Blue Ridge Public Radio

Blue Ridge Public Radio BPR informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina.

Blue Ridge Public Radio creates and curates content that informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina. BPR cultivates a more engaged, curious, and empathetic public by listening deeply and embracing diversity.

Randy Shull acknowledges that a new 22-foot statue of himself may appear self-centered. But he insists the goal is to ma...
06/19/2026

Randy Shull acknowledges that a new 22-foot statue of himself may appear self-centered. But he insists the goal is to magnify his father’s work.

“It’s really about my father. It’s not about me,” Shull said. “It’s taking his work and amplifying it. I just happen to be the choice image.”

The 800-pound fiberglass figure is a larger-than-life spin on a wooden figurine that his father, Don Shull, carved three decades ago. In the original piece, which is about a foot tall, Randy Shull is captured as a young artist, with a pencil in his mouth, paint-stained pants, holding a paintbrush in one hand and a hammer in the other.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

When Hickory Nut Gorge was doused with an onslaught of rain over Memorial Day weekend, it was hard for some residents to...
06/18/2026

When Hickory Nut Gorge was doused with an onslaught of rain over Memorial Day weekend, it was hard for some residents to not think about Hurricane Helene.

It was one of the first major weather events the area had seen since Helene struck in September 2024, and it exposed the challenges of rebuilding roads and drainage systems in steep, crumbly terrain, as well as the emotional fatigue residents are still carrying from the lingering Helene damage.

Transportation officials say roadwork will continue in the Hickory Nut Gorge area through at least 2028. Residents say they’re already feeling fatigued living in a seemingly endless construction zone.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Municipalities throughout western North Carolina will hold events the weekend of June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth, the ...
06/18/2026

Municipalities throughout western North Carolina will hold events the weekend of June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth, the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free.

Juneteenth, a federally recognized holiday, is recognized on June 19. It is also known as Jubilee Day. It became the 12th federal holiday in 2021.

There are Juneteenth celebrations around the western North Carolina region, here are a few highlights:

*The 2026 Juneteenth Gala and Fashion Show is a celebration featuring food, music, and encourages attendees to show off their African and prolific attire that will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, at the AB Tech Conference Center in Asheville.

*The Block is hosting Juneteenth on the Block that will include live music, historical tours, and a Black vender marketplace on South Market Street and Triangle Park in Asheville from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

It’s now official: Buncombe County residents will vote on whether to approve $70 million in new government debt this Nov...
06/17/2026

It’s now official: Buncombe County residents will vote on whether to approve $70 million in new government debt this November.

The county Board of Commissioners unanimously approved placing two special bond referenda on this year’s general election ballot. As it did in 2022, Buncombe is seeking $40 million for affordable housing and $30 million for “open space” initiatives like farmland preservation and park development.

“Our community has consistently prioritized land conservation and affordable housing with both our 2043 comprehensive plan and our 2030 strategic plan,” Commissioner Terri Wells told BPR. “Additionally, we must invest in our own recovery and utilize these bonds to leverage millions more investment in our community to ensure we protect our drinking water and natural resources and provide affordable housing for seniors and families.”

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

For years, local leaders and residents of Asheville and Buncombe County have debated whether revenue from tourism can be...
06/17/2026

For years, local leaders and residents of Asheville and Buncombe County have debated whether revenue from tourism can be spent on services that benefit the community at large, especially affordable housing.

Now, a bill progressing through the General Assembly offers a definitive answer: No.

Senate Bill 484 overwhelmingly passed the state House earlier this month and is now sitting in a state Senate committee. If enacted, the measure would place sweeping limits on the ways local governments can spend occupancy tax dollars.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Buncombe County is home to a James Beard Award winner this year.Taylor Montgomery, co-founder and executive chef of Mont...
06/16/2026

Buncombe County is home to a James Beard Award winner this year.

Taylor Montgomery, co-founder and executive chef of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, was named Best Chef: Southeast on Monday.

The James Beard Awards are among the highest honors in the food and restaurant industry.

Montgomery was a first-time James Beard Awards nominee. Formerly the head chef of Urban Wren in Greenville, S.C., he now operates a unique business model at his 50-acre farm filled with rolling fields of produce. The farm is also home to rescue pigs, capybara and Scottish Highland cattle.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

A coalition of nonprofits recently gathered at MANNA Food Bank in Mills River to give updates on a new program to bring ...
06/16/2026

A coalition of nonprofits recently gathered at MANNA Food Bank in Mills River to give updates on a new program to bring solar-powered energy to disaster-impacted areas in western North Carolina. This is a new phase of an ongoing effort to help local communities get off-grid power during storms.

This announcement comes after the Department of Environmental Quality invested $5 million in microgrid projects last August in partnership with renewable energy and economic development nonprofits.

These small, solar-powered microgrid setups are called Beehives. They run on up to 100 kilowatt hours of energy, which means they could power a large building for up to 10 hours in the event of a blackout. The plan is to have 24 stationary “bees,” with two mobile units that can be transported as far away as Cape Hatteras if needed.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Gov. Josh Stein presented federal lawmakers from North Carolina with an amended request for Hurricane Helene recovery fu...
06/15/2026

Gov. Josh Stein presented federal lawmakers from North Carolina with an amended request for Hurricane Helene recovery funding this week.

The updated proposal cuts just over $3 billion dollars from what Stein has sought since September 2025. This brings the new total to $10 billion, a number Stein hopes is more palatable for the mostly-Republican delegation.

There are many pots of federal money that the state is pulling from, and the bulk of funding requires congressional approval, something that hasn’t happened since December 2024 under former President Joe Biden.

Stein argued that without additional funding more than 2,000 people who applied for a federally funded housing program will not be helped. Infrastructure projects – like roads, dams and water systems – can’t move forward without more funding.

Text messages obtained by BPR show a Jackson County GOP leader accusing the North Carolina Republican Party and state au...
06/15/2026

Text messages obtained by BPR show a Jackson County GOP leader accusing the North Carolina Republican Party and state auditor’s office of trying to “strong arm” county election officials over an early voting site at Western Carolina University.

“We also want you to know that we did not like the NCGOP or the auditor’s office trying to strong arm you guys,” Jackson County GOP Chairman Justin Castle wrote in a text sent to Jackson County Board of Elections member Jay Pavey and former board Secretary Wes Hanemayer.

But later in the same message, Castle appeared to contradict that claim.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Asheville is the latest community in western North Carolina to consider a moratorium on new data center construction. If...
06/12/2026

Asheville is the latest community in western North Carolina to consider a moratorium on new data center construction. If enacted, Asheville would be following other cities like Boone, Canton and Woodfin, as well as counties like Swain and Clay.

Data centers can vary in size and format, but a spate of new, larger facilities, fueled by accelerating computing needs of AI, have given some communities pause.

Asheville City Council member Maggie Ullman says that the intention of the moratorium is to give Council space to understand the phenomenon and how the community can address it. She and other council members and staff are still trying to break down the differences between data center sizes and their potential impacts to community and environment.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Address

73 Broadway Street
Asheville, NC
28801

Telephone

+18282104800

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Blue Ridge Public Radio posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Blue Ridge Public Radio:

Shortcuts

Share

Category