The appropriate boundary between public and private loomed large at the Asheville City Council’s July 12 formal session. Council members vetoed the Mountain Area Information Network’s request for free antenna space on a city-owned tower on a 4-3 vote after concerns were aired about the group’s political leanings. MAIN, which already supplies both high-speed wireless … Read more
Helping those who help the mentally ill While people who suffer from severe mental illness can often obtain treatment through public or private programs, their families may have little or no help in facing the ripple effects of disease. To help fill that gap, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill offers a free, 12-part … Read more
All but invisible to many Buncombe County residents — and allegedly operating on the fringes of the law — the video-poker industry is thriving, with more than twice as many machines per resident as the statewide average, based on information from the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Evidence from other areas suggests … Read more
The following 198 video-poker locations are either listed by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department or have been discovered by Xpress reporters. According to Sheriff’s Department records, more than 500 video-poker machines are currently operating in the county, though those records appear highly unreliable. Based on the listed zip codes, West Asheville is home to the … Read more
Compassionate choices should involve common sense Two incidents, only two hours apart, gave me a closer view of this place I currently call home. Each one involved a verbal exchange; both were insightful. The first was with a young man at a bus station. I asked a simple question, and was answered with the standard … Read more
It’s been almost seven years since City Council adopted Asheville’s Greenway Master Plan in 1998, recognizing the many advantages these linear parks offer. The following year, the seven-member Greenway Commission was established as an advisory board under the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Greenway development takes time — and patience. It’s a large-scale, long-term effort, … Read more
