The Beat

After seven straight wins, a Big South Conference championship and a first-round NCAA tournament win, the "UNC Asheville Bulldogs' Dream Run Ends," reported the Asheville Citizen-Times. The Bulldogs had a tough St. Patrick's Day. On March 17, they lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers, which knocked them out of the NCAA tournament. “It's been a really […]

Retooling the rules

Buncombe County Commissioners March 1, 2011 meeting Public still up in arms about commissioners’ stipends New register of deeds takes voluntary pay cut The Buncombe County commissioners unanimously approved a measure March 1 that could have far-reaching implications for Medicaid patients receiving behavioral-health services in eight Western North Carolina counties. Four of them — Polk, […]

A done deed

The heated race to determine Buncombe County’s next register of deeds ended Feb. 23 when the local Democratic Party’s Executive Committee elected Drew Reisinger to succeed Otto DeBruhl, who retired Jan. 31. The committee — made up of Buncombe County precinct chairs and vice chairs, Democratic elected officials and other party leaders — chose Reisinger, […]

Well done

It’s no secret that people tend to get sick more in winter — or that cold, drafty living spaces don’t support optimum health. And it’s hard to take proper care of yourself if you don’t have enough money to pay the bills. An innovative program is addressing all those issues while giving some local veterans […]

Pay dismay

Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Feb. 15 meeting Three Sheriff’s Office staffers get $12,000 raises Western Highlands Network seeks to expand reach Buncombe leads state in number of adult-care homes After enduring a week of public criticism over their compensation, the Buncombe County commissioners gave themselves a hefty pay cut. On Feb. 15, they unanimously […]

“Dennis the Menace” visits Xpress (Don’t tell Mr. Wilson!)

Comic by Marcus Hamilton
The Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society recently gathered around the Mountain Xpress ping pong/conference table to jury its book illustration contest. They were joined by the mischievous characters from “Dennis the Menace,” according to this illustration from cartoonist Marcus Hamilton, who works on the internationally syndicated comic strip.