A mother black bear and her three cubs spent part of their Fourth of July night moving through my yard in Asheville, North Carolina, and the security cameras caught the whole backyard scene from multiple angles.
You read it. I can tell I have cavities in at least 3 of my back molars. I am also due for a cleaning (obviously). Any recommendations for a good dentist that won’t clean out my pockets as well as my mouth?
I’ll be in Asheville for about 24 hours later this month. Any suggestions on what to do or not miss? I’ll be alone and will have a car.
hey all!
new in town and i have a lot of garbage leftover from moving. my complex doesn't have a dumpster and only does small weekly pickup for normal sized amounts of trash.
i have a bunch of beat up cardboard boxes, furniture that broke in the move (movers were rough but tbh a lot of the things that broke were already halfway there, i keep things for decades) that can't really be re-used and i don't know where to get rid of them or if there's anywhere to put them where someone else could repurpose them. i've been looking around on waze and maps to try and find a city dump, but i wanted to ask what's the best place/method to make sure the most gets repurposed and not sent to a landfill?
I need to get away from this hell I'm in. I need help getting a greyhound bus ticket for the 9th leaving Las Cruces, NM to Asheville, NC. I have medical issues with a failing liver, arthritis and bone spurs in my knee, cysts and lesions on my ovary. My roommates have 8 plus dogs who only use the bathroom inside. Today I got yelled at for putting toilet paper on a poop pile that sits for weeks in the desert heat. They won't clean up or properly care for their animals. I'm not allowed to spray air freshner either. It's a biohazard inside. It's about $300 after tax for the bus ticket to escape the abuse, filth and biohazards of this place.
Thank you in advance. I'm so sorry I have to reach out this way. I'm in desperate need out.
I'm looking to start a new band in the Asheville area. The sound is somewhere between hardcore, grindcore, and screamo. Looking for a drummer who can play fast, stay tight, and is interested in writing original music. Experience with blast beats, d-beats, and hardcore/grind-style drumming. Some influences include bands like Phoenix Bodies, Neil Perry, Botch, Daughters, Pageninetynine, Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge but I’m also open to new influences as well.
If you’re interested, dm me and let me know.
Hi All, I’ve never made a post to any subreddit so if I’m breaking any rules I apologize.
I’m in search of some help from a few folks who are creatively inclined.
My wife and I have been married for a bit over 2 years, and our life hasn’t been the most financially stable. We decided to get married knowing that we’d be sacrificing a ceremony, reception, honeymoon and all that comes with those things. We were okay with that.
Recently we’ve been feeling the weight of the world a little extra and I’d like to do something for my wife to remind her that the world is beautiful.
I’ve been thinking through how I could put together a photo shoot of sorts. It bothers us that we don’t have any real wedding photos. I was hoping that maybe someone here in AVL would be willing to take some photos for us. I was also hoping that maybe someone could offer some advice on how/where to get nice clothing on a budget.
I’m also open to ANY low cost ideas that could make her feel special. Thanks!
Marni Elizabeth lives in a family area, which includes two young children in the unit attached to her own. She's fed the bears and talked about being hopeful they'll come back on multiple occasions through the years. The only thing she's consistent at is not considering anyone but herself; that's not a surprise considering her other habit of taking selfies on the highway.
Feeding bears is dangerous because it causes them to lose their natural fear of humans, a process known as habituation. When bears associate people with easy meals, they become "nuisance animals" that are much more likely to be euthanized for public safety.
Seasoned camper and long time wnc resident.
I have a friend coming in town that I want to take camping. 2 nights, Drive up or easy backpacking sites, with creeks to play in/swimming holes. A pretty easy find, but the catch is that I also have to find somewhere with ok cell service because I'm the emergency contact for someone else's trip happening at the same time.
I'm looking for any good ideas.
Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 is interviewed on economic productivity within AVL, used as a prime example of how cities are subsidizing suburban developments and rural housing.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the 1-year moratorium
Are there any local businesses that I can pay to put a happy anniversary message on their signage for a day?
Hi!
I've been in the area for a bit and have been feeling like the metal scene is pretty dead here. Hopefully I'm just looking in the wrong spots.
I love what I've found so far. Tons of punk, so many goths, endless doom.
Do we have more? Grindcore, deathcore, hardcore, death metal, slam, noise, crustpunk
I've been through Charlotte and Raleigh for some of the bigger names but I'm hoping for something closer to home and preferably a local group.
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR BAND NAMES HERE FOR ME TO CHECK OUT!
Good news! There's a lot!
HERE'S THE LIST
All Hell
Bombay gasoline
Falling Behind
Fliora
Flora in Silence
Harsh Realm
Holy Roller
Kalgon
Killiad
Serrate
Soured
Sunbearer
Temptations Wings
Tombstone HWY
Worm Trip
Yellowjaket
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Local venues
*Venues that seem busiest
27 club
Asheville Yards
Eulogy / Burial Forestry Camp *
Fleetwoods
Orange Peel / Hellbender
Revival
Sly grog
Static age *
The Odd *
Summary:
An Asheville bookstore has filed a federal lawsuit against the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
The lawsuit alleges a prison policy unconstitutionally restricts inmates from receiving books from unapproved vendors.
Inmates are reportedly denied books based on the sender, not the content, and are sometimes forced to have the books destroyed.
The policy allegedly interferes with prisoners' access to educational, religious, and legal materials.
Article:
ASHEVILLE - A local bookstore has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina alleging that the S.C. Department of Corrections violated the rights of state prisoners by not allowing them to receive mailed books that were not from one of six large, for-profit distributors.
