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.

The Caldwell Arts Council announces its 35th Annual Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir, NC on Saturday September 11, 2021 at the Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, North Carolina.

Sculptors are invited to bring up to 3 sculptures for this one-day event to compete for $11,000 in cash awards, along with potential sales and commissions. Registration includes free camping, a Friday Night Sculptors’ Dinner, breakfast, and a meal voucher for the day of the event.

This annual family-friendly event attracts sculptors and buyers from the eastern United States to Lenoir, North Carolina and in past years, has attracted over 4,000 people. It is funded in part by generous sponsors and by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

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

Take a look around. Now, look closer.

The word “pixelated” means made of small pieces but the word, “pixilated” means infatuation with a mischievous, mythical creature called a pixie.

Looking at the world in a different way can feel mischievous. Walk through your neighborhood looking up, looking down. Look at how buildings are put together or how things fall apart.  Find patterns, shadows, twisting vines, whatever makes you stop and think. Whatever makes you feel pixelated.

Send us your favorite square-framed shots of simple, surprising thing that make you think, wonder or smile in Buncombe County.

Look for BiblioBoard on the Buncombe Public Library site. Make an account and log in. Select Menu and Buncombe County. Scroll down to Buncombe County collections. Dive into the CITYPIXels module and submit a photo.

If we get enough submissions, we’ll put them together as pixels in a larger display of just what it is we love about where we live. Then we can enjoy what we love alone, together!

Get pixelated, Asheville!

Please Note: COVID-19 TESTING IS NOT AVAILABLE AT 40 COXE AVE.

COVID-19 Testing General Information

Think you have been exposed to COVID?

Testing is widely available at urgent cares, federally qualified health centers, and through some primary care providers for those who need it however, it remains important to focus on the prevention of COVID first and foremost to keep the virus from spreading further into the community and to loved ones.

Find testing near you:

• If you DO NOT HAVE a healthcare provider who offers testing for COVID-19 and you need to get tested, there are several ways to find testing near you.
• Visit the Find My Testing Place website to find a clinic or pop up testing site near you.
• Testing is available through StarMed Healthcare. To register for COVID-19 testing through StarMed, click here.

Testing is suggested for the following: 

• Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19
• Anyone (with or without symptoms) who is a close contact of a known positive case
• Anyone (with or without symptoms) in the following groups who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19:
  • Persons who live in or have regular contact with high-risk settings (e.g., long-term care facility, homeless shelter, correctional facility, migrant farmworker camp)
  • Persons who are at high risk of severe illness (e.g., people over 65 years of age, people of any age with underlying health conditions)
  • Historically marginalized populations
  • Healthcare workers or first responders (e.g. EMS, law enforcement, fire department, military)
  • Front-line and essential workers (grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, child care workers, construction workers, food processing plant workers, etc.) in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain
  • People who attended mass gatherings (protests, marches, rallies, funerals, parties, cookouts, etc.), particularly if they were in crowds or other situations where they couldn’t practice effective social distancing

Paying for COVID-19 Testing:

New laws require most health insurance plans to fully pay for COVID testing when there is a medical reason for the test (such as having symptoms or contact with someone with COVID). If you do not have insurance, some clinics may use a government program to pay for the cost of your test. Other clinics may offer charity care assistance or sliding scale options for payment. Check with your provider about these details.

COVID-19 testing and treatment will not affect immigration applications or public charge status.

Symptoms of COVID-19

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If you are symptomatic or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should contact your healthcare provider or an urgent care.

Symptoms Include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.

This list does not include all symptoms. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you have any of these emergency warning signs* for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Call 911 if you have a medica

Background and Goals of the Festivals & Cultural Events Program

The Festivals & Cultural Events Support Fund Grant Program was launched in 2016 by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) and is designed to provide financial support for events that both serve the residents of Buncombe County and the visitors who travel to the Asheville area for the sense of authenticity and welcoming spirit that the destination exudes.

The primary purposes of this fund are to:

• Support and preserve cultural identity within Buncombe County;
• Stimulate the creation of new, or expansion of existing, festivals and cultural events; and
• Contribute to the financial viability and long-term sustainability of the area’s festivals and cultural events.

Explore Asheville CVB is offering grants for Festivals & Cultural Events ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, not to exceed 50% of the total event budget. Application deadline is Sept 29th at 5 pm.

As COVID levels rise in Buncombe County, arts organizations are taking precautionary steps to support the health of the Asheville- Buncombe community.

More than 25 organizations have signed on to the Asheville Area Arts Council’s pledge to require masks indoors and strongly encourage masks outdoors.

 “Arts leaders have been at the forefront of efforts to ensure the safety of our community since the pandemic began in March 2020 and will continue to do so as new challenges arise,” said Asheville Area Arts Council Executive Director Katie Cornell.

The arts council’s recent Creative Jobs Report shows the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation was the top creative sector in Buncombe County, growing 53% from 2015-19. By 2020, the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industry had experienced the greatest percentage of employment loss in the county– an overall loss of 34% representing a decline of over 1,300 jobs according to Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Many creative businesses also suffered over a year of closure due to necessary health restrictions. “Arts organizations are doing their part to support the community, but these businesses simply cannot withstand another shutdown. We need the community to do their part to support the arts by wearing a mask” said Cornell.

