Photo by Bill Rhodes

Bridge of sighs

If the Buncombe County commissioners get their way, one of Asheville's most-traveled landmarks may get a new name. During their Jan. 3 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved asking the North Carolina Board of Transportation to dedicate the Smoky Park Bridge in honor of Capt. Jeff Bowen. The bridge crosses the French Broad River just west […]

My kind of representa­tive

Rep. Patrick McHenry made his first “public” appearance in Asheville with a talk before the Council of Independent Business Owners [“The Beat,” Nov. 16 Xpress]. McHenry is following the sinister Republican game plan: stay away from announced, truly open-to-the-public events, where he would face the anger and criticism that he deserves. The GOP’s unapologetic, pro-wealth, […]

Get set, go: Fryar jumps into 2012 race for Buncombe County Board of Commission­ers

Longtime conservative activist Mike Fryar plans to run for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2012. Fryar has been considering a run for several months, raising his public profile by repeatedly criticizing current board members at their meetings and in the media. He was the first citizen to raise concerns about commissioners’ pay earlier this year, noting that, including technology and travel stipends, they were among the highest-paid in the state.