Local government doing something right? The TVA, after being given a 2011 deadline to install pollution controls in a nearby coal-fired plant, had asked for even further delays to the deadline, but an Asheville Judge denied the request. Every once in a while, officials do get it right, I suppose.

Story from the Charlotte Observer:

A federal judge in Asheville has denied the Tennessee Valley Authority’s request to delay installing pollution controls in a coal-fired power plant near the N.C. line.

In January, Judge Lacy Thornburg ruled for North Carolina in a lawsuit that charged TVA is a public nuisance because of the pollution blowing from its plants. Thornburg set deadlines for TVA to clean up four plants closest to the N.C. border, at an estimated cost of $1 billion.

After the trial, TVA asked the judge for one- and three-year delays in installing pollution controls at its John Sevier plant near Rogersville, Tenn. The devices will capture sulfur dioxide, which produces acid rain and fine-particle pollution, and ozone-forming nitrogen oxides.

North Carolina fought the request, and Thornburg denied it Wednesday. He ruled that TVA has time to make the improvements by the original 2011 deadline.

Word has it Michael Jackson has a 10-show gig lined up in London this July. While Jackson has been busy freaking people out with his bizarre antics, and even more bizzaro anti-nose over the past 12 years, he has not performed a single major show during that span. Jackson announced the coming performances during a press conference Thursday.

“This is it. These will be my final shows performing in London. ‘This Is It’ really means this is it,” Jackson said. “I’ll be performing the songs my fans want to hear. This is the final curtain call. I’ll see you in July and I love you so much.”

If for some reason you don’t fly to England to watch Mike grab his crotch and squeal one last time (I can’t imagine why not), don’t despair; he’s auctioning off all kinds of creepy shit that you can spend a fortune on to own and remember him by, then subsequently run off all of your normal friends with. Check out the collection below.

via Asheville Twestival 2009

We wanted to take a quick minute to thank everyone who attended our very own Twestival.  Thank you to the members of the Asheville Twitter community, Facebook community, and individuals and small businesses who agreed to help without question.  Big thanks to our Sponsors: Strange Bird Labs, Bourne Media, Loft of Asheville, Sensible City, Windows on the Park, Bruisin Ales, Ninemile Restaurant, Applied Solutions Group, Orbiting Studio, Bclip Studios, WuMedia Studio, The Digital Paintbrush, Thomas Beckett, The MAP, and Top Floor Studio. This could not have happened without you!

I would also like to give a very special thanks to Rich Orris from Strange Bird Labs for kicking off our silent-auction drive by recruiting Figs and Ginger, Michelle Ibarra for taking time away from her family to blog non-stop, June Allison from Ninemile Restaurant for sponsoring the Event and dedicating many many hours to the project, Jose Ibarra from Applied Solutions Group for also sponsoring the event and taking away precious time from family and work, and last but not least Wendy Lou (@itswendylou on twitter) who deserves all the credit!

Our event was at Windows on the Park, we had $1 beers from Bruisin Ales and Pisgah Brewing, delicious appetizers from the Colorful Palate.  Mountain Water heard about the event and donated several cases of water on the day of! The Orange Peel also donated wristbands on the day of!

We would like to give a huge thanks to our live bands Now You See Them, who agreed to the event before any planning, and Josh Phillips Folk Trio who agreed to help our charity two days before the event.  Please please check out their music, they are very tech-savvy and are some of the most talented musicians in the country.

Thanks again to Charity: Water and Twestival Organizers for pulling this off! Thanks to Chrissy Lindgren for handling the money and Volunteering, Brian Lindgren for giving us Wi-Fi on the day of the event, JD with AshevilleLIve for streaming the event, and of course, Don Makoviney of Makovision, for agreeing to emcee our event 2 days before the event.

Our rough estimation is currently around $4000.00.  We are tallying up our totals for $1 beer sales and all bar tips from the night (thanks to Bruisin Ales for refusing to take any money from the event, and Windows on the Park for donating all the tips!)

If our estimates are correct, we can safely assume that the total amount raised, including event cost, will be $5000.00!!! Not bad for only 9 days of planning, eh? Our biggest thanks goes out to the Asheville Community and Asheville Bloggers, for coming together very quickly for a great cause. Thank you Asheville and Thank you Twestival Organizers for Charity: Water.

Equals a whole lotta good. Find out more at video.liveearth.org, and come out and support our local Asheville Twestival Event Thursday, 6pm at Windows on the Park

I pledge. Will you?

Charity:Water

http://nctwestival.com

On February 5th we decided to take the pledge and bring the Asheville Twitter Community together to pledge support for our very own Twestival. The iPledge project was born, then on February 7th we had people pledge $5 to Charity:Water to be in our video.

In one weeks time Asheville has organized a Twestival. Venue Sponsor Windows on the Park, Beer Sponsor Bruisin’ Ales, and Event Sponsors Applied Solutions Group and Nine Mile. We have also raised almost $1500 in cash for charity:water, $2500 in auction items …. please spread/share this video.

Video Production: Bourne Media and orbitingstudio.com

Music Courtesy of Steve Jamesson

Please join our iPledge Project and take the pledge to bring clean water to the world.

In one week Asheville became one, for one cause, for one day. What will you do?

Please post your response and the city you are in, and please spread the word.

Help the 1 in 6 people in the world without access to clean, clear water have just that. Thursday. February 12th, 2009. You can be a part. Help.