This mask requirement comes after the Center for Disease Control issued new guidelines on July 27th that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals should wear a mask in public indoor settings to reduce the risk of becoming infected and transmitting the virus to others. Buncombe County Public Health Director Stacie Saunders also urged businesses to follow the CDC guidelines during the Stand Up for Your Business Town Hall meeting on August 5th.

“We are still in the middle of a global pandemic and we are currently seeing surges around the country more aggressive than anything we saw in 2020,” said Buncombe County Public Health Preparedness Director Fletcher Tove. “Each one of us has a role to play in safeguarding our community and that starts with getting vaccinated and wearing masks indoors.”

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.

A guided whitewater rafting trip is one of the best ways to experience the Nantahala Gorge. The crystal-clear Nantahala River is the perfect family-friendly river where experienced river guides will help you navigate through splashy Class II-III rapids and bouncy waves, with occasional calmer waters where you can enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery. The fully guided rafting trip the most popular adventure at NOC, with thousands of families returning year after year.

Guarantee Your Seats for All 9 Shows!

Premium Seating

Peacekeepers may purchase up to TWO Premium subscriptions per $250 donation. Box seating is available with annual gifts starting at $1,500 for upper boxes and $2,500 for lower boxes. Gifts must be renewed annually to retain season tickets in this section. Please note, due to demand, this seating area is limited.

Patron Accessibility

The Peace Center offers a variety of accessibility services including assistive listening, ASL interpreted performances (Saturday matinees), audio described performances, wheelchair accessible seating, and transfer chairs. For the best experience, please discuss your specific need with a Customer Service Representative. Some services require advance notice.

Ride in style on the historic Great Smoky Mountains Railroad aboard your very own restored Caboose. These are great for family reunions, birthday parties, private meetings, corporate field trips or just any time!

Our cabooses accommodate up to 15 people with seating on the main level and in the cupola. (And, remember, babies are people, too!) The cabooses feature heat, private bathrooms, windows that can be opened, and open air vestibules at each end for unobstructed views. Advanced reservations are required and availability of caboose rentals are limited.

A platter of cheese and crackers, and an assortment of 15 bottled Coca-Cola products are included. Plus, the caboose is the only place where you can bring your own food and drink (please, no alcohol) in picnic baskets or coolers.

You can charter the caboose on:

• Nantahala Gorge
• Tuckasegee River

Best value for small groups and private parties up to 15 passengers. Available by phone only. Book now by calling 800-872-4681.

Rafting

Enjoy this trip combining the Great Smoky Mountains Railroads trip with the Waterfall Jeep® tour. You’ll begin your trip in Bryson City, NC, with a 2 hour (approximate) railroad excursion over Fontana Lake and into the Nantahala Gorge. As you travel on the train, watch paddlers challenge the rapids. At the top of the line, disembark from the train and climb aboard Wildwater’s customized Jeep® for a 2-hour (approximate) personal exploration up the mountain, past waterfalls and lakes, up to the Appalachian Trail and back. A delicious deli lunch is included.

Available by phone only. Book now by calling 800-872-4681.

* Children 40 – 80 lbs. are required to sit in the front passenger seat with the airbag disengaged using a child booster seat. Children 80 lbs. or greater will sit in the back using a lap seat belt. If there is more than one child in the 40 – 80 lb. range, the second child will sit in the back using a lap belt.

Western North Carolina has a rich assortment of county historical societies, archives, and museums. The Western North Carolina Historical Association seeks to help researchers, historians, genealogists, and the general public take full advantage of these resources.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, home of the iconic National Gingerbread House Competition, announced a reimagined Competition for 2021. After a virtual 2020, the Resort is planning to welcome back participants in-person this year, along with an esteemed panel of judges, including renowned Food Network Chef, Carla Hall.

Gingerbread enthusiasts are now encouraged to enter the Competition (find entry details HERE) and begin dreaming up dazzling designs for their confectionary creations. The 2021 Competition will take place at The Omni Grove Park Inn on November 22, 2021.

November 8, 2021: Competitor Entry Form Deadline.

November 15, 2021: Digital Content and Description Summary Form Deadline.

November 22, 2021: Awards Ceremony and Winners Announcement.

December 1-12, 2021: 12 Days of Gingerbread series on The Omni Grove Park Inn social channels highlighting top finalists. Assets will be available.

November 2021 – January 2, 2022: In-person Gingerbread Display will be open for public viewing at The Omni Grove Park Inn.

Unique outdoor sculptural works by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, known as “Stick Man,” will reside in Antler Hill Village. Renowned worldwide for his monumental creations, Dougherty weaves saplings and branches into intricate artworks, fashioning whimsical forms ranging from gigantic snares and cocoons to sculptural interpretations of notable buildings. The visual appeal of these large-scale artworks may be appreciated up close as guests are encouraged to walk through and around the creations, affording the opportunity to admire the artistry and technical skills required to make the sculptures.

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!

Tarzan Train

Get ready to go wild at the library for our annual Summer Learning Program. Join us for Tails & Tales – an exploration of wildlife and fantastical folktales. We’ll have an activity sheet with lots of fun adventures for all ages. You can pick up a sheet at any library starting June 1, or download it HERE. Check our calendar to find our most up to date list of programs all summer long.

The 2021 Summer Learning Program is open to young people, preschool through teen, with books and activities for every age. All library programs are free and open to children of all abilities. Come in and see what the library has for you!