The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is hosting the 10^th annual ReUse Contest to showcase innovative building projects constructed predominantly of used building materials.

Winners will be selected in the following categories:

• Furniture: $200 ReStore gift card
• Homesteading (i.e. chicken coop, raised bed): $200 ReStore gift card
• Live and/or work space: $200 ReStore gift card
• Art: $200 ReStore gift card
• Home Decor: $200 ReStore gift card
• Vans & Vehicle (NEW!): $200 ReStore gift card
• Best in Show: $500 ReStore gift card

Winners will be announced in a press release, on Asheville Habitat’s website and social media pages, and featured in the Asheville Habitat ReStore.

The purpose of this annual contest is to showcase innovative building and DIY projects
constructed predominantly of reused building materials. A large number of ReStore shoppers
purchase items intended to be repurposed or reused in unique and creative ways; the ReStore
Reuse contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle
and repurpose usable materials.
The creativity of this community never ceases to amaze. Past projects have included a fence
fashioned from doors, a potting bench built from pallets, a chair crafted from an oil drum, yard
art made from old tools, and so much more. To see photos from the 2020 contest, click here.
A panel of five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading,
Live and/or Work Space, Art, Home Décor, Vans and Vehicles (NEW!), and Best in Show.
Winners will be announced in mid-October.

About Bearfootin’ Art Walk

Since 2003, the Bearfootin’ Art Walk has helped raise funding for Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local non-profits. In addition to raising funds, the bears offer a window into good work being done by community organizations in Henderson County.

The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery. After the “Reveal” event in early May, the bears then take up residence in downtown Hendersonville for the duration of the summer and fall, up until auction. Participants bid during the auction to raise funds for local non-profits and Downtown Hendersonville. Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the downtown program and the non-profit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the non-profit. In 2020, the Bears raised more than $84,000, and in 2021 we hope to continue the tradition of giving.

2021 Bearfootin’ Auction

The 2021 Bears are currently stationed along Main Street until the auction in October. Check out our 2021 Bearfootin’ Bears!

Until 2020, the Bearfootin’ auctions were hosted in traditional style with a live auctioneer. Then, in response to the pandemic, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville pivoted to a virtual format for the 2020 auction. The virtual bidding format allowed people to bid over the course of a month until a scheduled bidding cutoff. This turned out to be a big success, with the 2020 auction raising more than $84,000. 

For the 2021 Auction, the Downtown Events Team and Friends of Downtown Hendersonville staff are incorporating the virtual bidding format with an in-person event. This means bidders will be able to begin bidding as early as September 15, 2021. Bidding will come to a close with an exciting in-person event on October 16 from 4-6:30pm, with all bidding closing at 6pm.

1. Bidding begins on September 15, 2021 at 12pm and ends at 6pm EST on October 16, 2021. Stay tuned for the release of the bidding platform closer to September 15!

2.  All bidding will occur virtually. There will be no in-person bidding. However, there will be live bidding via phone/computer up until the bidding cut off at 6pm on October 16.

3.  It’s free to register to bid, and you can bid anytime between September 15 and the deadline at 6pm on October 16. Initial bids will take place via the bidding website (stay tuned for link!). Bidders will receive automatic text message notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid directly via text message.  

4. There will be an in-person countdown celebration on October 16 from 4-6:30 pm on the outdoor plaza at the Historic Train Depot at 650 Maple Street. The event will have a lively atmosphere with bells and cheers at each incoming bid, as well as live music, beer/wine and food trucks. The event is free and open to the public. While there will be no in-person bidding at the event, attendees can bid live via their cell phone. There will be an event information booth to help attendees get registered and begin bidding.

5. There will be no proxy bidding. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. There are no reserve/proxy bids, meaning you can’t set a price that the system will automatically bid for you. If you are outbid, you will need to place a higher bid if you wish to continue.   

6. Starting bids for all bears will be $1,500 and minimum bid increments are $100.  

7.  Any bear can be purchased at our “Buy Now” price of $10,000. The “Buy Now” option ends Thursday, October 14 at 5 p.m.

8. Bidders do not have to attend the in-person event to be a winning bidder. For those who can’t attend the in-person event on October 16, we will conduct a virtual Facebook Live event of the auction on the Downtown Hendersonville page. We will start the off by introducing the bears and providing information about how to bid before the clock runs out. All bidding is automatically cut off at 6pm on October 16.

