Asheville city seal

City Council releases consultant’s report on Rush incident

Nearly a month after an anticipated release in late July, Asheville City Council has shared the final report from Chicago-based 21CP Solutions about the city’s policies and procedures in relation to a police beating scandal. Since April, the consulting firm has been reviewing the beating of black Asheville resident Johnnie Jermaine Rush by white former Asheville Police Department […]

Former Asheville City Manager Gary Jackson

Former City Manager Gary Jackson leaves mixed legacy

As Asheville gears up to begin a new chapter in its administration, Xpress asks what lessons, if any, can be learned from Jackson’s time as the city’s top employee. But given the reluctance of so many current and former city officials to discuss either Jackson’s firing or his legacy, any final assessment of this recent history may have to wait.

Police accountabi­lity and transparen­cy focus of City Council meeting

Amid calls for increased public access to policing data, Asheville City Council left the city’s volunteer board dedicated to hearing residents’ concerns about law enforcement in place for now. At the same time, the elected officials noted many vacancies on the Citizens Police Advisory Committee and signaled their longterm intent to dissolve the body once the newly forming Human Relations Commission has gotten up and running.

Williams and Scales replay fight for Buncombe DA title

If this year’s primary race for Buncombe County district attorney seems a bit familiar, that could be because it’s happened before. After then-defense attorney Todd Williams upset six-term officeholder Ron Moore in the 2014 Democratic primary (with no Republicans or Libertarians competing), Ben Scales collected nearly 8,000 signatures to get on the general election ballot […]