The free SlowCOVIDNC app uses Bluetooth technology to let users know if they’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, speeding up notifications of potential exposure.
Author: Molly Horak
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East Asheville affordable housing loan approved, hotel moratorium extended
In its latest effort to promote affordable housing, Asheville City Council voted 6-1 on Sept. 22 to approve a $1.1 million Housing Trust Fund loan to the Juna Group to develop 11 single-family units in Oakley.
Council adopts $770,000 cut to APD budget
Asheville City Council members voted 5-2 to adopt a budget amendment that will cut APD funding by $770,000, a roughly 2.5% drop from the $30.1 million allocation originally proposed by City Manager Debra Campbell in May.
Pisgah Legal Services’ annual forum will grapple with racial justice
COVID-19 isn’t slowing conversations on justice, nor will the virus stop Pisgah Legal Services from hosting the Asheville-based nonprofit’s 10th Justice Forum on Thursday, Oct. 1. Writer Clint Smith will headline the event.
Campbell proposes 2.5% cut to APD budget
At its meeting of Tuesday, Sept. 22, Asheville City Council will vote on a budget amendment that would fund the APD at roughly $29.3 million, a reduction of $770,000 from a previous proposal. Many activist groups, including Black AVL Demands, have called for a 50% reduction to the APD and reinvestment in community services.
Cooper will allow K-5 schools to reopen under Plan A
Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, elementary schools will have the option to return to the classroom at full capacity. According to the state’s Plan A guidelines, classrooms will have no restrictions on the number of K-5 students allowed, but safety measures including mandatory face coverings, COVID-19 symptom screening and social distancing will still be required.
Tight timeline pressures Asheville public safety discussion
City staff hosted listening sessions to learn how residents envision the delivery of public safety services. But Asheville City Council must vote on budget allocations for the remainder of the fiscal year on Tuesday, Sept. 22, leaving little time to synthesize and consider participants’ input
Buncombe County Election Services gears up for 2020 voting crunch
With fewer than seven weeks left until Election Day, the team at Buncombe County Election Services is prepared to ensure that every county resident can vote safely and securely.
Statewide drop in percent of positive COVID-19 tests a “very positive sign”
According to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the rate of positive COVID-19 tests has hovered around 5% since Sept. 9, down from a peak of 7.7% on Aug. 31.
Council approves new protections for Asheville’s tree canopy
Asheville City Council unanimously approved three amendments to Asheville’s Unified Development Ordinance at its meeting of Sept. 8. Now, tree preservation will be required in commercial and residential areas.
Remote learning fails students with disabilities
Virtual schooling is a constant challenge for children with disabilities. School-based resources like speech and physical therapy are hard to deliver remotely — and federal limitations to Medicaid have kept families from filling an essential gap in help for their kids.
White House task force places NC in COVID-19 “red zone”
Despite the state reporting some of the lowest COVID-19 case counts in the Southeast, the White House Coronavirus Task Force continues to place North Carolina in the “red zone.” The designation means state health officials reported more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.
Internal report on APD protest response draws critique
All tactical decisions during Asheville’s protests for racial justice in June — including the use of chemical weapons and the destruction of a protester medical station — were made entirely by Asheville Police Department officers, said City Attorney Brad Branham on Sept. 8. But determining Council’s culpability was beside the point, public commenters argued.
Antanette Mosley appointed to Council
As decided by Council’s six current members during a Sept. 8 vote, the attorney for Atlanta-based firm Alston and Bird will fill the seat vacated by Vijay Kapoor until 2022.
Council expresses support for five-month hotel moratorium extension
Members expressed unanimous support for extending the city’s hotel moratorium — previously set to expire later in September — an additional five months, giving Council and city staff more time to fully develop new standards for hotel development.
Amanda Jo Cary starts nonprofit to bridge digital divide
When everything shifted online, Cary quickly realized the need for reliable computer access. Now, she works to distribute donated laptops to recently incarcerated people.
Public to weigh in on hotel moratorium extension
Before Asheville City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting of Sept. 8, the six members will interview six contenders to fill the seat vacancy left by Vijay Kapoor. Later in the evening, they’ll hear what the community thinks about another hot topic: hotels.
Outdoor running surges in popularity during the pandemic
Running is making a resurgence: From people who found running as a way to get out of the house and stay active, to die-hard marathoners, the pandemic is prompting people to reevaluate their relationship with the sport.
NCDHHS launches mask campaign, free COVID-19 testing for uninsured
The N.C. Medicaid Optional COVID-19 Testing program will fully reimburse Medicaid providers for the costs incurred by testing people without insurance for COVID-19.
North Carolina will move into Phase 2.5 on Friday
Under the new order, gyms and other fitness facilities will be allowed to open at 30% capacity, museums and aquariums will open at 50% capacity and playgrounds will open with no capacity limits.
State adds 1,000 previously unreported COVID-19 cases
By the numbers, the 2,5855 COVID-19 cases reported Aug. 29 marked North Carolina’s highest daily increase to date. But the figure was inflated by approximately 1,000 cases, tested over the first half of August, that had previously gone unreported to NCDHHS by LabCorp.
