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Pruett Norris

Pruett Norris is a staff reporter and film critic for 828newsNOW. He is a member of the North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) and graduated from Appalachian State University with degrees in English and Electronic Media/Broadcasting. He enjoys vampire movies, Scrabble and hanging out with his cat, Tommy Chainsaw. Contact him at pruett@828newsNOW.com.

Smoky Mountain Cinema storefront with blue metal awning and promotional banners outside the entrance, under a blue sky.
Arts & Culture
2 weeks ago
Mountain movie palaces: Smoky Mountain Cinema, Waynesville, NC

Smoky Mountain Cinema is an independent, three-screen movie theater tucked in the corner of a Waynesville shopping center. Despite its modest size, the theater is run with a colossal amount of experience.

Pool deck with warning signs near the water edge, including 'No diving' and 'Too shallow' messages.
On The Town
2 weeks ago
6 public pools splash back to Asheville for Memorial Day weekend

Six public pools in Buncombe County will open for the season next weekend, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday.

Group of people crowd around a large ceremonial check with a green mascot in the center, balloons on both sides, and Burlington branding visible all around, celebrating a donation of $5,000 to Haw Creek Elementary School.
Business
2 weeks ago
Brand-new Burlington opens on Tunnel Road, donates to Haw Creek Elementary

Burlington, a national off-price retailer, has opened a new store on Tunnel Road in Asheville. During the ribbon cutting, store staff presented Haw Creek Elementary School with a check for $5,000.

Community
2 weeks ago
Lake Lure to lure over 800 visitors for Memorial Day beach reopening

Nearly 20 months after Tropical Storm Helene devastated the lakeside town, Lake Lure is poised to celebrate its grand reopening over Memorial Day.

Five volunteers in Mountain True shirts stand in front of a trailer loaded with metal pipes in a sunny outdoor lot.
Community
2 weeks ago
Public calls on PVC pipe manufacturer to clean up French Broad River

Concerned members of the community gathered at Riverside Rhapsody Beer Company last night to discuss the environmental impact PVC pipes from IPEX Inc. have had on the French Broad River after Tropical Storm Helene.

Smiling woman wearing a blue headscarf and striped shirt sits at a wooden picnic table; name tag reads Andrea.
Community
2 weeks ago
Annual arts brunch to present recovery plan, honor late photographer

ArtsAVL will honor Andrea Clark, the late photographer and historian, with an award at the event, which will also feature the presentation of the Asheville–Buncombe Arts Recovery Framework.

Close-up of a book cover showing a woman's face with a vibrant flower crown, outdoors among pink blooms; title reads 'HAPPY LAND'.
Community
2 weeks ago
750+ readers participate in blockbuster One Book, One Buncombe program

One Book, One Buncombe is a community reading program aimed at creating unity through literature across Buncombe County. Hundreds of copies of “Happy Land” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez were made freely available to readers as part of the initiative.

Wooden sign reading 'The Haunted Farm — Enter Here' hanging over rope netting against a cloudy sky.
Arts & Culture
3 weeks ago
Hundreds hop to horror haven Haunted Farm for ‘Halfway to Halloween’

Summertime can be scary, too. Just ask Jason Voorhees… or visitors at The Haunted Farm. The scare attraction attracted dozens of guests last weekend for a two day only “Halfway to Halloween” event.

Sign for River Walk Park in a green wooded area under sunny sky, with trees surrounding.
Community
3 weeks ago
Black Mountain teen helps restore Helene-damaged dog park

A year and a half after Tropical Storm Helene, Amanda Latta, 16, is contributing to the reconstruction of River Walk Park, one picnic table, flower bed and birdhouse at a time.

Open rural landscape with rolling brown hills, leafless trees, a wooden fence in the foreground, and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
Outdoors
3 weeks ago
Hikes of WNC: Flat Top Mountain Trail

Flat Top Mountain Trail is a rewarding trek with diverse terrain near Moses Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Read more in our hiking guide below.