Lake Junaluska has hosted the Western North Carolina conference of the United Methodist Church for decades. For many of those years, its felt more like a family reunion than a convention. But this year was a little different. Kids play in swimming pool on the edge of the lake while adults get ready for another long day of voting. This is Robin Tate Uhl's first annual conference at Lake Junaluska in Haywood County. She's up for election as a laity delegate. That means if elected she would go to

North Carolina has a lot of work to do when it comes to addressing women's health and wellness. That's the finding of a state commissioned report released in Asheville this week at Mountain Area Health Education Center . BPR's Helen Chickering has details.

Online purchasing is giving rise to small businesses that take the middleman out of the supply chain. The so-called "direct-to-consumer" model has changed the way we buy even the most mundane products, from mattresses to razor blades. One example is an Asheville-based pottery maker hoping to capture a larger slice of the ceramic dinnerware market. East Fork Pottery is facing some challenges -- due largely to its rapid online success.

More than 400 untested sexual assault kits in the possession of the Asheville police department have been tested at the state crime lab, after state investigators last year determined there were around 15-thousand untested kits in various law enforcement agencies across North Carolina.

City Council plans to review a revised proposal to redevelop the Flatiron Building in downtown Asheville at its Tuesday meeting. The revised proposal cuts the number of hotel rooms from 80 to 71, which preserves the second floor for office space.

A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and undocumented immigrant will headline one of Asheville's annual fall events - an event that is changing its name this year.

The city of Asheville has released a new resource guide to help residents prepare for the effects of climate change. BPR's Helen Chickering reports.

This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, viewed as the beginning of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Pride celebrations commemorate this event and leaders like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. While Blue Ridge Pride is celebrated in September in Asheville, the organization is creating a virtual LGBTQ center to connect rural communities to resources.

Buncombe County Schools will be the first school district in the country to pilot a new student safety app. The Vitals App is designed to help school officials respond more effectively in crisis situations involving students with health or behavioral needs.

Hendersonville holds its first-ever Pride celebration Sat., June 15. While Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk supports the event, members of City Council and some religious groups oppose it.