Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s going ’round:
-The North Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday announced that it overturned a lower court decision and upheld the city of Asheville’s right to retain control of its water system. The decision ended a three-year-long legal battle that began when Republican state lawmakers approved legislation moving control of the water system to an independent authority. The decision safeguards the city’s water quality and ensures that the current rate system remains in place, according to city officials. Here’s the city of Asheville statement on the water decision.
-Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College’s student culinary team won its 18th state title on Dec. 3 at Central Piedmont Community College, the Mountain Xpress reports. In addition to placing first, team members Emma Wieber, Jessica Olin, Habiba Smallen, Nina Patterson and Emily Welch were awarded gold medals for their high scores. In January, the team competes in regionals and if they win there they’ll advance to the national level.
–Bella & Oliver Soap Co., an Asheville-based maker of handmade vegan soap, has inked a deal with Sierra Nevada Brewing to make a line of beer-infused soap.
-The Nasty Women Exhibition, a group art exhibition “that serves to demonstrate solidarity among artists who identify with being a Nasty Woman in the face of threats to roll back women’s rights, individual rights, and abortion rights,” whill be held from 6-9 p.m. on Jan. 13 at Clay Space Co-Op in Asheville, according to a press release. All proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.
-Tickets are on sale for a Feb. 4 game between the Harlem Wizards and the Asheville All-Stars that serves as a fundraiser for Oakley Elementary School. The game will be played at Reynolds High School. Tickets here. If you want to sponsor the event, email [email protected]. We have a lot of options from $35-$1000!!
-A man who shot and killed another man, then shot himself, at the Just 1 More bar on Old Haywood Road in Asheville, has been charged with murder, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times. Colton Wayne Halford, 26, was charged with killing 28-year-old Anthony Andrew Roper.
-Speaking of the local newspaper: the Asheville Citizen-Times has changed its approach to its online digital paywall. When the newspaper started charging people to access its online content in 2012, it bundled online access with a subscription to its print newspaper. Now the newspaper has split the two, so readers can either subscribe online for $4.99 a year, or $49.99 a year (for the first year) for the print product. It is yet another signal that the print product continues to decline. Earlier this year, the Asheville Citizen-Times laid off 9 employees – almost all of them reporters and editors – as print advertising revenue continue its steady decline.
-Hi-Wire Brewing has announced that it is phasing out one year-round flagship beer, Prime-Time Session Pale Ale, and replacing it with a new IPA, the Lo-Pitch Juicy India Pale Ale. The new beer is set to be on shelves in January.
And they say Hot Springs has the miracle water. Congrats, Barry.
Read the SC opinion and all the background of the fight for Asheville’s water at:
SaveOurWaterWNC(dot)com