If it wasn’t for Kerri Eaker’s son, Dakota Kirkland, she would never have received the Jack B. Hefner Memorial Award for her disability rights advocacy work. In fact, as Eaker noted in her Nov. 2 acceptance speech, “Dakota has always proudly stated that he made his mama’s career.”
An agreement between Asheville and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, approved by City Council in a 4-1 vote Jan. 24, will allow the APD to use a county-operated camera network to monitor the public.
Under the new system, similar to that employed by the national Living Wage For Us campaign, businesses could remain in the Living Wage Program if they agreed to an $18 hourly minimum wage and “committed annual increases” toward a $20.10 wage rate.
Wayne Simmons, operations manager for Asheville Parks & Recreation, speaks about health and wellness programs that the city offers, the benefits of physical activity and his favorite ways to stray in shape.
North Carolina can support as many as nine Las Vegas-style casinos with gambling throughout the state, including one in the Asheville area, according to a report commissioned by the General Assembly.
Asheville’s McCormick Field has been home to a minor league baseball team every season since 1959, but the city has come close to losing baseball several times in that span. As the Tourists seek $30 million in improvements to the antiquated ballpark, the future of the national pastime in Asheville once again is in doubt.
On Dec. 30, the nonprofit completed the purchase of 34 acres in Brevard to expand the preserve. The new land will bolster the existing 395-acre park, owned by the city of Brevard, which connects to the Pisgah National Forest.
Asheville’s water may be restored, but the spigot of information from city officials is still clogged.
Asheville City Council will consider establishing an “independent review committee to analyze the events and circumstances leading up to, and throughout the duration of, the recent prolonged water outage.” The group would evaluate Asheville’s emergency response, identify infrastructure needs and recommend policy changes to make the city more resilient.
One local transit corridor inspires daily grins — and groans — through its plethora of clever roadside signs and business names. Running roughly from Mostly Import Auto Repair on Biltmore Avenue to Thyme in the Garden on Weaverville Highway, this pun-sodden stretch is a welcome sight for wordplay fans and weary commuters alike.
During the Jan. 3 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer fielded questions about the chain of events that left tens of thousands without water over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
WNC’s citizens are deeply committed to making this small corner of the world a better place.
Xpress reached out to the area’s elected officials, activists and community leaders to learn more about what they took away from 2022’s political action.
Waste Pro, Buncombe’s waste management contractor, will bump the rate it charges customers for trash pickup by $1.62 per month at the start of the year. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the company will also ask the county Board of Commissioners to authorize an additional rate hike of 39 cents per month in light of higher recyclable processing costs.
Xpress asked activists, law enforcement leaders, government officials and others to weigh in on how local crime and related issues shaped the past year.
The news never stops — nor do the comings and goings of local journalists — as a roundup of 2022 local journalism news attests.
What does quality of life mean in Western North Carolina? For the 2022 Year In Review, Xpress asked community members to share their thoughts.
Since 2018, Mary Rose Ridderbusch-Shearer has co-designed the N.C. Arboretum’s Winter Lights event. She discusses the ins-and-outs of the annual gathering.
The Winter Safe Shelter program at Asheville Primary School, as explained by Counterflow Asheville, will prioritize families, LGBTQ people and residents who are Black, Indigenous or people of color. The shelter plans to operate nightly through the end of March, housing up to 10 people per night with space for another 10 support staff on site.
At the request of Council member Kim Roney, six consent agenda items pertaining to the Asheville Police Department were singled out for discussion and separate votes. Over an hour of deliberation and public comment followed.
Backed by a $400,000 grant from the N.C. Land and Water Fund, the nonprofit Mills River Partnership is restoring roughly 14 acres of riverside near the plant. Maria Wise, the nonprofit’s executive director, says her organization will stabilize the riverbanks and replace invasive plants with native varieties.