Firestorm Books, along with nonprofit collective Asheville Prison Books and South Carolina inmates Christopher Santiago, Shawn F. Anderson and Eric Spears, state in the lawsuit filed May 8 against S.C. Department of Corrections Director Joel Anderson, that prison staff destroy books that are mailed to prisoners if they are not from the state's list of approved vendors.
Firestorm Books alleges in a civil lawsuit that the South Carolina Department of Corrections is violating the civil rights of incarcerated people by not allowing … Show more
Kara Fohner/Citizen Times
The prison system's pre-approved vendors are Hamilton Books, Books N Things Warehouse, BookstoInmates.com SureShot Books Publishing, LLC, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million, according to the lawsuit.
Why they're suing
Firestorm, a self-described queer, feminist collective on Haywood Road in West Asheville, regularly mails books to inmates, and sometimes sends them for free through a partnership with Asheville Prison Books, according to the lawsuit.
The filing lists several instances in which books Firestorm or Asheville Prison Books mailed to prisoners were rejected by the prison staff.
In November or December 2025, Asheville Prison Books mailed books to people incarcerated at Kirkland Correctional Institution and Broad River Correctional Institution in South Carolina. The Department of Corrections rejected those books, but did not send any notice or explanation why the books were rejected or provide a way to appeal the decision, the lawsuit states.
On March 30, 2026, prisoner Christopher Santiago, who follows the Buddhist faith, requested a book about Buddhism from Asheville Prison Books. Firestorm sent Santiago "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodrun, April 2, 2026, according to the lawsuit.
The Department of Corrections did not deliver the book to Santiago, nor did it return it to Firestorm, according to the lawsuit.
Santiago has also sought legal books, including the "Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual," a book provided by the Columbia University Human Rights Law Review at reduced or no cost to incarcerated people. Santiago also asked for a Buddhist religious book, "Unlocking Your Potential: How to Get Out of Your Own Way," by Sravasti Abbey, according to the lawsuit.
He was prevented from receiving those books as well, according to the lawsuit.
Another prisoner, Shawn F. Anderson, asked Asheville Prison Books for free books books, and Firestorm sent him a copy of "The People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn on March 30, 2026, according to the lawsuit. The book was delivered April 2, but was rejected automatically due to Department of Corrections policy, according to the lawsuit.
Another prisoner, Eric Spears, a practicing Muslim, attempted to order religious books from a trusted Islamic bookstore and was denied, according to the lawsuit.
When books are rejected under prison policy, incarcerated people are sometimes called to the mailroom and required to choose between paying to have the book returned or signing a form consenting to its destruction, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges First Amendment and 14th Amendment violations and asks that a federal judge enjoin ― or prohibit ― the prison system from withholding, rejecting or destroying books sent to a prison without providing constitutionally adequate notice and process. The lawsuit also asks that a judge prohibit the prison system from enforcing the approved vendor policy to prohibit the plaintiffs from sending books to incarcerated people.
What Firestorm and Asheville Prison Books say
Libertie Valance, a staff member with Firestorm Books, told the Citizen Times via email June 29 that the bookstore has been hosting packaging parties organized by Asheville Prison Books since 2017. In 2019, when the bookstore moved into e-commerce, Firestorm immediately began receiving requests from prisoners and their families. Valance said that Firestorm has had no problems sending books to prisoners in South Carolina until the recent policy change.
Mac Marquis, an Asheville Prison Books spokesperson, said the organization has been sending books to incarcerated people since 1999. When Asheville Prison Books started, it was the first books-to-prisoners program in the Southeast. During that time, the organization has not received a single "credible, documented complaint" from the S.C. Department of Corrections that the books contained contraband.
Marquis said that Asheville Prison Books, which now primarily serves the Carolinas, has successfully challenged every instance in which the organization was banned from an institution.
"When institutions instill unconstitutional bans, as is the case in SC, we challenge them," Marquis said.
Why prison policy changed
Chrysti Shain, S.C. Department of Corrections spokesperson, told the Citizen Times in an email June 29 that the prison system changed its policy in October 2025 in response to a scheme run by a former employee and a former inmate.
The two mailed drug-filled books to more than 20 inmates at 14 prisons, Shain said. The packages were disguised as coming directly from a bookstore, and the scheme coincided with the problem of "drug-soaked mail" being sent to prisons, Shain said.
On June 29, the Department of Corrections had not yet responded to the lawsuit. When asked about the allegations by the Citizen Times, Shain said that it will respond in a court filing. The response is due by July 7.
Kara Fohner is the Public Safety Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email her at kfohner@usatodayco.com.
More: Former Buncombe County detention officer pleads guilty to DWI
More: Ex-Madison County chief deputy arrested in Arizona extradited to NC
Kara Fohner is the Public Safety Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email her at kfohner@usatodayco.com.
Just your daily reminder that tickets are on sale for $20 now until July 3rd!
Not to mention, we also have a limited amount of student discounts available as well! Comment or message me for the student discount code.
Get it now before it sells out!💕
Our anniversary is on Thursday. We decided to make a last-minute trip to Asheville, and in the week preceding this trip I was studying for an exam I took on Monday, which took up all my time (I passed! Now I'm certified. Yay!)
Anyway, we are open to just about any cuisine; we're just looking for a special occasion place. (I did check out luminoso, but there was nothing available on the 2nd)
Thank you!
My fiancé and I recently moved to Asheville. Our wedding is in the fall and we are looking to take some ballroom classes to prepare for our first dance. I did a quick google search and was only able to find ballet/tap/jazz etc type classes for adults and children. Looking for recommendations, thank you so much!