Barley’s owner Jimi Rentz peers around the final 500 Brewgrass tickets, on sale Tuesday afternoon at the tap room. / Bill Sanders / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RALEIGH — A Southern gay rights group is planning events in Winston-Salem and Asheville later this week where 12 people plan to get arrested after same-sex couples are denied marriage licenses.

ASHEVILLE – A quintet of great Southern writers, including Ron Rash and Charles Frazier, will speak in July at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center as part of the Summer Authors Speakers Series.

A scene from “Meherjaan,” a film from Bangladesh. / Special to the Citizen-Times Olympic shot putter Adriane Blewit fights cancer on her quest to become the Women’s World Champion in the Scottish Highland Games in the film “Into the Distance.”

It is important to recognize the symptoms of stroke and seek medical care immediately by calling 911. Symptoms may include: • Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

Leadership Asheville’s 30th class will hold a summit on out-of-school learning on Thursday, May 17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UNCA’s Highsmith Student Union. Topics will include mentoring, fundraising and community issues. Visit leadershipasheville.org for more information about this and other Leadership Asheville events. ...

How do you get kids away from their computers and cellphones? Let them get muddy.

Burrowing owls, seen in a page from Elizabeth Ellison’s journal. / Elizabeth Ellison/Special to the Citizen-Times A racoon on the Manatee River, seen in a page from Elizabeth Ellison’s journal.