Phone Scam Coming to an Area Near You

Randolph and Alamance County have been hit. It is only a matter of time before this scam is tried in Buncombe County.

The Sheriff has scheduled several meetings in different communities throughout Buncombe County to meet the citizens and give folks a chance to ask questions.

Flooding is one of the most common disasters in WNC. Where will your family be if it floods? At work, at school, in the car? How will you find each other? How will you and your family stay safe?

If you live in an older home it may be necessary to increase the amount of your insulation to improve energy use.

There are lots of varieties and species of sedum that are useful in the landscape.

Local author Charles Price will be appearing at Pack Library on Saturday, August 22 as part of the Authors on the Road series of the North Carolina Literary Festival.

Make sure your pet is up to date on its shots! Don't miss out on these low-cost shot clinics. Rabies shots are just $7!

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

Congratulations to Jeremy Austin for his Guacamole Potato Salad recipe!

As temperatures drop and energy prices climb, local residents can learn some no-cost and low-cost ways to save on energy bills. Attend this free educational workshop, “Saving Money on Your Utility Bills -- You Can Do It!” scheduled for Thursday, August 27th at 6:30 p.m. with Nancy Ostergaard.

Learn where to make changes in your home to receive the biggest energy savings. Hosted by and held at the Stephens-Lee Center.

For more information, call the Stephens-Lee Center at 828-350-2058.

To identify the cause of the cloudiness to your glassware, soak the items in undiluted white vinegar for approximately 5 minutes, rinse and dry. If the film is removed, it is due to hard water filming.

If it is not removed, the glassware is etched. Etching is a permanent pitting or eroding of the glassware surface. Initially, etching appears as shades of blue, purple, brown or pink when the glassware is held at an angle towards the light.

In more advanced stages, the glassware appears cloudy, and in severe cases it appears frosted. There is no way to restore the glassware once it has become etched. It is impossible to predict what glassware may be affected since it is not related to cost or quality of the glassware, but rather how the glass was made.

Causes of etching are:

• Manually pre-rinsing dishes before loading.
• Not adjusting the amount of detergent according to the level of water hardness.
• Water temperature is too high.
• Using the pots and pans or normal cycles when only the light/china cycle is needed.

For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

Ornamentals:  Bagworms on all needled evergreens. It is too late to spray, so remove bags by hand. Thrips on roses and other flowers; spider mites on flowers and shrubs, lacebugs on pyracantha, pieris and azaleas. All may need to be treated with appropriate insecticide if significant damage occurs.

Vegetables:  Bean beetles, squash beetles and squash bugs can be especially prevalent this time of year. Control measures include hand removal (drop them into a bucket of soapy water), or spraying with carbaryl (Sevin), malathion, pyrellin or pyrethrin. Several species of worms become prevalent on cabbage family crops. Bacteria sprays should be effective.

For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.