9. Winning bidders will be contacted regarding payment and picking up their bear via text and email. Bears can be picked up at the event, or during a scheduled “pick up window” the week following the event. Winners have 5 days to pay or they will be automatically charged on the credit card filed. Alternatively, winners can pay with cash or check. There will be a 2.95% processing fee on all credit card transactions. 

Buncombe County is excited to announce the launch of a new website to help qualified homeowners streamline the process of submitting an inquiry to the Homeowner Grant Program. As of Friday, Aug. 6, qualified Buncombe County homeowners will have an opportunity to receive financial assistance for housing-related costs. The Homeowner Grant Program is now accepting inquiries for support on the program website or by calling (828) 250-5500. You must call or submit an inquiry to determine eligibility.

With the FY22 budget approval, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved $300,000 for this new initiative aimed at helping qualified homeowners. Through a collaborative partnership, residents in the City of Asheville and the Town of Woodfin will be eligible to receive additional assistance, and the program will be administered through Buncombe County Health and Human Services (HHS).

“This is a new idea for our community, and I’m glad we are thoroughly evaluating it,” said Chairman Brownie Newman at the July 13 meeting. “We are trying to provide some financial relief for folks seeing cost of living go up for a variety of reasons. We’ll make adjustments based on what works well,” he said, noting the County might increase the program’s investment in the future.

Through this program, residents who own residential property in Buncombe County that they have lived in as their primary residence for at least five years and who earn at or less than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) as a household may be eligible to participate. Those who apply for the program and meet these criteria may receive up to $300 from Buncombe County and up to $200 from the City of Asheville or the Town of Woodfin.

Starting Friday, Aug. 6, eligible homeowners can submit an inquiry on the homeowner grant website or call (828) 250-5500 to start the application process. Phone support is available in any language.

“If you think you may qualify, but you aren’t sure, please give our team a call,” said Economic Services Director Phillip Hardin. “We know there are a number of unique circumstances, and our staff will work with homeowners to help find solutions.”

Homeowner Grant Details

• Grant amount: Up to $300 for Buncombe County residents
• City of Asheville and Town of Woodfin residents may receive additional grant of up to $200
• Frequency: Annual
• Length of primary residence: Five years
• Household Income: at or below 80% of AMI
• Application: Income documentation required, unless already enrolled in HHS means-tested economic assisted programs
• Other programs: Applicant will be paired with best fitting programs with no duplication of benefits.
• You must apply. This is not an automatic enrollment. 
• Eligible payment types:
  • If eligible, grantees may choose to have grant funds applied to their property tax bill, city/municipality taxes, and/or applied to other housing-related obligations such as housing costs, mortgage, or insurance. Payments are made directly to the source of the approved bill. Payments will not be made directly to individuals.

*For households over 5, please contact the HHS Call Center for assistance

Buncombe County Permits & Inspections is taking another step toward streamlining the inspections scheduling process. Effective Friday, Aug. 20, scheduling building, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing inspections will transition to the Development & Permits online portal.

The portal offers the ability to search permit records and inspection results, and the addition of online inspection scheduling makes this an exciting new tool for our contractors and owner/builders.

“The convenience of an online scheduling tool is something the building community has been waiting for a long time,” says Permits & Inspections Director Matt Stone. “The 24/7 online system allows more flexibility in how and when they will be able to schedule their inspections, and will free up staff time normally spent each day handling these requests.”

Visit buncombecounty.org/permits to access the Development & Permits online portal, and click here for directions on how to log in and schedule an inspection. Please be advised when scheduling an inspection, some inspections will appear as optional even though they might required. Please contact our office with any questions at (828) 250-5360.

Note: Contractors without online access will still have the ability to schedule same day inspections by calling (828) 250-5360 between 7-8:30 a.m., the day of the required inspection.

Buncombe County Permits & Inspections provides building inspections and permitting services for all unincorporated areas of Buncombe County and through contractual agreements, provides these services for the towns of Biltmore Forest, Weaverville, and Woodfin.

