District Court Judge Gary Cash paints a frustrating picture. Of the thousands of criminal filings that came through the 28th District Court during the past year, many were the kinds of misdemeanors associated with homelessness. Think public intoxication, public urination, prostitution and aggressive panhandling. All in all, he notes, this is familiar ground for Asheville. […]
Apocalypse WNC
The lights go out. Your car coasts to a halt while trains and subway cars careen into crashes and airplanes plunge to earth. Forget about the Internet, or using your radio, phone, refrigerator or microwave — they're all disabled. You're suddenly off the grid, because it's fried: Everything with electronic circuitry has shut off, and […]
Tiles go in at Pack Square Park
A Weaverville artist has begun installing hundreds of stoneware tiles in Pack Square Park, including 400 square, brown-and-blue ones created and signed by students in the Buncombe County Schools. One tile at a time: Ceramic artist Kathy Triplett is installing hundreds of handmade tiles on the stage being built in the new Pack Square Park. […]
Fee, fie, oh no
Whether you're an Asheville developer, a homeowner or a corpse that's ready to be buried in Riverside Cemetery, the cost of living (and dying) in Asheville is going up. Bearing the brunt: Asheville City Council has raised fees for a range of city services, from water and recycling to parks. For example, the cost of […]
Local unemployment rises
Asheville and environs saw increased unemployment in May, state figures show. The unemployment rate ticked up in both the Asheville metropolitan statistical area and Buncombe County. Figures released by the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina show unemployment rising from 9 percent to 9.2 percent in the Asheville metro area — a state designation that […]
Filing period for local elections begins
The local political season officially launched at 8 a.m. on July 6 with the start of the filing period for people seeking seats on the Asheville City Council or any of a host of other local town boards. Candidates file at the Buncombe County Board of Elections, and the filing period runs through noon on […]
Feed thy neighbor
Over the past 27 years, MANNA FoodBank has established itself as the go-to group for food drives in Western North Carolina. Now, the nonprofit aims to change the way we look at food drives. To that end, MANNA is asking neighborhoods to get in on the action. Bank on it: MANNA Food Bank is getting […]
The Green Scene
If you're hunting for cancer-fighting substances, there's no need to journey to the Amazon in search of some rare plant dangling in the upper reaches of the jungle canopy. The Bent Creek Institute here in Asheville and its partners at Wake Forest University have discovered a dozen plant species that are “cytotoxic to breast and/or […]
Xpress-rated video: Sneak preview of the July 8 edition
Here’s your video sneak preview of the July 8 edition of the Mountain Xpress. You might call it the doomsday edition.
Tea Party protesters mark Independence Day
Hundreds of people gathered at the steps of the Buncombe County Courthouse on Saturday to protest government spending and lament what they called out-of-control government spending and a move away from the values embedded in the U.S. Constitution.
Video-a-Go-Go: The local video roundup
Local videos from bands, the Chamber of Commerce, 48 Hour Film Project contestants and parenting vloggers
Blog Log: The week in local blogging
Despite some blogs going missing, going private or just being ignored in favor of summer activities, there was some action in our little corner of the blognation this week.
WNC News Roundup
Here’s a look at some of what’s making headlines around Western North Carolina: There’s a possible serial killer on the loose in upstate South Carolina; a Florida man drowned while saving his son at a popular Macon County water hole; the venerable Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain is on the verge of bankruptcy; and more.
Views from the unemployment line
With unemployment in the Asheville area on the rise and 8,100 jobs lost since the beginning of the year, Xpress wants to hear about your experiences in these tight times.
Repairs continue at Department of Social Services offices
Crews continue to repair water damage after a storm pipe eroded over Memorail Day weekend and poured water into the offices of the Buncombe County Department of Social Services.
Coal-ash dams in Buncombe potential hazard but sound
The Environmental Protection Agency lists two coal-ash-storage dams in Buncombe among similar high-hazard structures in North Carolina and the U.S. But there’s no indication the two dams — each about 90 feet high and located just off Interstate 26 near Arden — present an immediate danger.
Filing period for local elections opens on Monday
The local political season will officially open at 8 a.m. on Monday with the start of the candidate filing period for people seeking seats on Asheville City Council and a host of other local town boards.
Puzzled? This week’s Xpress has the wrong New York Times crossword
But don’t put away that pen yet: You can download the correct puzzle here
Unemployment rises in Asheville area
Unemployment in both the Asheville metropolitan area and Buncombe County rose in May, according to state figures that show unemployment ticking up to 9.2 percent for the metro area and 8.8 percent for Buncombe County.
Asheville City Council: Seeing green
$136 million budget approved Council creates “one-stop shop” for permitting development 51 Biltmore project delayed for want of funding Besides approving a $136 million budget, Asheville City Council members also faced an agenda laden with sustainability and energy-efficiency issues at their June 23 meeting. Ground zero: With no funding yet secured for the 51 Biltmore […]
Buncombe Commissioners: Board approves $327 million budget
911 agreement with city clears final hurdle Energy Loop rides again Despite a declining economy and the need for cuts in every department, Buncombe County staff managed to deliver a budget that keeps core services intact and the tax rate unchanged. The “Loop” is back: Dirck Cruser’s “Energy Loop,” Asheville’s first piece of public sculpture, […]