Student in Montreat College cybersecurity lab

Montreat expands cybersecur­ity plans despite Cooper funding veto

The North Carolina General Assembly voted to award Montreat College $20 million towards the establishment of an independent cybersecurity training center in October, but Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the money. The private, Christian liberal arts college’s boosters, however, say they won’t be discouraged in filling what they see as an urgent need for ethically responsible cyber operatives.

Democrats find widespread success in county races

Robert Pressley, incumbent Buncombe County commissioner for District 3, was the only Republican to win a county race in the hotly contested 2018 midterms. Buncombe County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rose said the party’s unprecedented midterm voter outreach had helped propel Democratic candidates to wins in nearly all local contests.

If a tree falls in the city: Residents push to update Asheville’s tree ordinances

Citizen activists, members of Asheville’s Tree Commission and city officials are exploring the possibility of increased oversight on how trees are managed within the city limits. But with a lack of definition in key parts of the city’s policy, and obstacles at the state level impeding regulations on private property, updating Asheville’s tree ordinances is proving to be an uphill battle.

From the ‘Raleigh Report’ to ‘Politically Purple,’ get your state news in Asheville

In addition to regular updates by Mark Barrett with the Asheville Citizen-Times, there are two locally based sources for getting a fix on the news in Raleigh, where North Carolina legislators meet — one from former Mountain Xpress editor Nelda Holder and the other from the nonprofit, online media source Carolina Public Press.