Local videos from bands, the Chamber of Commerce, 48 Hour Film Project contestants and parenting vloggers

Despite some blogs going missing, going private or just being ignored in favor of summer activities, there was some action in our little corner of the blognation this week.

Here’s a look at some of what’s making headlines around Western North Carolina: There’s a possible serial killer on the loose in upstate South Carolina; a Florida man drowned while saving his son at a popular Macon County water hole; the venerable Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain is on the verge of bankruptcy; and more.

As anyone who read last week’s column knows, I spent the past weekend at the Monster Bash in Pennsylvania where I had dinner with Jonathan Haze (Seymour in the original Little Shop of Horrors [1960]) and drinks with Ron (grandson of the Wolf Man) and Linda (granddaughter-in-law of the Wolf Man) Chaney and held the door open for Lou Ferrigno. I also spent far too much money on cinematic esoterica.

If you enjoy a good British sex comedy (and who doesn’t?), or if you’re intrigued by the premise of a farce that starts with a groom-to-be awaking hungover, on his wedding day, in the bridal suite, beside a naked woman he doesn’t know but suspects he slept with the night before — Perfect Wedding, at Flat Rock Playhouse, won’t disappoint.

With unemployment in the Asheville area on the rise and 8,100 jobs lost since the beginning of the year, Xpress wants to hear about your experiences in these tight times.

Writers looking for an opportunity to hone their craft can do do so at the North Carolina Writers’ Network’s 2009 Squire Summer Writing Residency.

Crews continue to repair water damage after a storm pipe eroded over Memorail Day weekend and poured water into the offices of the Buncombe County Department of Social Services.

The Environmental Protection Agency lists two coal-ash-storage dams in Buncombe among similar high-hazard structures in North Carolina and the U.S. But there’s no indication the two dams — each about 90 feet high and located just off Interstate 26 near Arden — present an immediate danger.

The local political season will officially open at 8 a.m. on Monday with the start of the candidate filing period for people seeking seats on Asheville City Council and a host of other local town boards.

But don’t put away that pen yet: You can download the correct puzzle here

Unemployment in both the Asheville metropolitan area and Buncombe County rose in May, according to state figures that show unemployment ticking up to 9.2 percent for the metro area and 8.8 percent for Buncombe County.

This weekend isn’t just any weekend. It’s a holiday weekend. A three-day weekend. A weekend that promises cookouts and fireworks. In that spirit, Weekend on a Shoestring kicks off with a Thursday rundown of $5-or-cheaper shows (because lots of you will be off work on Friday — or at least not working all that hard).

A Weaverville artist has begun the Pack Square Park installation of hundreds of clay stoneware tiles, including 400 brown and blue square ones created and signed by students in Buncombe County Schools.