Home Care In Fairview, NC

The road was closed between the intersections of Mill Grove Road and Russell Road in Indian Trail.

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — Both directions of Fairview Road (NC 218) between Mill Grove Road and Russell Road have reopened after a crash involving a tractor-trailer on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office.

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No injuries were reported. The road reopened around 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

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Officials are urging drivers to take alternative routes and to use caution because of significant delays in the area.

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A Western North Carolina brewery boasts a train-themed twist — and was named the best in the state.

Whistle Hop Brewing Company tops the list of places making and serving beer in North Carolina, according to results published Monday, May 9.

To come up with the findings, the restaurant review website Yelp said it examined listings in each state and considered their health scores.

“We identified businesses in the breweries category on Yelp that brew their own beer, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews,” the company wrote in a blog post.

In North Carolina, Whistle Hop Brewing Company earned the No. 1 spot after customers helped it receive a five-star rating. Several raved online about the taproom’s selection of brews and activities that ranged from mini golf to bowling.

Then there’s the on-site train caboose, which one Yelp user described as a “fun place to chug chug chug.” Whistle Hop Brewing Company said its customers can sit back in a “1969 Norfolk and Western caboose” or experience music and games in a “1941 Southern Railway boxcar,” according to its website and Facebook page.

“What started as our family’s old caboose and a dream has grown into Asheville’s most unique destination brewery,” the business wrote on Yelp. “We’re so proud to have created this special place for locals and visitors alike to gather and enjoy our unique craft beers in the heart of Fairview.”

Fairview is roughly 12 miles southeast of the mountain tourist destination of Asheville. It might not come as a surprise that the state’s top-ranking brewery is in the area.

That’s because Asheville was recently named one of the nation’s best places for beer drinkers. The city also received nods for its breweries when it landed on TripAdvisor’s list of trendiest U.S. travel spots, McClatchy News reported in February.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — It's that time of year when black bears in the mountains begin to bulk up for winter.

Be bear aware: Black bear activity increasing as population prepares for winter months

Bear experts say the next six to eight weeks are a busy time for black bears, with the growing population getting hungrier than usual.

"Typically a bear will put on anywhere from 25 to 50 pounds going into the winter time," says Western North Carolina Nature Center Director Chris Gentile, as he shows off the nature center's two black bears, Ursa and Uno.

The pair are just two of the four-to-6,000 bear in Western North Carolina that will bulk up for the winter. A hotter than average summer means an above average appetite.

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"Typically when it’s hotter out, bears will expend more energy," Gentile explains. "So they will need even more energy then to put on their bodies to make it through a winter."

Asheville resident Sophie Chirico lives in the Haw Creek area. She's used to regular bear activity, even knowing one bear's routine -- it usually includes her trash can.

Chirico keeps a brick on top of her trashcan, but says the bear still manages to get into it.

Black bears at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville, NC - Wildlife officials warn people that black bear activity will be increasing soon as the bears bulk up for the winter months. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)

A recent study by North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission shows the urban bear population in Asheville is growing on several levels.

"Urban bears in Asheville are actually growing more quickly than bears outside of the urban area, and, they’re starting to reproduce at a younger age and have more cubs at an earlier age," says Dr. Graham Reynolds,

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The biology teacher at UNC Asheville attributes the growth to food availability.

"They’re actually growing twice the rate of bears outside of the area," he says. "So, they’re reaching 100 pounds at about two years of age. Anywhere else it’s about 50 pounds at two years of age."

"I guess I’m pretty used to it," says Chirico of her neighborhood bear. "I think they’re cute. I stay away, you know, keep my distance, just watch them from afar."

Both Dr. Reynolds and Gentile urge people to be especially vigilant in containing their trash, keeping birdseed inside and hanging bird feeders out of a bear's reach.

LEXINGTON — There has been a surge in traffic on Cotton Grove Road/N.C. Highway 8 in Lexington due to the opening of several well-known commercial franchises, and more is expected after the announcement that a multi-million-dollar manufacturing facility will be built near the thoroughfare.

Because of this, the North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct a major intersection with Fairview Drive, add additional lanes from Lexington Parkway Plaza and install a traffic island for safety.

