Today we associate Halloween with costumes, candy and jack-o’-lanterns. But at the start of the 20th century holiday customs were quite different. The supernatural remained a component, but a large emphasis was on romance.
Miller, feds spar over ICE detainer compliance
“As law enforcement, our mission is to protect the public and to seek to provide justice to victims of crime. Sheriff Miller’s current policy serves neither [purpose],” said Andrew Murray, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, after Miller refused to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer request. “It also breeds mistrust among law enforcement agencies and puts in danger the very communities it purports to protect.”
Buncombe quiet, Henderson contested in 2019 elections
Xpress reached out to candidates across the two counties to understand their motivations for participating in the municipal elections. Many of the topics the hopeful elected officials raised — diversity, transportation planning and preservation of small-town character — may give WNC politicos a sneak peak at what will be important to area voters in 2020.
Judge launches school justice initiative
As North Carolina prepares to become the 50th state in the union to stop treating 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system, Chief District Court Judge Calvin Hill launched an effort to reduce the involvement of local juveniles with the court system as a result of school misconduct.
From CPP: Where is Mission Health’s independent monitor?
Nine months after the merger took effect, the public still has no idea whether a monitor has been chosen, what the firm’s name is, when it will start work and – importantly – who’s been minding the store to keep HCA and Mission Health accountable in the interim.
From CPP: Judges block NC congressional elections with current maps
A three-judge panel issued an injunction late Monday blocking use of the current North Carolina congressional district map in the 2020 election. Although not yet compelling the “coequal branch of government” to draw new maps, judges noted that legislators could proceed to do that on their own and thus avoid any disruption to the election schedule.
Asheville Archives: Ghost stories from our city’s past
In 1898, residents were spooked by an unusual glow inside a vacant house. A few years later, another resident offered the local paper insight on how to deter ghosts from haunting homes.
Ancient History
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
First-aid training for bleeding control catches on across WNC
Known as “Stop the Bleed,” a recent training at the U.S. Courthouse was part of a wave of education taking place at schools and other area institutions. Designed to empower non-emergency service bystanders in emergency situations, the session was conducted by Mission Trauma Services.
Appalachian Litter Project seeks overlooked arthropods
In November, Michael Caterino of Clemson University and Paul Marek of Virginia Tech will start a three-year effort to catalog litter-dwelling arthropods — the biological group that includes such creatures as millipedes, spiders and beetles — on the high peaks of the southern Appalachians, including Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain.
Getting Papers
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Residents weigh tourism positives, negatives in new survey
A survey released from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority reveals a mixture of attitudes concerning tourism from residents.
Blue Ridge Honor Flight celebrates WNC vets
More than 90 military veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War participated in the Sept. 21 flight which allowed them to experience Washington D.C. and the war memorials built in their honor.
New delays expected for transit hours extension
City staff announced that a plan to extend the hours of all bus routes until 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday will likely be delayed until after the start of the next fiscal year during the Oct. 22 meeting of Asheville City Council.
Shifting the now: CoThinkk announces 4th annual grant award winners
Led by members of local African American and Latinx communities, CoThinkk is a philanthropic organization dedicated to social change. On Oct. 19, the group awarded $32,000 in community grants to local activists and organizations focused on moving the region toward more equitable outcomes.
Asheville Archives: Slavery in WNC
The 1860 census records show that Buncombe County had 1,907 slaves and 283 slave owners. Yet even today, some local historians say people are unaware that slavery existed in WNC.
Council to consider revisions to affordable housing incentives Oct. 22
Asheville City Council will consider updating affordable housing incentives; amending the city’s charter to restore at-large elections during its Oct. 22 meeting.
Unwelcome Guests
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Duke deploys herbicide helicopters in WNC
Since Duke first began using the practice in WNC in 2016, said company spokesperson Jeff Brooks, helicopters under the utility’s direction have deployed herbicides across more than 500 acres. That number may increase in the future as Duke pursues what it calls “an effective alternative” to ground-based management of vegetation along power lines.
Why so Anti-Biotic?
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
News in brief: Number of cost-burdened renters on the rise
Hendersonville neighborhood to receive free trees through local program The Hendersonville Tree Board’s NeighborWoods program will provide free trees to homeowners in the Green Meadows neighborhood in Hendersonville on Saturday, Oct. 19. The program, which has planted more than 200 trees in Hendersonville since 2010, aims to grow and maintain the city’s urban forest. A […]