The Museum of the Cherokee Indian is hoping to improve attendance and inspire new artists through its newest expansion. A new room at the Museum of the Cherokee won’t be full of any ancient artifacts. Museum director Bo Taylor says, instead, it will be a gallery space for local artists. “One thing that I’ve always preached and told people is that often museums are set aside for things that are dead and gone but as the Cherokee people we are still here,” says Taylor. “We’re still living vibrant

The latest report from Buncombe County tourism officials shows just how much short-term rentals have completely transformed lodging in the area. Short-term rentals, booked through sites like AirBnB, have seen rapid growth in the past two years. The report compiled the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority shows in 2015, just under 92-thousand room nights were booked with short-term rentals. Just two years later, that number was over 392-thousand. That compares to conventional hotels

Non-profit Mission Healthcare’s $1.5 billion dollar sale to for-profit HCA Healthcare is all but done. However, this isn’t the first for-profit healthcare system operating in Western North Carolina. For-profit Duke LifePoint purchased facilities in Jackson, Haywood and Swain county four years ago. Now it’s going through its own changes. LifePoint Health is being bought by for-profit RCCH Healthcare which operates in 12 states and is owned by private equity firm Apollo Management Group. Steve Heatherly is the CEO of both Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals, both owned by LifePoint. He sees the merger as strengthening their parent company. “We understood that becoming part of a larger company was what needed to create a sustainable model for our local hospitals,”says Heatherly. Haywood Regional Medical Center is also part of the deal. It’s operated by a seperate board. Surrounding counties like Macon and Graham also rely on these hospitals for their labor and delivery units

Last week, Hurricane Florence quickly grabbed the headlines from a major sporting event happening right here in Western North Carolina. The World Equestrian Games kicked off just as the storm was moving towards the coast. After a short delay earlier this week, the spotlight is once again shining on the Tryon Equestrian Center. But as Helen Chickering reports, the real horse story is down the road. The crowd cheers as four legged competitors and their riders gallop through man made creeks and jump over obstacles on the cross country course at the World Equestrian Games in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Hundreds of riders and horses from 71 countries have gathered at the Tryon Equestrian Center to compete in 8 disciplines, everything from endurance to a gymnastics-like event called vaulting. So just how did the world games land at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains? To find out, you need to take a 15 minute ride into the town that bears the equestrian center name

Last week, Hurricane Florence quickly grabbed the headlines from a major sporting event happening right here in Western North Carolina. The World Equestrian Games kicked off just as the storm was moving towards the coast. After a short delay earlier this week, the spotlight is once again shining on the Tryon Equestrian Center. But as Helen Chickering reports, the real horse story is down the road. The crowd cheers as four legged competitors and their riders gallop through man made creeks and

A group that holds a weekly needle exchange program - and the West Asheville bookstore that hosts it - will both appeal violation notices issued by the city of Asheville. The city issued a violation notice last month to The Steady Collective and Firestorm Books & Coffee , saying the weekly event hosted at the bookstore on Haywood Road violates city code. In particular, the city claims the needle exchange event qualifies as a 'shelter', something zoning codes do not allow for in the area of West Asheville where Firestorm is located. Under Asheville’s Unified Development Ordinance, a shelter is defined as ‘a nonprofit, charitable, or religious organization providing boarding and/or lodging and ancillary services on its premises to primarily indigent, needy, homeless, or transient persons.’ The violation notice was issued after the city said it received several neighborhood complaints. Kairos West and 12 Baskets, which operate out of the same building, received similar violation

As Hurricane Florence barreled toward Western North Carolina, businesses and homeowners alike battened down the hatches. Farmers though had a different job - saving a product that is always at the mercy of the elements. Appalachian Growers in the Cowee Valley outside of Franklin just put their first seeds in the ground in April. Last Friday, they were rushing to get their first harvest in from the fields before the storm. “I have new found respect for farmers - no doubt. It’s hard work, stressful, the weather, bugs and pests,’” lists owner Steve Yuzzi. He and his girlfriend and business partner, Lori Lacey, own the business on land leased from a supportive friend. The pair met while he was a card dealer at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. Both were entrepreneurs with no farming experience when they started this project about 10 months ago. But their product inspired them to give it a try. They aren’t growing the traditional corn or tobacco of the area. Nope, they are growing hemp.

Western Carolina, Elizabeth City State University, and UNC Pembroke all decreased both their instate and out-of-state tuitions through a program funded by the legislature this year. In-state students now pay just $500 per semester under NC Promise. At Western, numbers are at an all-time highs for the new undergraduate classes as well as the number of new transfer students. However, the school doesn’t attribute its growth just to NC Promise. It’s seen enrollment growth the last seven out of eight years. Western officials think academic programs like engineering and forensic anthropology as well as the popularity of its marching band the Pride of the Mountains have lead to their expansion. Western Carolina was just ranked 11th in top public universities in the South, up from 13th last year by U.S. News & World Report. This year, the number of graduate students on campus also increased 10.5 percent despite the fact that they are not eligible for NC Promise.

Western Carolina, Elizabeth City State University, and UNC Pembroke all decreased both their instate and out-of-state tuitions through a program funded by the legislature this year. In-state students now pay just $500 per semester under NC Promise. At Western, numbers are at an all-time highs for the new undergraduate classes as well as the number of new transfer students. However, the school doesn’t attribute its growth just to NC Promise. It’s seen enrollment growth the last seven out of eight

Around a dozen students and staff from UNC-Wilmington are beginning their second week living on the campus of UNC-Asheville because of Hurricane Florence and its aftermath.