Buncombe Gets New Garbage Hauler

County residents now have a new garbage hauler.

Energy Assistance Program - Apply November 2 - 13

Low income energy assistance program will be taking applications November 2 - 13.

Halloween Safety Tips You Don't Want to Forget

What more do you need to know about Halloween safety? Here are some things you may not have thought of.

Watch Out for Stinging Caterpillars

In late summer and fall the occasional unfortunate gardener has an encounter with one of the stinging caterpillars.

Baby Food Recall: Plum Organics

Plum Organics ™ announced October 20 that it is taking the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling one particular batch of its 4.22 oz. Apple & Carrot Portable Pouch baby food.

Halloween Safety for Your Pets

Halloween is a fun holiday for people, but it can be a frightening experience for our pets.

Spotlight: Oakleaf Hydrangea

This month landscape interest is mostly about fall color. Don’t just think trees. There are also some great shrubs, such as oakleaf hydrangea.

Special Olympics Alpine Ski Season Starts Soon

Buncombe County Special Olympics is seeking athletes to compete in the Special Olympic Alpine Ski and Snowboard program.

Pets of the Week

Can you give a dog a home? A cat? How about a kitten? These animals need your help.

Recipe of the Week - Orange Witches' Brew Punch

Congratulations to Joe Turner of Weaverville for his Orange Witches' Brew Punch recipe!

The Asheville Humane Society encourages multi-cat households through a fee reduced adoption program; adopt one cat or kitten and your second adoption of a cat or kitten is half off! Adoptions must be made on the same day.

With nearly 3,500 cats and kittens entering the shelter annually and the companionship they provide to each other, why not take advantage of this great offer?

Check out the all the cats and kittens available at ashevillehumane.org. Questions? Call 828-253-6807.

Saturday, October 31
3-4:30 p.m.

Join the teens of the East Asheville Public Library for games, ghost stories, and spooky fun. Dress up as your favorite book or movie character, if you dare! Free. Ages 11 to 18 welcome. Snacks provided.

Call 250-4738 or email eastasheville.library@buncombecounty.org for more information.

After a period of rain, homeowners are sometimes perplexed by the sudden appearance of tiny black dots all over the side of the house, the car, or the lawn furniture. Because the pinhead sized spots can occur on the roof of the car, or high on the side of the house, the assumption is that trees are to blame. In this case the culprit is a tiny mushroom growing in the mulch.

Commonly called artillery fungus or cannon fungus, this little mushroom actually shoots out an “egg” or spore packet. The “egg” which may be ejected up to 14 feet from the fruiting body, has an oily or sticky surface that enables it to adhere to most surfaces it encounters.

Once stuck to a surface the “egg” dries to a disk shape and adheres tenaciously. Unfortunately, the spots can be very difficult to remove, often requiring a lot of scrubbing or scraping. There is no chemical treatment effective in killing this fungus. The only solution seems to be to remove the mulch (most often hardwood or wood chip) and replace it with pine bark or pine needles, which seldom seem to support the growth of this fungus.

For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension or see below.

More information

Like most local governments, Buncombe County now has a presence on the social media sites Facebook and Twitter.

Find us by going to buncombecounty.org and clicking the icons at the upper left or directly at www.facebook.com/buncombegov  or www.twitter.com/buncombegov.

The Civil Process Division of the Sheriff's Office will sell personal Property at auction. Please see attached for complete details.

Civil Process Auction - October 29 (PDF)