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Asheville, NC
Joined January 2010
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Asheville’s two mayoral candidates, Esther Manheimer and Kim Roney, faced off this week at the first major campaign event of the season. They largely agreed on housing and recovery priorities — but differed on how city government should operate.
bpr.org/politics-government/…
A Mission Hospital patient under an involuntary commitment order died by suicide inside the psychiatric unit in the early morning hours of May 21, @AvlWatchdog has confirmed.
bpr.org/health/2026-05-27/ps…
Repairs are underway on the Pigeon River Gorge stretch of I-40, which was partially washed into the Pigeon River by Hurricane Helene. NCDOT officials are hoping the $2B project will lead the interstate to a more resilient future.
bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026…
Asheville is taking a major step to shore up its water infrastructure, nearly two years after Hurricane Helene derailed the city’s system.
bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026…
Volunteer citizen scientists are monitoring climate change's impact on all kinds of living things in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After federal budget cuts, that work has become even more important.
bpr.org/climate-environment/…
From @AvlWatchdog: HCA CEO Sam Hazen recently pushed back on claims that he needed to do more to engage with Mission Hospital, saying he regularly travels to Asheville to visit area leaders — but elected officials say they haven't met him.
bpr.org/health/2026-05-18/hc…
Governor Josh Stein on a Thursday visit to Canton called on Congress to send more money to western North Carolina to rebuild infrastructure that was damaged by Hurricane Helene.
bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026…
A year and a half after Helene flooded the IPEX plastic plant, there’s still a lot of PVC pipe in the French Broad River. On Tuesday, residents, officials and advocates gathered in the town of Woodfin to discuss the longstanding problem.
bpr.org/climate-environment/…
Following a heated public comment period, Asheville City Council voted to accept a $1.14M federal grant to APD to fund a real-time intelligence center allowing police to search and monitor cameras across the city.
bpr.org/politics-government/…
Kyrylo Gencho was at home in Kharkiv when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. He arrived in Asheville in November 2022 seeking a stable, peaceful life.
Now, changes in U.S. immigration policies are bringing new uncertainty to Ukrainians living in western North Carolina.
bpr.org/politics-government/…
If you walk through downtown Saluda in Polk County or the nearby town of Tryon, you’ll see one storefront after another displaying signs supporting the Saluda Grade Trail, a rails-to-trails project inching closer to reality.
bpr.org/growth-development/2…
FEMA approved 142 buyouts in Buncombe County on Friday, bringing the total number of approved properties up to 189 in the county.
bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026…
From @AvlWatchdog: Mission Hospital has no plans to add staff in key areas – including trauma care, security, and nursing administration – as part of its recently approved, now-contested, 95-bed acute-care expansion.
bpr.org/health/2026-05-08/in…
Blue Ridge Public Radio retweeted
Jamie Ager says Rep. Chuck Edwards's (R-N.C.) alleged misconduct is 'sad for the country.’ My report from the Dem challenger’s rally in Asheville last night: bpr.org/politics-government/…
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council on Thursday passed an indefinite moratorium on data centers, following several other counties and municipalities throughout North Carolina that have made similar moves.
bpr.org/climate-environment/…
Members of the National Council on the Arts came to Asheville this week to talk about the importance of the arts in Hurricane Helene recovery. The visit comes as federal funding for the arts is in a precarious position under President Donald Trump.
bpr.org/arts-performance/202…
Buncombe County officials caught an earful over the FY 2026-27 budget during Tuesday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting as none of the 11 residents who spoke during public comment supported the spending plan.
bpr.org/politics-government/…
Blue Ridge Public Radio retweeted
With @BlueRidgePublic and @grist: Harm reduction groups and health care workers helped avert the worst after Hurricane Helene. But what about the next emergency? theassemblync.com/news/healt…
The city of Asheville is considering allocating an additional $19.2M for the repair of single-family homes damaged by Hurricane Helene.
This policy proposal comes after BPR published a series on the dearth of funding for the program in Asheville.
bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026…
