asheville.com
local, national and world news
 |  | 
Last Updated: 8:08 a.m., Monday, February 6, 2010
Current Weather Information
All About Asheville
Moscow Festival Ballet to Perform "Swan Lake" in Asheville on February 20
Dance lovers are in for a treat on Saturday, February 20, when the Moscow Festival Ballet brings their acclaimed touring version of "Swan Lake" to Asheville. "Swan Lake", one of Tchaikovsky’s finest compositions, first appeared in 1877, and has since come to be regarded as one of the finest ballets ever composed. More details
Pack Library to Close this Saturday until the Fall
For more than 125 years the public library has been an integral part of community life. They offer the traditional public library menu of services, including lending books, tapes, videos and other materials, providing reference and reader's advisory services, and programming for both children and adults. More details
Gotta Have Heart: A Variety Show & Fundraiser on February 25, Tickets Now on Sale!
Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. You won't want to miss this fun and fabulous event to benefit The Health Adventure! More details
What Does It Mean to Be Buncombe Green?
In 2010 Buncombe County Government is encouraging all of us to be "Buncombe Green" by recycling, reducing and reusing. Buncombe County defines green as something that meets two of the following: saves money, saves time, and/or saves the environment. More details
Project Learning Tree Workshop Approaching Quickly! Registration is due by February 19
Are you looking for fun hands-on nature activities to use with students Pre K-8? Interested in a visit to the NC Arboretum and the traveling exhibit called "The Scoop on Poop: The Science of What Animals Leave Behind"? More details
Funny Business Presents Ken Evans & The Feral Chihuaha's This Weekend
Comedian Ken Evans has traveled the country, headlining major clubs and venues everywhere. Don't miss his relevant, current, and always hilarious shows! More details
UNC Asheville Launches Newly Designed Web Site
UNC Asheville has launched a newly designed Web site, www.unca.edu. The new site, under construction since April 2009, includes a new look as well as a new site structure designed to help users find the information they need quickly. More details
Numbers You Need When the Power's Out!
With weather like it has been, a few precautions could save you a great deal of trouble. Here are some numbers to keep on your refrigerator that will be useful in an emergency. More details
Proterra Selects Greenville as Location for Research, Development & Manufacturing Plant; $68 Million Investment, 1,309 New Jobs
Proterra Inc., which develops and assembles drive and energy storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles, including their ground-breaking BE-35 fast-charge battery-electric transit bus, has announced that it will locate a facility in Greenville County at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) for research and development as well as assembly of its products.
Jeff Granato, CEO of Proterra Inc., said, “We are very excited to pursue the next stage of Proterra’s manufacturing and development in Greenville.
More details
The Grand Bohemian Gallery presents “HEART & SOUL” Saturday and Sunday
Check out the exhibition featuring the theme of "Love" with special guest artist Amber Higgins and her hand-crafted glass jewelry. The exhibition also showcases paintings and sculptures on the theme of "Love" by some local and regional artists. More details
Brevard College Presents Valentine Viewing of Classic Silent Film "It” on Friday
Brevard College's Porter Center for Performing Arts will present a special Valentine Day viewing of the classic silent film “It” featuring Clara Bow, Hollywood’s “it” girl of the 1920s. This special Valentines Day event will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 14 and will include original, live accompaniment by guest organist Vance Reese on the College's spectacular Kirkpatrick-Coleman Pipe Organ. More details
NC Stage Company Presents “True West” Starting February 17
Asheville actors Charlie Flynn-McIver and Scott Treadway play estranged brothers in Sam Shepard’s acclaimed True West, February 17 – March 7, 2010 at North Carolina Stage Company. This brilliant and dangerous comedy premiered in 1980 and established Sam Shepard as a master of American theatre. More details
Sign Up Now For RiverLink's Riverfront Bus Tour on February 18
Come tour the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers with RiverLink and witness their magic first hand. This is an opportunity to see the improvements that have occurred and hear what is coming over the next several months and years to make the rivers a better place to work, live and play. More details
Chimney Rock Park Offers A Sweetheart of a Deal Valentine's Day Special Beginning Wednesday
Nothing says "I love you" like a romantic day at Chimney Rock. That's why they are offering - buy one regularly-priced adult ticket and get one free for Valentine's Day from Feb. 10 - 17. More details
UNC Asheville Celebrates Black History Month with a Variety of Programs
UNC Asheville will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a host of special events. Among the highlights will be a Step Show featuring groups from across the Southeast and a lecture by African American deaf-educator Lindsay Dunn. More details
The Diana Wortham Theatre Presents Destino on Friday
