“The eastern hellbender is one of only three giant salamanders on the planet,” said District 3 Commissioner Parker Sloan during the Feb. 4 meeting. “They’re down to about 59%, so we’ve lost roughly half of the eastern hellbenders.”

“The eastern hellbender is one of only three giant salamanders on the planet,” said District 3 Commissioner Parker Sloan during the Feb. 4 meeting. “They’re down to about 59%, so we’ve lost roughly half of the eastern hellbenders.”
After Helene destroyed familiar trails and urban routes, local running groups are finding new paths and proving their resilience in the face of adversity.
FEMA representative Ina Chan explained that the agency has used flyers, text messages, calls and emails to attempt to contact residents that have been difficult to reach. Privacy and safety concerns, she noted, prevent FEMA workers from directly approaching residents.
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board Jan. 29 voted unanimously to cut occupancy tax projections for fiscal year 2025 to $22.8 million — a drop of 33%. The drop is the lowest projection since FY20 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Orange Peel and Public Interest Projects are seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a jury and are asking the judge to keep in place the existing management agreement.
As business owners begin to rebuild their livelihoods in the wake of Helene, financial relief efforts are beginning to take shape in Western North Carolina.
Local mental health therapists, healers offer solace as residents enter next phase of storm’s lingering aftermath.
The General Assembly passed House Bill 1074, which would change the wording of the state constitution to clarify who is allowed to vote in state and local elections, but it requires majority approval from voters.
A group of Black women City of Asheville employees were lauded during the Sept. 10 Council meeting, after they raised concerns over hiring and compensation practices. The City of Asheville says it’s taking steps to address the concerns.
The program gives qualified homeowners in Buncombe County a grant up to $300, and those living within the City of Asheville could receive up to $500. Grantees may choose to have funds applied to their property tax bill and/or directly to mortgage or homeowner’s insurance.
Since 2021, 13 hotel projects have gone through the by-right process, with 11 committing more than $2.7 million toward city priorities, according to a newly released City of Asheville public dashboard.
After several work sessions, hours of public comment and the clock ticking down on a 100-day pause, Buncombe County commissioners said at their July 16 briefing meeting that they planned to create an ad hoc committee to address sticking points in a proposed short-term rentals ordinance.
One of The Hop and Lee’s One Fortune Farm’s favorite collaborations is their peach ice cream, which was released last week.
“We’re a spectacle. Sometimes people are rubbernecking as we drive down the road,” says Move It Or Lose It owner Amalia Grannis.
The organization cited lingering economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, shifts in funding priorities and the need for facility repairs as reasons for the shortfall.
The showcase will feature more than a dozen local vendors in the industry, including photographers, florists, musicians and stationery printers.
‘We haven’t really seen any widespread emergence of the periodical cicada so far, but we think it’s really going to be isolated to very small areas in southern Buncombe and around the Arden area and in Fairview,” says Owen.
According to a staff report, the new pay raise proposal includes a flat dollar increase of $4,053 for beginning on-shift firefighters, which will boost the lowest paid firefighter pay by 8.8% to $50,309 annually.
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority unveiled its proposed $34.3 million budget budget for fiscal year 2025 during its May 29 board meeting.
The Council chambers and overflow room were at capacity during the Tuesday night meeting where all of the speakers who commented on the proposed budget advocated for increasing pay for city employees.
The proposed budget includes a 4.11% salary increase for all permanent city employees.