If the creek don’t rise: Flooding, money and politics in the River Arts District

City plans to improve infrastructure, expand public space, increase access and encourage private development in the River Arts District have triggered considerable controversy. Xpress reached out to the city, RAD business and property owners, and organizations involved in the now flourishing area’s revitalization to try to answer some key questions.

Tube-ocalypse now: Asheville shoots for world tubing record with ‘zombie float’

As a recreational hub, the French Broad River has come back from the dead — and legions of zombies are eager to prove it. Conceived as a creative celebration of the river’s continuing revival, organizers of the first-ever “Tube-ocalypse” are aiming to break the world record for most tubers floating together. And they’re hoping to do it in style, encouraging participants to dress as the undead.

Safeguardi­ng water quality: Amid drastic state budget cuts, volunteers pick up slack

Standing knee-deep in the Little Tennessee River, Haley Williams wears a broad smile as she and her classmates fill a bucket with temporarily stunned fish. “We’ve been waiting for this all year,” says Williams, sporting hip waders and a camouflage T-shirt. Amid the verdant north Georgia mountains, she and about two dozen other Franklin High […]

‘A horrible situation’­: millions of gallons of raw sewage spill into French Broad ***UPDATED­***

A malfunctioning pump at the Metropolitan Sewerage District plant sent millions of gallons of raw sewage into the French Broad River starting this morning. MSD crews hope to have the “horrible situation” repaired by early afternoon, said MSD Director of Engineering Stan Boyd, and shortly before 3 p.m. the leak was fixed. (Screenshot courtesy of a video uploaded by the nonprofit, French Broad Riverkeeper. The full video can be found in this post.)