Contract: City due a copy of APD evidence room audit

According to the contract for the audit of missing guns, drugs, and money from the Asheville Police Department’s evidence room, the city of Asheville should have received a copy when the audit was completed in January. The city still hasn’t received a copy, and District Attorney Ron Moore has refused to respond to open records requests for the public release of the $175,000 audit. City manager Gary Jackson says he’s satisfied with Moore’s handling of the case, and is not pressing for the release of the audit.

Affirmatio­n or discrimina­tion? Council rejects Amendment One

Asheville City Council April 10, 2012 meeting Manheimer proposes hiring Council liaisons City schedules April 24 public hearing on water system There were no presentations, no public hearings and no protests before Asheville City Council members unanimously approved an anti-Amendment One resolution April 10 (Mayor Terry Bellamy was absent). For Council member Gordon Smith, the […]

CIty of Asheville will give New Belgium $3.5 million in incentives­, infrastruc­ture improvemen­ts

As part of the deal to bring a new, East Coast brewery here, the city of Asheville will give New Belgium $3.5 million in tax reimbursements over seven years, provided it goes through with its plans to invest $175 million in building the new facility. The city will also make infrastructure improvements to the area costing more than $500,000.

Place your BIDs: Property owners propose downtown business improvemen­t district

Amid talk of higher taxes and better services, City Council may soon decide whether downtown Asheville gets a business improvement district. Many city residents first encountered the term in 2009, when Boston-based consultants Goody Clancy recommended the idea in their draft of what became Asheville’s Downtown Master Plan. Council adopted the plan later that year, […]

Two new: Commission­ers take first steps to replace aging schools

Buncombe County Board of Commissioners March 20, 2012 meeting Environmentalists urge joining billboard lawsuit March 23 proclaimed Women Veterans History Day Two new school buildings are in the works for Asheville. At their March 20 meeting, the Buncombe County commissioners unanimously approved taking the first steps toward replacing the aging Asheville Middle School and Isaac […]

Agree to disagree: Brevard College hosts 11th Congressio­nal District candidate debate

The Brevard College Jazz Ensemble played in the lobby before two of the three Democratic candidates for the 11th Congressional District, Cecil Bothwell and Tom Hill, tried to hit all the right notes with voters during a March 22 debate. The third candidate, Hayden Rogers, was unable to attend. Hosted by the Brevard College Debate […]

Two months later, District Attorney still won’t release evidence room records

More than two months ago, Xpress requested a copy of the audit of the Asheville Police Department’s evidence room from District Attorney Ron Moore. We have received no reply. According to attorneys from the North Carolina Press Association, the audit should be public record, and Moore’s behavior violates the state’s open records law.