North Carolina transitioned to phase II of its coronavirus reopening plan on Friday, May 22 — ending the “Stay at Home” order and entering what’s being called “Safer at Home.”

Spring hiking in Western North Carolina is my favorite. The weather isn’t sweltering hot like the summer, the water in my CamelBak doesn’t freeze in my pack as I experienced this winter, and while autumn is comparable fallen leaves often present a trail hazard. Spring hikes offer moderate te…

Provisions Mercantile, a modern-day mercantile for locals and travelers, will has opened the doors to their new West Asheville shop. Located at 728 Haywood Road, the renovated 4,000-square-foot store will provide shoppers with a varied selection of exceptional gifts, including items for home…

With spring comes a profusion of newborn and young wildlife, from fawns and fox kits, to newborn rabbits and nestling songbirds.

ABCCM thanks Asheville Outlets for hosting the week long Food Drive from May 1-8. A big thank you to the neighbors, friends, family and church family who donated 7,000 pounds of nonperishable food items to families in need. Close to 1,800 bags of groceries were delivered to ABCCM’s Hominy Va…

Gov. Roy Cooper recently named Robin Myer, the soon-to-be retired executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, to The Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

UNC Asheville presented its annual student and faculty leadership awards in a special video tribute on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Join the Sierra Club on June 4 for a webinar that features Dave Erb giving a virtual update on the most viable path to a sustainable transportation system.

Fire ants could soon become more pervasive in the mountains, according to research from the Highlands Biological Station of Western Carolina University.

PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST — FIND Outdoors, a 47-year-old nonprofit based in Pisgah Forest, is working closely with the US Forest service to safely reopen Black Mountain, Carolina Hemlocks and Briar Bottom Campgrounds beginning June 15.

On Friday, May 15, Mountain BizWorks began accepting applications for the Buncombe County Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund – a $5 million grant program established by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and designed to bolster the area’s tourism-based economy as recovery efforts begin.

The economic crisis due to COVID-19 that began in late March and continued into April interrupted the buying and selling of homes throughout the Asheville region. Year-over-year sales declined 14.5 percent in April 2020 across the 13 counties, with 737 homes sold.

Kids and families can stay connected to nature and engaged in the outdoors with a series of e-Adventures launched by Kids in Parks.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has launched an interactive website for families to enjoy virtual outdoor experiences, including videos and activities to connect people with the park from home.

CANTON — In the sunny spring days of social distancing, Lake Logan Conference Center shifted focus to serve families and small groups in a number of ways.

A few people were strolling through tree-lined Biltmore Village on a warm afternoon last week a few days after some retail shops had re-opened following an extended closure.

Itching to hit the trail, but puzzled where to hike with so many outdoor recreation areas shut down?

Leading stargazing sessions for school students and community members… Leading backpacking expeditions for her fellow students… Participating as an intern with the IceCube Project to improve the neutrino-detecting capabilities of instruments buried deep in the ice at the South Pole… Finding …

During the month of May, local coffee roaster South Slope Coffee will be donating a portion of sales to Food Connection’s chef meals disaster relief program.

The Reed Creek Greenway is divided into two separate construction projects, one complete and the other in progress.

The Carolina Day School (CDS) community had a virtual signing ceremony celebration earlier this month for Frances Huffman, who will pursue the sport of field hockey at the college level. Huffman signed her national letter of intent with the Royals, Queens University of Charlotte’s NFHCA Divi…

Bob Lewis Sports Park is an exciting new recreational and sports facility located in the Enka Candler area, just outside of Asheville. The state-of-the-art sports complex hosts a myriad of youth sports tournaments and is continuously growing to provide additional capabilities and outdoor eve…

PISGAH FOREST — The Cradle of Forestry, in consultation with the US Forest Service, has made the decision to cancel this year’s “In Search of the Blue Ghosts” tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More local families will be able to put food on the table and receive childcare assistance thanks to a generous donation from First Horizon Bank.

The 2020 Garden Jubilee has been reformatted to avoid totally cancelling the event by shifting the activities from Main Street to the individual local nurseries and orchards for the safety of festival goers and vendors.

