Leslee Kulba
LOTSAR, Supporting Research to Increase Affordable Housing Stock
LOTSAR is supporting a variety of research projects that inform public policy decisions about which strategies will be effective in creating more affordable housing.
Abortion Rights to Foster Care: Buncombe County’s Health Advocacy Updates
Lucy Lawrence, MSW, PhD, described a hectic two years as chair of Buncombe County's HHS board. It was a time of legislative turmoil in the setting of a protracted pandemic.
Brunk Auctioning Rare Copy of US Constitution
Two years ago, a ratification copy of the US Constitution, along with other documents of historic significance, were surprisingly found in a drawer in a storage room of an estate that had already donated the materials from its library to the State of North Carolina. Asheville's own Brunk Auctions is now handling the auction of these materials.
Prepping Always in Style at Carolina Readiness Supply
Few lives are immune to disaster. The prepper's question is: When it strikes, do you want to be a helper or a victim? The Sterretts at Carolina Readiness Supply in Waynesville sell a lot of prepper supplies and help people who may be anxious about starting to find ways they can become more self-sufficient at their own pace.
How Badly Do We Want Affordable Housing? Not Bad Enough
Barry Bialik, a champion of Asheville's affordable housing community, proposed a couple amendments to the UDO that could facilitate the construction of 200 small homes. Consistent with council's reputation for putting the kibosh on applications for affordable housing, the public hearing was continued into next year.
Buncombe Commissioners Chew the Fat
The Buncombe County Commissioners were put in the awkward position of weighing in on whether or not the county's insurance plan should continue to cover GLP-1s. USI, a health insurance consultant retained by the county, said that beyond the instant gratification and celebrity hoopla is a ridiculously overpriced and high-risk drug. They said the county already had half a dozen equally effective weight loss drugs in its formulary that cost less than 10% and did not come with as many adverse side effects.
Preliminary Analysis of Merrimon Road Diet
Overall accident rates are up, travel times are slightly slower, and traffic is spilling over onto alternative north-south passageways. Still, the NCDOT is preliminarily calling the Merrimon Avenue road diet a success.
Changing of the Seasons at Hot Springs Pools
Ivan Shingleton, manager at Hot Springs Pools & Spas' Asheville office, talks about closing down pools and preparing for sauna season.
Noel Honored for Compassionate Care
Peggy Noel grew up loving the elderly enough to take action to address gaps in care. She founded MemoryCare not only to provide affordable geriatric care, but to help train family caregivers. Her life of service is now being honored with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
I-26 Connector Construction Moves Forward
Waiting for work on the I-26 Connector project, Country Inn & Suites risked building a hotel, and it's been operating 8 years. EarthFare went out of business and came back. Last week, construction finally began with the first among many road closures to come on I-40 in coming months.