City Council to talk housing: affordable housing loans, residentia­l density

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, City Council will consider strategies for housing the city’s growing population. Over $1 million in low-interest affordable housing loans will come to a Council vote, and city planning director Todd Okolichany will present a proposal for updating existing ordinances to encourage higher density infill development in residential areas.

NCWARN: Actual growth of energy demand three times lower than Duke Energy estimates

PRESS RELEASE: Exposing Duke Energy’s Fiction:  Actual Growth Rate is Three Times Lower than Estimates Used to Argue for New Plants over the Years At Monday meeting, groups and public will press faith-filled regulators not to rubber-stamp unneeded Asheville plant that would speed climate change and gouge customers  Statement by Director Jim Warren: Durham, NC – NC […]

Girls on the Run® offering community teams this spring 

From a Girls on the Run of WNC press release: In an effort to make the Girls on the Run (3rd-5th grade) and Heart and Sole (6th-8th grade) programs more accessible, Girls on the Run of WNC is hosting four community teams in Buncombe and Henderson Counties. The community teams are available to all grade eligible girls, regardless fitness level, ability or […]

Tryon winery wins medals in competition of American wines

From a press release from Mountain Brook Vineyards: Mountain Brook Vineyards has earned two medals for its wines at the 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, considered the largest competition of American wines in the world. The Competition saw a record 7,162 entries this year from 28 states. The event lasted four days, with a […]

86-year-old voter turned down by DMV to get photo ID Friday

86-year-old Reba Miller Bowser went to the Patton Avenue DMV office on Monday to get a photo ID so that she could vote in North Carolina’s March 15 primary. Though she had all the documents listed on the DMV’s list of required identification, the lifelong voter nonetheless left empty-handed. State DMV officials now say Bowser should not have been turned down, and have arranged for a mobile unit to visit her home on Friday.

Public meeting for Livingston Street improvements on Feb. 16

From the City of Asheville: The City of Asheville is wrapping up planning to improve Livingston Street and a portion of Depot Street to make them safer and more comfortable for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. Based on input from the community at meetings in September, the engineers have made revisions to their preliminary plans, […]

Asheville inches closer to police body camera rollout

The Asheville Police Department trails the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in rolling out police body cameras — but the city is trying to catch up. Police Chief Tammy Hooper outlined a draft policy for the cameras at a recent panel discussion, and says the first cameras will be deployed by summer. We look into what needs to happen between now and then to make that schedule happen.

Request for assistance locating Haywood County missing person

Public relations firm Frederick & Associates has requested the public’s assistance in locating Haywood County missing person Scott Turner. The firm represents Turner’s family. Turner went missing around 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. He was last seen driving a 1987 black Toyota pickup truck in Haywood County. Anyone with information about Turner’s whereabouts should […]

Mars Hill University presents lecture on civility in politics

From Mars Hill University press release: North Carolina senators Tom Apodaca and Terry Van Duyn will present a lecture titled “How Can Civility in Politics Be Recreated?” on Thursday evening March 3, at 7 p.m. in Broyhill Chapel at Mars Hill University. Senator Tom Apodaca is a Republican senator who represents the 48th district of North Carolina in the NC General Assembly […]

What’s next for Haywood Street site?

One clear winner from the 2015 City Council elections: local hopes for a public space for the city-owned lots facing the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the U.S. Cellular Center. Not so clear: exactly what kind of space Asheville needs and who will pay for it. The city’s Planning and Economic Development committee took up the hot potato issue to try to figure out how to move forward.

Reducing peak energy demand key to size of future Duke plant

Peak energy demand will determine the capacity of Duke Energy’s planned upgrades at the company’s Lake Julian power plant, according to speakers at a panel discussion on WNC’s future energy needs on Feb. 3. Speakers stressed the importance of partnerships between Duke Energy, local government and community partners to reduce demand and delay or eliminate a third new natural gas-fired generation unit planned for the Lake Julian site.

Asheville City Council meeting for Feb. 9 canceled; next meeting Feb. 23

Asheville City Clerk Maggie Burleson announced that the Asheville City Council meeting scheduled for Feb. 9, 2016 has been canceled. Two other meetings planned for the same day, the Governance Committee and the Boards & Commissions Committee, will also be canceled. The next regular meeting of Asheville City Council will be Feb. 23 at 5 […]