Our city’s government is incredibly important, but it can be hard to understand or to know the most effective ways to become involved. So the Blade is providing public presentations to answer all those questions. Local government is incredibly important, shaping everything from housing to equity to safety. Asheville’s is

The controversial proposal to expand policing downtown has been marked by confusing claims, a lack of transparency, a broken process and inaccurate numbers. The public deserves better. Above: Numbers for a range of crimes in the South Slope neighborhood, where APD Chief Tammy Hooper claims crime is escalating, assembled from the

A growing backlash against city staff, pit of despair vexations, downed trees, arcane communication strategies and a busking agreement as Council heads towards Halloween (and Election Day) Above: A slide from a presentation at the Oct. 25 Council meeting about the so-called “Pit of Despair” across from the Basilica of St.

Council moves forward with ‘minor’ fee changes — and ending the downtown fare free bus zone — sparking a debate about transparency Above: a sign on South French Broad Avenue noting the boundary of the city’s fare free bus zone. Asheville City Council’s April 14 meeting was another short one

Once again, an important request for public records faces lengthy, unexplained delays from the city of Asheville. It’s time for this disturbing pattern to end Above: City Hall, file photo by Max Cooper. Update: The city of Asheville does track records of police complaints in annual internal affairs audits. On Friday,

A look at the Blade’s attempts to get public records from the city, what happened to them, and how long they took Above: City Hall by moonlight, photo by Max Cooper As part of a recent Sunshine Week collaboration with the Asheville Citizen-Times, the Blade looked into the number of open

One view on the long, twisted road to making the APD evidence room audit public, and how it changed Asheville Above: District Attorney Ron Moore talking to press June 19, beside the 15-volume audit of the APD evidence room. Honestly, I never expected the day would come. There, on a