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Town of Canton is buying a piece of its papermill back from out-of-town owner Mayor looks forward to now wastewater treatment plant, space for industry

The Town of Canton is buying back a piece of its decommissioned paper mill from its out-of-town owner. The purchase could be an important step toward restoring some of Canton's manufacturing jobs after the paper mill shuttered in 2023, said Mayor Zeb Smathers.

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Trump fires Kristi Noem as DHS chief, names Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her President Trump has fired his homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, and said Markwayne Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, would replace her.

President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and said GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would replace her.

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Senators say Noem 'hampered' disaster response, as delayed FEMA money comes to WNC DHS Secretary Kristi Noem “created extraordinary bureaucratic gridlock,” according to Senate Democrats.

Sen. Ted Budd announced Wednesday that $81M in delayed federal aid is on its way to WNC for Helene recovery. The announcement came a day after Senate Democrats released a report that claims DHS Secretary Kristi Noem “created extraordinary bureaucratic gridlock."

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Democrats choose Ager in NC-11 primary race; Edwards wins GOP nod Incumbent Chuck Edwards and farmer Jamie Ager will face off in the midterm election for the congressional seat that represents most of Western North Carolina.

The race for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District is set. Rep. Chuck Edwards handily won the GOP primary Tuesday, while farmer Jamie Ager bested four other Democrats to win his party’s nomination. The race is already among the most closely-watched in the country.

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Asheville City Council primary: All incumbents, plus Ball, Young and Burroughs, move forward Maggie Ullman and Drew Ball led the way, each collecting about 16% of the votes.

One of the most crowded Asheville City Council races in recent history moved onto its next phase. On Tuesday night, Asheville voters whittled down the crop of candidates from 20 to 6 contenders.

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‘A place of fear:’ Asheville candidates hedge on pushing forward landmark reparations endeavor amidst federal scrutiny What was once a unanimous commitment to reparations in the early 2020s seems to be crumbling in Asheville's city council and mayoral races.

When Asheville City Council voted unanimously in 2020 to establish reparations for Black citizens, the city made national headlines. But six years later amid changing political tides, some officials now express more caution toward the project.

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Delayed Helene recovery money comes to North Carolina, FEMA funds run low The funding that FEMA announced Friday was not all designated for Helene recovery. It had been waiting for final approval from Kristi Noem.

North Carolina is getting $165.9M in long-delayed Helene disaster relief aid. While it's good news for the state, the move also leaves FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund nearly empty due to the partial government shutdown.

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Asheville to unveil proposals for Azalea, French Broad River Park systems On Sat. Feb. 28, the city will reveal three possible designs for the French Broad River Park system and two designs for Azalea Park at an AB-Tech open house.

Slowly but surely, Asheville is moving forward on repairing the parks that have remained out of commission for more than a year and a half due to Hurricane Helene. On Sat., Feb. 28, the city will reveal three possible designs for the French Broad River and Azalea Parks.

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‘It’s a scary time:’ WNC Democrats voice enthusiasm — and fear — ahead of key congressional primary In interviews, more than a dozen voters and local Democratic Party officials expressed a mixture of alarm and optimism ahead of the March 3 primary.

For the first time in years, Democrats in Western North Carolina's 11th Congressional District have several candidates to choose from in the primary. The high level of interest in the race reflects a mixture of enthusiasm — and fear — among voters this year.

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Ashevillians get their first chance to comment on new city budget What you need to know from the Feb. 24 Asheville City Council meeting

City residents had their first formal opportunity Tuesday night to weigh in on Asheville’s 2026-27 budget. During a public comment session, speakers discussed how officials should manage the $26.4M revenue shortfall.

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From disaster cleanup to Congressional hopeful: The veteran vying to unseat NC-11 Rep. Chuck Edwards Adam Smith’s decision to run for Congress was spurred by his Hurricane Helene experience. Will it be enough for him to unseat the incumbent?

Adam Smith’s decision to run for Congress was spurred by his Hurricane Helene experience. Will it be enough for him to unseat the incumbent?

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Despite a court order, communities say FEMA still isn't distributing BRIC funds This week, North Carolina joined 22 other states in filing a motion to enforce an earlier ruling that demanded FEMA release funding for the more than 2,000 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Commun...

FEMA is ignoring a court order to disburse $200M in climate resiliency funds to North Carolina, according to the state’s Attorney General Jeff Jackson.

