Asheville Recovery, Winter Woes, and Community Vibes: Local Updates for January 28th

Good morning, this is your Asheville Local Frequency for Wednesday, January 28th. Were shaking off the chill from Winter Storm Fern as power returns to nearly all of western North Carolina, with fewer than 500 outages left mostly in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania counties. Asheville City Schools and parts of Buncombe County Schools like Reynolds and Roberson are on a two-hour delay today, while Henderson County goes remote for students due to lingering ice on secondary roads. The Buncombe emergency winter shelter at Hearts with Hands in Swannanoa stays open until noon, and demobilization wraps up countywide. Drive carefully, folks, as black ice lurks and wind chills dip to minus one with highs near 40 under sunny skies, but brace for another arctic blast this weekend that could bring snow and the seasons coldest temps, heightening hypothermia risks on those icy backroads. In recovery news, City Council made big moves last night on Helene rebuilding, approving grants for parks and rec projects, a push to federal leaders for water system upgrades to prevent future disruptions, and extra CDBG-DR funds from HUD. They also greenlit subrecipient deals with groups like Mountain BizWorks and Arts AVL to speed small business grants, because as Mayor Manheimer put it, recovery costs far outpace current funding, and resilient infrastructure like our water lines means no more outages stranding families. These steps directly bolster everyday life, from safer parks for kids to stronger support for local shops still healing. Get out and connect today with community vibes heating things up. Swing by Precinct 34.1s Coffee and Conversation at 8 AM, or join nonpartisan voter registration shifts at the North Asheville Tailgate Market from 10 to 1, no party gear needed. Music lovers, catch Sally Jaye live at Highland Brewing Company tonight at 6 PM for some soulful tunes amid the brews. AB Tech folks, Fika coffee meetup hits Bridge and Tunnel Cafe at 10 AM. And dont miss the Trolls exhibit at NC Arboretum all day, a whimsical field study thats drawing crowds this winter. Governor Stein is also championing lower electricity costs statewide, a win that could ease bills after all these storms. Stay warm, stay engaged, Asheville, because were building back stronger together. This has been Asheville Local Frequency. Well see you tomorrow with more local updates. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.