Legal documents reveal the back-and-forth between electronic “sweepstakes” companies and the state, as an injunction blocks law enforcement from arresting or prosecuting those who sell or use the machines. Xpress is asking for your input on the issue.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will take up its revised strategic plan and a rezoning, along with introducing Gibbie Harris, the county’s new health director, during the board’s Feb. 17 meeting.
A legal order preventing enforcement of a recently passed state gambling law is stopping law enforcement from cracking down on new electronic-gambling machines that offer cash payouts, Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan and District Attorney Ron Moore said in a press conference today.
In a closed session on Monday, Feb. 9, URTV’s executive committee voted to remove board of directors members Richard Bernier and Davyne Dial, who have criticized what they see as a lack of transparency at the public access channel.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has modified the Alternative 3 plan for the Interstate 26 connector. The new plan, if adopted, would demolish fewer homes — seven instead of 25 — in the predominantly African-American Burton Street neighborhood.
Commissioners instruct URTV to follow open-meetings law Arden resident Aaron Penland has a problem with the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, and at their Feb. 3 meeting, he made his feelings plain. “In the last election, all we heard is, ‘Change is coming, change is coming.’ Well, how long will it take to have this […]
The URTV offices were dark and the doors locked at 8 a.m. on Feb. 9, making it unclear if a planned special meeting of the public-access channel’s Executive Committee was inside. URTV board President Jerry Young originally called the special closed session for Feb. 6, without disclosing the topic. But in a Feb. 4 e-mail […]
Coverage of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Feb. 3 meeting
URTV has called an executive session of its executive committee for Monday, Feb. 9. The topic has not been disclosed. Also, URTV Board President Jerry Young has sent out a note on “information protocol” for board members of the public-access station speaking to the press.
The Asheville Police Department is inviting residents to sign up for the upcoming Citizens Police Academy, an 11-week course where attendees learn about the inner workings of the APD and the rules that govern it.
Buncombe County oversees many services, including health, elections, the Sheriff’s Office and the court system. All those agencies and more, with their attendant staff and paperwork, have to have somewhere to go, and as the county’s grown, the amount of vacant space available has dwindled. At the county commissioners’ Jan. 9-10 retreat, they tasked County […]
Amid questions and calls from audience members to come to an agreement, including one to end “this bulls**t,” Asheville City Council member Brownie Newman and Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Rick Lutovsky squared off at a Jan. 28 Leadership Asheville Forum debate over different plans for the controversial Interstate 26 connector. Which way forward?: […]
While a recent release asserted that URTV follows open-meetings law, a video has surfaced with statements made by Executive Director Pat Garlinghouse at the public-access channel’s last board meeting that misrepresent that law, according a North Carolina Press Association attorney—and some board members claim they were not consulted in a press release that claimed to […]
If you haven’t been to the Woodfin ABC store yet, you should remedy that soon. All-cohol: The smiling face of Captain Morgan greets customers at a packed display at Woodfin’s new liquor store. Photo by Jonathan Welch Inside is a veritable Taj Mahal of liquor stores: It looks good, the staff is extremely helpful and […]
As controversy continues over transparency issues at URTV, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is set to step in. At its Feb. 3 meeting, the board will consider amending the county’s operating agreement with the public-access channel to require it to follow the state’s open-meetings law.
While a recent release asserted that URTV follows open-meetings law, a video has surfaced with statements made by Executive Director Pat Garlinghouse at the public-access channel’s last board meeting that misrepresent that law, according a North Carolina Press Association attorney — and some board members say they were not consulted in a press release that claimed to speak on their behalf.
A controversial oath administered to URTV board members at their last meeting will be “clarified” to address concerns about a confidentiality clause, a press release from the public access channel announced Wednesday.
Amid questions and calls from audience members to come to an agreement, including one to end “this bulls**t,” Asheville City Council member Brownie Newman and Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Rick Lutovsky squared off at an Leadership Asheville Forum debate over different plans for the controversial I-26 connector.
Activists call for still greater government transparency Property-tax collections down slightly Activists across the political spectrum have long maintained that the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ refusal to televise public comment along with the rest of its meetings has hampered local-government transparency. And at their Jan. 20 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved a series of […]
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of grisly crimes. Mountain Xpress doesn’t generally report such stories, but we felt that the brutal nature of the crimes, the depth of community concern and the larger issues raised justified doing so in this case. Although much of the material quoted here is public record, we’ve also […]
A confidentiality clause in an oath administered to members of public-access channel URTV’s board at their last meeting has sparked criticism—and the county attorney’s office is looking into whether the vow is in line with the state’s open-meetings law. The oath reads: “I, the undersigned board member of URTV, do solemnly swear or affirm that […]
