Asheville City Council dishes out housing grants, passes rezonings, takes criticism and goes behind closed doors in a short meeting Above: A map of a proposed subdivision on South Charlotte Street, bordering downtown, from city documents. Compared to the multi-controversy cavalcade that was the last meeting of Asheville City Council,

Despite a GOP tide, Buncombe sees Democratic upsets and major changes to the local political landscape. Here’s what it means. Above: An election worker brings a data card containing a precinct’s results into the Buncombe County Board of Elections late Nov. 4. Photo by Bill Rhodes. The polls close and from around the

Consultants sent in to solve police woes, controversial naming deal approved, Duke won’t shut down coal plant and more in a packed, contentious evening for Asheville City Council Above: the future SECU plaza outside the Asheville Art Museum, considerably more serene than Tuesday night’s debate over whether the slice of

As another piece of public space might be named after a private organization, Ashevillians are again set to debate exactly who gets to name what in our changing city Above: a rendering of the area in front of the Asheville Art Museum, which might be renamed “SECU plaza” in return

Amid ongoing public controversy and internal divisions, an in-depth look at city government’s plan to overhaul the Asheville Police Department Recent weeks have seen a contentious struggle over the leadership of the Asheville Police Department, with a petition by 44 officers calling for four major concerns to be addressed and

An in-depth interview with Ben Scales, independent candidate for District Attorney, about priorities, the role of law enforcement and more. District Attorney is arguably the most powerful single local elected position, overseeing prosecution and exercising a great deal of discretion over how the law is enforced. This Spring, a petition

An in-depth interview with Todd Williams, Democratic candidate for District Attorney, about priorities, the role of law enforcement and more. District Attorney is arguably the most powerful single local elected position, overseeing prosecution and exercising a great deal of discretion over how the law is enforced. In this year’s Democratic

Asheville City Council mulls affordable housing solutions, forms ‘innovation districts’ in three neighborhoods and continues its long contemplation of graffiti Above: the borders for the South Slope “innovation district” Asheville City Council passed Oct. 14 Some of the biggest news at Asheville City Council’s Oct. 14 meeting happened before the

Powerful images from the day marriage equality finally reached North Carolina, starting with Asheville and the state’s first legal same-sex marriage Above: A pride flag displayed on City Hall Photo by Max Cooper. Yesterday, after years of activism, court cases and campaigning, U.S. District Court Judge Max Cogburn, based in Asheville,

In a packed three hours, Asheville City Council hits issues including burying power lines, housing, graffiti and the surveillance of protesters Above: power lines over a stretch of grass behind the Aloft Hotel and city parking deck at 51 Biltmore Avenue. The city will pay $250,000 to bury the lines so