Want some shake it, but don’t break it blues? You got it when you tune in Soul of the Blues this Thursday from noon till 2pm on AshevilleFM! This week the Blueshound will share new music from Piedmont blues artists-Grant Dermody & Frank Fotusky, DC area blues band-Karl Stoll & The Danger Zone, Nashville sax player-Scott Ramminger and blues rocker Terry Quiett! Also got some classic tracks from Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix and Taj Mahal! The Notcho’ Blues Artists this week are The Band of Heathens! Join the Blueshound this Thursday on Soul of the Blues for two hours of mind withering, butt slithering blues!
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Radio Active Kids February 12! New tunes!!!!
We’ve got tons of new tunes this week on Radio Active Kids, and the incredible Andrew & Polly has created this utterly incredible jingle for us! Thank you SO MUCH, A&P!!!!! New tunes from Alphabet Rockers & Mista Cookie Jar, Kath Bee, Itty Bitty Beats, Mr. Elephant, DJ Willy Wow, Moe & Friends, Nutshell Playhouse, Minute Masters, #ThePocketJoys, Kristle Skennar, & #MarkedasHisEqual w/ #TheAzkabanWorkReleaseProgram! Since we have a much smaller backlog of new tunes now, we also have older tunes from caspar babypants, #Bandtastic (Mike Phirman & Drennon Davis), Jim Cosgrove & Jazzy Ash, Earthworm Ensemble, Camille Harris, Billy Jonas, The Oot n’ Oots, Peelander-Z, salva_trasto, Dan Vapid, The Wise Channel on 1TribeCollective & more!!! 8-10am ET Saturday at ashevillefm.org/show/radio-active-kids or tun.in/pjiei & podcasting at mixcloud.com/Radio_Active_Kids!
Healthy Asheville Report: Medicaid Expansion for NC
A Prescription for Better Physical and Financial Health: Medicaid Expansion for North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, NC – February 1, 2022. The Republican-dominated North Carolina state legislature has formed a committee to study Medicaid expansion and access to health care as required by the 2022 state budget. Previous budgets had been vetoed by Governor Cooper, a Democrat, because they did not include expanding Medicaid coverage. The Governor signed the 2022 budget because it included a provision to study this issue. It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of uninsured adults in North Carolina would be able to obtain access to medical care with Medicaid expansion. Medicaid currently covers over 2 million people in the state yet more than 1 million people (12.9% of the population) do not have health insurance including 30 thousand Buncombe County residents. In an interview on December 15, 2021, Governor Cooper said, “I’m still deeply disappointed that we have yet to expand Medicaid, particularly in the middle of a pandemic, particularly when you have more than a million of North Carolinians without health insurance.”
According to a recent University of Michigan study, the benefits of Medicaid expansion are:
- To improve the physical and financial health for low-income persons, including better health, increased life expectancy and lower debt
- To reduce the amount of uncompensated care for hospitals
- To stimulate the economy and create jobs
Medicaid expansion was originally included in the 2012 Affordable Care Act, by relaxing the program requirements defining the ‘very neediest,’ but the Supreme Court ruled that each state had the right to decide upon expansion rather than the federal government. Thirty-eight states and Washington D.C. have expanded Medicaid either through their state legislature or by voter referendum. All 6 voter-referendums have passed including in 3 Republican states. North Carolina is one of twelve non-expansion states. The legislature has resisted any attempt to pass Medicaid expansion, in spite of the strong support by the governor. Many years ago, the North Carolina state legislature had passed a law that does not allow for voter referendums negating any attempts to circumvent the legislature’s anti-expansion position.
This has become a political football with Republicans generally opposed to expansion for fear of rising taxes, increasing the state budget and a bigger government although the state costs for expansion have been shown to be covered by other health programs whose users gain coverage from Medicaid (like correctional health care and community mental health). Congress has voted to defray the cost of Medicaid expansion by 90% for each state although this is time-limited. North Carolina state hospitals and health-care systems have recently agreed to provide $758 million to help cover the state’s 10% share.
Listen to the full Healthy Asheville Report below:
Dick Needleman, Health reporter, Asheville FM, 103.3 WSFM-LP, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org
Healthy Asheville Report: COVID-19 Community Update
Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update: COVID-19 Hospitalizations & ICU Admissions Have Increased
ASHEVILLE, NC – On February 1, the Department of Health and Human Services and Public Health Director Stacie Saunders briefed the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners about the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and posted the weekly Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update.
- There is a decrease in the COVID-19 case rate by 4% this week. Last week it was down by 21%.
- There is an increase in hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths in Western North Carolina this week.
- Percent positivity is 24%, well above the 5% level, indicative of a high transmission rate.
- COVID-19 patients comprise 16% of inpatient hospital beds including 37% of ICU beds
- 69% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated up from 68% last week; almost 55% of the fully vaccinated have received boosters.
- Unvaccinated people represent 70% of hospitalizations and 79% of ICU admissions due to COVID-19 in North Carolina.
Stacie Saunders said “we expect cases to continue to decrease, it is likely that the hospitalizations and deaths may also begin to see a decrease in the next several days to weeks…We are clearly still a community with high transmission and it’s important to continue to take the basic steps to protect yourself with the tools that we have to fight COVID-19.” The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- Get vaccinated and boosters when eligible. Boosters are shown to provide significant protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death
- Get tested if exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms
- Stay at home if you are not feeling well, even with a negative Covid test
- Wear a mask when in public indoor spaces
Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.
At the Buncombe County Commissioner’s Briefing, Stacie Saunders said that the goal of 70% full vaccination has almost been reached although this number was established many months ago at the onset of vaccination. In light of the more highly transmissible Delta and Omicron strains and the effectiveness of boosters when eligible, she indicated at the February 2 virtual media Question & Answer session that “my goal is to get to everyone who wants vaccination and boosters.”
Listen to the full Healthy Asheville Report below:
Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org
Soul of the Blues
Come bask in the warmth of the blues by tuning in Soul of the Blues this Thursday from noon till 2pm on AshevilleFM! Listen live at 103.3fm or or stream it at ashevillfm.org live and also stream it 24/7 for one week after it airs. The Blueshound has plenty of new music for you from the likes of Piedmont blues masters-Grant Dermody/Frank Fotusky, DC area band Karl Stoll & the Danger Zone, soul bluesman-Willie Clayton, Terry Quiett Band and a fantastic local power trio from Hendersonville, NC-Ross Osteen Band! I’ll also share some tasty morsels from Ted Hawkins and Chicago great-Son Seals! The Notcho’ Blues Artist this week is the legendary Leon Russell performing under his country pseudo name, Hank Wilson! Join the Blueshound on Soul of the Blues for two hours of mind slapping, butt clapping blues!
Asheville FM Music Sessions, Feb. 8, 4-6pm, electronic & vocal artist LiNE talks about songs on their debut album “blossom”
during the second hour of Asheville FM Music Sessions, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 4-6pm …
Asheville electronic & vocal artist LiNE talks about songs on their debut album “blossom”