Mountain Xpress

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

Girls flag football is taking off across Western North Carolina, opening opportunities that barely existed a few years a...
09/08/2026

Girls flag football is taking off across Western North Carolina, opening opportunities that barely existed a few years ago. As the YMCA launches a new league for girls ages 14-17 and local schools add teams, young players are finding new ways to compete — and a path to continue the sport into high school, college and beyond. 

Pictured on the cover are, from left, Cayman Blenco, Abigail Livernois and Josie Blenco. 

📸 by Caleb Johnson

In this issue, you'll also find:

Town of Woodfin seeks say in future of Craggy prison

West Asheville Garden Stroll returns

Asheville Downtown Association explores collaborative ways to address homelessness

Local filmmakers’ new documentary chronicles Camp Fire survivors

As Election Day nears, neighborhood associations, political organizations and business groups are inviting local candida...
09/01/2026

As Election Day nears, neighborhood associations, political organizations and business groups are inviting local candidates to speak at forums to share their plans for the region’s future.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Should students be excused for religious instruction?

Carolina Mountains Literary Festival returns

Late summer and early fall are special times for birding

LEAF Global Arts closes

North Asheville Little League leaders and Norwood Park residents are pressing Asheville officials to address problems th...
08/26/2026

North Asheville Little League leaders and Norwood Park residents are pressing Asheville officials to address problems they say emerged from an $800,000 renovation of Weaver Park. Critics cite issues with the baseball field and playground and say regular users weren’t adequately involved in planning. City officials dispute that characterization but say they are evaluating the concerns and will work with community partners on possible improvements. 

In this issue, you'll also find:

G20 finance meetings put global spotlight on WNC

Candidates discuss Hendersonville's future

Tips for managing water and preventing deer damage

Maggie Ullman on Paul Simon, political intimidation and the joys of elected office

This year’s Best of WNC celebrates many of the local businesses and individuals who continue to rebuild and recover from...
08/18/2026

This year’s Best of WNC celebrates many of the local businesses and individuals who continue to rebuild and recover from Tropical Storm Helene. It also offers a nod to our region’s wildlife. With almost 600 categories, join us in recognizing this year’s winners.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Buncombe County candidates discuss teacher play, property taxes and economics

Residents decry Asheville City Schools’ decision to eliminate orchestra program

New documentary chronicles 45 years of MLK Association

Local filmmaker Missy Bell premieres directorial debut

Hayes Bailey, a rising seventh grader at Asheville Middle School (AMS) who has been part of her school’s orchestra progr...
08/11/2026

Hayes Bailey, a rising seventh grader at Asheville Middle School (AMS) who has been part of her school’s orchestra program since sixth grade, stood behind the lectern for public comment during the Asheville City Board of Education’s Aug. 10 meeting. 

Bailey was one of more than 20 people to address the board about its decision to eliminate the program.

“S.O.S.” — an acronym for “Save our strings” — marked Bailey’s face. The same message was etched onto her shirt, as it was on those of several of her peers.

Bailey told the board she was “straight up not OK” with its decision and felt that the board had not taken her and her peers into account.

“Strings isn’t just music. It’s where you learn to keep going when you mess up. It’s where you sit in a room that smells like rosin and you can feel your heart pounding because you actually care about getting it right — and you do, slowly, together,” Bailey said.

“When you say you’re cutting [the program], I hear something way worse underneath. That our effort, our interests, our community, our own futures don’t matter. And that makes me mad. Not loud chaos kind of mad, but deeply hurt kind of mad. The kind of mad that makes me feel disrespected,” Bailey continued.

Despite her and other speakers’ pleas, the decision to eliminate the program stood.

For the full story, see link in bio.

📸 by Brionna Dallara

Buncombe County Detention Facility’s average daily population has increased by roughly 55% from 2020-26. The overcrowdin...
08/11/2026

Buncombe County Detention Facility’s average daily population has increased by roughly 55% from 2020-26. The overcrowding comes as new legislation, such as Iryna’s Law, coincides with several other pressures, including a backlog in the state prison system, slower court proceedings and staff shortages at state mental health facilities. How the county should address the issue depends on who you ask. 

In this issue, you'll also find:

Asheville Art Museum hosts Appalachian textiles exhibit

One year after fire, Goodwill and neighbors say progress is real but unfinished

3 musicians strike authentic chords in WNC’s hip-hop scene

Kristin Entler’s debut poetry collection shines a light on long-term illness

Illustration by Brent Brown

Herbicide contamination is often one of the last things farmers and gardeners consider when trying to diagnose problems ...
08/06/2026

Herbicide contamination is often one of the last things farmers and gardeners consider when trying to diagnose problems with their plants, yet the impacts can be disastrous. Identifying the source of the toxin can be complicated, time consuming and expensive. WNC growers, agronomists and pesticide experts discuss the increasingly widespread issue, with a look at how it happens, accountability and possible local solutions. On this week's cover is Utopian Seed Project founder Chris Smith.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Salvation Army pauses long-term shelter program

Woodfin Business Association seeks to improve the town’s visibility

Renowned spiritual guru to visit Asheville on national tour

Local playwrights enjoy success with Asheville-area theater companies

Cover photo by Samuel Caleb Johnson

As construction begins on the I-26 Connector, Haywood Road businesses are leaving longtime storefronts, searching for ne...
07/28/2026

As construction begins on the I-26 Connector, Haywood Road businesses are leaving longtime storefronts, searching for new locations or trying to survive in place. Xpress follows four businesses as owners weigh relocation, financial uncertainty and the possible loss of the close-knit community that has long defined one of West Asheville’s best-known commercial corridors. 

In this issue, you'll also find:

Post-Helene, the buck has to stop somewhere

Tips for troubleshooting common cucumber challenges

Best Medicine with Cayla Clark: Does boiling lettuce make me a psychopath? 

County seeks $19M for Swannanoa sidewalks, Helene recovers

📸 by Samuel Caleb Johnson

Contributing writer Tessa Fontaine recently joined local herpetology professor and author Joshua Holbrook for a nighttim...
07/21/2026

Contributing writer Tessa Fontaine recently joined local herpetology professor and author Joshua Holbrook for a nighttime advenure in “herping” — an increasingly popular hobby that entails driving and hiking through the woods to observe reptiles and amphibians in the wild. Under rocks and wriggling across the asphalt, Fontaine and Holbrook encountered all kinds of natural wonders.

In this issue, you'll also find:

City of Asheville and Buncombe County raise tax rates

Local author delves into natural water sources

Hendersonville mayoral hopefuls make their cases

Slow Packer and The Get Right Band release new albums

As the FIFA World Cup puts soccer in the spotlight, Asheville City Soccer Club (SC) marks its first decade as one of the...
07/14/2026

As the FIFA World Cup puts soccer in the spotlight, Asheville City Soccer Club (SC) marks its first decade as one of the nation’s top pre-professional clubs. Born from a conversation among friends in 2016, the organization has built nationally recognized men’s and women’s teams, launched dozens of professional careers and sparked hopes of one day making the leap to the professional ranks itself. On this week’s cover is Asheville City SC player Henry Jeffcott competing against the Charlotte Eagles.

In this issue, you'll also find:

Asheville City Council’s public comment process vexes some constituents

Emergency dispatchers across the region battle 24/7 stress

Hellbender outdoor venue debuts July 17 with double-bill show 

‘Common Ground Rising’ exhibition speaks to current political landscape

📸 by Samuel Caleb Johnson

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