News from the South - North Carolina News Feed
Arrest made in threat that forced FEMA operations to pause briefly in North Carolina
SUMMARY: Rescue and recovery efforts continue in western areas, but unsettling reports of targeting female workers demand action. Assistance teams now operate from secure locations due to threats as FEMA evaluates the situation. Information sharing is vital, with officials combating misinformation that has spread on social media regarding the federal response to the disaster. Local leaders, including Rep. Caleb Rudow, emphasize community cooperation amid challenges. Journalist Bill Adair highlights the politicization of disaster responses, noting that false claims can deter future involvement in recovery efforts. Initial reports of militia threats were debunked, revealing the need for accurate information dissemination.

A North Carolina man was arrested for allegedly threatening the lives of FEMA employees who were helping Hurricane Helene victims.
Story: https://abc11.com/post/fema-threats-helene-relief-operations-paused-north-carolina-due-reports-armed-militia-threatening-crews/15427615/
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News from the South - North Carolina News Feed
Appointment power for election boards remains with NC governor
For the fifth time in a decade, a court has decided that the legislature cannot remove a governor’s power to appoint election board members. During a hearing last week in Wake County Superior Court, a three-judge panel ruled that a law attempting to give the governor’s elections appointment power to the state auditor would make it impossible for the chief executive to do their job as the North Carolina Constitution requires.
Currently, county election boards are comprised of five members, with two each coming from the Democratic and Republican parties. The governor gets to appoint the chair.
The governor also chooses all State Board of Elections members.
Ultimately, those appointment powers can give the governor, and by extension their political party, tremendous influence on election matters.
Since former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won office in 2016, Republican lawmakers have made numerous attempts to take that deciding vote away.
Each time, they’ve fallen short.
In this latest attempt, the Republican defendants — Senate leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Destin Hall and State Auditor Dave Boliek — said they will appeal the ruling. While the players are different this time around, the case will undoubtedly end up in the hands of the state Supreme Court.
The state’s highest court has seen this play out before. But that was in 2017 when Democrats held the majority and narrowly struck down a separate attempt.
Eight years later, things have changed. Republicans hold a 5-2 advantage. That could make all the difference.
Appointment power and executive ‘hopscotch’
If courts ultimately side with the legislature, North Carolina will be the first state that grants any elections power to a state auditor.
Usually, that duty goes to a secretary of state, if anyone, but a Democrat won that office in the most recent election.
Ann Webb, the policy director for Common Cause North Carolina, hopes courts see through the “partisanship” of legislators.
But partisanship isn’t necessarily unconstitutional, as legislative attorney Matthew Tilley noted during arguments before the Wake County court.
In response, Wake County Superior Court Judge Lisa Hamilton said if they allowed this maneuver, there would be nothing stopping a future legislature from shifting election appointment power to another executive office, like the treasurer or agricultural commissioner, to ensure their party maintained control.
“I’m hoping that we’re not going to hopscotch around all nine members of the Council of State until we finally land on the one that would be appropriate,” Hamilton said during the hearing.
The court’s order reflected this concern.
While the General Assembly is allowed to assign duties to members of the Council of State, that right stops where the governor’s constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws begins, the court ruled. The faithful execution of the laws is not a shared duty among all Council of State members, they continued.
Partisanship takes center stage
The final battle is set for the NC Supreme Court.
There, the major dynamic will be “partisan perspectives and allegiance versus constitutional principles,” Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer said.
“I think the expectation is that partisanship will be a determinative factor,” he said. “Whether it’s clearly enunciated in an opinion, I think we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Webb agrees. The state Supreme Court has shown a willingness to act in partisan ways, particularly when it comes to giving the legislature power, she said.
“It’s going to be very interesting to watch whether the state Supreme Court is willing to overturn its own precedent or twist the interpretation of its own precedent to allow that (power shift) to happen.”
North Carolina doesn’t have a particularly powerful governor, but that position does come with some fundamental executive power, Webb continued.
“If that gets dissolved piece by piece by the legislature, then we end up with a false pretense of an executive branch, and that’s not how it’s supposed to work and that’s not how voters assume it’s going to work,” she said.
Legislative leaders haven’t exactly shied away from the partisan angle.
In a statement on social media after the Wake County ruling, Hall, the House Speaker, said the Democratic-controlled State Board runs elections like its operating in “a banana republic, making up the rules as it goes.”
Pat Gannon, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections, objected to the characterization.
“These accusations about the bipartisan-run elections in our state are unfortunate and unfounded. In accordance with state and federal law, North Carolina’s voter rolls are maintained through careful processes that protect our elections and the rights of the voters,” he said in a statement to Carolina Public Press.
If the sixth time’s not the charm, Webb hopes legislators will finally stop. Or, at least, take the Democratic route in attaining appointment power: winning gubernatorial elections.
This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The post Appointment power for election boards remains with NC governor appeared first on carolinapublicpress.org
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The content primarily reflects a Center-Left bias due to its focus on the implications of legislative actions concerning electoral processes in North Carolina, highlighting the tensions between Republican lawmakers and the Democratic governor. It emphasizes concerns about partisanship and the influence of political parties on election integrity, while featuring perspectives from advocacy groups like Common Cause, which are generally aligned with progressive values. The content presents legal arguments that defend the governor’s authority in a manner that leans towards retaining Democratic influence in election matters. Overall, the tone suggests a greater concern for maintaining checks on legislative power than for advocating any specific partisan agenda.
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed
Yes, it always seems we have room for one more development, regardless of traffic • Asheville Watchdog
If you’ve never driven Springside Road in South Asheville, it’s a bit of an adventure.

