In February, former Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan surpassed the 8,295 signatures required to get on this year’s ballot for chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Duncan, a one-time Democrat who served as sheriff from 2006-18, is running as an unaffiliated candidate.
Incumbent Buncombe County Commissioner Park Sloan will run in an uncontested race for this District 3 seat. Sloan joined the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2020, where he serves as chair of the newly formed Buncombe County Climate and Environment Committee.
Democrat Amanda Edwards announced her bid for chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in October, where she currently serves as a commissioner for District 3. If elected in November, Edwards would become the first female chair.
Press release from Buncombe County: Buncombe County’s Primary Election has ended with more than 59,331 people casting votes between Election Day, Early Voting, and absentee by-mail – a voter turnout of 28.5 percent.Unofficial early voting results are posted publicly on the State Board of Elections’ Election Results Dashboard. To see how these compare to previous […]
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How will the TDA allocate its 2025 budget? Which Asheville-inspired contraceptives will find their way into YOUR life? Xpress staffers offer their satirical predictions for the year ahead.
Plus, what does Al Whitesides REALLY mean when he talks about “banking”?
Xpress readers engaged with a wide range of local issues in 2023 — from concerns about downtown Asheville to infrastructure priorities, a possible single-use plastic bag ban, education issues and more.
“Listen to your heart,” says Lisa Forehand. “Do you want to be alone or with others to cultivate a more spiritual life? Are you open to trying new practices that might bring you closer to a higher power?”
“Spirituality is being willing to show up in life with an open, curious mind and heart and grapple with the tough questions,” says Heather Hanson.
“For those seeking a more spiritual life, my advice would be to find a quiet place to pray vocally and ask God to lead them toward truth,” says Kyle S. Gillett.
“When we open ourselves to the messiness, the whole thing — the beauty and joy, the ugliness and pain — we may have the greatest chance of experiencing something we may call ‘spiritual,'” says Richard Chess.
“The spirit may be an actual entity — the ‘soul’ — or it may simply be a way for us to speak about a profound aspect of human nature and experience,” says Luke Hankins.
“There’s a misconception that spirituality is only for those who have reached a certain level of enlightenment or have been chosen,” says Kelly Palmatier. “In truth, spirituality is accessible to anyone, regardless of their background or experiences.”
“RiverLink is the only conservation organization focused exclusively on the French Broad River and its tributaries,” says Lisa Raleigh, the nonprofit’s executive director. “We operate three programs that include water resource management, land conservation and youth education.”
“Mental health challenges impact all demographics and each of these has their own cultural way of addressing them,” says Robin C. Payne, executive director of NAMI Western Carolina. “As such, we are careful not to assume we know what is best for a community. Instead we try to create opportunities for open discussions and see how we can provide the resources that are needed.”
“We provide a service that brings mobile markets with fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins and whole grains directly to people’s homes,” says Sonya Jones, executive director of Caja Solidaria.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about human trafficking is that it doesn’t happen here. It absolutely does,” says Amanda Gopal, executive director of The Hundred Movement.
“Families can meet others and not feel so alone on their autism journey,” says Caroline Long Tindall, CEO of St. Gerard House. “Young adults are becoming part of their community and giving back — the community is getting to know how valuable individuals with autism are.”
“When I started this job, almost 20 years ago, very few people used the French Broad River for recreation, and therefore no one really cared when it was polluted,” says Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper with MountainTrue. “Now lots of people use the river everyday and there is a strong desire that we do better and protect the river,
“It’s thanks to the 600-plus volunteers at Brother Wolf that we’re able to forever change so many animals’ lives,” says Leah Craig Chumbley, executive director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.
