Photos: Vice President Joe Biden talks politics in Asheville

On Tuesday, Oct. 2, Vice President Joe Biden spoke to a crowd of almost 2,000 in UNCA’s Justice Center as part of a grassroots event. His speech focused on differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney, education, the middle class, taxes, the economy and more. This is his sixth trip to the Tarheel state this year. These are the photos from the Oct. 2 event. (All photos by Xpress reporter Caitlin Byrd)

Lots of water

The beginning of this week started with significant rainfall over the region thanks to a large weather system that dumped a record amount of rainfall in Asheville on Tuesday, Sept. 18, and provided more rain in two days than we usually expect during the entire month of September!  Our area’s rivers and streams are doing their job of transporting that water downstream — but the evidence of all that moisture was still hanging around early this morning in the form of low clouds.  I shot the image below earlier today as the clouds were beginning to break at 4000 feet — revealing the early fall color that is starting to appear on ridgetops.

The Gospel According to Jerry: Fur­nishing the Great Room

Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment of Jerry Sternberg’s continuing “Life in Seely’s Castle” saga. It could have been the set for one of those stuffy old English movies where the royalty sit around in their robes surrounded by their fittingly dressed councilors and courtiers harrumphing about the commoners’ shortcomings. The very enormity of […]

To BID or not to BID: Government coercion no solution to downtown issues

The basic idea behind the business-improvement district proposed for downtown Asheville is a good one: people working together to solve shared problems that tend to hamper or impede the conduct of business and peaceful living. Graffiti, vandalism, snow, trash, debris, crimes and misdemeanors are real issues — but solutions to these and other problems can be effected individually or cooperatively.