Bothwell lays out priorities for a second term

From Council member Cecil Bothwell’s campaign: Asheville, NC— For the past four years, Asheville City Councilmember Cecil Bothwell has worked to make Asheville a city that is clean, prosperous, and safe for all its residents and visitors. In a second term on City Council, Bothwell will continue to focus on infrastructure, energy efficiency, and equality […]

Transylvania County same-sex couple will request marriage license Nov. 1

From the Campaign for Southern Equality: Asheville, N.C. – Local same-sex couples from Transylvania County will seek marriage licenses on November 1 at the Transylvania County Register of Deeds Office as the WE DO Campaign continues to grow across North Carolina. The couples will ask the Transylvania County Register of Deeds Office to issue licenses […]

President Obama makes federal disaster aid available for mountain counties affected by July floods

From the Federal Emergency Management Agency: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of North Carolina to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, flooding, and mudslides on July 27, 2013. The […]

The Halloween Voter Guide to Asheville City Elections

With Halloween and the Asheville city elections so closely aligned, we offer both some scary art (by cartoonists Brent Brown and Randy Molton) and the candidates’ replies to five key questions.
Come midevening on Nov. 5, Asheville voters will have picked their new mayor and three City Council members. There are two mayoral candidates and five Council contenders (of whom two are incumbents). In a series of forums, what positions have the candidates taken? How have they responded to voter questions? Look for recent stories at mountainx.com/election, and check these excerpts from the candidates answers.

APD car goes off bridge, officer Rob Bingaman killed

At around 1 p.m., an Asheville Police Department car went off the Jeff Bowen Bridge and onto Riverside Drive below. Later that afternoon, APD Chief William Anderson announced that the crash killed Senior Officer Rob Bingaman. The State Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck, and police officials said it’s still too early to know many details about the crash.

One full evening

Anyone entering Asheville’s City Hall on the afternoon of Oct. 22 would have encountered a busy, bustling scene. A Boy Scout troop, a parcel of UNCA staff (including Chancellor Anne Ponder), developers, architects bearing rolls of plans, and activists wanting the city to stand with them on clean energy and civil liberties. Fire marshals, police […]

Candidates question each other, developmen­t at CIBO forum

The five Asheville City Council candidates squared off at the Council of Independent Business Owners’ forum yesterday afternoon as this year’s campaign entered its final stretch. Many of the topics discussed had been dealt with at previous forums, with some exceptions. In this case, the candidates questioned each other, and spoke frankly about their thoughts on development and NIMBYism.

From the vaults: a 2007 look at Yelton, Asheville’­s local far-right

With Don Yelton’s controversial remarks on the Daily Show making national news, here’s some context about local right-wing activism. In 2007, Xpress profiled the Carolina Stompers, a local hardline conservative activist group including Yelton and then-future Buncombe GOP Chair Chad Nesbitt, known for flamboyant tactics and its promises to “stomp” liberalism.

APD animal control officers seize several dogs for insufficient care

From the Asheville Police Department: ASHEVILLE — On Wednesday October 23rd at approximately 5:00 pm, the Asheville Police Department Animal Services Unit executed a warrant at 59 Whispering Pines Drive. Animal Services Officers were alerted the previous day to emaciated dogs running at large from the premises. Upon arrival officers were able to capture and […]

Enrollment for citizens’ spring police academy open

From the Asheville Police Department: ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Police Department is now inviting residents to apply for the spring semester of its Citizens Police Academy. This free program gives participants insight into the philosophy and policies that govern the APD’s service to the community. The class is designed to give residents an appreciation for […]

Council member Bothwell’s statement on passage of civil liberties resolution

From Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell: Last night the Asheville City Council passed a resolution that I have been working on since I was elected to Council in 2009. This Civil Liberties Resolution calls for protecting civil liberties and strengthening community-police relations by adopting a policy that prohibits discrimination and profiling based on race, […]