Blue Ridge Public Radio
BPR informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina, on air at BPR News & BPR Classic and online at bpr.org
- Blue Ridge Community College urgently needs a new campus in Transylvania County to provide classes and trades programs to students in the rural area, according to a committee formed to give recommendations to county commissioners. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Jackson County Commissioners recently discussed leaving the Fontana Regional Library System, citing issues with “left-leaning content” as well as what they call general mismanagement. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Raises for employees and maintaining core services are the top priorities in the proposed City of Asheville budget shared at last night’s City Council meeting. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Asheville’s Black Cultural Heritage Trail now has a new component — a vibrant mural in the city’s South Slope neighborhood. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- No charges were filed following a disturbance that occurred at the Embassy Suites on Saturday night, in which an individual alleged they were assaulted by Congressman Chuck Edwards. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Vecinos, a non-profit free clinic and rural health center dedicated to serving uninsured and underinsured residents, has opened a new permanent location in Franklin. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Asheville’s Historic Biltmore Village celebrated some good news Thursday: The reopening of the Grand Bohemian Lodge. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Resiliency and compassion filled the town of Marshall as locals welcomed back visitors seven months after Hurricane Helene ravaged the “Magic Town.” www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- President Trump signed an executive order calling for an end to public funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. BPR News Director Laura Lee spoke the BBC News about the move and its potential effect on public radio in Western North Carolina. www.bpr.org/announcement...
- Time is running out! ⏳ Just hours left to reach BPR’s Spring Fund Drive goal. Your support fuels local news and keeps WNC informed. Every gift counts — help us cross the finish line! donate.bpr.org/bpr/x
- The Republican challenger for a N.C. Supreme Court seat conceded last November’s election to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs, two days after a federal judge ruled that potentially thousands of disputed ballots must remain in the final tally. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Requested increases for public school funding and avoiding further cuts to local government spending would require a property tax increase, Buncombe County officials said late last week. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- The northern part of the I-26 Connector project is expected to cost $1.2 billion, the largest contract in state history. Residents have a lot of opinions. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- BPR is your trusted source—every day & in every moment. As our Spring Fund Drive continues, help us stay strong by increasing your monthly support! Plus, be entered to win a gorgeous East Fork Pottery set (details below). donate.bpr.org/bpr/x
- When the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene receded, the independent shops, galleries, restaurants and studio spaces that lined Foundy Street in Asheville's River Arts District were in ruin. Now, new signs of life are cropping up. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- 300 donors = $25K for BPR! Help us kick off our Spring 2025 Fund Drive by unlocking an incredible challenge gift to support local news for Western North Carolina. Give before Thursday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. to help us achieve this! ⤵️ donate.bpr.org/bpr/x
- Buncombe County’s unemployment rate declined to 5.3% in March, in a sign of the region’s continued recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Transylvania County commissioners got their first look at a $16 million school budget request last night. The school board pitched two funding options – both of which would include raises for teachers and staff via the county’s local supplement for education spending. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Governor Josh Stein appealed the federal government's decision to deny an extension of FEMA reimbursement following Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the state of North Carolina’s plan for spending $1.4 billion in federal disaster block grants, Gov. Josh Stein’s office said Friday. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- For the first time in nearly seven months, a freight train rolled into Asheville’s rail yard Friday morning, marking the latest step in the region’s recovery from Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- A Brevard police officer alleges he was fired out of retaliation while trying to report missing evidence, including drugs, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court this week. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Jackson County leaders have removed a plaque – installed during the Black Lives Matter movement –covering an inscription on a local Confederate monument. Now, the monument's message – and a Confederate flag on the statue’s base – is back. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- The North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold an information session Thursday, April 24 to update community members on the latest plans for the I-26 Connector project. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- On a somber Monday evening, more than 100 parishioners gathered at St. Eugene Catholic Church in Asheville to grieve the death of Pope Francis. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- The Jackson County Public Library had the hottest ticket in town last week: Bill Nye The Science Guy. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Pope Francis, the first non-European head of the Roman Catholic Church in more than a millennium, died at age 88. www.bpr.org/npr-news/202...
- Wildfire danger is high right now in Western North Carolina due to dry conditions, with an evacuation order underway in McDowell County and firefighter response across the region. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Renée White laughed and jumped for joy when she lay eyes on Asheville’s newly-refurbished Memorial Stadium for the first time. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- After a natural disaster, communities can face a different threat: scammers. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Procrastinators have a bit of a grace period this tax season. The Internal Revenue Service issued an automatic extension on the tax filing deadline to everyone in North Carolina. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Friday addressed local and regional officials in Asheville, focusing on Hurricane Helene recovery, wildfires, and funding for Western North Carolina’s future. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- North Carolina is experiencing its deadliest flu season since the state began broad tracking in 2009. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Thousands of people took to the streets across Western North Carolina midday Saturday as part of a nationwide mobilization against the Trump Administration policies. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen part of Cataloochee Valley on Friday. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- As wildfires burned throughout Western North Carolina in recent days, many first responders found themselves fighting fires in their own backyards. BPR spoke with North Carolina Forest Service employees who live in counties affected by the fires. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Next week marks 100 days in office for North Carolina Gov. Stein. In an interview with BPR, Stein said much of his early focus has been on helping WNC recover from Hurricane Helene and preparing the region for the growing risk of wildfires. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- There will never be another hurricane named ‘Helene’ in the Atlantic basin. On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee announced that Helene, along with Beryl and Milton are retired as Atlantic hurricane names. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Buncombe leaders are considering a proposal that would cut permit fees in half for residents rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Here’s some exciting news from BPR: we’ve hired a new CEO! Ele Ellis joins BPR from WUWM in Milwaukee and brings 25 years of experience in public radio to her new role. Today is her first day on the job — join us in welcoming her! www.bpr.org/announcement...
- Federal cuts by the Trump administration dealt a deadly blow to an important public health rapid needs assessment for Buncombe County following Hurricane Helene. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- FEMA is no longer enforcing certain rules around rebuilding in floodplains as a Trump administration decision rolls some federal funding criteria back to pre-Obama standards. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Officials with the NC Forest Service have turned a corner in controlling the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires in Polk and Henderson counties. www.bpr.org/live-updates...
- Six months ago, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, reshaping the landscape and the lives of people here forever. Now hundreds are having to evacuate again, this time from wildfires. www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...
- Live updates: following a promising day fighting the Table Rock fire yesterday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission announced some containment on the fire today. www.bpr.org/live-updates...
- Live updates: Fire behavior reduced overnight at the Black Cove Fire Complex, according to North Carolina Forest Service officials. www.bpr.org/live-updates...
