In local contests for North Carolina General Assembly seats yesterday, Frank Moretz defeated Bob Chilmonik in the Republican primary for N.C. House District 115, while Chuck Edwards won the Republican nomination for N.C. Senate District 48, defeating Lisa Baldwin and Dennis Justice.
Two hotly contested local races for seats in the N.C. General Assembly feature various Republicans jockeying for a spot on the November ballot. The March 15 primary includes two Republican contenders for the state House’s 115th District and three for the Senate’s 48th District.
With a mostly empty agenda, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners should be in for a short meeting on the evening of Tuesday, March 1.
Few crops have been as central to North Carolina’s economy and culture — or as controversial — as tobacco. Historically, its high market value and the relative ease of growing it made tobacco a staple for many Western North Carolina farmers. As late as 2002, 1,995 mountain farms grew tobacco. The crop’s prevalence, however, was […]
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard funding requests from 48 local nonprofits at its Tuesday, Feb. 16 budget workshop — a part of the county’s community funding program.
Walk any downtown Asheville street and you’re likely to encounter some quirky storefronts offering unusual products. Together, these “specialty shops” or boutiques, most of them locally owned businesses, are a key component of the city’s distinctive flavor, attracting thousands of tourists each year and helping fuel the economy.
At the Tuesday, Feb. 2 Buncombe County Commissioners meeting — a meeting that lasted just under an hour, the Board heard from both Buncombe County and Asheville City schools on the needs of their facilities.
Prior to the Tuesday, Jan. 19 Buncombe County Commissioners’ retreat, staff in various departments sat down and took a good look at the county’s priorities, coming up with ideas and alternatives of how to accomplish these goals in 2016 (and beyond).
The agenda for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ Tuesday, Jan. 19 retreat reads like a year in review: affordable housing, zoning actions, greenway projects, waste reduction and encouraging employers to pay a living wage.
“The time has come for Asheville and Buncombe County to take advantage of the Invest Health opportunity, take charge and assess the extent of poverty, examine the history behind the concentration of poverty and, most important, to identify and plan for what needs to be done and how to do it.”
Although chronic homelessness has been curtailed substantially since 2005, the combination of a severe economic downturn, an acute shortage of affordable housing and the rising cost of living has hindered the overall progress in eradicating homelessness. Despite those setbacks, partners in the project are forging ahead with new initiatives to combat housing insecurity and ensure that those in need of shelter get it.
In its latest efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing, the nonprofit organization Mountain Housing Opportunities hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and gift registry drive Thursday evening at its brand new apartment complex, The Villas at Fallen Spruce Apartments, just off New Leicester Highway. MHO staff, partner organizations, sponsors, local and state government officials were […]
Robin Reeves is the sixth generation to grow up on her family’s Madison County farm — a lineage that dates back to before the Civil War. Reeves spent much of her youth helping her parents raise cattle, burley tobacco and tomatoes as well as her extended family in Sandy Mush. As an adolescent, she sold […]
At the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ Tuesday, Nov. 3 meeting, the board will proclaim the month of November Adoption Awareness Month, vote on fire district changes, and discuss a technology park project, a rezoning request and a funding request for Veterans Treatment Court.
There are two ways to view Xpress‘ Q&A with the candidates: Either click the candidate’s picture to see a text version of their answers or click to expand the grid below. Pat Cothran, Republican Drew Reisinger (I), Democrat
“The goal is simple: to simplify and consolidate,” explained County Attorney Michael Frue. “Everyone needs to understand that there is no service change. There is no change in tax rate. We have 35 service districts for 20 tax districts. That’s the mess we’re trying to correct.”
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will be flooded with public hearings regarding the county’s fire and ambulance service districts at its Tuesday, Oct. 20 meeting.
While the number of women in politics has definitely grown over the last few decades, “Politics is still a gendered space,” says Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics. “Women see these institutions and don’t see a lot of people that look like them in charge, and that may lead to a reluctance to run for office.”
As of March 31, there were 2,386 kids in foster care in the 28 western counties. While innovative agencies and evolving state standards are making strides in streamlining the system and reuniting families, the available resources can’t keep up with the growing numbers of children needing foster care.
“I say, if we want to feed the tourists red meat, then let’s put the slaughterhouse on Pack Square — with lots of windows and tours on the hour.”
They’ve heard funding requests from nonprofits and others, they’ve seen the budget draft, and they’ve considered the public comments. Now, at the Tuesday, June 16 regular meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will vote on the finalized budget for the 2016 fiscal year.
