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🌱 Patch AM: What’s next for St. Joseph’s site and West Asheville’s Isis Music Hall?

You won't want to miss PBS North Carolina's Homegrown History Screening & Discussion on the Asheville Patch calendar

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Tuesday September 22nd Patch AM
Tuesday September 22nd Patch AM (Davidson J.)

Morning Asheville! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • What's next for St. Joseph's site and West Asheville's Isis Music Hall?
  • How $280 million in water projects could reshape Asheville's supply
  • Which Buncombe schools improved their state letter grades this year?

Also on today's calendar: PBS North Carolina's Homegrown History Screening & Discussion and 9 more events.

And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Davidson J.!

Today's riddle: What did one wall say to the other? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: An afternoon t-storm or two, with a high of 76 and low of 64 degrees.
  • Wednesday: Cloudy, a shower and t-storm, temps: high: 70, low: 58.
  • Thursday: A thunderstorm in spots, with a high of 68 and low of 54 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Answer Man: Was any of St. Joseph's Hospital chapel preserved? Is Isis Music Hall still for sale? • Asheville Watchdog (avlwatchdog.org) — St. Joseph's Hospital's chapel hasn't vanished—its stained glass now brightens Mission Hospital's North Tower chapel, while the old campus is being cleared for parking. In West Asheville, the former Isis Music Hall on Haywood Road is coming back on the market soon, as its owners look for a buyer willing to bet on Asheville's recovering tourism and entertainment scene.
   

2. Two years after Helene: What's fixed at North Fork and what still isn't (wlos.com) — Asheville's North Fork dam now has its damaged P4 fusegate rebuilt and the auxiliary spillway fully operational, but two massive projects to protect the city's water supply are still only in design. A new pretreatment system and a separate 6.5-mile transmission line could cost about $280 million combined, with officials seeking state and federal help while warning of a years-long construction timeline.
   

3. Record number of Buncombe schools boost letter grades (citizen-times.com) — Buncombe County schools just logged their best year in a decade for improving state letter grades, with nine campuses moving up at least one grade. Reading, math, and biology scores all climbed, though leaders note a persistent achievement gap between Black and white students, similar to patterns seen in Asheville City Schools and across North Carolina.
   

4. Adopt a New Four-Legged Friend Today! (aspca.org) — If you've been thinking about a pet, two dogs in Asheville—playful, people-loving Susie and outdoorsy, sensitive Julep—are ready for new homes through The Rescue Effect campaign. Adopting or fostering from local shelters not only gives these dogs a fresh start, it also frees up space and resources to help many more animals across Western North Carolina.
   

5. Western NC has 'a long way to go' two years after Helene. Still, there are signs of recovery (wral.com) — Buncombe County, home to Asheville, has lost more tourism-supported jobs than any other western North Carolina county since Hurricane Helene, and its incomplete recovery is slowing the region's rebound. Visitor spending remains hundreds of millions below pre-storm trends, though 2025 showed modest gains and a return of seasonal hiring. State officials and analysts say a full regional recovery hinges on Asheville's tourism comeback.
   

📸 Around Asheville

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📸 Youth At Jazz In Asheville —Davidson J. Like

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Watch Asheville Forever shown on PBS NC Sept 24 at 10pm and streaming on the PBS app.
    Residents in a western North Carolina community navigate loss, recovery and an uncertain future after Hurricane Helene's devastating flooding… (Nextdoor Knoll Ridge Drive)
  • Yesterday, during the thunderstorm, a very strange thing happened.
    I heard what I can only describe as a loud "electrical pop". The cats went running into the living room, scared to death. I heard it again but couldn… (Nextdoor Oakley)
  • Pratt & Whitney, Inc. posted a job opening for Machine Operator 1 - AWW1 Weekend Day Shift (Onsite) in Asheville. Apply here.
  • The Biltmore Company posted a job opening for Assistant Merchandiser - Full Time in Asheville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Asheville here.

Ok Asheville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I'll meet you at the corner! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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