Latest news with #IrisSeaton
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Asheville Buc-ee's location? What we know about North Carolina rumors
Online rumors are circulating around a Buc-ee's location in Asheville, North Carolina. Known for clean restrooms, a wide range of food offerings and the massive size of its stores, Buc-ee's was originally founded in 1982 in Texas. While most of the chain's locations are located within Texas - 36 currently in operation - it has gradually expanded beyond the borders of it's birthplace. Articles and posts on Facebook and other social media websites have created buzz around the idea of a Buc-ee's location coming to Asheville. Over the next several years, at least 11 new Buc-ee's locations are planned - including one location in the Tar Heel State. Here are the facts - and the fiction - behind the Buc-ee's buzz. Buc-ee's in Asheville? What to know about rumors While Buc-ee's billboards are positioned more than 100 miles from the planned site, the chain has not announced any plans to build a location in Asheville or any other part of the region. N.C.'s first Buc-ee's location is being built in Mebane, located in the Piedmont region of the state. Mebane Buc-ee's; what we know Southern Living reported that the new location in Mebane will measure in at a sprawling 75,000 square feet, with 120 fueling stations and more than 600 parking spaces planned. The site is located at 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road near the merger of Interstates 85 and 40. The publication also reported that, in anticipation of traffic congestion, the company agreed to provide between $6 million-$11 million in NC Department of Transportation-mandated improvements to Trollingwood-Hawfields Road. The Mebane Buc-ee's opening is planned for late 2026 or early 2027. Where is Mebane, NC? Is Mebane close to Asheville? Mebane is about 200 miles east of Asheville on I-40. According to Google Maps, it will take about three hours to drive to the new Buc-ee's. Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Is Buc-ee's coming to Asheville? Fact and fiction behind NC rumors Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Tick bites sending more people to ER than years past, CDC data shows
The Northeast has been hit especially hard, with 283 ER visits per 100,000 attributed to tick bites. This summer is shaping up to be one of the worst tick seasons in recent years, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Emergency room visits related to tick bites have spiked in 2025, reaching their highest point in five years nationwide, according to the CDC's Tick Bite Data Tracker. The Northeast has been hit particularly hard, with tick bites accounting for 283 ER visits per 100,000 during the peak month of May, up from 209 around the same time in 2024. The CDC reported by July 6 that the number of emergency department visits for tick bites had already exceeded nearly 10 years of July records, with 92 visits per 100,000 reported across the nation. Children ages 0 to 9 and people over the age of 70 were the most common of these ER visitors. Vector-borne illness, or disease transmitted by fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, has been on the rise in part due to climate change, said the CDC. With shorter and warmer winters becoming the norm, fewer disease-carrying ticks are dying off in the cold months, increasing the number that survive and can bite humans when the weather warms up. Other factors, including land use, pest control and access to healthcare, impact how many tick bites are reported and if related diseases are spread amongst the local human and pet population. Risk and symptoms of tick bites Lyme disease is one of the most common tickborne illnesses, but the insects can carry several other diseases capable of infecting animals and humans. Humans may contract a variety of pathogens from ticks, according to the CDC, including: The CDC notes that many tickborne illnesses have similar symptoms, with some of the most common including: How to prevent tick bites The best cure for tick-borne illness is prevention, according to the CDC, which suggests the following to protect yourself from bites: Contributing: Bailey Allen, USA TODAY Network; Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could an asteroid hit the moon? NASA says chances have risen
A so-called "city killer" asteroid known as 2024 YR4 won't hit the Earth — but the moon might not be so lucky. Astronomers and scientists previously expressed some concern that the asteroid could collide with Earth. After its discovery in late 2024, its odds of impact with Earth briefly rose to historically high levels at a 3.1% chance. Eventually, however, astronomers ruled out the threat. While Earthlings may be safe, our latest glance of the asteroid in May, courtesy of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, led the agency to conclude that YR4 now has an even higher chance of colliding with the moon in 2032 — though the chance still rests at only 4.3% The asteroid has left our view as it orbits the sun, meaning that the May Webb observations were the last chance to observe YR4 until it reemerges in 2028. NASA already has plans to study it again in three years. Until then, here's what we know about 2024 YR4 and its possible impact to our moon. