-Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer filed for re-election on Friday afternoon, the first day for candidates in municipal elections this year to file. There are three seats on Asheville City Council up for election, as well. Jeremy Goldstein, in his first run for elected office, filed Friday to run for one of those seats, which are elected at large.
-The Cotton Mill Studios at 122 Riverside Drive in the River Arts District recently sold for $1,950,000, according to property records. Owners Denise Carbonell and Derek Dominy, who sold to Rad Cotton Mill Studios LLC, bought Cotton Mill Studio in 2014 for just under $1 million.
-There’s a new video and public awareness campaign urging people to be careful when they go out to drink in Asheville aka Beer City USA, reports Asheville Grit. More:
Personal injury attorney Lakota R. Denton, P.A., who also initiated the “Slow Down Asheville” campaign, just released a new video in conjunction with the Asheville ABC board on how individuals and the bars that serve them can be safer when it comes to drinking. The powerful video highlights local personalities in the brewing and law enforcement scene, including Asheville Brewers Alliance Executive Director Kendra Penland, Highland Brewing Company’s owner and president Leah Ashburn, and Asheville ABC Board Chief Al Bottego.
-The construction of a new mixed-use building and townhouses and apartments in West Asheville will be up for review by the Asheville Technical Review Committee during its July 17. The Beacham’s Curve development would occur in two phases. The first phase would include one residential and commercial mixed-use building, as well as a block of five town houses fronting Haywood Road. The second phase would include two small apartment buildings.
-The Asheville Technical Review Committee will also review plans for the construction of five new student housing buildings at UNC Asheville at its July 17 meeting. The project is planned on Founders Drive.
-Johnny Hayes will be honored at 7 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College/Mission Health conference center. The event will mark the 16-year anniversary of Hayes being on the air with WRES, a low-power FM radio station at 100.7 on the dial.
-A “bliss mob” will parade through downtown Asheville today beginning about 3 p.m. to hand out hugs and high-fives.
-The Fresh Market this week is holding a series of events in its grocery stores in Asheville this week to promote its offerings.
-Mission Health recently released a statement clarifying CEO Ron Paulus‘ stance on medical marijuana. The issue came up at an Asheville City Council meeting in which Councilman Cecil Bothwell said Paulus had said the only way out of the current opioid crisis was to replace it with medical marijuana for pain control. Click over to read the Mission Health statement. Here’s the conclusion of a long explanation of Paulus’ personal views on the issue:
Marijuana should be treated in a science-based manner like all other drugs that have positive impact on patients and also serious side effects. Framing it as either a “boogeyman” or a “perfectly safe panacea” is nonsensical. Legalization is a complex political choice, particularly given conflicting interpretation among states and the federal government; but from a science standpoint it is very clear that more robust research should be pursued.