News release from Buncombe County:
Election Day Recap
Buncombe County operations during the 2024 Presidential General Election went smoothly. The County had a high turnout of nearly 74%. This is not as high as 2020 with 78% but it is high turnout for the county and even surpassed the state average by a percentage point. All 80 precincts opened on time, and the County had results posted before 9:30 p.m.
“Voters, I’ve been saying this all along, you can be proud. You prioritized voting during a hurricane,” said Buncombe County Election Services Director Corinne Duncan. “I am particularly proud of my staff. I have found it difficult to find adequate words to thank them. These people deeply care about providing us with the right to vote. So much so that they came to the office through unknown and hazardous conditions just days after storm, they came together to make sure everyone was okay, that we had food and water and places to stay.”
Election night marks the beginning of the statutorily required vote-counting and auditing processes after every election called “canvass.” Canvass is the entire process of ensuring votes have been counted correctly and required audits have been completed, culminating in the certification of results during meetings of every county board of elections. By law, these canvass meetings will be held by each county board of elections at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
As elections operations wrap up, political signs can be recycled starting today. Political signs can be brought to Curbie’s facility at 116 N. Woodfin Avenue in Asheville for proper disposal and recycling. To make the process as easy as possible, they will have two separate carts available. Simply drop off the signs and stakes in their designated carts.
Water Restoration Updates
The turbidity level at the North Fork Reservoir is now below 18 as of early this morning. Another round of in-reservoir treatment will occur next week. The reservoir now has reduced chlorination levels to 2.5 parts per million (ppm), down from 4 ppm. Normally, the chlorination level is 1.5-1.8 (ppm).
Currently, the North Fork Reservoir’s capacity to push treated and filtered water has increased to 17 million gallons of water per day, which is double capacity from last week. Normally, the reservoir pushes 25-27 million of gallons of water.
T&K Utilities completed installation of the new transmission mains, so all three primary mains are in service now.
Safety During Recovery
Asheville Police Chief Michael Lamb asks visitors and residents to obey roadblocks as work continues to repair these areas with catastrophic damage from the hurricane. Many areas in the region are still dangerous and the emergency declaration remains active due to damaged roadways and sidewalks and other hidden hazards. The ongoing recovery operations involve heavy equipment, and only authorized people can enter.City and County Parks
All City of Asheville parks and community centers officially opened today, including buildings and outdoor facilities surrounding them. For more information visit ashevillenc.gov/parks.
Many Buncombe County parks remain closed and are not safe to enter, including Lake Julian and Owen Park.
Solid Waste Updates
The transfer station is closed again today due to a road closure near the facility. Waste Pro will operate normal routes for household trash and recycling in accessible locations today in Swannanoa.
Bagged Trash Dropoff, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.:
- Wednesday, Nov. 6: At the truck parked at Hearts With Hands at 850 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa.
- Thursday, Nov. 7: Ingles Fairview at 225 Charlotte Highway, Asheville.
- Friday, Nov 8: North Buncombe Pool at 734 Clarks Chapel Road in Weaverville.
Debris Update
In Buncombe County, more than 61,000 cubic yards of debris have been collected from the right of way. Currently, there are 38 trucks running in the county, with seven more on the way. These trucks are focused on right of way collection in Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Barnardsville, and Lower Brush Creek and Julian Shoals in the southern part of the county. Debris removal contractors are first focusing on picking up storm debris on the right of way along primary, secondary roads, and non-gated private roads. The key takeaway is this: debris should be placed on the right of way and separated into large appliances, construction and vegetative debris, hazardous waste, and electronics. Please do not bag any debris left at the right of way.
Community Care Stations
Community Care Stations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with showers, laundry, and more. All Community Care Stations now have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms, and laundry drop off and pickup is available at the Swannanoa Ingles. The locations are
- At Home Store parking lot
- Big Lots/Innsbrook mall
- Buncombe County Sports Park
- Bethel United Methodist
- Fairview Ingles
- Swannanoa Ingles
- Owen Pool
- Morgan Hill Baptist Church
Water and meals ready to eat are available at distribution sites daily at:
- Sky Lanes Bowling Alley
- Black Mountain Ingles
- Swannanoa Ingles
- Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center
- Pack Square Park
- Buncombe County Sports Park
- Fairview Ingles
A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on Monday, November 11 at 11 a.m. at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville. The keynote speaker is Sa’eed Mustafa, a U.S. Army Retired veteran who served in the Gulf War including two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a Bronze Star Recipient and also author of ‘Resilient Translation.’
The ceremony will be available on the City of Asheville YouTube channel at 3 p.m.
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