Buncombe Co. Parks & Rec receives grant for land acquisition
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Buncombe County Parks & Recreation Department received a grant that will help develop a land acquisition into a public park. Officials said the $4,475,000 award from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program along with a recent award from the Southern...
NC mom who gave birth after trapped in mountains post-Helene returns
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been almost a year since the community came together to help a woman who was about to go into labor and was trapped in her mountain community in the days after Hurricane Helene barreled through. Courtney Mosser’s story was one that got a lot...
Asheville task force targets gun violence with data-driven approach
After Asheville experienced four shooting incidents in less than a week in late July, Mayor Esther Manheimer and Police Chief Mike Lamb issued a joint statement urging residents to cooperate with police to help prevent retaliation and solve the crimes more quickly. “Addressing [gun violence] requires more than the...
Asheville River Arts District commemorates Hurricane Helene with event
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) — The River Arts District is a community that was hit hard during Hurricane Helene; now it’s back open and welcoming artists and visitors alike. It’s called RAD resilience, a celebration of the artists who are rebuilding after many lost years of hard work in the storm. On September 13, 10 a.m....
Civil rights suit filed against Haywood County, landfill operators
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Two out-of-state residents have filed a federal lawsuit accusing Haywood County officials, a sheriff’s deputy, and several landfill operators of assault, false imprisonment and civil rights violations tied to a June 2025 confrontation in Clyde. Joseph Joines of Maryland and Angelica...
Banks County man missing, car found in North Carolina
Banks County authorities are asking the public to help them find a man who hasn't been seen since last Friday afternoon. The Banks County Sheriff's Office said Conner Budd, age 26, was last seen leaving his home in the county at around 1:30 p.m. Friday, September 5. He was reportedly driving away from his home in a...
Man pleads guilty to second-degree murder, faces up to 15 years in prison
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — On Friday, Sept. 5, Javorie Ammon Thompson, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Jeruan Spencer, according to the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office. Spencer's body was discovered in a wooded area in Candler in August 2023. According to the...
FEMA approves additional $35M for Helene recovery, totaling more than $160M in August
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved an additional $35 million in reimbursement funds for North Carolina disaster recovery on Aug. 28, according to a news release from FEMA. The additional $35 million brings the total in August alone to more than $160 million in...
Volleyball Rallies for Split in Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Coming back from down two sets in the opener on Saturday, Western Carolina volleyball rallied in dramatic fashion for a reverse sweep of Bradley on Saturday afternoon from Harrah's Cherokee Center. The weekend concluded on Saturday night with a straight-set defeat at the hands of Charlotte in the...
USDA, Forest Service reorganization plan casts shadow over future of Asheville’s Southern Research Station
Sign up for free email updates from The Watchdog. You’ll be notified whenever we publish our latest award-winning investigative reporting, John Boyle’s Answer Man and Opinion columns, Tom Fiedler’s Democracy Watch, and more!. Last month, Ed Macie, a retired forester, came across a striking scene while hiking...
