Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman declared a local state of emergency due to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina. The move followed a statewide emergency declaration from Gov. Roy Cooper just two days earlier. Mayor Esther Manheimer subsequently declared a state of emergency for the city of Asheville.
“Based on my many experiences collaborating and working with her, I can say without a doubt that Terri is someone we can all trust to sit at the table with integrity.”
“Terri’s vision for the Buncombe area states that she will strive to develop accessible greenways and recreational resources for the health and well-being of the individuals who live there.”
“I believe that an important part of keeping that economy strong relies on reasonable and smart land use. Endorsed by the Sierra Club, Nancy Nehls Nelson, Democratic candidate for Buncombe County commission in District 1, will work with stakeholders to make that happen.”
“Parker shares my personal investment in Buncombe’s children. Smart kids don’t close achievement gaps; policy does.”
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Civil engineer Mike Anderson compared the plans for the Freedom in Christ property in Candler to those of other Christian facilities in rural Buncombe, including the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, Ridgecrest Conference Center and the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly.
Jessica Morriss, Asheville’s assistant director of transportation, explained that the higher costs were primarily driven by federally mandated door-to-door paratransit service for residents with disabilities. The remaining transit budget gap, she said, was due to higher-than-expected prices for fuel and electricity to power city buses.
“Reading supports all aspects of education and life opportunities. I have seen firsthand the difficulties struggling readers experience.”
Jeremiah LeRoy, Buncombe County’s sustainability officer, shares his top five reasons from 2019 to keep up hope about the county’s sustainability work.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Incumbents were vulnerable in all five of the races in which they were challenged, with Democrats ousting Republicans in the city governments of Hendersonville and Saluda (which also lies partially in Polk County). Henderson County turnout was 18.4%, with 4,766 of 25,897 eligible voters casting their ballots.
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.
“I know many of my neighbors have called to share similar concerns. It doesn’t appear any of us are being heard.”
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Potentially without review by other county staff members or commissioners, former County Manager Wanda Greene cut Stacey Woody’s pay by nearly $16,000 after Woody questioned an allegedly illegal $125,000 invoice for sponsorship of the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The relevant section of Buncombe’s personnel ordinance still stands, giving the same power to current County Manager Avril Pinder.
Calling former County Manager Wanda Greene’s activities a “tragic waste on a personal level” with “horrific consequences for the county of Buncombe,” U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad sentenced her to 7 years in federal prison and ordered her to pay a $100,000 fine. Co-conspirators Michael Greene, Mandy Stone, Jon Creighton and Joseph Wiseman, Jr., all received active prison time, a year of supervised release and a financial penalty.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
The $100,000 report, commissioned from Massachusetts-based consultants The Cadmus Group, finds that local government action will be insufficient for Asheville and Buncombe County to run operations entirely on renewable energy by their goal date of 2030 without the purchase of renewable energy certificates or significant state-level regulatory changes.
Drinking water, sunscreen, hat, closed-toe walking shoes, cash and a camera: These items are all on the “items to bring” checklist provided by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to people embarking on the 11th annual ASAP Farm Tour on Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23. But the real key to a successful tour, according to tour coordinator Robin […]
“Find out who maintains your favorite trail and go help on trail workdays or donate.”
