Hello Asheville! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: PBS North Carolina's Homegrown History Screening & Discussion and 9 more events.
And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Davidson J.!
Today's riddle: Who's in favor of bringing back Roman Numerals? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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1. Asheville, North Carolina, balances redevelopment and flood risk two years after Helene (costar.com) — Two years after Hurricane Helene, Asheville is reshaping zoning, housing, and redevelopment to reduce flood risk while replacing hundreds of lost homes. City and county leaders are pushing affordable projects, revising land-use rules, and working with builders and arts groups from the River Arts District to Biltmore Village and Swannanoa to keep residents and businesses in safer, more resilient locations.
2. Interim no more: Jackie Stepp named Asheville's chief of police (wlos.com) — Asheville has officially named Jackie Stepp as the permanent chief of police after she served nearly a year in the interim role. City leaders praise her two decades of service and commitment to community-centered policing, saying her leadership will guide the department's next chapter and shape how officers, city officials, and residents work together on public safety.
3. County challenges 'extreme disparities' of Helene-recovery affordable housing funds • Asheville Watchdog (avlwatchdog.org) — Buncombe County leaders are protesting how state disaster-recovery housing funds were distributed after Tropical Storm Helene, saying Asheville projects received far less support than the local damage warrants. A major 203-unit affordable development at 50 Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville was ruled ineligible under state cost caps, leaving a large funding gap and raising questions about how recovery dollars are prioritized.
4. Answer Man: What's the latest on Swannanoa Ingles replacement? Robotic response to water outage complaint? • Asheville Watchdog (avlwatchdog.org) — Swannanoa residents are still waiting for Ingles to start rebuilding their flood-damaged grocery store, even though county permits are approved and the company says construction will begin "soon." Meanwhile, Asheville Water Resources is fixing an after-hours answering service glitch that left some Haw Creek callers talking only to an AI-style voice during Labor Day outages, and promises access to a real person going forward.
5. Teachers' union to distribute 30,000 free books to Western NC families (statenews.net) — Asheville families can pick up free books and enjoy food, music, and activities at a large literacy fair this Sunday at Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy. The American Federation of Teachers and local partners will distribute more than 30,000 books to Western North Carolina students and educators, supporting classroom and home libraries still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene's disruption.
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Ok Asheville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I for 1. (Thank you Bill L. for sending it in!)
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