Need the perfect entertainment to kick off the Valentine's Weekend? The Diana Wortham Theatre has you covered. More details
MANNA FoodBank Calls on the Community to Help Out Food Drive; Asheville.com a Proud Sponsor
More than 30 area businesses in Buncombe and Henderson counties are participating in the MANNAfest Workplace Food Drive. These businesses will be conducting internal food drives among their staff during the month of February. More details
Flat Rock Playhouse Announces the 2010 Season Schedule
Flat Rock Playhouse is proud to announce its 58th season of plays. For the 2010 Season, the Playhouse will be launching new shows with Broadway aspirations and breathing new life into enduring classics. More details
Asheville City Schools Foundation Presents 2nd Annual Tour of Excellence on February 18
The Asheville City Schools Foundation will present the Tour of Excellence on Thursday, February 18th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Participants will meet at Asheville High for a light breakfast and then take a school bus to three sites where the ACS Foundation has implemented innovative programs that address challenges facing our schools. More details
Want to Make Your Business Greener? Join the "Lean, Green & Clean" Review on February 16
A "Lean, Green and Clean" Process Review will help you identify waste in the traditional sense of time, labor and materials; but the ‘green’ component brings the element of environmental and energy impacts into consideration. "Lean, Green, and Clean" is recommended for those that designed your production systems and the people with the authority to improve them. More details
Asheville Art Museum Announces WNC Regional Scholastic Art Award Winners
The Asheville Art Museum announces the WNC Regional Scholastic Art Award winners to be recognized at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. An exhibition of the students’ works is on display in the Pack Place Community Gallery through Sunday, February 14, 2010 and is free to the public. More details
YWCA Child Care Center Receives 5-Star Rating
The YWCA Child Care Center has achieved a five-star rating from the North Carolina Division of Child Development. This rating is based on the level of education the staff brings to the program and on the quality of the programming itself. More details
Tupelo Honey Café Opens New South Location
The new South Asheville location of one of Asheville’s favorite restaurants, Tupelo Honey Café has opened at 1829 Hendersonville Road in Meridian Place. The new location is serving breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m., along with lunch and dinner.
More details
Trash and Recycling Schedules Unaffected by Snow, Leaf and Brush Collection Temporarily Suspended
Residents are reminded to have trash and recycling out by 7 a.m. for collection. If trucks are unable to navigate roads due to ice or snow, trucks will return as soon as road conditions improve. More details
Asheville Humane Society Offers a "Furry" Valentine Special
Let Asheville Humane Society be your Cupid this Valentine's Day with an offer more tempting than chocolates inside a heart-shaped box! Asheville Humane Society is offering a "Furry" Valentine for all those lonely hearts looking for true love. More details
UNC Asheville Hosts Historical Photo Exhibition of Asheville's East End; Reception on Thursday
"Asheville’s East End Circa 1968," a historical photography exhibition by Asheville artist Andrea Clark, is on view through February 26 in UNC Asheville’s Blowers Gallery. The exhibition includes 26 framed black-and-white photographs and a large historical map of Asheville. More details
Regional Blood Supply Has Dropped To Emergency Levels;
O & B Negative are Urgently Needed
Specifically, there is an acute shortage of O and B negative blood types. The regional blood banks, represented by the American Red Cross, American Association of Blood Banks, and America’s Blood Centers, are asking for immediate blood donations to boost already critically low blood supplies. More details
Sign Up Now for Severe Weather Workshops at UNC Asheville
Weather enthusiasts can now register for a severe weather workshop hosted by UNC Asheville's Atmospheric Sciences Department. The workshop will be held from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17, in UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall, room 125. More details
Spring Will Be Back Before You Know it, Here are Some Tips on Backyard Composting
It won’t be long before many western North Carolina gardeners will be ready to get out and start working up that garden soil. When you shove your shovel into the ground, are you faced with sticky red clay, rather than the nice loamy soil you envision? More details
Save Energy and Get Some Friendly Advice with Draft Stoppers on Sunday
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, households can save 5-30% of their energy costs by reducing drafts in a home. Hands On Asheville-Buncombe invites you to help keep someone's home warm this winter by making "draft stoppers" (stuffed and decorated fabric tubes that are placed at the bottom of a door). More details
Take an Art Break! Join the Asheville Art Museum on Friday
The Asheville Art Museum invites you to join a member of the Asheville Art Museum’s Docents on a guided tour of the exciting exhibitions "Looking Forward" and "Looking Back" on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Art Breaks are free with Museum Membership or admission. More details
Wax Up Those Skis and Snowboards!
