Plant-inspired non-dairy ice cream goes nationwide under the Amy's Kitchen brand

Local vegan restaurant, Plant, is known far and wide for its rich and creamy coconut milk based ice cream. Plant guests rave about co-owner/ chef Jason Sellers’ unique flavors, such as salt and pepper chocolate fudge and strawberry with balsamic vinegar. Ever since Plant opened in the summer of 2011, Sellers and his team have had to work overtime to keep up with the demand for his masterful creations.

Then one day last year, Anna (cousin to Amy of Amy’s Kitchen - the nation's top-selling brand of natural and organic convenience food) visited Plant with her brand new husband. They thoroughly enjoyed their meal but fell so in love with the ice cream that they enlisted Amy’s to bring this sumptuous frozen creation to a wider audience. The Amy’s team recognized a good thing when they tasted it and, soon thereafter, introduced four spectacular Plant-derived flavors – Chocolate, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Mocha Chocolate Chip – which are currently being sold in limited markets, including Asheville. Amy’s expects the products to go nationwide very soon.

Plant and Amy’s couldn’t be happier about their collaboration and this new product.

“We’re stoked that our ice cream will reach a much wider audience and the fact that such an amazing company is making that happen is the cherry on top,” says Sellers.

“We are so excited to bring this vegan-certified treat to our customers that we can’t stop smiling,” says company co-founder Rachel Berliner (Amy's mom).

This special ice cream is just one of the reasons why Plant continues to garner praise and accolades. Most recently, Food & Wine Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Departures, and Spry Living all named Plant one of the top veg restaurants in the country while Mountain Xpress readers picked Plant as “Best of WNC” in 7 categories.

Van Winkle attorneys named to Business North Carolina’s 2014 Legal Elite

The Van Winkle Law Firm announced three attorneys have been named among Business North Carolina magazine’s 2014 Legal Elite. They include: Robert H. Haggard, Tax & Estate Planning; W. James Johnson, Construction; and Larry S. McDevitt, Antitrust.

Additionally, Haggard received the most votes in the category of Tax & Estate Planning. Haggard is board certified in estate planning and probate law. He has practiced with The Van Winkle Law Firm since 1978. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Haggard is a frequent lecturer, workshop participant and the past chair of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

For more information, visit www.vwlawfirm.com.

FastMed issues workplace flu survival guide for employers and employees

To help combat a statewide outbreak of the flu, FastMed Urgent Care, the largest urgent care organization in North Carolina, issued the FastMed Workplace Flu Survival Guide for employers and employees to reduce the rate of flu cases.  FastMed calls it a health and economic imperative, as each year the flu can cost the U.S. economy up to $87 billion in lost work time and productivity.

"At FastMed clinics throughout North Carolina, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of flu cases," says Jason A. Williams MPAS, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Eastern Region and founder of FastMed. "Because the workplace is such a highly contagious environment for spreading the flu, we are focusing on employers and employees and supporting them with The FastMed Workplace Flu Survival guide to help lower the spread of flu." Williams also explained that flu season typically peaks during January and February but can last as late as May, so employers will need to manage their flu prevention programs for months.

The FastMed Workplace Flu Survival Guide is based on federal government guidance and FastMed's own extensive experience providing frontline health care to patients in communities and workplaces throughout Arizona. The guide includes the following tips:

Know the symptoms in your employees
Know what you are looking for as a manager or as an employee. Symptoms often include sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and soreness, congestion, cough, vomiting and diarrhea.

Promote employee vaccinations
The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine as the best way to protect the workforce against flu viruses. It requires about 10 days to take effect, but since flu season can last into May, it's not too late to encourage your workforce to get vaccinated.

Invest in a flue-free environment
Provide tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and disposable towels for employees to clean their work surfaces.

Stop the spread of germs
Hold staff meetings to discuss the best ways to avoid spreading the flue and put posters in break rooms that ask employees to cough or sneeze into their elbow, wash hands often with soap and water, use hand sanitizer, keep desks, office equipment and other work surfaces such as phones and computer equipment clean, avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth and stay away from anyone who is sick.

Develop sick-day policies to promote health
As a manager, encourage sick employees to get tested, treated and develop HR policies that make it okay for sick employees to stay home (without fear of reprisal) until at least 24 hours after a fever is gone.

Urge rapid testing
If you suspect the flu, take a quick moment to get a non-invasive (no needle needed) rapid nasal swab flu test. The results take just 15 minutes to process and if positive, it gives you the chance to get treatment right on the spot.

Encourage the right treatment
If an employee is already sick, there are treatments and medications to lessen the severity of the flu, which reduces the spread of flu germs to family, friends and coworkers. Also, require them to stay home because you won't be doing your workplace any favors by pushing sick employees to stay at work, where they will contaminate other employees and decrease productivity.

Foster healthy workforce lifestyles
Creating an environment and culture of good health for employees all year round can go a long way toward combatting a flu outbreak. Good nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation programs are proven winners and can help avoid or at least lessen the impact of illness.

Don't share and don't crowd
If there's an outbreak of flu in your workplace, you need to encourage employees to NOT share phones, computers, food and beverage, etc., and you should seriously consider not holding crowded meetings in small rooms as an infected person is a threat within six feet of healthy workers.

Belk Biltmore Square Mall invites community nonprofits to participate in Spring 2014 charity sale

Grassroots event benefits local non-profit organizations

Belk invites schools and other nonprofit organizations in the company’s 16-state market area to participate in its semi-annual Belk Charity Sale, Saturday, May 3, from 6 – 10 a.m. The four-hour, in-store shopping event offers an excellent fundraising tool for participating organizations and an opportunity for customers to support local charities while taking advantage of special discounts on purchases during the event. 

Belk Charity Sale tickets are available now to participating nonprofit organizations for sale in advance of the event. One hundred percent of the proceeds from each $5 ticket sold will be retained by the local charity. There is no limit to the number of tickets charities can sell, or to the amount of money they can raise. Belk will provide tickets and informational materials at no cost to each participating organization. 

Beginning Friday, April 18, tickets may also be purchased at Belk stores with all revenues from in-store ticket sales equally divided among participating charities and schools in each local store. In 2013 Belk’s Charity Sale raised more than $10 million for thousands of participating charitable organizations throughout the South. 

On the morning of the Belk Charity Sale, the first 100 customers to arrive at each store will receive a Belk gift card ranging in value from $5 to $100, and a chance to win one of three $1,000 Belk gift cards being awarded company-wide. Also, participating charities and schools will be registered to win one of three $1,000 donations from Belk in a company-wide drawing. 

Charity representatives interested in taking part in this one-of-a-kind fundraising event should contact their local Belk store manager for more information. In order to participate in the Belk Charity Sale, organizations must have an IRS Section 501(c)(3) designation from the Internal Revenue Service.

For more information about Belk Charity Sale Spring 2014, please contact Belk Biltmore Square Mall, 828-667-1800, David West Ext. #201, Gloria Williamson Ext. #203

Tickets for this event will be available for Charities to pick up at Belk Biltmore Square Mall 2/10/2014.