In December, Drew Ball was voted in as the newest member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Despite newfound responsibilities, Ball still plays in three bands in addition to his full-time job with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Author: Greg Parlier
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Parents ask county to raise taxes for schools
Families of Asheville City Schools (FACS), a group made up of parents from every school in ACS, has launched a “Two Cents for AVL” campaign lobbying the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to raise the supplemental property tax rate for the district.
The story behind a geologist’s viral tutorial
After Tropical Storm Helene, people were desperately trying to understand what had just happened to turn their mountain refuge into an unrecognizable hellscape. Geologist and landslide researcher Phillip Prince thought he might be able to help.
‘Mass confusion’ at the Asheville VA
A flurry of legal actions and a steady stream of executive orders from President Donald Trump and large-scale firings by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency have caused confusion and chaos at the WNC veterans medical center.
Xpress Lane: Snow day policies anything but blanket
New feature Xpress lane is quick answers to community questions. Shoot us an email and we’ll do a little digging.
Buncombe County Schools expresses concerns over future Title I funding
As President Donald Trump pushes for the closure of the U.S. Department of Education, local educators and officials are trying to calculate how the move could impact next year’s Buncombe County Schools (BCS) budget.
EPA freezes money for WNC clean energy projects
Three days after a WNC church secured funding for solar panels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) froze $20 billion in climate and clean energy grants, putting energy efficiency and resiliency projects in limbo across the country.
Former water resources director details Asheville’s history in new book
While two events in the last three years have shaken the confidence of Asheville’s 125,000 water system customers, the purity of the region’s water has been a driver of growth for two centuries, according to a new book from Michael Holcombe.
WCU students help analyze Helene-affected cemetery
In an effort to suggest how debris-removal contractors could gently remove the remaining stumps and root balls, archeology students from Western Carolina University (WCU) spent the week of March 10 — their spring break — studying and uncovering graves near tree falls.
Buncombe’s budget outlook ‘not quite as dire’ as initially thought
Staff projects county revenue will come in $15.6 million under what was initially projected last summer, far better than the up to $25.7 million drop staff feared was possible in January. Next year’s numbers look similar.
A look into the daily routes of local school bus drivers
Bryan Newton has a full time job managing facilities at Camp Cedar Cliff. Still, he gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to drive about 22 students to school at Charles C. Bell Elementary School. Like the 225 other drivers in Buncombe County and Asheville City schools, Newton doesn’t do it for the money.
Preservation Society documents historic buildings after Helene
Tropical Storm Helene gives shipwreck experts a new way to use their skills — documenting storm-battered historic homes.
Asheville City Board of Education sets guiding principles
The Asheville City Board of Education passed a set of loose guidelines for how it should govern, communicate and act at meetings in a 6-1 vote at its meeting March 10. Board member Pepi Acebo voted against what the district called “board norms.”
ACS students could get free meals next year
Staff will submit an application to join the federal Community Eligibility Program, which reimburses the district for ensuring every student can eat breakfast and lunch free at school without having to fill out any paperwork.
Concerns about the Trump administration overwhelm Chuck Edwards’ office hours
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire whom President Donald Trump has entrusted to oversee the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was front of mind for many in attendance.
Buncombe County lobbies legislature for financial flexibility
After a meeting with lawmakers in Raleigh on Feb. 5, an idea emerged that could give local officials more flexibility in how some sales tax revenue is spent.
A window into life on the streets
For both volunteers and participants, the count, led by the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, represented an opportunity for much more than, well, counting. They were given an opportunity to see, maybe for the first time, what life is like for those many of us just walk past.
ACS student achievement lags after Helene-shortened semester
“This is a really big deal to me, because we lost 22 (days) in that first semester, and we’re only off by about five percentage points,” said Molly Peeples, early literacy specialist for ACS. “This tells me that our teachers are working incredibly hard to make up these gaps.”
Asheville school board goes on record opposing consolidation
Asheville City Board of Education weighs in on report that concludes that merging with Buncombe County Schools wouldn’t improve student outcomes or save month. The board does sign on for more collaboration though.
Grassroots organizers weigh in on FEMA’s effectiveness
Some organizers have found federal assistance to be absent for many and insufficient for others trying to navigate the complexities of recovery after losing their home during Tropical Storm Helene.
Grassroots organizers power Swannanoa’s recovery
After Tropical Storm Helene, sisters Beth Trigg and Mary Etheridge-Trigg were doing whatever was necessary to help their neighbors. Eventually, they realized they were the help Swannanoa was waiting for. But they soon discovered they were not alone in their efforts.