With the snowfall this weekend, ski and snow boarding conditions are outstanding. Couple the great ski and snow boarding conditions with breath-taking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it makes skiing and snow boarding in Western North Carolina a great outdoor adventure. More details
Easily Create a Home Recycling Center
Learning the local regulations for what and how to recycle is a good way to prepare for recycling. But where in your home are you going to find space for storing recyclable items? More details
Asheville's First Ever "FANATICON" Announced for May!
The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce that it will host FANATICON, a convention for fans of comic books, science fiction and fantasy, on Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Headlining the event is acclaimed comic book artist and Asheville native Jackson “Butch” Guice. More details
Sign Up for Asheville Spring Baseball and Softball Leagues
Spring is just around the corner, which means it is time to register for Youth Baseball and Softball, co-sponsored by the Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department. Registration dates and locations are listed below. More details
YWCA Receives Diabetes Wellness Grant
The YWCA was recently awarded $59,850 by the Mission Hospital Community Benefit Grants Committee. This grant will help the YWCA sustain our current Diabetes Prevention program for minority and low income adults, and expand it to include additional participants and immediate family members (adults and children). More details
Frog Awareness Program Offered at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday
February pulls frogs out of their hiding places to find mates and lay eggs in woodland waters. Explore this ages old phenomenon and enjoy the winter woods at the Cradle of Forestry in the scenic, historic Pink Beds valley on Saturday, February 13. More details
Special Valentine's Day Pianoforte Concert Featuring Deborah Belcher and John Cobb
Enjoy music celebrating the legendary relationship and artistry of Robert and Clara Wieck Schumann, and Brahms, interspersed with readings from the Schumanns' letters and diaries. Join us for a romantic Valentine's Day Pianoforte Concert featuring the works of Clara and Robert Schumann - one of music's greatest love stories! More details
Sign Up Now for the Spring Asheville Citizens Police Academy
The Asheville Police Department is now inviting residents to apply for the spring semester of its Citizens Police Academy. This free program gives participants insight into the philosophy and policies that govern the APD’s service to the community. More details
Flat Rock Playhouse Hosts Big Band Dance Party on Saturday
Step right into a USO Club in full “swing” as Flat Rock Playhouse invites everyone to travel back in time to the Swinging 40’s during the Big Band Sweetheart Dance which takes place Valentine’s Eve, Saturday, February 13. Held at the unique location of the WNC Air Museum, dancing is encouraged throughout the evening with music provided by the Hendersonville Swing Band, under the direction of Jerry Zink. More details
Portable Space Heaters - Are They Safe?
Many individuals use a small space heater if their main heating system is inadequate or if just one room of the home is cold. Space heaters have several fuel sources to choose from including electricity, propane, natural gas and kerosene. More details
Highland Brewing Co. Present the 3rd Annual Big Game and Beer Tasting on Friday
Highland Brewing Company set the bar for Asheville Micro Brews and has continued to raise it annually for years! They have once again joined Game Dinner in co-presenting what has become one of their most popular Events. More details
Save that Rain for a Sunny Day, Deadline to Order a Rain Barrel is March 22
We all know that when it rains, it pours; and with the right rain barrel, all that rainwater can be saved. With the drought and significant stormwater pollution in our streams, rain water harvesting is the ideal solution. More details
Art Nouveaux Group Holds Third Annual Purchase Party
The group was delighted to purchase a portrait by photographer Tim Barnwell, Rowena Bradley Making Double Weave Rivercane Baskets, black and white silver gelatin print, 1991. Barnwell hosted the group at his Asheville studio for a fascinating evening in the fall. More details
Nearly $740K Comes to AdvantageWest Region to Fund Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects
Governor Bev Perdue recently announced the recipients of federal Recovery Act funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, of which a large portion – $739,756 – is coming to the AdvantageWest region. The grants were divided into two separate categories. More details
Buncombe County Offers Free Tax Assistance Starting Monday
Do you have questions about your taxes? Would you like assistance in completing your income tax forms? More details
Buncombe County is Having a Photo Contest
Buncombe County will focus on recycling, reusing and reducing in 2010 with the theme of "Growing Greener Together." To help promote this theme, the County is looking for high quality photos of citizens enjoying the outdoors, participating in recycling, litter cleanup or just walking the dog. More details
Do You Have a Winter Car Safety Kit?
