Buncombe County Human Services released its latest annual report on Feb. 7. It highlights the county’s efforts to support “a safe and health community.” “Given this current economic crisis, now more than ever, government officials need to lead with a strategy for how to hold individuals and families whole,” writes Mandy Stone, Department of Social […]
Tag: Buncombe County
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Buncombe has more college-educated than national average
According to statistics compiled from census data by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Buncombe County has more college-educated people than the national average, with 30.65 percent of the population having a bachelor’s degree or higher. The national average is 27.5 percent.
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Wellness by the numbers
Health is always a complicated picture, and gauging the overall health of Buncombe County residents offers no exception. Rated one of the best in the state in access (with Mission Hospitals sometimes lauded nationwide), the county nonetheless witnesses rising numbers of the uninsured, whose ranks have more than doubled in the past 15 years. Especially […]
Appeals court upholds jury verdict in case against local air agency
On Jan. 11, the U.S. Appeals Court, Fourth District, upheld a jury’s judgment that the board of the WNC Air Quality Agency discriminated against Melanie Pitrolo when it passed over her for a key promotion in 2005. The ruling overturns a District Court finding that had reversed the jury and allowed Buncombe County — which oversees the agency — to compel Pitrolo to pay its legal costs. Now, Pitrolo may get to recoup her legal costs from the county.
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About 1 in 79 Buncombe homes in foreclosure in 2010
In 2010, a total of 1,393 homes — roughly one in 79 — were in foreclosure in Buncombe County, according to statistics gathered by the NC Justice Center, a low-income advocacy group. The rate is lower than the state as a whole, where about one in 63 homes were in foreclosure.
Limited bus service resumes, city services reduced, meetings canceled UPDATED 3 PM
As city of Asheville crews begin to plow secondary roads, bus service resumes on limited routes, Many facilities are closed today or working on reduced hours. The Asheville City Council meeting for today is also canceled.
Photo by David Forbes
Westgate recycling center closes
On Dec. 31, the recycling location at the Westgate Shopping Center saw its final day.
Photo by Jeff Tallman
Buncombe County Commissioners wrap up short meeting
Buncombe County commissioners wrapped up their Sept. 7 meeting in less than an hour. Among the actions they took and reports they heard was this tidbit: Commuters are the county’s second-largest source of carbon emissions, making up 18 percent of the total. More than 90 percent of county employs drive to work, averaging a roundtrip of almost 28 miles. In other actions and reports…
URTV: Channel vision
Depending on who you talk to, URTV is either facing imminent shutdown or adequately funded through next June. In the space of a few weeks, representatives of the public-access channel have given widely conflicting accounts of its financial status. “We’ll be out of money as of August,” Executive Director Pat Garlinghouse stated early last month […]
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Buncombe audit: URTV didn’t misuse funds, but failed to follow open meeting laws
An internal audit by Buncombe County on the state of public access channel URTV has found “no indication funds have been spent inappropriately [but] URTV has failed to adequately understand and comply with open meeting laws” and faces a “financial crisis.”
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Without more funds, URTV will close in September ***Updated Thurs. 11:30 a.m.***
Unless additional funding is received, public-access channel URTV — now known as the WNC Media Center — will cease operation in September of this year, according to a notice sent last week to the city of Asheville and Buncombe County. Both city and county officials claim that URTV is receiving funding as it always has.
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Buncombe stacks up in 2010 Census ***UPDATE***
The final tallies are in: 74 percent of Buncombe residents mailed in their census forms compared to 72 percent nationally. The Buncombe participation rate was 5-percent higher than it was when the last census was taken in 2000, while the national rate stayed the same.
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City, county officials ruminate on budget “sugar” and economic peril
Early this morning, in the food court of the Biltmore Square mall, members of the Council of Independent Business Owners gathered to hear elected officials from Buncombe County and the city of Asheville summarize their situations and goals.
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Buncombe Free WiFi no more
The Buncombe County free wireless connection that once covered much of downtown hasn’t worked for most of a year, and due to the county’s budget crunch, there are no plans to repair it in the near future, county staff confirmed today.
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County audit identifies wasteful spending on vehicle fleet
School gets back in session this week, but don’t expect to see a Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department deputy driving up to a local school in one of the department’s black-and-white cruisers to drop off a child.
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County landfill to get $3 million in stimulus funds
Buncombe County will receive $3 million in federal stimulus funds to make improvements that will extend the life of the landfill and set up an energy system that will provide 1,100 homes with electricity, according to an announcement from the county.
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Commissioners consider budget, order letter calling for CTS cleanup
At its May 5 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners reviewed its tight budget — with $5.9 million in proposed cuts — and also asked its lawyers to draft a letter to Gov. Bev Perdue calling for action on cleaning up the contaminated CTS of Asheville site.
State court rules Buncombe County zoning, multifamily condo ordinance invalid
The North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled that Buncombe County’s zoning and multi-family condominium ordinances are invalid, asserting that the Board of Commissioners failed to give proper notice for the public hearings on those matter. At press time, the board was scheduled to meet in closed session on March 24 to decide whether to […]
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Buncombe Commissioners will not appeal zoning lawsuit: will restart approval process
Buncombe County will not appeal an N.C. Court of Appeals ruling that overturned its zoning and multifamily condo ordinances, the Board of Commissioners decided after a closed session today. Instead, the county will restart the zoning-approval process — and pursue a moratorium on “undesirable” property uses in the meantime.
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Court overturns county’s zoning, multi-family condo ordinances
The North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled that Buncombe County’s zoning and multi-family condominium ordinances are invalid, asserting that the Board of Commissioners failed to give proper notice for the public hearings on the matters. The board will meet in closed session next Tuesday, March 24, to decide whether to appeal the decision.
Still facing severe space crunch, county seeks stimulus money
Buncombe County oversees many services, including health, elections, the Sheriff’s Office and the court system. All those agencies and more, with their attendant staff and paperwork, have to have somewhere to go, and as the county’s grown, the amount of vacant space available has dwindled. At the county commissioners’ Jan. 9-10 retreat, they tasked County […]