“It’s a very new feeling for me and I think I was embarrassed to let people know,” Taylon Breeden said of her difficulty in finding housing. “But it’s important that I tell the story because it is relatable and we’re all facing it so harshly right now.”
Buncombe advances school district consolidation study
While one local public school district redraws its district lines and the other considers merging its two middle schools, Buncombe County is moving forward with a study to explore consolidation of the two districts.
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.
From CPP: Lawsuit challenges timber harvest, questions federal policy in NC national forests
The site is only 15 acres. But the lawsuit could have dramatic implications for future timber cutting in the region.
Mission sets 10-minute goal for emergency patient care, document obtained by Watchdog shows
Mission Hospital has enacted drastic operational changes, including rapid turnaround time goals for emergency department patients and their lab work and enhanced communication procedures, all as state investigators have returned to the Asheville facility this week following recent federal findings of serious deficiencies and immediate jeopardy.
Native salamander species nears endangerment
The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, found exclusively in a 14-mile-long gorge southeast of Asheville, is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Scientists estimate there are only a few hundred of them left on Earth and populations have declined steeply in the past 20 years.
CMS report on Mission Hospital details deaths of patients, significant delays in care
The 384-page document details why CMS placed the hospital in immediate jeopardy, the most serious sanction a hospital can face. It spotlights not only patient deaths and long delays in care but also a lack of available rooms, a lack of governing bodies “responsible for the conduct of the hospital,” and multiple leadership failures.
Buncombe to consider donating old laptops
If passed, the county would send about 450-500 laptops it decommissions every year to Land of Sky Regional Council to distribute to households in need, according to a staff presentation.
2024 Primary Election Voter Guide
As the saying goes, “All politics is local.” At Xpress, we firmly believe this, which is why we’ve focused our primary election guide on local races that pertain specifically to Buncombe County. There will be a lot of new faces on local boards, offices, councils and benches. Asheville Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore is one of several […]
Republican Edwards crushes challengers in race to raise, spend campaign cash
Candidate finance reports covering all of 2023, including the first weeks of the 2024 campaign, show Republican Chuck Edwards crushing Democrat Caleb Rudow and Edwards’ Republican primary challenger Christian Reagan from rural Clay County.
Asheville school staff gets promised raises as district faces $4.5 million shortfall
The Asheville City Board of Education voted unanimously Feb. 12 to make 2% supplement increases permanent, despite a projected $4.5 million budget shortfall in 2024-25.
Council approves downtown restroom project after heated debate
Tension was high at the Feb. 13 Asheville City Council meeting as Council members decided the fate of a plan to install a 24-hour, prefabricated restroom unit outside the Rankin Avenue parking garage. After a somewhat fervent discussion among council members, the board approved the project, 5-1, with council member Antanette Mosley opposed.
Nonpartisan coalition offers voter education
With new laws requiring voter ID for the first time in North Carolina and a lack of resources for non-English speaking voters, a coalition of nonprofits is working to get voters educated in time for the primary election.
An Asheville ‘leaver’ checks in
“In fact, much of the ire now being aimed at the TDA — and tourism in general — merely echoes concerns about the tourism of a century ago, and the mismanagement and negligence of city government back then.”
Asheville Archives: E.W. Grove’s influence on Asheville’s image
Health issues may have led E.W. Grove to Asheville, but the entrepreneur had no interest in perpetuating the city’s reputation as a landing spot for those seeking medical relief.
Council to discuss proposed wine self-storage facility
At its Tuesday, Feb. 13, meeting, the Asheville City Council is slated to consider a proposed zoning-map amendment for a wine storage and self-storage facility planned for 492 Sardis Road. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously supported it at its Jan. 3 meeting.
BCS board bans book from all district high schools
At its Feb. 8 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Education voted unanimously to remove author Ellen Hopkins’ fictional 2009 book, Tricks. Three other books under consideration — Hopkins’ Perfect, Patricia McCormick’s Sold and Sarah Gruen’s Water for Elephants — remain on county high school library shelves, based on recommendations from the Buncombe County Schools’ Media and Technology Advisory Committee.
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.
Personal trainers and gym members rethink approaches to physical health
Embarking on a journey toward a healthier lifestyle can be a daunting task for some, especially in a world overwhelmed with ever-changing diet fads and gym regimes. The fitness landscape is often clouded with trends that promote quick fixes and unrealistic expectations.
Artist Connie Bostic made her mark on Asheville
“Asheville lost one of its greatest when Connie Bostic died last month. Connie was a creator, and Asheville was her beneficiary.”
Buncombe’s strategy for opioid settlement targets short- and long-term goals
Medication-assisted treatment. Training on how to administer Narcan. Education and stigma reduction. These are just a few of the initiatives funded by Buncombe County’s opioid settlement money to address the local impact of the opioid crisis.