Asheville Media Group: Mix 96.5 (WOXL-FM) unveils a refreshed weekday lineup with “The TJ Show” airing Monday through Saturday from 6–10 a.m. and “The Melanie Show” airing live and local weekdays from 2–7 p.m., alongside the station’s “Good Music, Good Mood” positioning. The updated lineup can be heard on-air and streamed via the Mix 96.5 Asheville app.
FIRC Hospitality and the Southern Conference (SoCon): An expanded partnership will make FIRC’s Asheville properties—including Cambria Downtown Asheville, Haywood Park Hotel, and Country Inn & Suites Asheville River Arts District—the official home base for SoCon administrative meetings and visits throughout the year. The partnership includes hosting SoCon’s Hall of Fame, Symposium, and Business Leader Forum events as the conference continues its long-standing presence in Asheville.
Carolina Living Choices: Quarterly digital magazine for active adults and seniors interested in relocating to the region. Readers can access the latest subscriber digital edition here: https://carolinalivingchoices.com/subscriber-digital-book/
Renew NC: Renew NC’s deadline has been extended to January 31, 2026. Eligible homeowners can apply online at renewnc.org, by phone at 1-888-791-0207, or in person at listed locations. The program assists homeowners across 28 counties whose primary residences were damaged by Tropical Storm Helene.
OnTrack WNC shared that it received a $10,000 donation from Forvis Mazars to support financial empowerment services across Western North Carolina, alongside updates to its workshop calendar and services. More information on OnTrack’s programming is linked through its newsletter resources, including its workshop and appointment pages.
YMCA: In recognition of National Mentoring Month, the YMCA of Western North Carolina is highlighting its participation in Reach & Rise®, a national YMCA mentoring program designed to strengthen relationships, build confidence, and expand opportunities for youth across the region. Reach & Rise®, supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), connects trained adult co-mentors with small groups of youth ages 6 to 17 for structured mentoring cycles lasting 8 to 16 weeks. For more information and to sign up to be a mentor or to refer a youth, visit their website.
City of Asheville: Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer joined North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Helene Recovery Co-chair State Senator Kevin Corbin in Washington, D.C. on January 14 to meet with North Carolina’s U.S. Senators, members of the state’s congressional delegation, and federal agencies, emphasizing the need for additional federal funding for ongoing recovery. The delegation planned meetings with HUD—following Asheville’s $225 million in CDBG-DR disaster relief funding—and with Acting FEMA Administrator Karen Evans at FEMA headquarters; updates are posted via the City’s news hub at https://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/ and the recovery site at http://ashevillerecovers.org/.
City of Asheville: On Jan. 13th, Council approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for a Helene Recovery Recycling Infrastructure grant and, if awarded, to enter into a subrecipient contract with the NC Department of Environmental Quality for federal EPA grant funds. The City also shared work-session updates on Phase 1 community engagement for French Broad Riverfront and Azalea Park recovery projects and noted early FY27 projections show an expected $30 million gap between revenue and expenses; meeting resources are available through the City’s channels, including its YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/CityofAsheville
Buncombe County: First Pedestrian Plan for unincorporated areas is being developed. aA drop-in community meeting will be held on Thursday, January 29 from 4:30–7:30 p.m. at the Enka-Candler Library to gather early input. Residents can follow updates and engagement opportunities at https://engage.buncombecounty.org/pedestrianplan
Buncombe County Election Services: Early voting for the March 2026 primaries runs February 12–28 and the voter registration deadline set for February 6 at 5 p.m. Voters can find official notices, early voting details, absentee ballot resources, and jurisdiction information at https://www.buncombenc.gov/199/Election-Services and use the voter lookup tool at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
UNC Asheville: Tiece M. Ruffin, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Education, Professor, and U.S. Fulbright Scholar, was selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Department Chair Leadership Institute as one of 38 higher education leaders chosen nationwide. The program focuses on strategic leadership topics for department chairs; UNC Asheville department information is available at https://education.unca.edu/.