The two-lane road, a popular cut-through between Overlook and Hendersonville roads, is hilly in places, and a little curvy. You don’t want to stop in the road in one of those blind dips, and trying to exit one of the side streets that lead to it can be downright nerve-wracking.
Now a developer wants to put 37 homes on two lots at 93 and 95 Springside, totaling 5.82 acres. Ultimately, it will need a City Council-approved rezoning that allows more density than the current zoning designation.
Not surprisingly, neighbors are not happy about this. About 40 residents filed written comments with the city’s planning and zoning board before its April 2 meeting, and a bunch turned out to speak about it in person.
Now, I know the first thought for some of you is going to be: “Well, there go the NIMBYs again, not wanting anything built in their backyards.”
I get that. We are a city that badly needs more housing, and infill projects where it makes sense.
But what’s interesting to me on this one is this fact: South Asheville has really taken the development bullet for pretty much the whole city over the past decade or so.

Thousands of apartments have gone up in Asheville during that time, as I’ve noted before, and South Asheville, Arden and Skyland have borne the brunt of that development. If you’ve ever had the joy of driving Hendersonville or Sweeten Creek roads at rush hour (which now seems to run from about 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.), you know what I mean.
It’s a crowded mess.
At that April 2 meeting, John Maddux, whose backyard abuts Springside, put it nicely. Maddux is a deputy city attorney for Asheville, but he made it clear he was speaking as a resident, not in his official capacity.
“South Asheville has already absorbed multiple large-scale developments very close to the site,” Maddux said. “Hundreds of units are going up on Long Shoals Road. Drive down Sweeten Creek Road. Hundreds of units are going in down there.”
Maddux noted that all of this is since the data went into the city’s “Missing Middle” housing study that suggested Asheville needs much more housing, particularly dense types that include apartments, duplexes, townhomes and more.
His point was that “South Asheville is doing its part.
“The plans that we have put to the city all say that density should be distributed equitably around the city,” Maddux said. “It would be inequitable to keep pushing density into South Asheville. I know this is 37 houses, but this is 37 houses in an area that’s not supposed to take 37 houses.”
To me, that’s the gist here. It’s an already crowded area with a large population, not to mention four schools within a few miles and busy commercial strips nearby.
Residents’ emails repeatedly brought up safety concerns about the lack of sidewalks along Springside and how dangerous that road can already be. Quite a few also said they’re not opposed to development on the vacant, wooded site, but they just want it scaled back.
“I am not opposed to this land being developed, as I understand that Asheville is growing and housing is needed,” Barbara Reeves wrote. “But developing this land needs to be done reasonably, thoughtfully, and responsibly.”
She said she’s spoken with many community members who just want a chance “to work together with the city and with a developer,” so they can “propose a solution that is in keeping with the surrounding neighborhoods.”
That April 2 meeting lasted more than three hours, and when the planning and zoning board asked the developer to consider changes to the project, its lawyer asked for the meeting to be continued. The board voted to table the matter until the May 7 meeting.
Here’s an interesting point, though, as pointed out by one of the board members: By right and current zoning, the developer can build 31 units on the site “and doesn’t have to ask anyone’s approval.”
‘The balancing act’ and steadily increasing traffic
Planning and zoning board member Jason Seickel was pretty blunt in one other assessment. Regarding traffic, he said he and other board members have been going down to Springside to drive it, especially in the mornings when school traffic is hitting.
“And yes, I agree that it’s bad, but I mean, unfortunately, a lot of Asheville is bad,” Seickel said, noting that he lives in that part of town and lives the traffic every day. But he also mentioned the housing shortage.
“This commission, we have to balance the needs of individual communities with needs of the larger community as well, too,” Seikel said. “There is a housing shortage. There is a cost-of-living crisis that outside of this room, (the board) also has to deal with, too. So, I hope you understand this — the balancing act.”
Typically that balancing act favors development, partly because of the aforementioned ability to build “by right.” Some of this goes back to old English Common Law and property rights, which run strong in our country — you have a lot when it comes to your property.
Traffic in this area, like much of Buncombe, has only increased in recent years. The NCDOT traffic count map doesn’t provide a vehicles-per-day count for Springside Road, but Hendersonville Road just south of Springside carried 30,500 vehicles a day in 2022. That’s up from 23,000 a day in 2010.
Long Shoals Road, now another major corridor down south, carried 28,500 vehicles a day in 2022, up from 18,000 a day in 2010.
Sure, adding 37 vehicles, or maybe twice that if each household has two cars, isn’t going to break the camel’s back. But it adds to the cumulative effect down south that has been building for more than a decade and has made life unpleasant, if not dangerous at times.
Honestly, if I’m in downtown Asheville after 4 p.m., I just opt to go home to Fletcher via Charlotte Highway and Cane Creek Road, which is five miles longer but 20 minutes faster. That’s mainly because I-26 remains a nightmare until you get to the newly opened lanes in Henderson County, and the other two north-south corridors, Hendersonville and Sweeten Creek roads, are parking lots.