Winter is here, make sure you are prepared by putting together a car safety kit. Every motorist should have a kit in his or her car (and parents - make sure that your teen has one, too). More details
Buncombe County Offering Rabies Shots for Only $10, Starting Saturday
The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Animal Services Division will be offering low cost vaccination clinics to allow you to keep your pet's vaccinations current. Protect Your Pet from Rabies, no appointment is needed. More details
Asheville Chamber President Announces Retirement
Richard J. Lutovsky, President & CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, notified the Chamber Board and staff of his intentions to retire this September. The announcement at this time gives the Board nine months to conduct a search and name a successor. More details
Black Mountain Recreation and Parks to Host 11th Annual Valentine 5K on Saturday
Whether you are looking for love or just to get some exercise on this Valentines Day the Black Mountain Recreation and Parks department is happy to announce the Eleventh annual Valentine run on Saturday, February 13th, 2010 at 2:00pm. The run which is 3.1 miles is set in a quiet neighborhood in Black Mountain and leads you down the paved Oaks Trail and back. More details
Social Media Workshop Series Kicks Off With Comfort Food and Local Expertise Tomorrow
Social Media Jams, a monthly workshop series offering education in how businesses and people can use blogs, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for fun and profit. The event launches February 9 at Tomato Jam Cafe. More details
2010 Woodland Steward Series Announced
Are you a landowner who wants to protect your legacy by keeping your woods healthy? Do you want information on financial assistance and maximizing the benefits from your woodlands? More details
Support the Joyful Noise Center and Maybe Win a Nice Prize
Joyful Noise Community Music & Arts Center is raffling a queen size log cabin quilt to raise money for music and art scholarships. The quilt was made and donated to Joyful Noise by Gifts of Grace, a community ministry of the First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville. More details
Is Winter Getting You Down? You Are Not Alone!
The shortening of daylight and increase of darkness effects people in different ways. Many people attribute the winter blues' to the end of an onslaught of holidays-Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and New Year's Day. More details
Current Weather Information 
We are now pleased to offer our viewers a direct link to national and world news headlines from The New York Times On the Web. |
The City of Asheville is Seeking Entertainers for the 2010 Bele Chere Festival
The City of Asheville is now accepting applications for entertainers to perform at the 2010 Bele Chere Festival being held Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 25, 2010. The application is available for download at www.belecherefestival.com. More details
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Announces Winter & Spring Excursions Through April 4
All Aboard for winter and spring journeys as the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad takes you through a remote corner of North Carolina into river gorges and tunnels carved out of mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has adventures, excursions and special events planned throughout 2010, and is excited to announce our first quarter schedule. More details
Safety Tips for Being Outdoors During a Winter Storm or Extreme Cold
Although we are all aware of what we should do when outside during a winter storm, it is easy to get caught up in activities and forget about our wellbeing. Next time you prepare to go outside during winter conditions keep the following advice in mind. More details
Grandfather Mountain Restoration Efforts Now Underway
"It was pretty impressive to see," said Penn Dameron, Executive Director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. "It is a pretty great group of employees we've got here." More details
Mount Mitchell Promises Cold Weather, Great Views (If It’s Not Snowing)
Mount Mitchell, part of North Carolina’s Black Mountain Range and the highest peak in the US east of the Rockies, is one of the more popular stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the height of 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell looms high above the valleys below, a dramatic testament to the birth of the mountains in the eastern US a billion years ago, and to the millions of years of wind, water, and other forces that have worn down the pinnacles to their rounded, more subdued profiles that we greet with familiarity today. More details
Are You Heating with a Fireplace or Wood Stove?
