Welcome to DKos Asheville.
This space appears each weekend to share links to news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina. The floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this beautiful part of the world.
“Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.”
Today’s edition includes continuing Mission/HCA news, appeal to stop stacking rocks in streams, and a look at the candidates running for the Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District board and why it matters
Today’s links include ongoing progress on Cannabis sales to the general public. Sales will begin on September 7th in Cherokee, NC after several years of planning, voting and measured implementation by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Fallout from UNCA’s decision to eliminate the University’s Drama department continues, and a FAQ on state voting can also be found below.
CHEROKEE, N.C. – All adults 21-years-old and up will soon be able to purchase cannabis products on the Qualla Boundary. The Great Smoky Cannabis Co., operated by Qualla Enterprises, LLC, an entity of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), will start full adult-use sales on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. The day marks a full year since EBCI voters approved a referendum allowing adult-use sales on tribal lands.
The dispensary started adult-use sales to EBCI tribal members and members of other federally recognized tribes on July 4, 2024. It first opened on April 20, 2024 for sales of medical cannabis. EBCI Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver purchased the first legal medical cannabis in the State of North Carolina, and Carolyn West, an EBCI tribal member and Qualla Enterprises, LLC board chairperson, purchased the first legal adult-use cannabis in the state.
According to the website for Great Smoky Cannabis Co., the dispensary is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed Monday and Tuesday.
At the event opening adult-use sales to tribal members on July 4, Forrest Parker, Qualla Enterprises, LLC general manager, told the One Feather, “I don’t think any of us thought that cannabis would be something that united people the way that it has because often we see the turmoil side of things or the big, complicated matters that are really important and challenging. It takes a lot of work to get them right. I’m really, really proud. It’s so humbling to be here.”
Lise Kloeppel has been experiencing what she describes as “a roller coaster of emotions but mostly grief” in the buildup to and official elimination of UNC Asheville’s drama program. Yet the department’s chair is working to balance that pain with gratitude for the 16 years that she’s worked in its ranks and its overall impact that long predates her time on campus.
“For over 50 years, the department has produced exceptional graduates and consistently contributed to the intellectual and creative life of the campus and Asheville communities,” Kloeppel says. “I’m extremely proud of our work and saddened by this tremendous loss.”
On July 24, the program was officially cut by the UNC System Board of Governors, which unanimously approved UNCA Chancellor Kimberly van Noort’s proposal, which also included the end of the philosophy, religious and ancient Mediterranean studies programs, plus French and German language concentrations. The measures were in response to a $6 million budget deficit — the result of several factors, including a 25% decrease in student enrollment since 2019.
Following an academic portfolio review process that began in February, van Noort announced the proposed cuts on June 13. Kloeppel and her drama colleagues quickly got to work, organizing the 10-day “Keep Theatre at UNCA” letter-writing campaign, which resulted in over 1,200 letters from community members being sent to van Noort and Peter Hans, president of the UNC System. In addition, Kloeppel was one of 24 UNCA department chairs to co-author and sign a 25-page faculty letter, arguing the drama department’s merits and those of the other proposed departmental cuts.
North Carolina voters looking to either register to vote or cast their ballots in the 2024 general election are navigating new requirements and election rule changes. Carolina Public Press put together a list of frequently asked questions to help voters with this process.
How do I look up my North Carolina voter registration? And how do I register?
You can check your voter registration, status, party affiliation, sample ballot, polling place and election districts and your voter history here.
You can register to vote online, in person at your local NC Division of Motor Vehicles or by mail.
To register, you must meet specific criteria such as being a U.S. citizen, live in the county where you are registering and be at least 18 years old. You will need some specific information and documentation to register to vote.
What is the deadline to register to vote in time to participate in the 2024 general election?
The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina for the 2024 general election is Oct. 11, 2024.
How do I find my county board of elections office?
You can find your county board of elections and their contact information here.
What is an eligible voter ID? How do I get one?
Voters are required to show a valid photo ID when they cast their ballots. For most voters this means having a valid driver’s license. Examples of other acceptable photo IDs and how to obtain one, such as a free photo ID from a county board of elections or a no-fee ID card from NCDMV, are available here.
All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. But those who can’t provide one at the polls will have to qualify to vote by filling out an ID exception form with their provisional ballot.
A voter’s respective county election board will evaluate the circumstances of each provisional ballot after election day and decide whether to accept it or reject it, or partially accept a ballot if a voter wasn’t entitled to participate in all contests on the ballot, such as if they voted a ballot for the wrong congressional, legislative or county office districts.
Election results aren’t finalized until eligible provisional ballots are counted. Voters can check the status of their provisional votes here.
MORE QUESTIONS AT THE LINK
Thanks for reading and contributing, I hope your weekend is great.
“Be safe out there” Lamont Cranston
