Haywood County is currently the only mountain county using federal pandemic relief dollars to support local community colleges.

Haywood County is currently the only mountain county using federal pandemic relief dollars to support local community colleges.
Landfills tend to fall in the “out of sight, out of mind” category — unless you’re living next to one. But Buncombe County’s recent move to prepare additional landfill space for both construction and municipal debris is a reminder that such facilities have a finite life.
“Residents’ health shouldn’t have to suffer when there are practical alternatives to open burning.”
With growth comes worsening traffic, rising housing costs and long lines of tourists waiting at locally beloved bars and restaurants. But it’s not all bad, as 2021’s Year In Review participants note in their reflections on Asheville’s development and tourism sector. These residents and local leaders shared their growth gripes and hopes as they look forward to the coming year.
This year’s event — the first since the start of the pandemic — covered affordable housing, hotel regulations, Urban Place Zoning and more.
“But I think many in our community are overlooking a segment of our economy that can provide a very good and stable income for someone who may not be college material or is unwilling to be saddled with $50,000-plus student debt to obtain a degree.”
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
ASHEVILLE, NC
As students go back to school, construction projects will continue on some campuses of both the city and county school systems. At historic Asheville High School, a $25 million renovation project is expected to continue through May 2020.
As plans move ahead for the Interstate 26 Connector project through Asheville, community members look back to reflect on the profound impact major road construction projects have had on the region.
Asheville
Asheville’s rustic, arts-and-industry-dominated River Arts District is on the brink of a major transformation. From road realignment, sidewalk construction and expanded bike lanes to an ambitious network of greenways with the RAD as its central hub, substantial changes will be taking place over the next few years that will improve the way residents and visitors to the city access, explore and inhabit the area.
A handful of local construction professionals participated in a timber-framing workshop last week, hoping to create a renewed interest in a somewhat forgotten building practice and scale up the use of locally grown trees.
At the Nov. 12 Asheville City Council meeting — the last meeting held before new members (and a new mayor) are sworn in — concealed handgun laws and revised construction plans for a health and workforce development facility were hot topics on the agenda.
Work continues near the intersection of Sunset Drive and Skyview Place in North Asheville to rebuild a major retaining wall and repair damage caused by a July landslide.
The city of Asheville issued 741 new building permits during the first quarter of the year, an increase from the last three years. The figures include both new residential and commercial construction.
One cold and dreary, filled with demolition debris. The other: warm and sunny with a new courthouse annex nearing completion. (Photos by Bill Rhodes)
On time and schedule, work has been completed on the fountain areas of Pritchard Park by Downtown Asheville Resident Neighbors (pictured are Trina Mullen, DARN president and fountain designer Jill Haynie, right; photo by Bill Rhodes)