The project also includes 186 under-grade parking spaces, 10 off-street parking spaces, 10 bike racks and the installation of a signalized crosswalk on Hendersonville Road connecting transit routes to the site and to each other at Boston Way.
Local high school student discusses organizing a TEDxYouth talk
As part of Xpress’ Kids Issue, we speak with Mahayla Jones, an 11th grader at The Franklin School of Innovation, about her role in a recent TEDxYouth talk.
Food and beverage workers union eyes future growth
Asheville Food and Beverage United seeks to interrupt “the abusive culture that just keeps being perpetuated,’” explains Jen Hampton, the union’s lead organizer. Her work in the service industry spanned over 30 years, with the last 16 in Asheville.
Second STR listening session planned for March 18
The proposed regulations would ban new whole-house short-term rentals in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County unless they were located within five commercial zones or in the county’s residential open-use zone. Existing short-term rentals would not be affected by the changes but would require a county permit.
Hundreds of Woodfin’s west-side residents seek to de-annex from the town
The new de-annexation movement is led by Chip Parton, who was in middle school when the west side was annexed in 2006. He says he wasn’t really paying attention to issues with the town until five or six years ago, when he realized town rules prevented him from putting a single-wide trailer on his parents’ property to live in while he waited to inherit a family home.
From CPP: Feds say HCA ‘immediate jeopardy’ removed. Why troubled Mission can point to top rankings.
The violations at Mission Hospital didn’t factor into Healthgrades’ list because the data to determine the ranking doesn’t include emergency room visits, while ED care was the focus of the deficiencies, said Healthgrades Chief Medical Officer Brad Bowman in a Feb. 27 email to CPP.
Council approves $500,000 for PEAK amid Gaza protest
Following an extended chant by pro-Palestinian protestors, Council cut public comment short and went into closed session to discuss legal matters in another room.
Henderson County debuts Adult Recovery Court for substance use
ARC works with people who have substance or alcohol use problems and face criminal charges in Henderson County District Court; participants receive court-ordered treatment while being monitored by criminal justice and recovery professionals.
Asheville City Council opts to stay the course at annual retreat
Members of Asheville City Council and city staff met for two-day retreat Feb. 22-23 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville.
By several metrics, Asheville’s living wage keeps going up
According to Just Economics of Western North Carolina, which has been calculating the local living wage since 2008, a single person working full time in Buncombe County needs to make $22.10 per hour to afford basic expenses. That’s a $2 hike over last year’s rate and more than double what it was when it was first calculated 17 years ago.
Bids for main parts of I-26 Connector project come in hundreds of millions of dollars above projected cost
The bids were for the two main sections of the project, which the NCDOT calls Section B and Section D. These sections will involve new bridges over the French Broad River and new sections of interstate to connect Interstate 26 above and below Asheville, as well as improvements to Riverside Drive.
Reparations commission launches plan to increase engagement
Reparations commissioners unanimously approved a three-month public engagement plan to gather reactions and opinions from Black residents of Asheville and Buncombe County about the commission’s draft recommendations for local government leaders.
Recreation programs provide exercise, social bonds for WNC seniors
Throughout Western North Carolina, local governments, senior centers and recreation leagues are creating opportunities for the area’s aging population to exercise, make social connections, compete and keep their minds sharp. And experts say all of that is crucial for people entering their golden years.
Former Equity and Inclusion Director Brenda Mills looks back on her career
As former Equity and Inclusion Director Brenda Mills reflects on her career as she begins retirement, two accomplishments stand out. One is the positive reception city employees gave a plan to increase racial equity. The other is the Reparations Commission.
BCSO returns downtown without formal partnership with APD
Inspired by a September letter from downtown businesses, which spurred numerous meetings between business owners and county leaders, Sheriff Quentin Miller deputized Chief Deputy Herbert Blake to put together a proposal to return deputies downtown on weekend nights. Patrols started Jan. 26, and are currently scheduled to run through June on Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
Development Roundup: Board of Adjustment to hear proposal for new neighborhood development
Two projects requiring special use permits and one zoning variance are on the agenda at the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment meeting at noon Wednesday, Feb. 14. The in-person meeting will be at the Board of Commissioners Chambers, 200 College St.
Look Homeward: Tourism and gentrification in the time of Thomas Wolfe, 1900-38
Local historian and archivist Katherine Cutshall discusses the parallels between Thomas Wolfe’s 1923 play, Welcome to Our City, and modern-day Asheville.
Feds cite Asheville’s Mission Hospital for “immediate jeopardy,” HCA division president tells staff
Mission Hospital has been officially informed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that it is in “immediate jeopardy” related to deficiencies in care, according to an internal email obtained by Asheville Watchdog.
Downtown residents talk about the pros and cons of urban living
The perspective of what it’s like downtown has been a bit of a roller coaster lately, with some lauding the plethora of local breweries, restaurants and local shops and others lamenting rising crime and affordability. Xpress spoke with four downtown residents to get a snapshot of the benefits and drawbacks of living in the core of Asheville, as well as their outlook for the future.
Advocate for intentional community focuses on aging well
Sheridan Hill discusses her plans to launch Mountain Hearth Village, an intentional community in McDowell County.
Local students talk the future of public health
As the demand for public health careers rises, future public health practitioners share the field’s diverse employment opportunities and how to address the mistrust of governmental institutions and the medical industry spurred by the pandemic.