Day: July 29, 2009
Dam Removal Begins on North Toe River in Mitchell County
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports that demolition of a North Toe River dam downstream from Spruce Pine is under way. Agency staff say its removal “will make the river safer for paddlers and open up miles of upstream habitat to fish and other aquatic life.” Here’s the latest update from the agency.
Here comes the chain again
There's something afoot at the corner of Haywood and College streets, and it's not just the massive renovation under way at the former CVS pharmacy site. After all, there are similar projects scattered around downtown Asheville. A new look: The former CVS location at the corner of Haywood and College streets (above) will get an … Read more
Showing Pritchard Park some birthday love
Trina Mullen, an organizer with the volunteer group Friends of Pritchard Park, says the downtown-Asheville park could use a little TLC. "Not a lot of love has come Pritchard's way from the community in the past few years," she says. "We'd like to change that." Proud of Pritchard: The Friends of Pritchard Park group has … Read more
Sheriff’s deputy accused in road rage incident
A local woman claims an off-duty Buncombe County sheriff's deputy threatened her during a road-rage incident, sparking an internal-affairs investigation. Clyde resident Julie Brown also sharply criticized the conduct of the Asheville Police Department, which responded to her 911 call. Brown says she was driving home from work July 9 when a jeep cut her … Read more
Facing state cuts, WNCW launches fundraising drive
Proposed state budget cuts will probably slash about $200,000 from WNCW's budget for the coming year, leaving the station facing staff cuts. The popular local public-radio station is launching a major fund drive to try to make up some of the loss. "This is going to be a really painful blow. The station has never … Read more
Woodfin annexation opponents turn out in force
Declaring that they're ready for a fight, about 400 opponents of a massive annexation proposed by the town of Woodfin packed the Woodfin Elementary gym for a July 21 public hearing. The residents of the 3.5-square-mile slice of Erwin Hills and Leicester say they'll see higher taxes but few or no benefits if forced to … Read more
Council committee to URTV: Right your own ship
In a July 20 letter to URTV Director Pat Garlinghouse and Board Chair Jerry Young, Asheville City Council's Boards and Commissions Committee spelled out a 14-point breakdown of the problems dogging the public-access TV station. The letter cited concerns ranging from transparency issues and "internal turmoil" to the involvement of individuals with criminal backgrounds and … Read more
