Charlotte, just two hours from Asheville, will host the Democratic Party’s 2012 presidential convention.
Author: David Forbes
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Buncombe has more college-educated than national average
According to statistics compiled from census data by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Buncombe County has more college-educated people than the national average, with 30.65 percent of the population having a bachelor’s degree or higher. The national average is 27.5 percent.
Study ranks Asheville 6th worst metro area in nation for credit card debt
Asheville has one of the worst credit card debt problems in the nation, according to a study by the credit reporting agency Equifax. The report ranks the Asheville metro area the sixth worst in the nation, with the average resident carrying 16.12 percent of their annual income in debt.
Fodor’s lists Asheville as one of “21 places we’re going in 2011”
Imploring its readers to “get a taste of Asheville while it still feels local and before it goes global,” travel guide Fodor’s has listed our city as one of “21 places we’re going in 2011,” along with places like Tokyo, Stratford-upon-Avon and Mozambique.
Doonesbury takes aim at Rep. Heath Shuler
This week’s run of the famed political comic strip Doonesbury is taking comical aim at a number of armed legislators, including WNC’s own Rep. Heath Shuler.
Wellness by the numbers
Health is always a complicated picture, and gauging the overall health of Buncombe County residents offers no exception. Rated one of the best in the state in access (with Mission Hospitals sometimes lauded nationwide), the county nonetheless witnesses rising numbers of the uninsured, whose ranks have more than doubled in the past 15 years. Especially […]
Police investigating East Asheville bank robbery
The Asheville Police Department is looking for a suspect in a Tunnel Road bank robbery yesterday afternoon.
Photo courtesy Asheville Police Department
Asheville City Council preview: Biltmore brawl
With Asheville City Council’s last meeting cancelled due to snow, its Jan. 25 session promises to be a marathon night. Front and center is the 51 Biltmore project, a proposed parking deck/hotel/retail development that’s become an extremely contentious issue.
Truck crashes into Greenlife, no one injured
A truck crashed into Greenlife grocery around 1:30 p.m. today when it rolled out of park and back into the entrance. No one was injured, and the store is still open for business using its side door. According to the Asheville Police Department, there are no charges yet in the accident.
Photo by David Forbes
The cost of all that snow…
Figures released to Xpress yesterday by the city of Asheville reveal that the last round of winter storms exacted a toll. The annual snow budget is almost exhausted, and the city may have lost over $11,000 in revenues it would normally receive from parking garages.
Photo by David Forbes
Bank of Asheville shut down
With no warning, the North Carolina Office of Commissioner of Banks shut down the beleaguered Bank of Asheville on Friday, Jan. 21, with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver. First Bank, based in Troy, will take over the bank’s accounts and locations. According to the FDIC, the bank’s customers will still be able to access their accounts as normal.
Green Scene: Cross-purposes?
You may have seen them around Asheville: new, bigger recycling bins, part of a pilot program aimed at making recycling easier and more convenient for city residents. And while the jury’s still out, city staff report promising results so far. Meanwhile, over at the Westgate recycling center, piles of recyclables, relics of the holiday season, […]
MLK Day marchers fill Pack Square
Waving banners and singing, about 300 people marched into Pack Square around noon to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The march, followed by speeches and music, was the capstone of several days of events celebrating King’s message of racial equality, peace and social justice. Photos of the event below:
Photo by David Forbes
About 1 in 79 Buncombe homes in foreclosure in 2010
In 2010, a total of 1,393 homes — roughly one in 79 — were in foreclosure in Buncombe County, according to statistics gathered by the NC Justice Center, a low-income advocacy group. The rate is lower than the state as a whole, where about one in 63 homes were in foreclosure.
City snow updates
With temperatures warming and most of the roads clear, here’s an update on city parking, transit and facilities.
Photo by David Forbes
Asheville area unemployment rose in November
Unemployment in both the Asheville metropolitan area and Buncombe County rose in November, according to data released by the state’s Employment Security Commission. Unemployment in Buncombe rose from 7.4 to 7.9 percent, while metro area unemployment rose from 7.5 to 8.1 percent.
Buses back on limited routes, some city facilities closed
While most of the snow around town is cleared, forecasts call for more on the way. Many buses are back, albeit on limited, delayed or reduced routes. Some city facilities are closed, and city parking is still free to the public.
Limited bus service resumes, city services reduced, meetings canceled UPDATED 3 PM
As city of Asheville crews begin to plow secondary roads, bus service resumes on limited routes, Many facilities are closed today or working on reduced hours. The Asheville City Council meeting for today is also canceled.
Photo by David Forbes
Shuler on Giffords shooting: “Acts of violence like this have no place in American politics”
In a statement to Xpress, Rep. Heath Shuler condemned the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona earlier today.
All Jan. 11 Asheville City Council hearings postponed
Due to a “legal advertising error,” the city of Asheville has postponed all five public hearings scheduled for the Jan. 11 City Council meeting, including a vote on the controversial 51 Biltmore project. Four of the hearings are rescheduled for the Jan. 25 meeting, and one for the Feb. 8 meeting.
PARC, Public Interest Projects square off over 51 Biltmore
In dueling statements, the advocacy group People Advocating Real Conservancy and the developer Public Interest Projects have weighed in on the proposed 51 Biltmore project. PARC is calling it a “boondoggle — a misuse of public funds,” while PIP (which own the land), call PARC’s statements inaccurate and defend the development as necessary to improve downtown.