Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers:
Question: I’m just wondering what is going to happen to the badly damaged MANNA FoodBank location on Swannanoa River Road. I pass by it almost every day, and all that’s been done is a chain link fence has been put up around the property.
My answer: Honestly, a chain-link fence is a lot more than what’s happened at some other damaged properties since Helene.
Real answer: MANNA’s former location at 627 Swannanoa River Road was a total loss, as I noted in a story in late March. Mary Nesbitt, MANNA’s chief development officer, said the nonprofit experienced $28 million in losses, a conservative estimate, as its two buildings, and everything inside, were completely destroyed.
MANNA did salvage its truck fleet by moving it ahead of the storm. The nonprofit, which serves 16 counties in western North Carolina, has relocated to a former FedEx facility in Mills River, a building that suits its needs well but requires a renovation to add freezer space.
The Swannanoa River Road location, which sat just yards from the river, had about 50,000 square feet of warehouse space in two buildings, with about 40 percent dedicated to refrigerated or frozen foods.
MANNA FoodBank’s two warehouse and operations buildings along Swannanoa River Road were destroyed by Tropical Storm Helene on Sept. 27. Fortunately, the nonprofit had a line on a location in Mills River and was able to continue operations. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
“MANNA has been working diligently for months to move through the approval process toward demolition and debris removal for our Swannanoa River Road properties,” Nesbitt told me last week via email. “Based on information that we received (April 22), we are hopeful that the demolition and debris removal will be approved and will be taking place in the near future.”
MANNA is “encouraged that there is movement in the approval process,” she said.
Mary Nesbitt, MANNA’s chief development officer. // Watchdog photo by Starr Sariego
Buncombe County property tax records show the 4.78 acre parcel that the two buildings sit on off Swannanoa River Road has an appraised tax value of $515,300. That’s for the land only, as the buildings are goners.
On Oct. 11, a city planning department employee made a note on the city’s permitting site about the property and several others along Swannanoa River Road. It states: “This is an FYI, the following addresses are structures located in the floodway that I will need very detailed information for as they may have to be removed due to substantial damage.”
Nesbitt said MANNA is sort of in “uncharted waters” as it waits to see what government regulations say about future uses of the property and what it can or cannot do with it.
“The answer is that we do not yet know what ‘allowable uses’ will be determined for the site,” Nesbitt said. “Once we have that information, we would like to sell, if that is possible.”
Developer Rusty Pulliam (who’s not affiliated with the site) said, in general, locations along the Swannanoa River that flooded badly can remain commercially viable. Pulliam, principal and CEO of Pulliam Properties, an Asheville-based commercial development company, said businesses that have moveable equipment or operations, such as a construction equipment rental company, would make the most sense along the river.
“I think a lot of people are learning with the technology that’s available now, you can sit on your couch and watch the Weather Channel each night, and it can pretty much tell you right on the money how much rain you’re gonna get,” Pulliam said. “So when they’ll call for these big storms, people can load up their product real quick and get it out of a building.”
Reusing or rebuilding structures is probably going to take longer than people think, though, Pulliam said, because property owners still have to navigate flood insurance payouts, bank loans and governmental regulations.
A reader asks if Charlotte Douglas International Airport has any plans to install a tram system to help passengers navigate the distances between its five concourses. // Photo provided by Charlotte
Question: So the one thing you did not touch on in the story of your recent travels was the fact that Charlotte Douglas International Airport does not seem to have any kind of light rail or shuttle system to facilitate passengers getting from one end of the airport to the other. They now have four or five terminals at Charlotte, and you are expected to walk everywhere. So fire off a question to Charlotte: Where is the tram to take you from terminal A or terminal One (whichever they call it) all the way to terminal four or terminal D without trying to kill yourself running? The small commuter planes like what we have here in Asheville go into the first terminal, and the big jets that go cross country go into the third or fourth terminal, so anybody traveling cross country from Asheville connecting through Charlotte has got to make this epic trek through the airport.
My answer: I’m still wheezing from my very unathletic trot/waddle across CLT.
Real answer: I did indeed “fire off” this question to the airport’s media relations team, and they offered a point of clarification first.