On Wednesday, Aug. 18, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners declared a Local State of Emergency. The Local State of Emergency also applies within the municipal limits of the City of Asheville, the Town of Weaverville, the Town of Woodfin, the Town of Black Mountain, the Town of Montreat, and the Town of Biltmore Forest.

With the declaration, Buncombe County Emergency Mangement personnel will implement plans for the prevention of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from any and all emergency situations that may result from the impacts of the storm.

The implementation of such Emergency Management plans will allow sufficient personnel to be mobilized and positioned in order to:

a)         Reduce vulnerability of people and property of Buncombe County to damage, injury, and loss of life and property;

b)         Prepare for prompt and efficient rescue, care, and treatment of threatened or affected persons;

c)         Coordinate with state and federal agencies for the orderly rehabilitation of persons and restoration of property; and

d)         Provide for cooperation and coordination of activities relating to emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery among agencies and officials of Buncombe County and with similar agencies and officials of other counties, with state and federal governments, with interstate organizations, and with other private and quasi-official organizations.

The emergency management plan will remain in effect until the declaration expires at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 or is rescinded.

Click here to read the Local State of Emergency.

Buncombe County continues to see a significant growth in the number of positive COVID-19 cases. Since Aug. 3, trends have not improved. The local cases per 100,000 per week has increased six-fold compared to one month ago with current rate at 261 cases per 100,000 people per week. About 90 new cases per day are entering the public health work flow, up from 51 new cases per day just two weeks ago. The current percent positivity is 8.5% positivity rate compared to 7.2% on Aug. 3.

Buncombe County is experiencing an upward trend in COVID-related hospitalizations. As of now, Buncombe County has 62% of our total population at least partially vaccinated and 58% of our total population fully vaccinated. Looking at vaccine rates by age, the highest rates are in those that are who are 65 or older with younger age groups seeing some upward trend in rates over the last week.

Masks Required Indoors in Buncombe County

At its Aug. 18 emergency meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners declared a Local State of Emergency requiring residents and visitors in any indoor spaces in public spaces to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others. Effective immediately, indoor public spaces include business establishments, offices and workplaces, public transportation facilities and vehicles, and any indoor place the public is invited and allowed to enter and gather. The order applies to all people who are at least 5 years old, and face coverings are recommended for all people over the age of 2.

The mask requirement currently extends throughout unincorporated Buncombe County as well as the municipal limits of the City of Asheville, the Town of Montreat, the Town of Woodfin, and the Town of Weaverville.

Worship, religious, and spiritual gatherings, funeral ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and other activities constituting the exercise of First Amendment rights are exempt from the requirement of this order.

Click here to read the full order.

Additional Dose Recommended for Moderately and Severely Immunocompromised Individuals

New recommendations from the CDC advise people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine series (two doses) to begin receiving an additional third dose to better protect themselves from COVID-19. The CDC recommends an additional dose for people in the following categories:

• Receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Individuals must self-attest they qualify for the additional dose by having a condition or taking a medication that causes them to be moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Vaccine Administration

Buncombe County Health & Human Services vaccine administration takes place at the Buncombe County Health Department, 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville. Walk-in vaccines are available between Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more at buncombeready.org. Additional vaccine providers can be found by visiting covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines. In addition, Buncombe County is coordinating multiple mobile vaccine events Aug. 18-23. Click here for details on those events.

COVID-19 Testing

Visit the Find my Testing Place website to find COVID-19 testing locations in Buncombe County or to request a free, at-home COVID test. Individuals who are showing symptoms or believe they have had close contact to COVID-19 should get tested.

For more information about COVID-19 and vaccines in Buncombe County, go to buncombeready.org.

Buncombe County, including the City of Asheville, continues to see a significant growth in the number of positive COVID-19 cases. Since Aug. 3, trends have not improved.

At its Aug. 18 emergency meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners declared a Local State of Emergency requiring residents and visitors in any indoor public spaces to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others. Mayor Esther Manheimer signed an order for the City of Asheville shortly thereafter.

Effective immediately, indoor public spaces include business establishments, offices and workplaces, public transportation facilities and vehicles, and any indoor place the public is invited and allowed to enter and gather. The order applies to all people who are at least 5 years old, and face coverings are recommended for all people over the age of 2.

Worship, religious, and spiritual gatherings, funeral ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and other activities constituting the exercise of First Amendment rights are exempt from the requirement of this order.

