The new coronavirus spreads easily, especially in group housing situations like assisted living communities and nursing homes. To protect their residents — most of whom are particularly susceptible to the worst effects of COVID-19 by virtue of their age and medical conditions — these facilities are now closed to all but employees and other essential visitors. That caution is warranted: At the Hendersonville assisted living facility Cherry Springs Village, 23 staff members and residents hav

Planting a seed is an act of hope, so it makes perfect sense that thousands of local residents are seizing these anxious spring days to prepare the ground for tomorrow. Garden supply stores can hardly keep up with the demand for planting essentials of all kinds. “People are coming in and spending a lot more money; the average invoice has gone up, too. People are kind of just coming in and going for it,” says Kristin Weeks, managing partner and co-owner of the Asheville location of Fifth Se

Before Xpress’ plans for this year’s April sustainability series were, um, affected by the coronavirus pandemic, our team envisioned a month-long look at ways local sustainability efforts are moving beyond business as usual. As April 1 dawns, it’s definitely not business as usual in Western North Carolina. COVID-19-related disruptions — which appear fated to continue at least through the end of this month — will shift how we all define and view sustainability. Exactly how that will pla

Readers, you came through. Last week, we let you know that over half of Mountain Xpress’ advertising revenue had vanished nearly overnight as restrictions to halt the spread of the new coronavirus brought many aspects of community life to a screeching halt. Your collective response demonstrated your strong commitment to sustaining this free public service: The Xpress membership program more than quadrupled its numbers, and nearly $10,000 in one-time donations flowed in. It’s hard to co

Watching a global pandemic unfold through the lens of local news feels … well, I bet it feels a lot like what you’ve also experienced over the past week. Like you, we’re worrying about our families, friends and coworkers — and wondering what comes next for our company, our community and the world. We're doing our best to present the most accurate, up-to-date information available. As a weekly newspaper, however, there's a limit to how quickly we are able to shift our coverage. This issue’s speci