A March 31 Swain County public hearing for a data center moratorium drew a crowd of around 140 people, a turnout proportionate to 12,900 residents in Wake County, confronting commissioners to plead their case. 

Attendees filled the six rows facing commissioners, leaving a couple dozen straining to watch the event behind the open double-doors. All had shown up to be part of the conversation about hyper-scale data centers and out of concern for about how these facilities could impact every aspect of their livelihoods. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Saver North Carolina program is now available in all 100 North Carolina counties, empowering eligible households to lower their energy bills. Residents can now check eligibility and apply for rebates to lower their electricity costs by making their homes more energy efficient. More than $200 million is available for home efficiency upgrades. 

The Environmental Action Community of WNC invites supporters and the public to its New Solar Financing for Organizations and Residents from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at the First United Methodist Church gymnasium located at 566 S. Haywood St. in Waynesville.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Saver North Carolina program is now available in all 100 counties, helping eligible households lower energy bills. Residents can check eligibility and apply for rebates to improve home efficiency, with more than $200 million available for upgrades. 

There are people who elevate the energy in a room and those who deflate it. Some folks radiate joy and positivity while others seem to always emit negativity or bitterness. The magical part is that we all have the free will to change, to completely shift our vibration from low to high, and by doing that, we not only impact our own lives, but also those around us. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) State Energy Office has selected seven projects to receive more than $20 million to improve North Carolina’s electric grid.

The quote used to title this column was stated by the late Pope Francis, who passed away last week at age 88. Rest easy, good sir. 

Pope Francis was cool in my book, even though I can’t say the same for the Catholic Church, in general. I’m an incredibly spiritual person, not religious. And, as someone who grew up surrounded by Catholicism, I’ve never been a fan of the church’s antics over the centuries and millennia (“antics” is a very, very diluted word to describe the dark history).

The garden gnomes stared at me from our cluttered carport, dirty and bored, no blooming flowers to observe or tomato vines to tickle their bellies. I was holding on to them well past their desire.  

Folkmoot USA will present an electrifying evening of music and cultural celebration with the Black Sea Beat Society at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. 

Steve and I like to go out to dinner on the weekends. I love it when we work Kome Thai and Sushi Bistro into our rotation of local restaurants. I am really not a huge sushi gal, so I stick to the Thai portion of the menu. I have only eaten there a few times so far, but never once has it occurred to me to ask my server to remove the sushi options from the menu because I do not eat sushi. Moreover, I do not spend any time searching that section of the menu for my dinner, instead I go directly to the Thai cuisine and stir-fried options. I am not angry or upset that sushi is on the menu. I really do not have any feelings about sushi other than the obvious understanding it does not agree with my sensibilities. I go to the portion of the menu that suits my tastes and I continue to enjoy the ambiance the restaurant offers.