheville-area human-waste-dumping Airbnb owners lose lawsuit, face foreclosure
ASHEVILLE - After suing a Weaverville couple for repeatedly dumping human waste from the "Secret Garden of Eden" trio of short-term rentals, Buncombe County won summary judgment in the case June 26, preventing the owners from renting the properties and requiring them to obtain proper zoning permits and a wastewater disposal source. Since the lawsuit was filed in February, former-short-term rental owners Sara Burrows and partner Brad Jordan have attempted to renounce their United States citizenship, made...
Tombstone Tales: ‘American Godfather’ buried at Riverside
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — During the period infamous for robber barons, Franklin Silas Terry offered a virtuous alternative. Affording his employees decency, he won the respect of underlings and superiors. Terry rose to one of the most enviable positions in the country: vice president of General Electric. By creating the first industrial park and corporate retreat, Terry’s influence remains prominent in the lives of millions of workers even now, a century after his death.
Small town activists share stories behind local Pride festivals
Asheville’s reputation for being LGBTQ-friendly is part of what drew Tera McIntosh and her wife to Western North Carolina. Yet when the couple moved from Pittsburgh in 2019, they settled in Clyde because Haywood County had more space for a much better price. The couple assumed they could find their LGBTQ community in Asheville, just a 20-minute drive away.
Asheville's Fourth of July celebration moving to South Slope; may become permanent
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville's Fourth of July celebration is moving from Pack Square Park to the South Slope this year, and possibly permanently. This change was prompted by the installation of solar panels on top of the parking deck where fireworks were previously set off. This forced the Asheville Downtown Association to find a new launch site.
I-26 Connector: NCDOT updates Asheville City Council on progress, costs
ASHEVILLE - At a "milestone" moment for the Interstate-26 Connector project, poised to be among the most consequential in Asheville's history, the N.C. Department of Transportation offered updates to City Council June 25, including the status of a unique "optimization and refinement" process working to drive down contract costs that came in much higher than expected.
July 2024: Things to do in Asheville and beyond!
July 2024: Your guide to things to do in Asheville and across Western North Carolina!. Send your organization’s family events to chris@worthyplace.com. Lil Boogers LaZoom's Kids' Comedy Bus Tour runs at noon Sundays – Fridays and at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays through Aug. 31 in Asheville. Ride the big purple bus for the educational and entertaining LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy Tour. It features a blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Learn about the city’s past and see the sights with outlandish tour guides, hilarious comedy skits and all sorts of special appearances. Tours are one hour and geared towards ages 5 – 12 but with jokes written for kids of all ages. The cost is $27 each. Learn more at lazoomtours.com/lil-boogers.
The return of the Ramada? A California developer with ties to Shangri La submits new proposal for abandoned motel
A new California developer with familiar faces says it is under contract to purchase the Ramada Inn site, a failed project to create permanent supportive housing in Asheville. The Los Angeles-based firm, Friendship for Affordable Housing (FFAH), hopes to do what another California developer failed to do over a three-year span: convert a run-down motel into housing for the city’s unhoused population..
Buncombe County Vaccines for School Students
Buncombe County -- June 28, 2024: Buncombe County Health Department: Do you know what vaccines your kindergartener,. 7th grader, or 12th grader needs? Review these handy cards and make an appointment with your healthcare provider to ensure your student has the vaccines required before school starts. Vaccines are also available...
New tap room salutes community with nod to local history
Few places in town offer as much of a glimpse into the earliest days of Black Mountain as a single corridor of buildings south of the railroad tracks. Structures along both sides of what was long ago known as South Main Street represent the oldest remaining architecture in downtown. It...
Western NC child care facing severe cuts; Raleigh advances emergency funding
With 29% of North Carolina child care programs saying they would close with many in the west of the state eyeing deep cuts, legislators have advanced emergency funding before a June 30 fiscal cliff. The N.C. State House voted late June 26 to allocate about $67 million for the first...
The 2024 MRA Community Survey Is Here
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Montreat Conference Center is in a season of strategic planning. Launched last year, the MRA Board has already devoted significant time to the process during each of its last two meetings, and members of our full-time staff are engaged, as well. Input...
This Week in Montreat – June 30, 2024
The 2024 MRA Community Survey Is Here 06/28/2024. Richard DuBose, president of Montreat Conference Center, writes a weekly message to Montreat. An excerpt of this weeks message is below. To read his full message, click the "Read More" button below the excerpt. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago,...
Council goes against staff recommendation to approve rezoning near River Arts District
Asheville City Council voted 6-1 to approve rezoning an area in the West End/Clingman Avenue Neighborhood despite city staff’s opposition to the plan during a public hearing June 25 at Council Chambers at City Hall. Roberts Green LLC and Ricky and Vivian Brown requested rezoning of eight plots totaling...
Fourth of July ushers festive traditions to the Swannanoa Valley
A full day of summer traditions will return to the Swannanoa Valley, Thursday, July 4, as the Montreat Conference Center hosts its 55th Annual Fourth of July Parade and the Town of Black Mountain ends the evening with a fireworks display. The parade, led by the grand marshals The Stoney...
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