Click here to read the City of Asheville order.

For the most update COVID-19 information buncombeready.org

County Commissioners unanimously approved using $300,000 for a new initiative aimed at helping qualified homeowners. During their meeting on July 13, commissioners voted to move forward with the Homeowner Grant Program that could provide $300 for eligible residents.

“This is a new idea for our community, and I’m glad we are thoroughly evaluating it,” said Chairman Brownie Newman. “We are trying to provide some financial relief for folks seeing cost of living go up for a variety of reasons. We’ll make adjustments based on what works well,” said Newman noting the County might increase the program’s investment in the future.

Homeowners Grant Details

Grant amount: Up to $300
Frequency: Annual
Eligible payments types: Tax bill and other homeowner housing costs
Eligible area: Buncombe County
Length of primary residence: Five years
Income: 80% of annual median income
Application: Income documentation required, unless already enrolled in HHS means-tested programs
Other programs: Best fitting programs; no duplication of benefits

Applications will be available starting Aug. 1, and the deadline to apply will be Nov. 15. Buncombe County will work with the local media and add updates to the Homeowner Grant program on its website as more information and applications are available.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when Buncombe County Public Libraries join the American Library Association and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.

In Buncombe County, there are two ways to get a library card.

Go to any library – this is the fastest way.

If you can’t to come to a library, we can give you a card online.  You will need to email us a photo of your ID to get a card by email. We’ll email you a library card number and PIN that you can use immediately for all digital resources and the physical card will be mailed to you at a later date.

Remember, all Buncombe County and Asheville City School IDs can be used to check out library materials, so if you have a school ID you already have a library card. The PIN for your school ID is the last four digits of the ID number.

Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. Please contact us if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you at the library.

The City of Asheville is seeking public feedback on temporary initiatives launched in the spring of 2020 to support safe business operations and customer access during COVID-19. These initiatives have enabled over 100 businesses and organizations in Asheville to quickly expand outdoors into adjacent public spaces and parking lots.

Take the survey here.

The AVL Shares Space initiatives include the following:

• “Shared Streets” (pedestrian priority environment and use of on-street parking spaces along a corridor)
• Temporary Parklets (use of on-street parking spaces)
• Expansion on private lots (i.e. parking lots)
• Expansion on public sidewalks
• 10-minute curbside pick-up zones

While these temporary initiatives were launched in response to specific needs during the pandemic, the City would like to collect public feedback on the successes and impacts of each initiative to assess possibilities for longer-term programs. The survey will remain open through September 20. (Participating businesses are being surveyed separately.)

More information about each initiative, as well as goals and objectives of the program, can be found at www.ashevillenc.gov/AVLSharesSpace.

Want to save money and support your community organizations at the same time? Join the Target Circle Rewards Program! Members have the chance to vote for a local non-profit whenever they shop at Target between now and September 30.

Join today at target.com/circle and vote for ACT! It’s the easiest way to support ACT and save on products you need!

YMICC is committed to economic development and entrepreneurship for Black individuals and communities. Through this program entrepreneurs will receive six (6) months to one (1) year of business incubation support that will include business development training, startup and capacity building funding, as well as, mentorship opportunities. We are interested in you and your business ideas.

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The “HMMM” (Hospitality, Medical, Manufacturing, Municipality) workforce training initiative and business development program is designed to support participants with training to build technical and workforce skills. The expansion of this program is “Operation Gateway” which provides a “circle of support” that addresses barriers to successful employment.  In this program participants will receive wraparound services along their pathway to the workplace. This circle of services includes childcare, transportation, financial support, guidance, and re-entry skill development (e.g., resume-building and interviewing).

What is the 21 Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge?

Many people are becoming newly aware of how systemic racism and violence are impacting people of color. Even if you are new to the conversation, that is OK. Our 21 Day Challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. Participants who sign up for the Challenge will receive daily tasks via email to help foster their understanding and awareness, with activities such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, or reflecting on personal experience. If you’ve already completed this version of the challenge (released in March of this year) with us in the past please know that our challenge is designed to be taken multiple times by selecting different daily challenges in order to expand what you have previously learned.

Our next challenge starts on Monday, September 6th, and continues (Monday –Friday) through October 1st.