A project conducted by Appalachian State University is gathering the histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people living in the Appalachian region. "We're not just looking for people who grew up here but transplants, those who moved here or lived here and moved away," archivist Kathy Staley explains. "Asheville has a very robust LGBT […]
Author: David Forbes
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Busted: Task forces make high profile drug arrests
A pair of joint law-enforcement task forces made high-profile drug busts in recent weeks. On Jan. 28, Buncombe and Henderson County sheriff's deputies made the largest narcotics-related cash seizure in Western North Carolina history after a traffic stop on Interstate 26 found 1,083 lbs. of marijuana and $1.1 million in cash in a horse trailer. […]
Bothwell proposes civil liberties, living wage resolutions
Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell proposes a sweeping civil-liberties resolution that would include clauses against racial profiling, surveillance of political advocacy groups and helping federal officials in immigration enforcement.
Give me liberty or give me jail
William Kevin Innes, an Asheville man arrested last June and charged with trying to pass off a private currency as legal tender, has sent a plea from jail asking community members for help in securing his release before his trial, which is slated to begin next month. The Dollar Man: Asheville Liberty Dollar representative Kevin […]
Forsyth County commission prayer declared unconstitutional; Buncombe next?
In a case that could have implications for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners invocation, on Jan. 28 a federal judge found that the use of a sectarian prayer to open a public meeting violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Unconstitutional?: The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners bow their heads during the Christian […]
Buncombe Commissioners brief: grants, taxes (and prayer)
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners kept its Feb. 2 meeting short, authorizing tax collections, passing grants and, in closed session, discussing the contentious issue of its meeting prayer (though they took no action on that item).
Resident near CTS site takes case to YouTube
A resident of the Chapel Hill Church Road area, located less than a mile from the contaminated former CTS of Asheville site, has taken the case for putting residents of the area on municipal water to the public, with a 3-minute YouTube video outlining her plea.
Downtown Asheville under snow: photos ***Updated 5:02 p.m. Monday***
Downtown’s landmarks and streets were transformed by the snowstorm yesterday. See photos here.
Buncombe Commissioners preview: grants, taxes (and prayer?)
Tomorrow’s meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners looks to be light, with little business on the agenda except pursuing unpaid taxes and distributing low-income housing grants. But in the wake of a recent court ruling, the board’s opening prayer may be a topic of heated discussion.
Forsyth County commissioner prayer ruled unconstitutional; Buncombe next? ***Updated***
In a case that could have implications for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners invocation, a federal judge found Thursday that the use of a sectarian prayer to open a public meeting violates the First Amendment of the U.S.Constitution.
We care
Health insurance is expensive and not always reliable, and in hard times, people already scrambling to make ends meet may have an even greater struggle finding ways to pay for medical care. In this week’s wellness issue Faultless frugal food Wellness trends for 2010 We care Saving drug money Wellness issue part 1 Fortunately, Buncombe […]
The Green Scene: Imminent threats?
It was a tense moment in the T.C. Roberson High School theater on the evening of Jan. 21. Sandy Mort of the state Department of Health and Human Services, the author of a recent study on the health effects of contamination near the former CTS of Asheville site (see sidebar), had just told the audience […]
Hearing on Pigeon River paper mill pollution tomorrow
A public hearing on the possible need for stricter pollution control requirements at the Blue Ridge Paper Products Canton mill will be held at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Tuscola High School in Waynesville.
CTS contamination report says no new dangers; residents say the study is flawed
Officials declared that the CTS-contamination study had found no new imminent threats, only to be met by poignant responses from area residents, some of whom have had their wells capped, others who have health problems that they perceive to be related to the contamination, and many of whom are raising children. Residents pointed to such daily realities, to which the study’s author responded, “We work with the information we have. That’s reality.”
Spend to save
In 1997, the city of Asheville was concerned about the rising cost of employee health care. "It was extremely frustrating," recalls John Miall, who was then the city's director of risk management. "We would do what you're supposed to do — increase the deductible, increase the co-pay — and it just kept going up and […]
Lewis Kyle Wilson pleads guilty to lesser charges
Lewis Kyle Wilson, an Asheville man charged with kidnapping and brutally assaulting a prostitute, has pleaded guilty to lesser assault and drug charges. He'll be released May 27 after spending almost 14 months in jail. Wilson pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to assault inflicting serious bodily injury, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to […]
CTS health study: lead found in area, but low risk of contamination spreading
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a health assessment today of the area surrounding the contaminated former CTS of Asheville site. The study declares that there is no elevated rates of cancer in a 1-mile radius, and little risk of contamination spreading, but also declares that new harmful substances such as lead have been found in the area.
State will release health study on CTS contamination Jan. 19
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will release the results of a health assessment of residents living near the contaminated former CTS of Asheville site next week, both online and in a public forum, according to an announcement from the county health department.
***UPDATED Jan. 15: Lewis Kyle Wilson to be released from jail May 12***
Lewis Kyle Wilson, an Asheville man charged with kidnapping and brutally assaulting a prostitute, has plead guilty to lesser assault and drug charges.
Buncombe Commissioners: On a meeting and a prayer
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Jan. 5 meeting Mills Gap residents decry inaction on CTS contamination "Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this privilege to meet together," the Rev. Ralph Sexton Jr. of Biltmore Trinity Baptist Church intoned over a roomful of bowed heads. "We thank you for the gift you've given us […]
Despite ban, Hookah Bar still smoking
Before North Carolina's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants kicked in, the owners of the Hookah Bar in downtown Asheville made their feelings quite clear. What ban?:Several patrons at the Hookah Bar on a recent night. The owners of the bar assert they've found ways to stay open despite the state's new smoking ban. […]