We publish a list of News Notes every day in our newsletter + on our website, but there's so much happening in the area that it's easy to miss some of the biggest announcements and updates. So, we've decided to start picking our top 10 News Notes every week for you. Here are the items getting the biggest buzz from the past week:

Announced: The red panda habitat at the WNC Nature Center, which was just approved this week by City Council, will receive 83% of its funding needs ($184,820) from the Friends of WNC Nature Center. They’ve already raised about 40% of funds needed and plan to gather the rest from individual donations + grants. Want to donate to the red panda habitat? Click here. The red pandas will be the first animals in the new Prehistoric Appalachia project. 🐾
Civic: The City has released their 2018-2019 fee adjustments for the upcoming fiscal year (July – June). The adjustments include an average increase of residential water, an increase in planning/zoning fees + a decrease in Aston Park Tennis Center fees, which will go into effect July 1.
Announced: Axeville Throwing Club, a new beer bar + indoor axe-throwing club, announced plans to open this summer. They’ll update their social media soon with grand opening details. According to Forbes, these spots are opening across the country. The first in North America opened in Toronto in 2011. We assume there will be some sort of safety training.
Dish: The Scarlet Bee, a Lebanese restaurant, will open in the space occupied by the former Northside Grill (853 Merrimon Ave.). The menu will highlight Mediterranean flavors and healing herbs, which will be featured in food + creative cocktails. The founders haven’t set a firm opening date but are planning for sometime this month.
WaterCooler: The Asheville City Soccer Club has launched Just Play, an initiative that will collect soccer balls for economically disadvantaged youth in Asheville in order to expand access to the sport in town. Starting in the fall, the city will partner with Open Streets Asheville to offer open play pickup. ⚽
Number: $23,000. Asheville FM’s 2018 Spring Fund Drive goal, happening now through May 4. Funds will be used for the station’s new studio, live performances + podcast production. Donate here for a chance to win tickets to upcoming shows like Tune Yards and Big Boi. 🎤
List: Business Insider has named Asheville #1 on its list of best places to visit in May. Their top picks? The spring LEAF Festival and the Montford Music and Arts Festival. Only two other spots in the U.S. – Yellowstone National Park + Nashville – made the list of 13.
Announced: Beginning with the Fall 2018 class, Warren Wilson has initiated a North Carolina Free Tuition Plan that guarantees a tuition-free college education for every incoming N.C. undergrad student who is eligible for federal or state need-based aid. 🎓How cool is that?!
Ticket: Individual event tickets for the FEI World Equestrian Games will go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. The FEI games are held every four years + is one of of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, and is expected to draw about 500,000+ spectators. The games start Sept. 11th in Tryon, and last two weeks. 🏇 See all ticket options here.
Outdoors: The Fonta Flora State Trail will soon connect Morganton to Asheville, thanks to the Foothills Conservancy (among others), who are in the process of purchasing land for the construction of the trail. So far, 16 miles of Fonta Flora have been built. 🚵🏽‍