Buncombe County opioid settlement graph

Buncombe shapes plan to tackle opioid crisis

Buncombe behavioral health manager Victoria Reichard noted that the county has received roughly $2 million of a more than $16 million lawsuit settlement, negotiated with pharmaceutical companies over their role in the opioid epidemic, this fiscal year. Of those funds, a county team has recommended about $518,000 in immediate spending.

Phillip Hardin, Buncombe County's economic services director

Buncombe commission­ers tweak homeowner grant eligibilit­y

Mobile-home owners can now receive the grants, while those who own multiple dwellings or receive other tax reductions will no longer be eligible. Those with “liquid resources” (cash or financial assets that could be converted to cash within a week) of more than $60,000 will also be disqualified, a change from the terms recommended by county staff.

Peyton O'Conner

No violations of local nondiscrim­ination ordinances found so far

The number of complaints filed under nondiscrimination ordinances with city and county governments has yet to top 25, and it appears that no one has been found in violation of the rules so far. According to public records obtained by Xpress, Asheville had received five complaints as of January, and Buncombe County had gotten 17 as of early March.