After existing provider WastePro proposed rate hikes as part of its contract renewal, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 21 to seek alternative providers on the open market.
Author: Greg Parlier
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ACS commissions enrollment and capacity study to address urgent challenges
The Asheville City Board of Education voted 6-1 at its Nov. 20 meeting to commission an enrollment and capacity study from California-based Cooperative Strategies without seeking competing bids, and started a conversation about the need to consider consolidating some of its schools.
Voters in northern Buncombe usher in new leaders
Turnover was the theme in election results Nov. 7. Among the 10 winners in three jurisdictions, only one had appeared on a ballot before. Two of the 10 had been appointed but were running for the first time. Another was running for a different position. All the rest will hold office for the first time.
Buncombe commissioners consider new contract with WastePro
As part of a potential contract extension, WastePro is proposing an almost $3 increase to $25.16 per month to continue its existing services. Customers currently pay $22.55 monthly.
French Broad River stakeholders celebrate successes, discuss its future
More than 200 river rats, advocates, conservationists and economic stakeholders from a seven-county region filled Ferguson Auditorium to celebrate their successes and discuss ways to continue cleaning up one of the world’s oldest water ways to maximize its environmental and economic sway.
Woodfin and Weaverville elect new leaders
“Overall, the election went very smoothly,” Buncombe County Director of Elections Corinne Duncan said after the final results were submitted on election night Nov. 7.
Buncombe officials: Fire conditions as dangerous as 2016
Ryan Cole, assistant emergency services director for Buncombe County, told the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Nov. 7 that conditions now remind him of what fueled the blaze that burned more than 7,000 acres in three weeks near the Buncombe-Henderson county line.
Charter school puts a dent in Asheville’s racial achievement gap
This third-year Asheville public charter school, whose student body is majority Black, has begun to successfully close an achievement gap between white and Black students that has consistently been an issue in Asheville City Schools since it earned a worst-in-the-state designation in 2017.
Reparations commission sets up new project management plan
In her first move as facilitator, Vernisha Crawford implemented a more rigid meeting process designed to allow more commission members an opportunity to speak while keeping meetings on schedule, things the 25-member commission had struggled to do at times.
BCS board delays updating policies related to Parents’ Bill of Rights
Representatives from the Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality asked board members to slow down approval of policies related to Senate Bill 49 during public comment. They believe the bill contradicts Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination in schools on the basis of gender.
Buncombe commissioners consider $40 million in capital projects for schools
Over $40 million in upgrades could be coming to a number of schools in Asheville and Buncombe County if the request from the School Capital Fund Commission is approved at the Tuesday, Nov. 7, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Reparations commission releases initial recommendations
After 18 months of meetings and nearly $500,000 spent, Asheville’s reparations commission — tasked with making recommendations for restitution for generations of racial injustice — has now lost its second project manager in a year. Additionally, the commission is asking for more time to draft its final recommendations.
Buncombe expands use of new election machines
Voters in Weaverville and Woodfin will be the first in Buncombe County to use an electronic method to mark ballots that could save them time at the polls.
Buncombe sheriff: Crime is decreasing outside Asheville
Across eight serious crime categories reported to the State Bureau of Investigation, Miller reported a 15% decrease from 2021 to 2022 and a 2% decrease from the previous 10-year low, in 2019.
Candidates talk development, tourism as early voting begins
Town council and mayoral candidates in Asheville’s closest neighbor to the north, Woodfin, know that growth is inevitable, and the crowds are coming. The threat of uncontrolled growth led to a dramatic turnover on council two years ago, and more fresh faces have emerged to run as the old guard steps down.
Conservation groups say forest plan could be the last straw for four bat species
The Southern Environmental Law Center and five other conservation groups issued the USFS a notice of intent to sue in July on the grounds that it ignored its own scientific findings suggesting that logging in certain areas could drastically harm the habitat and feeding grounds of four already endangered species, therefore violating the Endangered Species Act. If filed, the case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Buncombe commissioners to consider school district consolidation study
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider taking the lead to solicit a new study analyzing the feasibility of merging Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Community build
More than 1,000 volunteers gathered Oct. 4-9 near Ira B. Jones Elementary School in North Asheville to rebuild a community park, organizers estimated. The site, formerly known as Jones Park, has been renamed Candace Pickens Memorial Park. In 2016, Pickens was shot and killed at the location. Her 3-year-old son, Zachaeus, was injured during the […]
Asheville school board considers policy changes to comply with state Parents’ Bill of Rights
Representatives from the Asheville-based Coalition for Southern Equality, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, asked board members at their Oct. 9 meeting to hold off on changing policies related to the recently passed Parents’ Bill of Rights while legal experts analyze how districts should implement the law.
New report shows Buncombe schools outperformed state in most metrics last year
The report shows that Buncombe County Schools cohort graduation rate is nearly five points higher than the state average.
Buncombe approves final settlement with former County Manager Wanda Greene
Wanda Greene, her son Michael Greene, who also worked for the county, and daughter-in-law, Celena Greene, have agreed to pay the county $502,500 by December 2025, said Philip Anderson, an attorney representing Buncombe County in the case, at the Oct. 3 board meeting. The payments are related to the improper use of county funds to purchase sponsorship and advertising at equestrian-related venues, he said.