The wedding that almost wasn’t

In the courthouse hallway, I overhear the couple’s plight. They had come to the magistrate’s office on the 10th floor of the Buncombe County Courthouse — marriage license in hand, ready to be wed. But a roadblock has appeared: Their witnesses’ car broke down on the way from Charlotte. Sorry, the magistrate tells them, adding […]

Into the night

People entering the basement of the Buncombe County Courthouse this Monday afternoon are struggling to get their bearings. They are greeted by the sight — and sound — of hundreds of people already waiting in the lobby for their turn to appear in night court. Night court serves as an entry point for most people […]

A matter of perspectiv­e

How you feel about night court probably depends on where you’re sitting — or standing. District Court Judge Peter Roda enjoys it, from his vantage point on the judge’s bench. During the day, Roda conducts civil court — meaning he mostly rubs shoulders with other lawyers. “This is a chance to interact with the public […]

Looking out at the world

For too many years, the West has largely ignored incidents of human-rights abuses in which the victims weren’t white, laments Dr. Mark Gibney of UNCA. But changing perceptions about humanitarian intervention have given Gibney a new sense of encouragement. Gibney, the Belk Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, says he’s now seeing signs that the West […]

Notes from the trenches

When Brooks Williams was casting about for ideas for his newest album, the singer/songwriter/guitarist decided to take stock of music he loves — but never shows off on-stage. The result is Little Lion (Signature Sounds 2000), a collection of melodic guitar pieces inspired by music from such disparate locales as West Africa, Brazil and Appalachia. […]

Bridging the racial divide

For Tyrone Greenlee, the Building Bridges program has helped to heal some of the racial scars he suffered growing up as an African-American boy in Asheville. For others, the eight-week seminar simply offers an eye-opening look at how racism operates — not only in Asheville, but across America. Building Bridges uses speakers, videos, readings and […]