The development does check a lot of the city’s goals
To be fair, it’s not like this proposal is some kind of monstrosity that would make people faint from shock. It is denser than the current zoning allows – it would come out to 6.4 units per acre – but it checks some of the boxes the city wants these days for infill housing.
The developer is listed as Sage Communities LLC of Hendersonville. I reached out for comment but didn’t hear back by deadline.
For the meeting, city planning staff provided a “proposed ordinance change” that states the proposal is consistent with the city’s plan called “Living Asheville — A Comprehensive Plan for our Future.” Staff determined the proposal “to be reasonable, and in the public interest for the following reasons:
a) Prioritizes greater densities of development overall, throughout the city as appropriate
b) Eliminates gaps in the sidewalk network
c) Maintains and enhances buffers and open space preservation along creeks, streams and rivers
The materials also note the subdivision would have three new access points off of Springside Road, and new sidewalks are proposed along the north side of Springside, as well as along both sides of a private road in the development. Additionally, a crosswalk is proposed across Springside Road, although neighbors questioned how safe this would be.

The city’s documents state the development “partially supports” several goals in the Living Asheville plan, including encouraging responsible growth “prioritizing greater densities of development overall,” as that helps achieve more walkable and efficient urban environments.
Also, while the project does propose single-family houses ”at a higher density than the current zoning would otherwise allow, it could reduce the footprint of the development by exploring different building types such as duplexes, townhomes, and small-scale multi-family in order to provide the same number of housing units while disturbing less of the overall site.”
The proposed homes are consistent “with the land use of the surrounding residential neighborhoods,” although they’re more densely packed, the report notes.
The report also says the development will, “Celebrate the unique identity of neighborhoods through creative placemaking — by supporting contextually appropriate infill development and a variety of housing types.”
OK, I coughed up a little lunch on that one. I mean, come on, packing in as many homes as possible is not all that creative.
The planning report dinged the development for not supporting Living Asheville goals including increasing affordable housing, and minimizing the environmental Impact on steep slopes and mature forests and wildlife habitats. It also would increase impervious surfaces.
Further, the report stated: “The proposed project is partially compatible with the surrounding land uses, including: Existing residential neighborhoods to the north, east, and south zoned Residential Single-Family Medium Density District.”
Clearly, neighbors beg to differ on the compatibility issue.
The upshot here is that some version of this development proposal is going to pass, and I suspect it will be one very close to what the developers are pursuing.
Sure, the developer will make some tweaks — save a little open space here, add more buffering there — but the company can build a fair number of units any way you slice it. And will.
And the traffic and safety situation down south, not to mention livability, will get just a little bit worse.
Asheville Watchdog welcomes thoughtful reader comments about this story, which has been republished on our Facebook page. Please submit your comments there.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
Related
The post Yes, it always seems we have room for one more development, regardless of traffic • Asheville Watchdog appeared first on avlwatchdog.org
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This article presents a balanced perspective on the issue of housing development in Asheville, considering both the need for increased housing and the concerns of local residents about density, traffic, and safety. It highlights the challenges of urban growth without strongly favoring either the developer’s or the neighbors’ viewpoints. The tone remains factual and measured, reflecting an attempt to inform rather than advocate for a particular political agenda, which aligns with a centrist bias.
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed
Dogwood Festival resumes after reports of gunfire Saturday night
SUMMARY: The Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville resumed after a brief evacuation due to gunfire reports on Saturday night. Organizers decided to proceed with the event, emphasizing its significance and the hard work involved in planning the 43rd annual festival. While gunshots were heard around 8:30 PM, police found no injuries, only a car with bullet holes. Attendees enjoyed food, music, and activities despite last night’s scare. Many felt safe and chose to celebrate, with vendors reporting a successful day. The festival concluded at 8 PM, but the atmosphere remained upbeat as families enjoyed treats and entertainment.

The Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville was back in full swing on Sunday after a nearby shooting caused festivities to end early on Saturday night.
https://abc11.com/post/police-investigating-reports-gunfire-dogwood-festival-fayetteville/16257207/
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