Anger, fear and tears came spilling out of a tense Asheville City Board of Education meeting March 11 after the school board voted 5-2 to close Montford North Star Academy and send its students to Asheville Middle School next school year. Board members Liza Kelly and James Carter dissented.
Food and beverage workers union eyes future growth
Asheville Food and Beverage United seeks to interrupt “the abusive culture that just keeps being perpetuated,’” explains Jen Hampton, the union’s lead organizer. Her work in the service industry spanned over 30 years, with the last 16 in Asheville.
Swannanoa Library to remain open amid community outcry
The Swannanoa Library will remain open after an unexpected vote by Buncombe County commissioners on March 7 that reversed a previous decision to close the library branch.
BCS board rejects requests to remove nine books from district schools
One month after banning a book from all district high schools, the Buncombe County Board of Education unanimously agreed at its March 7 meeting to keep nine others available to students at Enka High School.
Asheville board faces vote to close Montford school
Parents are decrying a proposal that Superintendent Maggie Fehrman says could help the district address a projected $4.5 million budget shortfall next school year — merge its two middle schools. Fehrman estimated the merger would save the district $1.8 million to $2.3 million per year.
Buncombe advances first-time candidates in March 5 primary
While the March 5 primary delivered few surprises at the top of the ticket, local races delivered some firsts for Buncombe County in an election that saw a far lower turnout than the previous presidential primary in 2020.
Second STR listening session planned for March 18
The proposed regulations would ban new whole-house short-term rentals in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County unless they were located within five commercial zones or in the county’s residential open-use zone. Existing short-term rentals would not be affected by the changes but would require a county permit.
Money matters
Hundreds of Woodfin’s west-side residents seek to de-annex from the town
The new de-annexation movement is led by Chip Parton, who was in middle school when the west side was annexed in 2006. He says he wasn’t really paying attention to issues with the town until five or six years ago, when he realized town rules prevented him from putting a single-wide trailer on his parents’ property to live in while he waited to inherit a family home.
Commissioners to hold public hearing on temporary housing for individuals in recovery
At its regular meeting March 7, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will begin the application process for federal funds that provide temporary housing for those in recovery.
From CPP: Feds say HCA ‘immediate jeopardy’ removed. Why troubled Mission can point to top rankings.
The violations at Mission Hospital didn’t factor into Healthgrades’ list because the data to determine the ranking doesn’t include emergency room visits, while ED care was the focus of the deficiencies, said Healthgrades Chief Medical Officer Brad Bowman in a Feb. 27 email to CPP.
Council approves $500,000 for PEAK amid Gaza protest
Following an extended chant by pro-Palestinian protestors, Council cut public comment short and went into closed session to discuss legal matters in another room.
Henderson County debuts Adult Recovery Court for substance use
ARC works with people who have substance or alcohol use problems and face criminal charges in Henderson County District Court; participants receive court-ordered treatment while being monitored by criminal justice and recovery professionals.
Asheville City Council opts to stay the course at annual retreat
Members of Asheville City Council and city staff met for two-day retreat Feb. 22-23 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville.
Former Sheriff Van Duncan passes write-in threshold to secure ballot spot for chair of Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
Duncan, 59, and his team gathered the signatures in 40 days, well ahead of the March 5 deadline, mostly by sending almost 40,000 mailers to unaffiliated or Republican voters in Buncombe who’ve voted in the past three elections.
By several metrics, Asheville’s living wage keeps going up
According to Just Economics of Western North Carolina, which has been calculating the local living wage since 2008, a single person working full time in Buncombe County needs to make $22.10 per hour to afford basic expenses. That’s a $2 hike over last year’s rate and more than double what it was when it was first calculated 17 years ago.
Bids for main parts of I-26 Connector project come in hundreds of millions of dollars above projected cost
The bids were for the two main sections of the project, which the NCDOT calls Section B and Section D. These sections will involve new bridges over the French Broad River and new sections of interstate to connect Interstate 26 above and below Asheville, as well as improvements to Riverside Drive.
Asheville’s rising housing cost forces candidate out of City Council race weeks before primary
“It’s a very new feeling for me and I think I was embarrassed to let people know,” Taylon Breeden said of her difficulty in finding housing. “But it’s important that I tell the story because it is relatable and we’re all facing it so harshly right now.”
Buncombe advances school district consolidation study
While one local public school district redraws its district lines and the other considers merging its two middle schools, Buncombe County is moving forward with a study to explore consolidation of the two districts.
Reparations commission launches plan to increase engagement
Reparations commissioners unanimously approved a three-month public engagement plan to gather reactions and opinions from Black residents of Asheville and Buncombe County about the commission’s draft recommendations for local government leaders.
From CPP: Lawsuit challenges timber harvest, questions federal policy in NC national forests
The site is only 15 acres. But the lawsuit could have dramatic implications for future timber cutting in the region.