In the latest installment of our recurring “WTF?” feature — Want The Facts — Xpress looks into the practice of local ballot initiatives to answer some of the biggest questions.
Author: Brooke Randle
Showing 148-168 of 377 results
Hilliard Ave. development approved in unusual Council procedure
A conditional zoning request for The Avery, a 187-unit housing development slated for 363 Hilliard Ave. in Asheville’s downtown, was denied by Asheville City Council in a Feb. 22 meeting. Two weeks later, Council approved the request after employing a rarely-used rule to rescind its prior decision.
Council to again consider Hilliard Ave. development
Council will vote on whether to reconsider a previous vote denying a conditional zoning for the project. If approved, Council members will have the opportunity to vote again on an updated proposal.
Asheville seeks to restructure citizen advisory groups
In February, Asheville unveiled a plan to reduce the number of advisory groups from 20 to four. Each of those boards would be capped at 11 members, meaning the number of residents who serve in a regular advisory role would be cut by roughly 80%.
Haywood Street affordable housing to receive $2.2M in city support
The project, located at 343 and 357 West Haywood St., will consist of affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom units available for residents of mixed income levels.
Q&A: Tonia Plummer, operations manager at the YMI
Plummer shares her thoughts on the Young Men’s Institute Cultural Center, which celebrated its 129th birthday Feb. 12.
Council returns to in-person meetings Feb. 22
Members of the public wishing to speak live will be required to attend in-person and sign up at the meeting.
Local Black leaders reflect on intergenerational politics
A moment in 2012, when Preston Blakely was a senior at Asheville High School, would prove pivotal to voters in Fletcher nine years later. “I was turning 18 at the end of October, and Election Day was coming up, and I would finally be able to register to vote,” says Blakely. “I remember voting for […]
Democratic NC14 candidates hold first Buncombe forum
Five Democratic candidates aiming to represent Buncombe County as part of North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District participated in the forum held at the Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech.
Council check-ins
In our debut WTF feature, Xpress looks into Asheville City Council check-ins to answer some of the biggest questions about the little-known practice that was cast into the spotlight in late January after Council members were found to have discussed a controversial food distribution ordinance during so-called “check-in” meetings.
Sheriff’s Office attempting to locate missing teen from Asheville area
Press release from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office: The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate a missing 17-year-old from the Asheville area. Diamond Aaliyah Hughes is approximately 5’ 8” and 125 pounds with burgundy medium length hair. She was last seen on February 11th around 11 p.m. at her residence. Anyone with information […]
Q&A with Philip Cooper, certified peer support specialist
Cooper is a self-described change agent who provides support and resources to people recovering from addiction and re-entering the workforce after incarceration.
Council gives first OK to Asheville pedicab service
The bike taxi would be allowed to operate daily from 7 a.m.-3 a.m., serving streets with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less.
CIBO gets update on Montreat cybersecurity program
During a Feb. 4 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners, Paul Maurer, president of Montreat College, told attendees that the private, Christian liberal arts school has rapidly become one of North Carolina’s foremost cybersecurity institutions.
Council to hear update on homelessness survey
Despite near-freezing temperatures and gusty winds the night of Jan. 25, Asheville city staff and volunteers trudged throughout Buncombe County with the goal of counting every homeless resident. Emily Ball, the city’s homeless services lead, will present an update on that effort, known as the Point in Time Count, to members of Asheville City Council Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Where can uninsured WNC residents turn for health care?
Census data from 2019 show that almost 30,000 Buncombe County residents lacked health insurance, but options such as sliding-scale clinics and direct primary care offices aim to make health care affordable and accessible to all.
APD is seeking the public’s help
Press release from the Asheville Police Department: On Sunday, Jan. 30, at 3:38 a.m., the Asheville Police Department responded to the 100 block of Spruce Hill Lane for a report of gunshot wounds. APD officers on scene found Carle Lee Ellington Jr. (12/22/1997) and Staekwon Tyjai Taylor (12/8/1998) who had both shot multiple times. Both […]
‘Leaking’ Council faces ire over proposed food-sharing limits
“There are a lot of conversations that could have been had around this conversation that were limited — they were hindered, they were gaslit, they were triggered and electrified — just because bad information was released to the public,” said Vice Mayor Sheneika Smith.
Council to hear climate justice update
The work was launched in response to Asheville’s passage of a climate emergency resolution in January 2020, which committed the city to “an equitable and just citywide mobilization effort to reverse global warming” and set 2030 as a target for eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions within city limits.
Asheville settles lawsuit over ACSF scholarships
The lawsuit was brought by WNC Citizens for Equality, led by former Council member and Buncombe County Republican Party Chair Carl Mumpower, and charged that the scholarships excluded otherwise eligible applicants on the basis of race.
APD data on homeless encampments shifts debate among Council members
During a presentation, Capt. Mike Lamb of the Asheville Police Department cited data showing that 10% of overall crime in Asheville from Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 9, 2022 — including 14% of violent crime and 8.5% of property crime — occurred within 500 feet of an encampment.