Sheriff's Citizens' Academy - Application Deadline - March 7

The academy is designed to give an overview of daily operations - each topic will be presented by Sheriff’s Office staff.

Have You Been Hitting the "Clear" Button at the Gas Pump?

Have you heard the story that if you don't push the "clear" button on the pump, subsequent purchases of gas will be charged to your card"?

Interested in Serving Your Community?

The County has several vacancies on the Adult Care Home & Nursing Home Community Advisory Committees.

Organic Growers School

Farmers & gardeners - get practical organic growing info on topics ranging from vegetable, fruit, livestock & poultry production to landscaping.

Recall: Lasko Portable Electric Heaters - Due to Fire Hazard

An electrical connection in the base of the unit can overheat, causing it to melt & expose the electrical connection, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Preschoolers, We Love You!

Join us for a musical revue especially designed for preschoolers - with puppets, dancing & other lighthearted nonsense.

Spotlight: Moth Orchid

Orchids bloom for long periods of time & may not be as difficult to grow as you think.

Learn the Art of Decoupage - Register by Feb. 18

Decoupage is the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper over which varnish or lacquer is applied.

Community Recreation Grant Funding Cycle Announced

Applications due Friday, February 25, 2011.

Pets of the Week - Dogs & Cats Who Want to Be Your Valentine!

Check out these adorable cats & dogs looking for a home!

Recipe of the Week - Taco Soup

Congratulations to Julia Boone for her Taco Soup recipe!

Increasing your metabolism isn't complicated. This fact is, exercise increases your metabolism and so do certain foods.

Spicy, red peppers have been proven to increase metabolism levels and so has green tea. Green tea can even be found in pill form, but green tea tastes so good, why not drink it instead?

Did you know that Asheville Humane staff and volunteers do an average of 300 pounds of laundry each day?

As you can imagine, it's a real challenge to keep all of the animals on clean bedding! Each day, they go through towels, blankets, toys and other comforting items for the animals in their care.

You can help by donating liquid laundry detergent. Asheville Humane uses a commercial washer, so we can't use HE or powder detergents. No fancy brands necessary - just the generic laundry detergent you can purchase at the grocery store.

Donations can be dropped off at the Adoption & Education Center located at 14 Forever Friend Lane. The animals thank you!

For more information or directions, call (828) 761-2001.

Did you know that February is usually the peak month for the influenza illness? If you haven’t already had your flu shot, it isn’t too late.

The Buncombe County Department of Health at 35 Woodfin Street has flu vaccines for anyone 6 month of age and older. Protect yourself, protect others. Get your flu shot. And don’t forget to wash your hands!

For more information, view this message from Gibbie Harris, Director of the Department of Health, call the flu hotline at 250-6400 or call the Department of Health at 250-5096.

Many consumers are buying smart phones or other electronic devices because of the large variety of applications (apps) that are available for downloading. Apps are useful or entertaining software programs, and many are free or available for just a dollar or so. However, some free apps can actually end up costing you a lot of money.

Here’s an example:

• after you sign into your iTunes account to download a free app, your account (which is linked to a credit card) remains open for purchases for the next 15 minutes.
• Some free apps, like the popular game Smurf’s Village, include items that can be bought online to enhance or advance the player’s position in the game. In the case of Smurf’s Village, these items can cost from $60 to $100 each –meaning that if your child starts using the app immediately after it’s purchased, hefty unwanted costs can pile up quickly.

Mobile devices are helpful, handy, and entertaining. But any device that is linked to a credit card can lead to unexpected costs, especially if it isn’t secured to prevent purchases when children use it.

If you feel that charges have been unfairly or inappropriately added to your bill, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office at 1-877-NO-SCAM. For more information on the safe use of technology for you and your family, visit www.ncdoj.gov.

This message brought to you on behalf of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Bookends used book store at Pack Library needs your donations of gently loved books, music and movies. All donations will be sold in the book store and the proceeds will benefit the library.

Just drop your items off at Pack Library and pick up a tax receipt if you need one. Get an early start on your spring cleaning and help the library at the same time!

Questions? Call Pack Library at 250-4700.