The NCDOT will also create a new access road off of Old Linwood Road, which runs parallel with Cotton Grove/Highway 8, for the new Siemens manufacturing facility, and closing a portion of Brown Street after construction is complete, said Pat Ivey, Division 9 Engineer for NCDOT.

“The proposed improvements would substantially relieve congestion, improve mobility and safety in this corridor, and provide new access to the proposed land development,” Ivey said.

According to Ivey, a comprehensive traffic study several years ago identified a need to address congestion and safety on Cotton Grove Road/Highway 8 from Fairview Drive to Highway 47, which is a major thoroughfare off of Interstate 85 in Lexington.

The study was created after the opening of multiple retail franchises in recent years, including Chick-fil-a, Starbucks, Dunkin, Cook Out and IHOP.

The Highway 8 project was divided into two sections, from I-85 to Highway 47 and from I-85 to Fairview Drive.

Ivey said the project towards Highway 47 is set to be submitted for the next NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Plan beginning in 2026, but it has to go through a rigorous prioritization process first.

But the other project has been expedited due to the potential development of a convenience store/gas station at the intersection with Fairview Drive and Cotton Grove Road/Highway 8.

Ivey said the developers of the property next to the Zaxby’s have requested the NCDOT build an access road off of Cotton Grove Road into the property, which would make the interchange with Fairview Drive into a four-way intersection at the light.

The project also includes the addition of a traffic island in the current turn lane from Fairview Drive to Parkway Plaza, and an additional left turn lane exiting the shopping center.

The NCDOT has requested $1 million in state contingency funds and spot safety funding to go toward the estimated $1.6 million project. The development company would be responsible for the remaining funds to complete the project.

Ivey said if these state funds are secured, the NCDOT and developers could potentially begin the reconstruction of the intersection in 2024. He said due to the high volume of traffic in the area, the project must be staged to create minimal impact, possibly including closing the roadway at night.

There will also be another NCDOT project taking place close by on Brown Street, which intersects with Cotton Grove Road and Parkway Plaza, and Old Linwood Road, which has become an alternative route for many drivers avoiding the congestion on Cotton Grove Road/Highway 8.

Ivey said that as part of the state economic development funding for the $220 million Siemens Mobility plant, NCDOT will build a new access road to the property off of Old Linwood Road, between Brown Street and Moore Drive. Henry Link Access Road will connect with the new road.

The project is slated to begin in the summer of 2024.

After completion of the manufacturing complex, the section of Brown Street that currently bisects the 200-acre property will be closed.

FAIRVIEW, N.C. (WLOS) — More than 30 homeowners are without fire and emergency service after a bridge into their Fairview community was condemned.

WLOS

“My biggest worry is emergency services won’t come across this bridge,” said Harry Riva, a 20-year resident along Laurel Loop Road. “We got a letter from the Fire Marshal that said the bridge we use to get into our development was condemned.”

In his letter, Fire Marshal Jerry Leatherwood also warned property owners their insurance may be voided because he’s ruled emergency vehicles cannot safely cross the bridge.

The road and bridge cut through private property. Riva acknowledged the residents have maintained the road, but estimates to repair the bridge have given him and the other community residents, many of whom have limited income, sticker shock.

“Anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000. Unfortunately, there are people up there that can’t afford to help," Riva said.

Fire Marshal Jerry Leatherwood could not be reached for comment.

Jonathan Pattavina, who owns the land on other side of the bridge, said he empathizes and wants to help homeowners, but, technically, he isn’t responsible for the bridge.

"I want to investigate whether the bridge is truly unsafe,” said Pattavina, who lives in New Hampshire but has a home in Fairview on the property. “But it’s not my bridge. It’s the community’s. The road and bridge are just the legal access to the community through my property.”

Pattavina said he contacted Buncombe County officials to ask if there is anything the county could to do take over the road and bring the bridge up to code.

He said the community has no neighborhood association and isn’t a traditional community but rather a mix of mobile homes in a central area at the top of the road.

Several residents worked on the bridge Wednesday night, but beams were still loose and any repairs will likely not be enough to have the fire marshal retract his condemnation.

“I’d like to see that my Buncombe County taxes and my fire taxes ensure that they have access to my property,” Riva said.

Riva said he doesn’t expect the county to fix the entire road.

“But we need this bridge to be fixed,” he said.