With the increased cost in utilities, more homeowners may return to using their fireplace or wood stove for additional heating. With this in mind, there are some safety precautions that need to be followed to insure a safe heating season. More details
Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Unveils Way-Finding Signs
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority has recently put in $1.65 million for a wayfinding project. Asheville city contributed $90,000 to the project to create more signs for parking garages, along with $75,000 for the initial design. More details
Linville Caverns Are a Great Addition to a Weekend Ski Trip
It all started from a inquiring nature and a willingness to explore … how could there be fish swimming out of the mountain? So began the curious journey of eastern Carolinian, H. E. Colton, and his local guide, Dave Franklin, over 100 years ago. More details
Help Out by Donating Paper Towels to the Asheville Humane Society
The Asheville Humane Society needs paper towels! No - they're not using them just to clean up after messy lunches, they're using them to keep the environment at the shelter clean and safe for the animals. More detailsIs There Hope for the Hemlock?
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is in the mid to late stages of destroying the Eastern Hemlock throughout the Southern Appalachians. DuPont State Forest depends on both the Carolina and Eastern Hemlock to provide deep shade for its cold water trout habitat. More details
The Legacy Continues: SHCG New Members Exhibition at the Folk Art Center Main Gallery
Becoming a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild is no easy task. The first criteria for membership is living in one of the mountain counties of the Southern Appalachians.More details
Feeding Bodies and Warming Hearts: Providing Safe, Nutritious Meals to Home-bound Seniors
Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County, Inc. delivers hot and cold nutritious meals to 550 homebound seniors five days a week throughout the area. Each weekday, volunteers load up picnic coolers and deliver food and drink to clients on each of the 38 routes. More details
Enjoy a Walk through Asheville History on Urban Trail
Asheville’s Urban Trail, an entertaining, informative, and artistic walk through Asheville history, is 1.7-miles of architecture and memories from earlier times in this engaging mountain city.Started in 1991 by a group of dedicated volunteers who were determined to put downtown Asheville’s best foot forward, the Urban Trail has evolved into a fairly complete walking tour of Asheville’s historic and present day world. More details
Legends and Geologic Facts Equally Intriguing at The Blowing Rock
Legend has it that after a Chickasaw maiden’s warrior love had leapt from the Blowing Rock, she prayed daily to the Great Spirit to return her warrior beloved to her and was granted her wish when the brave was blown back up by the winds surrounding the rock. Geologists with the US Geologic Survey estimate the metamorphic igneous rock to be about 1,055 million years old and have determined the wind comes from a flume formed by the rocky walls which sweeps the wind up, along with any objects in its current . More details
The Horticultural Legacy At Biltmore Estate Having Lasting Impact on Forestry
In the the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. More details
Explore the Great Outdoors at Chimney Rock Park
Chimney Rock Park, located just north of Lake Lure, NC, in the stunningly beautiful Chimney Rock Gorge, is an ideal place to explore some of North Carolina’s most scenic mountain tracts – yet all within easy reach of the comforts of restaurants, cozy inns, and easy chairs. Chimney Rock Park has several outdoors activities in February and March that encourage visitors to get outside, breathe the fresh air, and stretch their legs. More details
Grandfather Mountain, a Globally Recognized Nature Preserve
Most visitors to Western North Carolina probably recognize Grandfather Mountain’s famous swinging bridge, and more than likely enjoy visiting its restaurant and souvenir shop. Many thousands of travelers stop by Grandfather Mountain during the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, one of the largest gatherings of Scottish clans anywhere in the country. What some visitors might not know, however, is that Grandfather Mountain has been a globally recognized nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary for over 100 years.More details
New Walking Trail Guide for Asheville and Buncombe County Now Available Online
Quality Forward, Mission Hospitals Foundation, and Tortoise & Hare Running Outfitters have collaborated on a new walking trail guide for Asheville and Buncombe County, and the guide is now available both in print and online. The new guide, which contains information on 17 different walks, offers suggestions all over the city and county.More details
Folk Art Center Programs Share Simplicity of Traditional Crafts
The Southern Highland Craft Guild, located in the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway just east of Asheville, is a membership guild of some of the finest craftspeople in the country. Some of these guild members generously share their knowledge of crafts and Appalachian culture with the public through a series of free educational events that take place year-round at the Folk Art Center. More details
A Tour of the Winery is a Great Addition to Biltmore Estate Visit
The most visited winery in the United States isn’t located in the Napa Valley. Perhaps a surprise to some, it is at the Biltmore Estate, quietly nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, where fine food and wine, paired with elegant entertaining, have been traditions since the end of the 19th century.More details
[More news]
If you have news item that you believe is appropriate for asheville.com, please call 828-253-2880 or send email to info@asheville.com. |
|
 
|