PISGAH FOREST, NC – Staying home never felt so good. FIND Outdoors is bringing the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the world in an effort to foster a sense of calmness and community. Free virtual forest bathing and nature therapy walks will take place Saturdays at 9 a.m. EDT, h…

Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) would like to make the community aware of the first cases of lab-confirmed COVID-19 associated with long-term care facilities in Buncombe County.

The North Carolina Arboretum, a 434-acres public garden located in Asheville, reopened its trails on Saturday, May 9, in conjunction with the North Carolina’s lifting of its Stay at Home orders and phased reopening plan. Similar to Governor Cooper’s reopening plans, the Arboretum will be ope…

As of last weekend, Biltmore’s historic park areas will be reopen to Biltmore Annual Passholders who reside in western North Carolina following the latest guidance from N.C. Governor Roy Cooper’s office and officials with Buncombe County.

Over a dozen retailers and eateries will reopened at Asheville Outlets last weekend.

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis is seriously affecting ABCCM’s ongoing efforts to provide food, medicine, healthcare and emergency assistance (rent, gas, and utilities) to the most vulnerable in Buncombe County. While the need for food and assistance has nearly doubled, volunteers have dropped o…

Paul Turner, of Canton, knows just how serious the COVID-19 pandemic is — perhaps better than most people.

Asheville Outlets is hosting a a drive-thru food drive with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) from Friday, May 1 through Friday, May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day at the Food Court entrance.

Gov. Roy Cooper extended North Carolina’s stay-at-home orders until at least May 8, outlining a three-phase plan to gradually reduce business closure restrictions during a press conference April 23.

The Carolina Day School community had a virtual signing ceremony celebration earlier this week for Chilton “Chilly” Curwen, who will pursue cross country and track & field at the college level. Curwen signed his national letter of intent with the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville’s NCAA Division I…

On average, 30,000 guests visit the WNC Nature Center in March and April. This year, only 3,700 visited in March before the gates were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Gina and Ian Griffin met working at the same restaurant, Gina was the front-of-house manager and Ian was the sous chef.The very first conversation they had, they shook hands over a deal to open a restaurant together. Gina would manage the front of the house and Ian would helm the kitchen.

Little Sprout Carryout, a locally-grown gourmet and comfort food carryout restaurant with locations in Asheville and Black Mountain, announced their new partnership with N.C. Healthcare Foundation to feed local hospital workers through the Foundation’s “Feeding the Soul” program.

The Hop Ice Cream Cafe announced a new flavor collaboration with local community movement Asheville Strong to raise awareness around supporting small, local businesses.

Volunteer tutors with the Literacy Council of Buncombe County work throughout the year with community members who want to improve their basic literacy skills so they can fill out job applications, earn their high school diplomas, or read to their kids. They teach immigrants how to speak Engl…

The Appalachian Regional Commission has approved a grant in the amount of $149,596 to the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) for the UpSkill 2.0 Reentry, Recovery, Work program.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to experience ‘SmokiEEEs @ Home’ during National Park Week. This new website at www.smokieees.org features videos and activities that connect students of all ages to the park from their homes by highlighting the three ‘E’s in Sm…

National Volunteer Week is April 19 to 25, and the Greater Carolinas Region honors its volunteers who are helping people in need, even during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of April 27 there are 51 lab confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Buncombe County residents and 4 COVID-19 related deaths.

School closures have forced families nationwide to readjust to the current reality. However, a sense of structure is important for children’s developmental growth. To create a routine for your kids that sticks, consider the following tips:

Area fitness centers are offering workouts and training opportunities through online sessions to help people stay fit during the current stay-at-home order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Earth Day is a great time to cherish our connection to the natural world, and every year RiverLink celebrates the holiday with its annual Earth Day Kid’s Festival.

With previous restrictions for Realtors lifted in Buncombe County last week, agents can now make appointments for in-home showings, rather than offering video-only tours to clients.

As of April 10, 37 lab confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Buncombe County residents and 2 COVID-19 related deaths.

Asheville Outlets will host a blood donation drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day inside the Food Court.