The Asheville Mountain Boys’ self-titled debut album drops on Feb. 12, heralding the arrival of a new era of old-school bluegrass from the Buncombe County quartet. 

Recorded at The Shop Studio with master bluegrass engineer Van Atkins (Doyle Lawson, Balsam Range, Town Mountain), the record blends heartfelt originals about love and loss with a hand-picked selection of bluegrass standards and deep cuts from the catalogs of the band’s musical heroes. 

The Voices in the Laurel choirs have announced that spring registration is now open and the organization invites new/returning singers from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson and Swain counties to be part of its 30th season. 

When Drake Fowler returned to the North Carolina Arboretum after Hurricane Helene, the extent of the damage broke his heart. 

“We lost 10,000 trees over 80 acres,” he said.

However, as the initial shock of grief subsided, Fowler, the arboretum’s executive director, considered how to find opportunity amid destruction.

The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) awarded 12 grants totaling $350,365 to environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, expand public use and access to waterways, and increase water quality awareness in Buncombe, Haywood, and Madison counties. With these grants and since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed $10,594,556 in grants.  

Nineteen new small business recovery projects in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants totaling $13.8 million through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program. 

Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina (GOTR WNC) will host its annual Fall 5K Presented by AdventHealth. Hundreds of girls, families, coaches and community members will lace up their sneakers for this celebration of confidence, connection and joy. 

Duke Energy Foundation has awarded The North Carolina Arboretum a $25,000 grant as part of its effort to support local conservation efforts and environmental impact programs across North Carolina. 

To the Editor:

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners has been transferring $75,000 annually, since 2018, to Buncombe-Asheville Chamber of Commerce for a “Joint Economic Development” initiative to attract businesses and jobs to Haywood County. 

Pisgah Roasters — Pisgah Forest, NC — Their whole and ground coffee beans with names reflecting familiar regional spots like “Parkway Pick Me Up”, “Shining Rock” and “Dupont Dark” may be on their own display or the local food shelf and can be found at many Western NC Ingles stores. pisgahroasters.com 

Be on the lookout for these local brands at your Ingles store!

Firewalker Hot Sauce — Asheville, NC — The “secret” in this sauce may be the locally grown hot peppers. firewalkerhotsauce.com