Mountain Xpress

Asheville Citizen-Times employees will be forced to take unpaid time off in the first three months of next year, according to a new round of cost-saving measures announced by corporate owner Gannett Co. this week. The furloughs, which will affect employees at all of Gannett’s 82 community newspapers, started this year when Gannett required employees to take unpaid time off in the first and ... Full Story »

On Jan. 5, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners may replace an official prayer before its meetings with a moment of silence, according to County Attorney Michael Frue. Contrary to Frue’s original announcement, the commissioners have not yet made a decision. “I probably erred by implying they had taken action or made a decision,” Frue told Xpress. “I shouldn’t have assumed they would ... Full Story »

The UNC-Asheville chapter of the Students for a Democratic Society will stage a protest at the Federal Building on Patton Avenue in response to the planned escalation of the Afghanistan war. The group announced the protest Thursday via its website, two days after President Barack Obama’s address in which he promised 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan. According to the group’s press release ... Full Story »

Asheville facing $5.1 million budget shortfall next year Asheville City Council Nov. 24 Council contemplates living-wage requirement for city contractors Council members approve federal-stimulus-backed infrastructure projects City signs off on parts of Woodfin annexation deal For the Asheville City Council, Nov. 24 was a day of transition. It marked the last meeting for Kelly Miller, Robin Cape ... Full Story »

Six months have passed since the first case of H1N1 cropped up in North Carolina. Meanwhile, the more familiar seasonal flu is only now about to start making its annual appearance. Take your best shot: Buncombe County's Disease Control Supervisor preps a dose of the H1N1 vaccine. The Health Department has administered 5,600 doses so far, but the novel strain may be back for another round as ... Full Story »

On May 8, Stuart Peterson and two other men robbed the F&J Food Mart on Biltmore Avenue at gunpoint. A witness to the gang-related heist described their vehicle to police, and all three were soon caught and charged with armed robbery. It was Peterson's first felony arrest. A new leaf: Stuart Peterson, center, with fellow Asheville GO member Miguel Newsom (left) and co-director Dan Leroy during a ... Full Story »

As the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners enters the final month of 2009, its agenda for Tuesday’s meeting appears simple: give zoning final approval; appoint vice chair; appoint some board members; go home. While the commissioners voted 4-1 to reinstate countywide zoning in late November, state law requires a second reading of the new ordinance. During the last meeting, county residents ... Full Story »

In the mid-1960s, the aluminum Christmas tree was the height of sophistication. Now, like many other accoutrements from that era, they are prized for their vintage tackiness. Now, Brevard is bringing it all back with the Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum (conveniently shortened to ATOM by omitting some words) at the Transylvania Heritage Museum. This is a full ... Full Story »