Delays Ahead: Budget woes postpone highway projects
Volume
26
/ Issue 47
Cover Design Credit:
Scott SouthwickCover Photography Credit:
Getty Images
Revenue shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and previous spending overruns at the Department of Transportation have already prompted the agency to delay dozens of construction projects. Might the I-26 Connector be next?
arts
Local author explores an alternative to the Civil War
In his debut novel, David Sullivan explores ways the Civil War could have been avoided.Asheville stand-up comedians prepare comebacks as COVID-19 restrictions lift
Hilliary Begley, Moira Goree and Peter Smith-McDowell discuss life as a stand-up comic during a pandemic.Moses Sumney discusses Asheville’s impact on his acclaimed new album
Moses Sumney made one of the year’s most lauded and ambitious albums. Why does he call Asheville home?food
Restaurants for the People initiative supports local businesses, feeds people in need
Launched in mid-May, the program is a $50 million commitment to help local independent restaurants open and get back to work.Public schools segue to summer feeding programs
In many Western North Carolina schools, cafeteria kitchens have never been busier as districts stepped up to continue providing meals to students through the end of the calendar year, then…living
Foragers navigate public land closures, stay-home mandates
Although gleaning dinner from nature inherently offers some freedom from the social framework, COVID-19’s disruptions still reached many locals who normally take to the outdoors in spring to gather ramps,…news
I-26 Connector moving ahead, but money issues loom
While local and state officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation say the nearly-$1 billion I-26 Connector project remains on schedule, recent financial woes at the agency have delayed some…Wellness in brief: Mission nurses move closer to union vote
As confirmed by Mission spokesperson Nancy Lindell on June 11, the health system’s legal representatives have chosen not to file an objection regarding how a pre-election hearing was conducted. The…Tattoo parlors draw on experience with safety measures
John Henry Gloyne, tattoo artist and co-owner of Serpent & the Rainbow Tattoo, notes that reputable tattoo parlors had numerous safety precautions in place even before COVID-19. “A good rule…An international student calls West Asheville home during health crisis
In August 2019, Brian Ngatunga enrolled at Asheville High School. The international exchange student planned to be here for just a year. But COVID-19 has delayed his return home, postponing…Asheville Archives: Zebulon Vance argues in favor of slavery, 1860
“Plainly and unequivocally, common sense says keep the slave where he is now — in servitude," declared Zebulon Vance, in a May 16, 1860 address to the House of Representatives.Public condemns APD, city response to demonstrations
Many of the commenters during Asheville City Council's June 9 meeting called for the resignation of Asheville Police Chief David Zack and Mayor Esther Manheimer. Many more called for the…APD proposes restructuring, independent investigation
Asheville Police Chief David Zack announced his plan to restructure the department during Council's June 9 meeting. His proposal calls for the creation of a community engagement division and an…Campbell announces interim budget for 2020-21 fiscal year
Instead of voting on Asheville City Manager Debra Campbell's proposed budget on Tuesday, June 23, as originally planned, City Council will now consider an interim budget on that date. The…Council starts process to remove Asheville’s Confederate monuments
Asheville City Council unanimously adopted a joint resolution with Buncombe County to remove two Confederate monuments at the Buncombe County Courthouse and in Pack Square Park. The resolution also convenes…opinion
Letter: TDA’s shortcomings add to tourism feedback loop
"Compared to its peers, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority doesn’t do a particularly good job."Letter: A new meaning for the Vance Monument
"Could the word “Vance” on the Vance Monument be covered with a new inscription: Black Lives Matter?"Letter: Urge members of Congress to fix broken policing system
"Using the momentum of grief and outrage over our fellow citizens killed in cold blood with near impunity, we can insist on equitable law enforcement practices."Letter: Let’s work for meaningful police reform
"Let’s keep an open mind and work toward a multilayered solution that benefits all of our communities through meaningful reform and doesn’t pander to the status quo."A salt
COVIDtown Crier: June 17, 2020
Schools take an innovative approach to reopening, the battle over monuments turns literary and a literal political party gets busted.Where There’s Smoke…