Mountain Xpress

Mountain Xpress Independent, community-focused journalism since 1994. Free print edition available each Wednesday

Xpress won several N.C. Press Association awards. This year's contest was judged by members of the Nebraska Press Associ...
07/18/2025

Xpress won several N.C. Press Association awards. This year's contest was judged by members of the Nebraska Press Association. 

Reporter Greg Parlier earned second place in the News Feature Writing Editorial category for his article, “Marshall Cleans Up After Helene Against All Odds.” 

Additionally, reporter Justin McGuire took home third place in the Sports Feature Writing Editorial category for his story, “Basketball Star Henry Logan Broke Barriers, Conquered Demons in Legendary Life.” 

And managing editor Thomas Calder earned second place in the Arts and Entertainment Reporting category for his literary feature, “Taylor Brown's Latest Historical Novel Explores 1921 Trench Warfare on American Soil.” 

📸 by Brionna Dallara

There’s nothing unusual about congregants at houses of worship sitting down for a class, meeting or community meal with ...
07/03/2025

There’s nothing unusual about congregants at houses of worship sitting down for a class, meeting or community meal with a cup of coffee in hand. Rarely is the coffee source as close as at Trinity United Methodist Church (TUMC) in West Asheville.

Inside that Haywood Road landmark, Deep Time — a company conceived to employ people impacted by incarceration — roasts and packages a dozen blends of coffee. And on May 25, the roastery opened Deep Time Café with a menu of hot and cold specialty coffee and tea drinks.

On Saturday, July 5, noon-5 p.m. at the church, Deep Time will celebrate its first weeks in business with Second Chance Fest, featuring live music, vendors, food and, of course, coffee.

See link in bio for more.

After decades of silence about his time as a Vietnam combat medic, the late David Rozzell began writing as a path to hea...
07/02/2025

After decades of silence about his time as a Vietnam combat medic, the late David Rozzell began writing as a path to healing. His posthumous memoir, Troubled Sleep, which came out in April, traces the war’s deep emotional toll and his quiet search for peace.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Rising costs, U.S. tariffs threaten small-town fireworks shows

Adaptive outdoors program helps veterans develop a new mindset 

Recipes for soothing sunburned skin and hydrating this summer in the mountains

State auditor criticizes Swannanoa relief spending as needs persist

Our regular music feature, “The Playlist,” returns in this week's Arts & Culture section. This time around, we're speaki...
06/27/2025

Our regular music feature, “The Playlist,” returns in this week's Arts & Culture section. This time around, we're speaking with , music director of the Asheville Symphony, about the 14 tracks he included on his playlist. The selections range from Bach to present-day composers.

For those less familiar with the feature, each month a different local musician creates a playlist set to a specific topic. June's theme is “In Bloom.”

“My suggestion would be listen to each track with an open mind,” Butorac tells Xpress. “Listening to these longer tracks requires a blind-faith experience. What is the upside? To find something that can hit me deeply, that can truly resonate, to discover something new I didn't know I would like. What is the downside? Fifteen minutes lost? That is a literal blink of mindless online scrolling — speaking from personal experience.”

See link in bio for more. You can download the set at avl.mx/ew2.

In this month’s humor column, “Best Medicine,” comedian Cayla Clark discusses the role of comedy in politics with Ashevi...
06/25/2025

In this month’s humor column, “Best Medicine,” comedian Cayla Clark discusses the role of comedy in politics with Asheville City Council members Bo Hess and Sage Turner.

In this issue, you'll also find:

🏡 Buncombe County takes next step toward developing Ferry Road Community project

🧠 Four risk factors you can address in the fight against dementia 

🚲 What would a mobility-friendly city look like?

