Questions about trash pickup aren’t abating for @avlwatchdog’s Answer Man. A reader wonders what Waste Pro, Buncombe County’s former trash services contractor, plans to do with its cans that still remain on area streets. #avlnews

The resident leaders of a Woodfin assisted living facility cited for multiple health and safety violations in 2024 say they see improvements and are confident in the leadership of a new management team. @avlnews

The man who stabbed a pet dog to death at Asheville's Weaver Park while its owner played pickleball nearby, will be released from state custody after pleading guilty Monday to one felony count of cruelty to animals. #avlnews

The John B. Lewis Soccer Complex and other Asheville-area riverside parks will flood again, and taxpayers must decide if they want to keep spending money every few years to scrape off the mud, John Boyle writes in today’s Opinion column. #avlnews

Unsightly debris that has plagued mountain rivers since Helene’s destructive flooding Sept. 27 will be removed by June 1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday, including downed trees, vegetation, vehicles, and other detritus. #avlnews

The man charged in the stabbing death of a pet dog while its owner played pickleball at an Asheville park will have a sentencing hearing Monday in Buncombe County that could lead to his release. #avlnews

John Boyle separates fact from fiction after a reader writes in to say that employees at Asheville's VA were told the hospital would close by year's end. #avlnews

UNCA and all campuses within the UNC System are immediately suspending general education and major-specific requirements mandating completion of course credits related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to a Feb. 5 memo obtained by @AVLWatchdog

In a sign of our rapid growth, we've hired our first director of development. Here are the details .... #avlnews

While nearly all the Helene-damaged bridges in Buncombe County have been temporarily repaired, along with hundreds of roadbed washouts, permanent repairs on many of the sites may take years. John Boyle has the story. #avlnews

Tropical Storm Helene’s trail of devastation left an extraordinary amount of plastic in trees along rivers and streams. In today’s Answer Man, John Boyle explains why there’s so much and how long it might take to remove it all. #avlnews

A passenger jet on its initial approach to the Asheville Regional Airport in October came within seconds of colliding midair with a private plane in a harrowing incident described by the jet’s captain in federal data obtained by @AvlWatchdog. #avlnews

The legal battle between Orange Peel Events/Public Interest Projects and Asheville Pizza & Brewing, now known as Ninja Brewing, is not what post-Helene Asheville needs right now, John Boyle writes in today's Opinion column.

ICYMI: @AvlWatchdog investigative reporter Sally Kestin examined state regulators' records from their inspections of a North Asheville assisted living community. Here's what she found. #avlnews

Mission Hospital is trying to keep acute care beds it gave up when it closed Asheville Specialty Hospital late last year, according to a letter obtained by Asheville Watchdog. But a 22-year-old legal document prohibits it from doing so. #avlnews

In today’s Answer Man, John Boyle provides some good news about the road work on Patton Avenue. John also looks into whether the county landfill has enough space to accommodate all the Helene debris. #avlnews

The decision to sell Mission Health to HCA was made behind closed doors, and, contrary to promises made by leadership at the time of the sale, did not lead to lasting improvements at the hospital, according to the final installments of an academic study.

In today's opinion column, John Boyle looks at the rocky transition since FCC Environmental took over waste pickup for Buncombe County. There have been numerous complaints from residents about missed pickups and unresponsiveness to service complaints.

Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump returned to storm-battered Asheville and Swannanoa on Friday and outlined a vague plan to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shift disaster-recovery responsibilities to state governments. #avlnews

In its first appearance at a Tropical Storm Helene briefing since before Christmas, the Asheville Water Resources Department delivered more good news for customers regarding lead testing results and improving turbidity at North Fork Reservoir. #avlnews