Moffitt under fire: highlights from the Mountain Voices Alliance water forum

The Feb. 20 Mountain Voices Alliance water-system forum boasted 10 speakers, but most of the audience members seemed interested in just one: Buncombe County Rep. Tim Moffitt. These are some (but not all) of the highlights related to Moffitt’s comments and answers to questions directed at him during last night’s forum.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes) Representative Moffitt pauses to enjoy some bottled water when questions get hot.

LIVE: Coverage of Mountain Voices Alliance water-system forum

Tonight, Feb. 20, Mountain Voices Alliance is hosting an open forum about the future of the Asheville-Buncombe water system from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Jubilee! in downtown Asheville (46 Wall St.). For live dispatches via Twitter, follow staff reporter @MaryCaitlinByrd or #avlh2o or click through for a live feed and streaming video.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Barry Summers (right) and Rep. Tim Moffitt discuss issues during a break at the forum.

New contaminat­ion emerges in Mills Gap; neighbors await municipal water hookups

At a kitchen table in the Mills Gap community in South Asheville last night, neighbors of the former CTS of Asheville plant met to plan next steps, after two new domestic wells nearby recently tested positive for industrial contaminants including cyanide.  CTS has signed an agreement with EPA to provide filtration to all homes within a one-mile radius of the recently demolished plant; but neighbors say they were anticipating municipal water hookups.

Local Matters: Tattoo safety, new APD chief, Moffitt’s water plan and County health changes

In this edition of Local Matters: reporter Christopher George talks about the Buncombe County Department of Health’s recent warning about the dangers of unlicensed tattoo artists; reporter David Forbes updates us about Capt. Wade Wood’s new role as interim chief of the Asheville Police Department and the breaking news that state Rep. Tim Moffitt has filed legislation that would seize Asheville’s water system, turning control over to the Metropolitan Sewerage District; and reporter Jake Frankel discusses the transfer of services from the County’s Department of Health to Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) and funding cuts to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.