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Asheville to host G20 finance leaders in August, September The selection of Asheville “reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to the revitalization and resilience of western North Carolina,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

Finance leaders from some of the world’s largest economies will convene in Asheville later this year. The meetings, which are known as the G20 Finance Track, will include finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 countries and two international organizations.

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Costco withdraws application for highly anticipated Asheville location Retailer had been searching for Buncombe location for decades; mayor calls withdrawal ‘a tragedy’

From The Asheville Watchdog: Costco, the wholesale retail giant that planned to bring a store to Asheville after decades of searching for a site, has withdrawn its application for the new location.

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Buncombe County lays groundwork for November bond referenda What you need to know from the Feb. 17 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Buncombe County is taking its first formal step toward seeking voter approval on millions of dollars in new borrowing.

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Governor Stein, DEQ Announce $5.7M for flood resilience projects in the French Broad River Basin The N.C. General Assembly provided a total of $96 million for flood mitigation projects in 2021. So far, the state has spent just under half of that money.

Gov. Josh Stein has announced $5.7M in state grants for eight flood mitigation projects in Western North Carolina. Stein said the funded projects will help reduce flood risk in the French Broad River Basin.

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Buncombe County confirms new measles case; exposure sites announced An adult case brings the county’s total to seven since Jan. 1 and increases North Carolina’s statewide total to 18.

Buncombe County health officials said Thursday that a new case of measles has been confirmed in an adult, bringing the county’s total to seven since the start of the year.

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Rain helps crews contain 230-acre wildfire near Franklin Winding Stairs Alpha Fire is 90% contained; the Forest Service is asking for people to send photos from Highway 64 Monday morning.

A wildfire that sent smoke across parts of Macon County earlier this week is now 90% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

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Rain helps crews contain 230-acre wildfire near Franklin Winding Stairs Alpha Fire is 90% contained; the Forest Service is asking for people to send photos from Highway 64 Monday morning.

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A wildfire that sent smoke across parts of Macon County earlier this week is now 90% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The 230-acre Winding Stairs Alpha Fire began Monday morning along U.S. 64 west of Franklin and is burning in the Nantahala National Forest.

Canton passes a 12-month moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining For many in the former papermill town, the moratorium is an opportunity to think through a community-centered vision for the future.

Emotions were high Wednesday night at a public hearing where the town of Canton's Board of Aldermen passed a 12-month moratorium on new data center development, server farms, and cryptocurrency mining.

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Concerned about Mission Hospital? Community members can speak their minds at upcoming listening sessions. The meetings come after federal authorities — again — placed Mission Hospital in “immediate jeopardy,” the most serious sanction a hospital can face.

Community members will have the chance to voice their concerns about HCA Healthcare’s stewardship of Mission Hospital next month at two listening sessions on March 9 and 10.

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Buncombe County faces capital spending spike Planned projects and potential bond issues could more than triple the county’s general fund spending on infrastructure by early 2030s.

Buncombe County’s Board of Commissioners will soon face a difficult quandary: Just how ambitious should county government be about its infrastructure spending in the years to come?

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NC’s private road and bridge repair program can only pay for about 10% of the projects The state launched the $175 million program last year as a way to help people who have remained cut off from public roadways since Hurricane Helene.

North Carolina only has enough money to repair around 300 of the thousands of private roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Helene, state officials said at a Monday meeting for the Governor's Recovery Office of Western North Carolina.

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New agreement supports Forest Service and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission collaboration on Helene recovery $290 million will allow the agencies to spend the next decade stewarding wildlife habitat and improving outdoor recreation after the storm.

The Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have entered a new agreement to help heal Helene’s adverse impact on wildlife and outdoor economies, and to prepare for the future.

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Asheville City Council candidates talk housing, avoid budget deficit at “Get There AVL” forum 15 city council candidates made appeals to voters at Wednesday’s candidate forum mostly focusing on transit, affordable housing and safer streets.

At the "Get There AVL" forum on Wednesday night, 15 of the 20 candidates for Asheville City Council spoke to a packed room, using their two-minute stump speeches to spin visions of a more affordable Asheville.

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Town of Canton is the latest to consider banning crypto mining, data centers Canton follows other communities in western North Carolina that are considering resistance to data centers, citing environmental, energy and noise pollution concerns

The town of Canton could be the latest North Carolina municipality to ban cryptocurrency mining and data centers.

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Buncombe Commissioner Horton sues the county What you need to know from the Feb. 3 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting.

One of Buncombe County’s top elected officials, Commissioner Jennifer Horton, has filed a lawsuit against the government she helps lead.

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