“CLT has one terminal with five connected concourses that have a high volume of connecting passenger traffic for customers flying on American Airlines,” the media relations team said, referring to concourses A through E. “In order to help customers traverse the terminal, there are over 125 elevators, escalators and moving walkways that assist customers making connections.”
Allow me a moment for a mini-rant here: If you get on the moving walkways, please keep walking, instead of just standing there enjoying the moving view. Generally, the tubby, profusely sweating person (me) behind you is running late for a connecting flight and using the magical walkway to speed things up.
But back to the lack of a tram or subway.
“Due to the layout of the terminal, it would be very difficult and costly to add a tram system to move customers to the different concourses,” the CLT media team said. “We are always looking for new opportunities to make our customers’ journey easier and will continue to look for ways to make improvements.”
So, keep the walking shoes handy.
Asheville Watchdog welcomes thoughtful reader comments on 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. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
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
The content provided is primarily a factual and neutral report focused on local issues such as the damage to a nonprofit food bank facility and logistical challenges at an airport. The tone is informative without showing an explicit political agenda or leaning. It addresses practical problems and responses from various stakeholders including nonprofit officials, developers, and public relations teams. The absence of charged political language or partisan viewpoints suggests a centrist bias, aiming to present balanced information rather than advocate for a particular political ideology.
SUMMARY: Steven Tan, charged with stabbing two women and assaulting a child in Nightdale, made his first court appearance today. Tan allegedly stabbed his wife and another woman early Sunday and assaulted his wife’s seven-year-old daughter, though the child was not stabbed. He later rammed his car into a police vehicle, injuring an officer. Tan faces multiple charges, including assault and attempted murder. One victim sustained life-threatening injuries, but both are recovering. Tan, who had a recent conviction for sexual battery and assault, has a court date scheduled for May 16. His bond was denied.
A man faces multiple assault charges, including child assault, after two women were stabbed Sunday morning in a Knightdale neighborhood.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-29 07:02:00
(The Center Square) – Increasing trade policy activity by the United States and other countries has left 8 in 10 Americans with rising concerns on the cost of things they buy, a poll originating out of North Carolina says.
“Much higher” prices are expected by 43% of respondents when asked “How much do you think the new tariffs imposed by the United States will affect the cost of things you buy?” Another 37% said they expect “somewhat higher” prices, according to a segment of the Elon University Poll released Tuesday morning.
Those results are in line with a poll released last week from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About half expect prices to go up a lot and another 30% say somewhat higher. Most poll results released in the last week indicate some kind of question related to inflation, higher prices and trade policy, and answers reflect growing concern.
Elon University said 1,149 adults age 18 and older were interviewed April 10-17 and matched down to the 1,000 sample. Margin of error is +/- 3.58%. The university funds and operates the poll “as the neutral, nonbiased information resource.”
The demographics split was balanced for those expecting trade policy to cause “much higher” consumer prices. That includes income levels of less than $50,000 (44%), $50,000 to $100,000 (40%) and $100,000 or more (44%); Blacks (55%) and white or non-Hispanics (38%); women (49%) and men (37%); age 45 and up (44%) and ages 18-44 (42%); and those with a four-year degree (45%) and those without (42%).
Party allegiance was different for the “much higher” answer. Democrats (75%) were more represented than independents (42%) or Republicans (14%). Of those saying “somewhat higher,” 51% were Republicans, 38% independents and 21% Democrats.
Asked about summer vacation plans due to the economy, 47% anticipate little or no change and 33% plan to spend less and stay closer to home.
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 content presents poll data related to trade policy and its perceived impact on consumer prices without taking a clear partisan stance. It reports factual information from a university poll and highlights various demographic and party affiliations objectively. The language is neutral, focusing on the polling results and public opinion without editorializing, making it centrist in nature.
by Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press April 29, 2025
The State Health Plan is deeply in debt. To get out of the red, the 750,000 employees who receive coverage will experience something many were hoping to avoid: the first significant premium increase in nearly a decade.
It’s part of the strategy from Brad Briner, North Carolina’s treasurer, to pay off a $507 million shortfall the State Health Plan has accrued due to dramatic increases in the cost of health coverage — a deficit which is projected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2027.