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was estimated to measure between 174-220 feet, about the size of a 10-story building, according to NASA and the ESA. As the nickname suggests, an asteroid of this size would, as Scientific American magazine put it, unleash "enough localized devastation to destroy any unlucky metropolis in the way," with immediate effects resembling a detonating hydrogen bomb. Asteroid YR4 is a near-Earth asteroid, which NASA explained means it has an orbit that brings it into Earth's region of the solar system. As it was large enough to cause localized damage if it were to impact Earth, and surpassed the 1% impact probability threshold, it was of interest for planetary defense until the probability of impact was lowered. For some time, YR4 was the only object among more than 37,000 known large space rocks with any chance of hitting Earth anytime soon. Though the probability was only 3.1%, this actually marked a record high. With new observations in February 2025, however, astronomers announced that the probability had lowered to only 0.28%. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a below 0.5% chance of hitting the Earth, according to observations from NASA and other astronomers. Another asteroid, Aphophis, received some attention after its discovery in 2004, and the 2.7% chance it held of hitting Earth in 2029. Additional observations showed that, while it will make a close flyby, Apophis does not pose a risk. While a collision with the Earth has now been ruled out, the moon is another story. Webb's March observations showed that the odds of YR4 colliding with the moon had risen from February from 1.7% to 3.8%. Odds rose again after Webb's May observations to 4.3%. NASA assured the public, however, that the moon's orbit around the Earth would not be altered by a collision with an asteroid the size of YR4. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK, contributed to this report. Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What is a 'city killer' asteroid? NASA says asteroid may hit moon
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US News & World Report releases its best states rankings: See North Carolina rating, top 10
Rankings for how the Carolinas serve their citizens among those for all 50 states in the country were wildly different, according to a new report. U.S. News & World Report's website calls the company a "multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives." Using data and technology, the publication issues reporting and rankings on subjects from education to money to travel and beyond. A list of "best state rankings" from U.S. News drew on thousands of data points to measure how well states are "performing for their citizens." Rankings take into account things like health care, education, economy and public safety, weighting the categories based on a survey of what matters most to people. Here's what the report said about the Carolinas, the top 10 states in the country and more. North Carolina came up just a few rankings short of making the U.S. News top 10 at No. 13 overall. The report gave the state the following rankings out of the 50 states in various overall categories studied: Crime and Corrections - No. 25 Economy - No. 7 Education - No. 12 Fiscal Stability - No. 14 Health Care - No. 25 Infrastructure - 32 Natural Environment - 26 Opportunity - 18 According to U.S. News, the median household income in N.C. is $70,804, while the national average is $76,976. The poverty rate in N.C. sits slightly higher than the national average, 12.8% to 12.2%. The state ranks No. 10 in long-term fiscal stability, and No. 26 in short-term fiscal stability. Of the eight categories compiled for each state, N.C. made it into the top 10 of only one category: economy. Job growth was measured at 2.6% throughout N.C. compared to 1.4% countrywide, and net migration is 1.4% compared to only 0.06% nationwide. While N.C. nearly made it into the top 10 states on the U.S. News list, its neighbor, South Carolina, was on the opposite end of the spectrum, ranking at No. 40 in the country. The report gave the state the following rankings out of the 50 states in various overall categories studied: Crime and Corrections - 42 Economy - 14 Education - 43 Fiscal Stability - 20 Health Care - 30 Infrastructure - 36 Natural Environment - 21 Opportunity - 42 According to U.S. News, the median household income in S.C. is $67,804, while the national average is $76,976. The poverty rate in S.C. sits almost two percentage points above the national average, 13.9% to 12.2%. Though the state ranks at No. 28 in long-term fiscal stability, its short-term stability is significantly higher at No. 7. The 10 best states from U.S. News: Utah New Hampshire Idaho Minnesota Nebraska Florida Vermont South Dakota Massachusetts Washington More: Could bird flu be the next pandemic? What we know about H5N1 Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Is NC a good place to live? US News & World Report ranks all 50 states
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is the last day of school? Here's when summer break starts at 19 Western NC districts
Following a turbulent 2024-25 school year for Western North Carolina students, end-of-year dates have been decided. Disruptions in school schedules affected much of WNC, when flooding, landslides and heavy winds caused by Tropical Storm Helene made it impossible for schools to operate for extended periods of time. After much deliberation from WNC school boards, districts have now made final decisions on when the last day of the school year will be. Here's what we know. Asheville City Schools - June 6 Avery County Schools - May 29 Buncombe County Schools - June 10 Cherokee County Schools - May 30 Clay County Schools - May 23 Graham County Schools - May 23 Haywood County Schools - May 22 Henderson County Schools - May 30 Jackson County Schools - May 23 Macon County Schools - May 23 Madison County Schools - May 30 McDowell County Schools - June 6 Mitchell County Schools - May 29 Polk County Schools - May 23 Rutherford County Schools - May 23 Swain County Schools - May 29 Transylvania County Schools - June 6 Watauga County Schools - June 6 Yancey County Schools - May 23 Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: When does summer break start? Last days of school in Western NC
