If you’ve ever driven in the river counties, you’ve probably seen the “green blanket” of vines covering parts of the landscape - from thickets of trees to abandoned buildings. With nicknames including the ‘mile-a-minute vine’ and ‘the vine that ate the south’ – kudzu seems here to stay in parts of the region.But what is it exactly? And where did it come from?

We’re all paying more at the pump these days. In this week’s installment of Question of the Week, we asked community members - and experts - how gas prices are impacting day-to-day routines across the region.