Buncombe County’s Path to Recovery with Tetra Technology
Buncombe County Commissioners contracted Tetra Technology for post-Hurricane Helene recovery, urging FEMA aid applications and financial donations while limiting physical donations and volunteer work.
From Curb to Site: Navigating Storm Debris Regulations
In the interests of health and safety, it is imperative that hurricane waste be removed from occupied areas as quickly and orderly as possible. At the last Asheville City Council meeting, Mayor Esther Manheimer and Solid Waste Manager Jes Foster went over some of the rules and dispelled rumors about who can do what, where.
Unraveling the Aftermath and Conspiracy on Spruce Pine’s Vital Quartz Supply
Hurricane damage in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, is disrupting the semiconductor supply chain by affecting the town's pure quartz production, essential for silicon crucibles. Damage to the mines complicates recovery efforts, potentially jeopardizing high-quality silicon availability and impacting global technology markets. The long-term effects remain uncertain.
Electoral College Not Outdated, But Legacy of Founding Fathers
Despite the controversies surrounding it, the Electoral College remains an integral part of the American Republic.
Like Mission, Statistical Analysis Can Improve
John Allen Paulos’ classic, A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper, showed no mercy to the poor correspondent, who had to make numeric statements within a tight word limit and without the use of symbols. What follows is an attempt to use news math to show that some numbers printed to disgrace Mission HCA are actually making it look good.
Controversial Zoning Change Proposal for Therapy Center in Evans Road Community
There has been increasing local discussion surrounding Timberknolls Spirit Cove’s partnering with Kanuga Conferences to change the zoning from Residential to Commercial at a lot on Henderson County’s Evans Road. The plan is to establish a therapy center office and headquarters ranch for Timberknolls Spirit Cove’s “nationwide” operations, which aim to provide animal-assisted therapy to […]
To Fix Our Politics, Try Conversation
At the start of each North Carolina Leadership Forum, we ask our participants to introduce themselves by telling a story about a person or experience that helped make them who they are today. Although I co-founded NCLF, based at Duke University, I can’t claim credit for this idea. It was my colleague Leslie Winner — […]
Reparations & Fears of the Unknown
Rumors and allegations about the goings on in the Asheville-Buncombe Reparations Commission could not be confirmed, based on the most recent presentations at official city and county meetings.
Homelessness Recommendations Spark Meltdown
In an epiphany, a wannabe reporter realizes she has wasted 20 hours a week for the most of her life laboring over words that mean nothing and come to naught. What's more, she's been torturing readers by repeating the verbiage, as if they're supposed to care. She swears, "Never again!"
Asheville’s Fentanyl Response Bordering On Absurd
Local government's response to the fentanyl crisis, in which 150 people are dying each day in this country, is to drag its feet about deferring the responsibility of how to spend funds.