Hundreds of local residents gathered at Pack Square to voice their solidarity with the unions in Wisconsin on Saturday, Feb. 26. One of similar events being held in all 50 states, the rally was coordinated by MoveOn.Org and endorsed by 30 organizations, such as the Sierra Club and the Campaign for Community Change.
Author: Margaret Williams
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Giving back
Thirty years ago, three-quarters of downtown Asheville’s buildings stood empty, and “the minimal stirrings of street life and foot traffic included not one but two red-light districts.” So says a 2006 report titled “Public Leadership of Asheville’s Downtown Revitalization,” which appeared in Popular Government, a publication of the UNC School of Government. “We used to […]
Play ball! UNCA Bulldogs win season openers
You know spring is in the air when you hear the crack of a bat striking the ball. The UNCA Bulldogs took to their home field on Saturday, Feb. 19, winning the second of three games against Murray State for their season opener. Freelance photographer Jerry Nelson caught some of the action.
Hybrid on the go: Asheville’s first “green” bus hits the streets
Perhaps you’ve seen this green-and-blue mystery bus that says it’s “out of service.” It’s one of several new hybrid passenger buses the city of Asheville is preparing for service.
photo by Jerry Nelson
VIDEO: Business winners: Chamber of Commerce announces awards
At its Feb. 16 “We’re for Business” luncheon, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of various awards — from Clean Streak to Charlotte Street computers, from “innovative” to “over the top” with customer service.
Norovirus confirmed at local V.A.
According to reports from the Charles George V.A. Medical Center in east Asheville, norovirus cases have been confirmed in several patients in the facility’s Community Living Centers. Noroviruses are “a group of related, single-stranded RNA, non-enveloped viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans,” says the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stepping down
Medical advances may have made it easier to live comfortably with HIV, but the disease is still very much with us, Ron Curran reports. After 10 years as executive director of The Western North Carolina AIDS Project, Curran recently announced that he’s retiring June 30. Asked what’s been his greatest challenge, Curran replies: “Keeping the […]
LIVE: Asheville City Council coverage
Follow Mountain Xpress live Asheville City Council dispatches via Twitter by following the hashtag #avlgov — or click here for our live feed. For a Council’s agenda and a preview, click here.
Asheville City Council retreat today, Feb. 4
Asheville City Council meets for its annual goal-setting retreat today, Feb. 4, at Warren Wilson College. Follow live dispatches of portions of the retreat from Senior News Reporter David Forbes at #avlgov or see below. For the Council agenda, click here. Some top discussions: the budget, annexation and more.
A vigil in defense of educational access
If you happened to walk or drive past the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville on Tuesday, Feb. 1, you probably noticed a sign-toting group gathered there. The monument’s a regular spot for protesters and those trying to raise awareness about various issues. In this case, the group was part of a state-wide protest — Vigils in Defense of Educational Access.
photos by Jerry Nelson
Icy trails on the way to Cat Gap
Icy waterfalls and frozen trails marked sections of Cat Gap Loop, a trail that meanders up the ridge from the Pisgah Fish Hatchery. This side trail to Cedar Rock Falls was near impassable.
photo by Margaret Williams
Regional Water Agreement, 1994
In 1994, the Asheville/Buncombe Water Authority, the city of Asheville and the county of Henderson entered into an historic regional water agreement. Here’s the text of that agreement.20110112_1994_Water_Agreement.pdf
Asheville City Council approves 51 Biltmore Ave. project
After two and a half hours of public debate and discussion on Jan. 25, Asheville City Council members gave the go-ahead for a parking-deck, hotel development at 51 Biltmore Ave. in downtown. The project passed 5-2, with Council members Cecil Bothwell and Gordon Smith voting against it.
Wellness from young to old(er)
Wellness matters, whatever your age or social status (that goes for pets too). But even a quick look at the numbers reveals that many Asheville and Buncombe County residents face significant health challenges: Disease is the county’s leading cause of death; 59.6 percent of high schoolers use some form of tobacco; 57.5 percent of adults […]
Appeals court upholds jury verdict in case against local air agency
On Jan. 11, the U.S. Appeals Court, Fourth District, upheld a jury’s judgment that the board of the WNC Air Quality Agency discriminated against Melanie Pitrolo when it passed over her for a key promotion in 2005. The ruling overturns a District Court finding that had reversed the jury and allowed Buncombe County — which oversees the agency — to compel Pitrolo to pay its legal costs. Now, Pitrolo may get to recoup her legal costs from the county.
Local Matters Special Edition: Talking nuclear with Ned Ryan Doyle and Jerry Nelson
In the 1980s, U.S. officials considered storing nuclear waste in Sandy Mush just outside of Asheville. Residents fought the proposal, and it was tabled — but not forgotten. On Jan. 7, a busload of area residents met before dawn in Asheville; with the aim, in part, of making sure Sandy Mush didn’t crop up again as an option, they headed to Augusta, Ga., for a meeting of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future. Xpress talked with two folks who took the trip that day — alternative-energy advocate Ned Doyle and photographer Jerry Nelson.
photo by Jerry Nelson
Duke, Progress Energy will converge to become nation’s largest utility
The two power companies will merge, retaining Duke’s name. The merger — if approved by state and federal regulatory agencies later this year — brings 7.1 million customers into the fold for one company.
Snowy Buddha
“Even Buddha contemplates his snowy navel this morning,” Ashevillean (and frequent Xpress contributor) Zen Southerland tweeted this morning, with this picture of Buddha, the berries and the snow.
Snowy scenes from Malvern Hills Park
Ice crystals on a retaining pond, sparrows foraging for berries, a snow-doused water fountain… These are just a few of the scenes found on a quiet Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011.
photos by Margaret Williams
Snowy Pack
Local photographer Jerry Nelson braved the cold snowy weather to get this panoramic shot around Pack Square.
Winter wonderland: Snow’s not done yet
Western North Carolinians are waking up to varying amounts of snow this Saturday, Jan. 8 — from a few inches to a foot at higher elevations. And forecasters are calling for more.
photo by Margaret Williams