South College: Competency-Based Education (CBE) programs have surpassed 2,000 enrolled students nationwide and added two Doctor of Nursing Practice (Post-Master’s) concentrations in Executive Leadership and Nursing Education. The subscription-based, self-paced model launched in October 2021 and continues expanding for working professionals; program details are available at https://south.edu/cbe.
AdventHealth: Welcomes Aaron W. Barton, MD, MS, a board-certified endocrinologist, expanding access to specialized endocrine care in Western North Carolina, including treatment for diabetes and thyroid conditions with a patient-centered approach. AdventHealth also announced the opening of a new Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB ED) at The Baby Place at AdventHealth Hendersonville, offering 24/7 evaluation by board-certified OB hospitalists for pregnancy-related concerns to improve safety and reduce delays in care.
DMJPS: Webinar series continues Jan. 20 with Protecting Value: Business Deals for Tax Efficiency Webinar. Join the DMJPS Transaction Advisory team for an informative webinar designed to help business owners, executives, and family business members understand how to structure deals with tax efficiency in mind. Register
Asheville Parks & Recreation: Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Stephens-Lee Community Center playground will be held Wednesday, January 22 at 4 p.m. The playground, installed through a recovery-related donation from Superior Recreational Products and MAPA Recreation via the Superior HOPES program, will be celebrated at the center at 30 George Washington Carver Ave., with a reception to follow.
Western ExCEL and ExCEL NC: Hosting the Western ExCEL Child Care Economic Summit on Friday, January 16 from 9:00–10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Biltmore Park, convening business leaders to discuss the workforce and economic impacts of the childcare crisis and employer-informed solutions. The event is free and positioned as a forum for dialogue with business leaders and policy experts. Register
Wake Forest Executive Education: Hosting a free, in-person “Executive Insights: Inside the Growth Mindset” mini-workshop on January 22 from 3–4:30 p.m. at the Asheville Chamber, offering a sample session and networking for regional professionals. Info at Wake Executive Insights Registration
OnTrack WNC: Upcoming workshops focus on goal setting, budgeting, credit, and debt strategies. New lobby hours (Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) for in-person support; counseling and workshops by appointment across Monday–Saturday. Workshop calendar
AmeriHealth Caritas NC promoted a slate of free community events (including workshops, job readiness sessions, and support groups) and shared partner donation requests benefiting organizations such as Asheville Period Pantry, Mountain Aging Partners (Depends pull-ups for Meals on Wheels clients), and Western Carolina Rescue Ministries (men’s jeans). Event listings and updates were shared via Eventbrite and the Asheville Wellness & Opportunity Center’s event page: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/amerihealth-caritas-nc-asheville-wellness-center-49830215803.
Explore Asheville: Applications are open for 2026 Asheville Travel & Hospitality Internship Program and the Explore Asheville Hospitality Scholarship, part of the Workforce Development Program funded through earned revenue from ExploreAsheville.com and ticketed partner-event donations. The internship offers hands-on experience across five sectors of the local travel and hospitality industry, while the scholarship awards up to $2,500 annually for qualifying students pursuing hospitality careers at North Carolina post-secondary institutions; applications for both are due March 18, 2026. Details, eligibility, and the application portal are available at https://www.exploreasheville.com/workforcedev
The Construction Business Academy: A free program designed to support Minority-, Disadvantaged-, and Women-owned businesses with practical training in areas like strategic planning, innovation, and leadership development. Details and the application link are posted at https://www.cagc.org/academy.
Dogwood Health Trust: The “Stronger Organizations” grant opportunity opens January 20 through February 17, 2026, offering flexible funding for up to two years to support nonprofit operations, infrastructure, and stability during recovery. Details are linked through its grantmaking page at https://www.dht.org/. Open to community-based organizations, the Leverage Fund opens Jan. 20th as well connecting nonprofits and community-based organizations with professional grant writers at no cost.
Asheville Habitat: Prospective homeowners can apply for the Homeownership program. Habitat homes are affordable, Green Built certified, and close to services, schools, and shopping. Asheville Habitat is an Equal Opportunity Housing provider that serves residents who earn between 40% and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) and who meet other program qualifications. https://www.ashevillehabitat.org/housing-programs/home-ownership/