Frank Dosier and his wife, Becky, are ready to sell Musician’s Workshop, where Frank started working when he was 16. The couple bought the business in 1977.
Author: Asheville Watchdog
Showing 1-21 of 82 results
As state inspects Mission for CMS, hospital makes changes to emergency department
About a dozen investigators have been interviewing hospital physicians, nurses and staff, reviewing hospital communications, patient records and other documents, and analyzing systemic safety procedures to ensure minimum standards of care, according to multiple sources.
Local leaders: Reduce Buncombe’s tourism marketing budget
“I did not realize that we were so far ahead of everybody else in North Carolina,” said state Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe. “All of these other cities do a great job of marketing themselves, and they don’t spend as much money as we do.”
HCA lawyer blasts North Carolina Attorney General’s investigative demand as ‘legally improper’
“Mission has not breached the APA [asset purchase agreement],” the letter said, referring to the contract governing HCA’s 2019 purchase of then nonprofit Mission Health for $1.5 billion. “Mission is now, and always has been, in full compliance with that contract and often exceeds its obligations under the APA.”
TDA’s promotion machine contributes to influx of transplants, rising housing costs
Figures show visitor spending on second homes doubled from 2009 to 2017, from $44.6 million to $90.4 million.
Tourism tax money buys massages, $250 shirts, dinners costing thousands
Explore Asheville spent more than $88,000 on a golf tournament in July, flying three stars from the MTV reality show “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” to Asheville and paying $3,591 for VIP transportation, $3,800 for personal bodyguards and amenities that included a $300 golf lesson at the Omni Grove Park Inn.
Opinion: Is there anything we can do about Mission and HCA?
We deserve better. We deserve the kind of healthcare Mission used to provide, before HCA, when the hospital was considered one of the top health systems in the United States, a magnet for some of the finest physicians in the country, and a source of community pride.
How Asheville tourism became a $3 billion-a-year behemoth
Forty years ago, when hotels sat shuttered and virtually no one ventured downtown after business hours, the city’s business and elected leaders helped pass a tax on overnight visitors, the first in North Carolina, with the stipulation that its proceeds be used to advertise and promote Asheville to attract more visitors.
50 doctors, including ex-board member, decry HCA’s management of Mission
HCA has “gutted the heart and soul of our community healthcare system,” doctors write.
Following Watchdog report, Mission sale monitor says meetings to offer public comment
“The fact that this was even a question is indicative of the frustration many are feeling in the community,” said Mark Weinstein, a Transylvania County resident who helped organize independent meetings. “Nobody seems to really be listening. And nobody seems to be able to do anything.”
Will Mission community meetings allow public comment?
Sen. Mayfield says executive told her there would be no time for people to address the room
State AG has been investigating Mission Hospital, but some question if it’s enough
Josh Stein, who’s running for governor, has sent six letters to HCA and purchase agreement monitor since start of year
Former Asheville Water director: ‘Incontrovertible evidence’ that shuttered pump station was key to water outage
Mike Holcombe, water director from 1993-97, remains adamant that the city is downplaying what he says is the major cause — the decommissioned East Asheville Booster Pump Station.
Messino Cancer Centers to stop providing acute leukemia chemotherapy at Mission
Messino’s decision not to provide acute hematology chemotherapy at Mission comes five months after a National Nurses United union nurse flagged concerns about potential cancer patient harm to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
County struggles to find foster homes for kids, many of whom have mental health needs
As of late August there were 337 children ages 0-17 in the Buncombe foster care system and another 43 who are 18 or older, according to data provided to The Watchdog. There were 60 foster homes licensed by DSS in Buncombe and 34 licensed relatives as of early September.
Asheville buskers are singing the blues
“I have noticed a dramatic loss of buskers in this town,” said Lyle Rickards, a leader of the Asheville Buskers Collective, a loose-knit group of some 300 street performers. “This year, I’d say there are 30 buskers in town for the season. Last year, we had 100.”
Opinion: The most intractable problem in Asheville — courtesy of Whole Foods — has become ‘just inhumane at this point’
The store’s main entrance sits on Merrimon Avenue, but to the rear lies Maxwell Street, a short, shaded route that runs between Chestnut and Broadway streets. The problem is that on this end of the building, Whole Foods has a loading dock, which was issued a permit by the city two decades ago.
Asheville City Council to hold closed session on City Manager Debra Campbell’s future employment
A low-key manager known for being reluctant to work in the spotlight, Campbell has maintained a low profile despite some very high-profile, controversial and sometimes contentious issues in the city.
After winter water crisis, Asheville to hire multiple new employees
In a presentation to Asheville City Council last week, David Melton, director of the Water Resources Department, said the five new positions for the “valve team” will allow the department to take a more active role on maintaining and checking valves.
Mission patients endangered by emergency department transfer procedures, nurses say
Asheville Watchdog obtained four complaint letters that were sent to NCDHHS and conducted exclusive interviews with nurses who had expressed concerns that the transfer procedures, known as handoffs, lead to needless delays in care and sometimes endanger patients.
Asheville businesses feel the pain of tourism decline
“Usually, it’s like someone flips a switch, and it’s game on,” said Will Gay, the owner of the Diamond Brand Outdoors shop on Biltmore Avenue, regarding the start of July, the second biggest month for tourism after October. “This year, it’s like someone forgot to flip the switch.”