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🌱 Patch AM: How vulnerable is Asheville’s water system before the next Helene-sized storm?

Coming up on the Asheville Patch calendar: PBS North Carolina's Homegrown History Screening & Discussion

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Monday September 21st Patch AM
Monday September 21st Patch AM (Davidson J.)

Greetings Asheville! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How vulnerable is Asheville's water system before the next Helene-sized storm?
  • How a D‑rated charter could still anchor Asheville's Deaverview redevelopment
  • How a Paradise wildfire story now speaks directly to Asheville's recovery.

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 do you call advice from a cow ? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Monday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 82 and low of 62 degrees.
  • Tuesday: Humid; a p.m. t-storm or two, temps: high: 77, low: 63.
  • Wednesday: Cloudy, a shower and t-storm, with a high of 70 and low of 58 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Two years after Helene, recovery remains unfinished across WNC (citizen-times.com) — Two years after Helene, Asheville is still working through major unfinished recovery projects, including a $23 million temporary potable water pretreatment system at the North Fork and William DeBruhl reservoirs and plans for permanent upgrades. With many residents once left without safe water for weeks, the city is investing heavily to harden its water system before the next big storm hits.
   

2. City partners with PEAK as charter school's grade slides to 'D' • Asheville Watchdog (avlwatchdog.org) — Asheville families and taxpayers face big questions as PEAK Academy, a charter school created to address the city's stark Black–white achievement gap, has slipped back to a D grade while remaining central to a major Deaverview Apartments redevelopment plan. City leaders, school officials, and state regulators are weighing PEAK's academic struggles, finances, and charter renewal even as Asheville City Council advances planning money for a PEAK‑anchored education campus.
   

3. Asheville Filmmakers Connect Wildfire Documentary to Local Disaster (americanow.com subscription) — Asheville filmmakers Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin are premiering their wildfire documentary "Stray Embers" in town on September 22, tying Paradise, California's long recovery to Western North Carolina's experience after Hurricane Helene. Their return to Asheville and firsthand experience of Helene's flooding are shaping a new project on local recovery and climate resilience.
   

4. PGA Tour gig helps laundry business pay bills and rebuild momentum (wlos.com) — An Asheville mobile laundry owner is finally catching a break after losing clients when Hurricane Helene damaged many short‑term rentals across western North Carolina. A referral landed him the PGA Tour's Biltmore Championship Asheville laundry contract, helping him pay bills, gain exposure, and rebuild his business as the tournament brings extra spending to area cleaners, restaurants, and hotels.
   

5. Treasury Bars Major News Outlets From G20 Summit Coverage (time.news) — As Asheville hosts this year's G20 finance ministers summit, the U.S. Treasury has drawn criticism for barring several major outlets, including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, from full coverage. While global markets watch decisions made here, the move raises press-freedom concerns and highlights how a normally quiet mountain city is at the center of international politics.
   

📸 Around Asheville

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📸 Youth At Jazz —Davidson J. Like

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • 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)
  • Please share & repost to help reunite this stray bird!
    Found on September 19, 2026 in Asheville, NC 28806 near Wilson Riverfront RV Park Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact… (Nextdoor East West Asheville)
  • Raytheon Technologies Corporation - RTX posted a job opening for Material Handler 1 - AWW1 Weekend Day Shift (Onsite) in Asheville. Apply here.
  • WSP Global, Inc. posted a job opening for Construction Materials Testing Technician 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: Beef Tips (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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