The harm caused by intravenous drug use extends far beyond the user, sometimes even to innocent bystanders, like hikers, boaters or young children on playgrounds. But the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, along with volunteers in Haywood County, are becoming more active in efforts not so much aimed at winning the drug war, as containing it. On a summer evening in Haywood County, a small group of volunteers are out walking the tracks, wearing blue rubber gloves and holding long grabbing

Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry held a town hall event in Asheville Wednesday. The packed event at the Riceville Volunteer Fire Department was dominated by questions about President Trump's behavior and the Russia investigation. BPR's Jeremy Loeb was there and videotaped the event.

The first month of the fiscal year for both the city of Asheville and Buncombe County governments has passed. Both cut arts funding in their budgets for the year, and in particular, money to the Asheville Area Arts Council (The council is a business sponsor of Blue Ridge Public Radio). BPR's Matt Bush spoke with Jason Sandford of AshVegas about the reaction to the cuts from the arts community in Asheville. INTERVIEW EXCERPTS - What money was cut - The Asheville Area Arts Council was a little

Franklin, North Carolina is nicknamed the “Gem Capital of the World.” The small town hosts gem shows, rock shops and gem mining. How did this small town get such a big reputation? “It’s just the luck of the shovel,” says Judy Johnson. She’s been working at Mason’s Gem Mine for 11 years. The mine which opened in 1952 is located in Burningtown just outside of Franklin. The mine sits on a natural deposit of gems and is a prime example of how the area got its name. Tourists dig their own dirt from

A Small Place With A Huge History – Historian Dan Pierce talks about his new book “Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community.” Its demise raises questions about how stereotypes of Southern Appalachian people cleared the way for absorbing the community into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Art On The Streets – Asheville is getting closer to commissioning its latest public art project. A conversation on this program -on how public art can help deepen our sense of attachment to our community with the chair of the City of Asheville’s Public Art and Cultural Commission Jason Miller and selection panel member Michael Carter.

The Marvelous Math Club – In this program, we’ll hear about a project in Asheville that hopes to narrow racial and economic gaps in education by reframing how students think about math. Guests are the program’s co-creators, UNC Asheville math professor Sam Kaplan and Marta Alcala-William of Asheville Public Schools.

Michael Greene is expected to plead guilty Friday morning to one charge filed against him. He worked in Buncombe County government alongside his mother Wanda, who served as Buncombe County manager for 20 years. She retired in June 2017. Michael Greene left his county job soon after his mother's retirement. Both face numerous conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly misusing Buncombe County-owned credit cards to make personal purchases over a 10-year period from 2007 to 2017. Wanda Greene faces

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein was among a bipartisan group of twenty attorneys general to urge Congress this week to do more to improve election security. The move comes in the wake of President Trump's widely-condemned news conference in which he appeared to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agency conclusions that Russia attacked the 2016 election. Stein told BPR's Jeremy Loeb the president's behavior was "disgraceful."

You can’t just invite several hundred foreign performers to a festival in Western North Carolina without showing them some good old-fashioned Southern hospitality. And that’s just what many local volunteers do each year, serving as a bridge between cultures at Waynesville’s Folkmoot Festival. “My name is Connor, I’m 20 years old. My name is Heather, I’m 22 years old. My name is Yetunde, I’m 22 years old." Those are just a few of the two dozen young people working the Folkmoot Festival this