More of what’s going around:
-Ingles grocery store officials, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, are installing plexiglass shields at cash registers and making store aisles one-way to help with social distancing, according to an Ingles social media post and story by WLOS. Plexiglass shields are already up in local Aldi grocery stores. And local U.S. Postal Service locations have installed what appear to be handmade Plexiglass shields to separate postal workers from customers.
-Asheville Chef J Chong says in a social media post that she was the target of racist and homophobic attacks on Friday during a virtual cooking class for the Campaign for Southern Equality, held online using Zoom. Chong says in her Instagram post that she was aware of “zoom bombing,” but went ahead with the virtual spinach pesto-making class anyway, thinking it wouldn’t happen to her. It did, she writes. Chong, executive sous chef at Curate, reports that about half an hour into the meeting, the virtual class was flood with newcomers who started saying horrific things. “You chink; the coronavirus is happening because of you,” was just one example, she says. Chong says she shared her story to educate people on what’s happening in the world with people’s racist reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.
-North Carolina state lawmakers say they plan to retroactively extend vehicle inspection deadlines, so don’t worry about that looming car inspection deadline right now, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
-Comic book shops are another niche business sector getting crushed by the COVID-19 outbreak. New comics are simply not being distributed to local retailers. The Daily Beast breaks it all down.
–The Brevard Music Center has announced the cancelation of its well-known summer music festival, as well as the cancelation of its a prestigious summer training program for young musicians, who come to Brevard from around the country to be a part of it.
–The Mystery of George Masa, a documentary film by Bonesteel Films in Asheville, is now free for viewing and downloading with promo code: Masa. Asheville filmmaker Paul Bonesteel says the story of the life of Masahara Iizuka, also known as George Masa, as well as his photographic work and commitment to preserving and protecting the beauty of the Appalachian mountains continues to resonate.
-Looking for a great jigsaw puzzle? Check out local toy shops Curio, Dancing Bear and Whist. This weekend, Whist is holding a puzzle sale.