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.

EPA seeks action, demands CTS and current owners cover costs on proposed Superfund site in Mills Gap

In a letter dated September 13, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency has demanded payment of $6.5 million dollars to cover costs already incurred in its efforts to deal with contaminated ground water and soils near the former CTS of Asheville plant, located on Mills Gap Road in South Asheville. Meanwhile, Buncombe County Commissioners have postponed until November 1 their consideration of a decision to demolish the derelict building at taxpayer expense. Photo: Officials from EPA’s Superfund Branch stand at the gate to the CTS property during a recent sampling trip. Photo by Susan Andrew.

Access excess?

What happens when Buncombe County physicians offer free specialty care to uninsured, low-income patients amid a down economy? A deluge. In Buncombe County alone, there were about 38,000 such residents in 2005, according to census data; three years later, that number had swelled to nearly 78,000. And year by year, the county has consistently surpassed […]