🎶 Darko Butorac of the Asheville Symphony showers listeners with songs that bloom

Despite extensive damage from Tropical Storm Helene, several local galleries and studios are coming back online at new l...
06/20/2025

Despite extensive damage from Tropical Storm Helene, several local galleries and studios are coming back online at new locations. Grab this week’s issue to read more about three of them: Southern Highland Craft Guild, Ignite Jewelry Studios and New Morning Gallery.

Featured in this photo is Jessica Blissett, right, owner of Ignite Jewelry, and Lindsey Turner.

Photo by Chad Truitt

The premiere of Color Beyond the Lines will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 21, in the Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Commu...
06/19/2025

The premiere of Color Beyond the Lines will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 21, in the Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. The film, directed by David Weintraub, explores the history of Ninth Avenue School and its lasting impact on Black students in Henderson, Transylvania and Polk counties from 1951-65. 

For more, see link in bio.

In February, Angie Fornof began selling toys, art, jewelry, candy and DVDs in a vending machine located outside of her N...
06/17/2025

In February, Angie Fornof began selling toys, art, jewelry, candy and DVDs in a vending machine located outside of her North Asheville home. But in April, the City of Asheville notified Fornof that her setup was in violation of city ordinances. Despite Fornof’s best efforts to keep it running, the machine’s future remains in limbo.

Featured on this week’s cover is Karley Haddock and her daughter, Louise.

📸 by Chad Truitt

In this issue, you'll also find:

👑 Thousands gather in downtown Asheville for No Kings Rally 

🌊 Despite major disruptions, river outfitters gear up for the summer

🍻 Highland Brewing Co. celebrates the life of Oscar Wong

The No Kings rally has left Martin Luther King Jr. Park and marched to Pack Square Park. Additional gatherings are set f...
06/14/2025

The No Kings rally has left Martin Luther King Jr. Park and marched to Pack Square Park. Additional gatherings are set for 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Pack Square Park.

See link in bio for more info.

📸 by Thomas Calder

No Kings rally is currently underway at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. It is the first of multiple local events today "in ...
06/14/2025

No Kings rally is currently underway at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. It is the first of multiple local events today "in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies," notes organizer Indivisible Asheville/WNC in a press release.

The crowd will march to Pack Square Park at noon.

A second rally is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. at Pack Square Park. This event, organized by Women's March and Good Trouble WNC runs until 3:30 p.m..

A final march will be held at Pack Square Park at 5:30 p.m.

All 📸 by Thomas Calder

Are you in search of a good local podcast to listen to this summer? Xpress surveys a handful of options — from shows abo...
06/11/2025

Are you in search of a good local podcast to listen to this summer? Xpress surveys a handful of options — from shows about beekeeping to episodic sci-fi productions and everything in between. Featured on this week’s cover is Veda Sands.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Education board focuses on future capacity needs of its south Buncombe County schools

DIY skin renewal remedies can be easy and affordable

'Unto These Hills' celebrates 75th anniversary 

A Year in Beer: Cold beer and heated debate at New Belgium Brewing

Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) organized rallies across the nation on June 9 in solidarity with residents of L...
06/10/2025

Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) organized rallies across the nation on June 9 in solidarity with residents of Los Angeles, according to a press release by the group. USSW stated its goals "are to free longtime labor and civil rights leader David Huerta from federal detention and an end to the Trump Administration's escalatory actions on American communities, including by standing down the California National Guard and ending the brutal ICE raids that are terrorizing immigrant workers and their communities.”

In Asheville, amid heavy rains, community members gathered at Pack Square as part of the nationwide event.

All 📸 by Chad Truitt

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Our mission is to build community and strengthen democracy by serving an active, thoughtful readership at the local level -- where the impact of citizen action is the greatest.

Since 1994, Mountain Xpress has been an active partner in growing Asheville from a sleepy, boarded-up mountain town to the booming mecca for small business, tourism, arts, culture, and innovative thought that it has become. Throughout that evolution, Xpress has been committed to covering what matters most locally and serving as a vibrant platform for the dialogue and idea exchange that keeps this community thriving.