Want to show off for your dinner-party guests? Ask them, “For what farm product is Western North Carolina one of the top six producers in the United States?” It’s likely they’ll respond “apples.” Let out an exasperated sigh when you shake your head no. “It’s trout,” you’ll say, adding that North Carolina is the second … Read more
It’s no secret that people tend to get sick more in winter — or that cold, drafty living spaces don’t support optimum health. And it’s hard to take proper care of yourself if you don’t have enough money to pay the bills. An innovative program is addressing all those issues while giving some local veterans … Read more
Rep. Heath Shuler defied national trends last year when, as a Democrat in a Republican-leaning district in a year that saw major GOP gains, he defeated Hendersonville businessman Jeff Miller by a 9 percent margin. While Shuler's caucus, the conservative Blue Dogs, lost more than half its membership, he not only survived but went on … Read more
Rugged individualists like Normon Plombe have long been gnashing their teeth about the nanny government that makes them wear bicycle helmets and seat belts and vaccinate their kids [“Channel Your Inner American Revolutionary,” Feb. 9 Xpress]. That's the same government that tries to keep the Tennessee Valley Authority's coal dust out of the air you … Read more
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Feb. 15 meeting Three Sheriff’s Office staffers get $12,000 raises Western Highlands Network seeks to expand reach Buncombe leads state in number of adult-care homes After enduring a week of public criticism over their compensation, the Buncombe County commissioners gave themselves a hefty pay cut. On Feb. 15, they unanimously … Read more
I was pleased to read about the advances that Buncombe County has made in increasing high-school graduation rates [“Making the Grade,” Feb. 9, Xpress]. Thanks for covering this important story. Most children in our community attend public schools. The success and well-being of our entire community hinge on the quality of our public schools and … Read more
I live in Asheville, and I have a couple of questions for the North Carolina League of Municipalities. The N.C. League website states, "we believe that a complete stop on all city-initiated annexations across the state is not a necessary or appropriate way to address annexation." When you say "city-initiated annexations," are you really referring … Read more
Thirty years ago, three-quarters of downtown Asheville’s buildings stood empty, and “the minimal stirrings of street life and foot traffic included not one but two red-light districts.” So says a 2006 report titled “Public Leadership of Asheville’s Downtown Revitalization,” which appeared in Popular Government, a publication of the UNC School of Government. “We used to … Read more
I would like to applaud reader Meredith Hope’s letter “Shame on You, Charter” [Feb. 9 Xpress] for taking [the cable company’s] current idiotic ad campaign to task. I gave up commercial TV in all its forms in 1972. At that time, the average American was watching 39.6 hours of TV a week. Call it 40 … Read more
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to an unknown wonderful gentleman who assisted me during a medical emergency on Valentine's Day at the downtown restaurant Tupelo Honey. I'm generally a calm-in-the-face-of-crises sort of person, but your calm clarity — asking just the right questions, being just the right sort of stillness — was … Read more
