Category: News

Parking, corporate expectations, technicalities, swearing, gentry pleadings, failed deals and more as Asheville City Council unanimously rejects a major hotel project Above: Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler. File photo by Max Cooper. For the latest chapter in a major political battle, the fight over the Embassy…

For years Southside community members pushed for the renovation of a long-neglected historic pool. But city government might go forward with other plans. Behind the debate about who decides the fate of a local landmark. The Walton Street pool isn’t in good shape, on that…

A year after a controversial hotel vote set new political boundaries on the issue, Council again faces a similar dilemma with an election on the way. A look at the latest battle lines in the hotel wars. Above: An image of the proposed Embassy Suites…

Asheville City Council delays a major hotel battle, expands (very slightly) the city’s borders and mulls what input on local election districts might look like Above: Asheville City Council member Julie Mayfield. File photo by Max Cooper. For awhile, it looked like Asheville City Council…

The Asheville Blade covered a lot of ground as we fought through a tumultuous, trying, important and groundbreaking 2016 alongside the people of the city we love Above: Fireworks over City Hall. Photo by Bill Rhodes. Well that was a hell of a year. As…

Airbnb-style rentals are a massive, controversial issue in Asheville. The Blade’s built a map to show where they’re being halted, who’s profiting, who owns them and more as local government continues to wrangle with this complicated behemoth Above: a shot from the Blade‘s interactive map…

Local Democrats gather to vote on a new Buncombe County commissioner in a ‘basement election,’ with civil rights activist and former banker Al Whitesides emerging as the first African-American commissioner Above: Al Whitesides receives applause from Democratic Party members during the Dec. 5 ‘basement election,’…

National and statewide upsets, a resounding win for the bonds, a commission split continues and more in our election analysis. Also: why the Blade will never normalize the unacceptable Above: The precinct map of votes for Roy Cooper and Gov. Pat McCrory in Buncombe County.…

It’s that day, with major national, state and local races on the ballot. Here’s information about where to vote, and how to protect your rights at the polls. Welcome back, readers. Today is Election Day and while many of our readers and local voters already…

For the first time in its 135-year history, WNC’s Central Labor Council is bringing together local unions in a united effort to get out the vote. A look behind local labor’s push to get people to the polls. Above: Representatives from local unions gather for…