In the controversy over Chief Anderson’s departure, it’s easy to forget the improvements of recent years, changes that must continue Above: the cover of the Asheville Police Department’s strategic plan, unveiled this summer During the discussion about the current turmoil and fraught history of the Asheville Police Department, most of

Strategic goals! Best practices! Benchmarks! Here’s a guide to that jargon city officials are so fond of, what it means and why it matters Above: City Hall at night. Photo by Max Cooper If you’ve attended an Asheville City Council meeting, pored over one of the city’s many, many master

This week locals gathered for Transgender Day of Remembrance. Local photographer Ezra Campbell captured these images of Thursday night’s vigil. Above: A vigil attendee lights a candle near Vance monument to memorialize lives lost due to transphobia. This Thursday was Transgender Day of Remembrance, with an annual vigil and march

Asheville’s diverse — if you’re white and cisgender. For trans people and many, many others, it’s a far harsher place Above: the Transgender Pride Flag. It may be awhile before this one hangs on City Hall. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an international day to remember those killed due

As APD Chief Anderson declares his retirement amid controversy, the city faces a police department with a fraught history and an uncertain future Above: APD Chief William Anderson, photo by Max Cooper. In the hallowed tradition of big government news announcements, this one came after the clock turned over to

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

Asheville’s workers are badly underpaid. Local government could change that by requiring businesses to pay a living wage. Will they? Above: a map from the National Low Income Housing Coalition showing how many hours working for the current $7.25 minimum wage are required to afford an average apartment across 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

We live in a flawed system with imperfect candidates. But exercising the right to vote is now more important than ever Above: locals march to the West Asheville Library’s early voting site to cast their ballots as part of the Oct. 29 Roll to the Polls event. The roots of American