State employees will face a minimum $20 increase in monthly premiums for their health insurance starting in 2026. Those premiums could reach an additional $110 per month. Deductibles and co-pays will increase as well.
The premium hike will affect even the lowest-paid state employees at a time when many North Carolina agencies face staffing shortages and recruitment challenges.
It all comes after a potential problem was foreshadowed last year by former Treasurer Dale Folwell, who said the State Health Plan — which covers about 8% of North Carolina residents who have medical coverage — may be unable to stay afloat by fall 2026 due to the aforementioned rising costs in care. North Carolina ranks No. 1 in health care costs by state and has the most expensive health care in the nation, according to Forbes.
But Briner doesn’t intend to let the State Health Plan drown in debt.
Paying the price
Folwell’s solution was to have the General Assembly open its wallet.
However, Briner’s plan requires state employees to open theirs as well.
The base premium for state employees will rise from $25 to $45 monthly next year. Increases will reach $110 for the highest-paid employees. Deductibles will increase anywhere from $3,000 to $9,000. Co-pays will rise between $20 and $45 per visit.
All together, it will bring $100 million back into the plan, Briner said.
But he isn’t stopping there. He asked for another $100 million from the legislature, and lawmakers delivered in this year’s proposed Senate budget.
State Treasurer Brad Briner is faced with a $507 million deficit in the State Health Plan due to dramatic increases in the cost of medical coverage. Office of the State Treasurer / Provided
“The Senate gave us everything we hoped they would give us, and we are really, really appreciative that they found the money in a year that everybody knows is really tight,” Briner told Carolina Public Press. “Their number one priority is not the State Health Plan right now. It’s not the State Pension Plan. It is rebuilding Western North Carolina, and we certainly understand that.”
The $100 million could be a boon — provided the House approves the budget and it crosses Gov. Josh Stein’s desk in one piece.
Additionally, $25 million of it is earmarked to bring weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro back into the plan.
In 2023, as a cost-cutting measure, the plan stopped covering the blockbuster drugs. Now, those drugs will be covered once again for state employees who qualify.
“I tend to think about drugs — the useful ones — in one of two ways,” Briner explained. “Either they have a profound impact on a small population or they have a small impact on a profound population. It’s rare that you have a medicine that is both profound in impact and enormous in population, and (these drugs) are that.”
State Health Plan increase ‘significantly high’
But the premium increase is a disturbing development for state employees.
Low salaries are a problem across agencies. At the NC Forest Service, for example, there are 100 vacancies, due in part to a lack of competitive pay. Now, those who chose to work for the service will face higher costs for health insurance.
And it’s not just firefighters. Teachers, too, have been dealing with pay issues.
“We are against any increase to the premiums for public school employees because we know that this increase will take more money out of our educators’ paychecks in a state where our educators are very much underpaid,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, which represents public school workers across the state. “We know that it could be one of the many things that continues to drive our educators out of a profession in a time where we are facing an educator shortage here in North Carolina.”
Recently, the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union held a statewide protest over the price hikes, which they characterized as “attacks on the State Health Plan.”
“As public workers,” union leader Charles Owens said in a statement, “we aren’t being taken care of by our lawmakers.”
While Briner frames the monthly increases as a necessary measure to save the health plan, Walker Kelly sees it as a financial burden on those who receive coverage.
“A $20 increase is significantly high, especially when we are talking about educators who have not seen a significant increase in their base pay from the state of North Carolina in quite some time,” she said. “Twenty dollars is whether or not I can put gas in my car to take myself to and from work.
“It may seem like a relatively low number on paper, but it provides significant challenges to the economic well-being of our educators throughout the state.”
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 presents a critical view of premium increases impacting state employees, emphasizing the financial burden on low-paid workers like educators and public service employees. It highlights concerns from union leaders and employee representatives, which aligns with a center-left perspective focused on labor rights and social welfare. However, it also fairly presents the fiscal challenges and responses from state officials, reflecting a balanced approach without extreme partisanship. The article advocates for protecting workers’ economic well-being while acknowledging governmental budget constraints, typical of a center-left stance.
