Blue Ridge Public Radio

Blue Ridge Public Radio BPR informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina.

Blue Ridge Public Radio creates and curates content that informs, inspires, connects, and reflects the people and places of Western North Carolina. BPR cultivates a more engaged, curious, and empathetic public by listening deeply and embracing diversity.

Chuck Edwards went to the House floor Tuesday with one last chance to convince his colleagues that the ethics case again...
09/03/2026

Chuck Edwards went to the House floor Tuesday with one last chance to convince his colleagues that the ethics case against him had gone too far.

"I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment," Edwards said. "And the factual findings of this investigation do not justify branding me as though I did."

His colleagues weren't persuaded. The House voted 413-2 to censure him, with only Edwards and South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman voting no. Afterward, Edwards wrote on social media: "I respect the House vote. I do not accept the conclusion that it produced." He went further, saying he would "not confess to conduct I did not commit simply to make this moment easier," and that he would "leave this chapter with my head held high."

It was his last stand in a defense he'd been building for weeks. In an Aug. 25 letter to fellow House members, he argued the committee had stretched the evidence too far. "An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition," he wrote. "A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct."

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

After years of warning, one of Asheville’s largest homeless shelters is facing permanent closure. The Salvation Army Cen...
09/02/2026

After years of warning, one of Asheville’s largest homeless shelters is facing permanent closure.

The Salvation Army Center of Hope made the decision to pause shelter services for six months after the nonprofit ran through its final installment of federal funding.

Shelter leader Phillip Stokes says he needs to raise $1.2 million in operational costs by next spring to resume services at the downtown Asheville facility.

“We’re gonna do everything we can until April 30,” Stokes said. “But the reality is, come April 30th, if the funding's not there. Like this place will probably end up shutting down.”

Public records show the Center of Hope has been at risk of closing since at least 2024. It has made multiple appeals for additional funding, but Asheville and Buncombe County leaders told BPR they do not have any plans to provide the shelter with more funding, after allocating nearly $2 million in federal grants in the last few years.

In an interview with BPR, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said it’s not sustainable to keep the shelter open with public funds.

“If we could afford to do that, which we can't, that would only be a short-term solution,” she said. “There's got to be a long-term operational solution for Salvation Army that isn't dependent on city funding or even county funding.”

The pause in services comes at a particularly tough time, as homelessness continues to rise in the Asheville area.

The 2026 Point in Time count logged 824 people who are unhoused in the survey area – a number that has jumped 50% since 2020.

Hurricane Helene played a major role in that increase, pulling an estimated 130 more people into homelessness.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

North Carolina health officials are warning that people in Asheville and Hendersonville may have been exposed to measles...
09/01/2026

North Carolina health officials are warning that people in Asheville and Hendersonville may have been exposed to measles after a person from another state traveled through the area while infectious.

People who were at either of these locations may have been exposed:

Hendersonville: Exxon, 1920 Four Seasons Blvd., on Aug. 25 from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. People who were there should monitor for symptoms through Sept. 15.

Asheville: Holiday Inn Express, 435 Smokey Park Highway, on Aug. 26 from 1 to 10:30 a.m. People who were there should monitor for symptoms through Sept. 16.

The hotel and gas station are cooperating with local health departments to make patrons and staff aware of the potential exposure.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Some WNC locals took to the streets ahead of this week’s G20 Finance Track meetings. Here’s what they had to say. Read f...
08/31/2026

Some WNC locals took to the streets ahead of this week’s G20 Finance Track meetings.

Here’s what they had to say.

Read full story at link in bio.

✍️Reporting by Felicia Sonmez for Blue Ridge Public Radio/BPR

đź“·Photos and videos courtesy of Felicia Sonmez

Hundreds of financial leaders, central bank governors and journalists from the world’s largest economies have arrived in...
08/31/2026

Hundreds of financial leaders, central bank governors and journalists from the world’s largest economies have arrived in Asheville for this week’s G20 finance track meeting.

The gathering at the Omni Grove Park Inn will put a global spotlight on Western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene. It’s also expected to bring up to $2 million in spending at local businesses.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared a video on X Sunday evening that highlighted the Trump administration’s efforts to support the recovery, pointing to $5 billion in post-storm federal assistance.

But the damage caused by the historic disaster far eclipses that amount.

In recent days, demonstrators hit the streets of Asheville to protest what they said is the failure of the Trump administration and Congress to help Western North Carolina fully rebuild.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is rejecting the House Ethics Committee’s conclusion that he sexually harassed two female fo...
08/28/2026

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is rejecting the House Ethics Committee’s conclusion that he sexually harassed two female former staff members.

Edwards, who has represented North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District since 2023, is making his case to colleagues ahead of a possible censure vote next week.

In a statement Thursday, Edwards said he “unequivocally rejects” the ethics committee’s conclusion that he engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward the staffers.

"Sexual harassment is a serious offense. One that deserves to be defined clearly, investigated fairly, and established by evidence—not inference or speculation,” Edwards said, adding that the committee’s conclusions “do not accurately reflect the facts or the full context surrounding these allegations.”

According to NOTUS, a news outlet based in Washington, D.C., Edwards also circulated a letter Thursday in which he urged fellow House members not to censure him.

“An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition,” Edwards wrote in the letter, according to NOTUS. “A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct.”

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Asheville City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to end the city’s contract with automatic license plate reader provider Flock S...
08/27/2026

Asheville City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to end the city’s contract with automatic license plate reader provider Flock Safety, but it rejected calls for city government to stop all use of the technology.

Council also adopted changes to development rules to make it easier to build duplexes and accessory dwelling units in much of the city in an attempt to increase housing supply.

A stream of speakers asked Council to get rid of all automated license plate readers it uses in addition to the 11 cameras Flock provides for city government, arguing that the cameras are an invasion of privacy and the data they collect can be misused. The city also has dashboard-mounted cameras on police cruisers that collect license plate data. They are provided by a different company, Axon.

Ending the Flock contract is “a solid step toward protecting the privacy of Asheville residents,” Jen Hampton told Council before the vote. “But, let’s be completely honest with each other tonight. This move does look like a total bait and switch.”

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Starting this weekend, Asheville will have a rare international spotlight as global finance leaders touch down in the ci...
08/25/2026

Starting this weekend, Asheville will have a rare international spotlight as global finance leaders touch down in the city for a pair of high-profile G20 meetings.

The economic forum, which runs Aug. 29 through Sept. 1, welcomes finance ministers, central bank governors, roughly 200 journalists and a slew of Fortune 500 executives from the world’s leading economies. The first two days involve discussions among financial deputies, ahead of the main meeting on Monday and Tuesday.

Attendees are expected to discuss financial regulation, global economic “imbalances,” cryptocurrency and the United States’ $40 trillion debt, among other things. A $1 million federal contract indicates that the event will take place at the Omni Grove Park Inn, a historic luxury hotel just north of downtown Asheville.

As the city prepares to host roughly 1,000 visitors, the appearance of so many powerful economic leaders is hitting a raw nerve for some Asheville residents. The Trump administration has framed the event as an opportunity to spotlight the region’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, the most deadly and expensive storm in the state’s history.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Asheville City Council essentially gave its blessing Thursday to postponing consideration of a revamp of the city’s bus ...
08/24/2026

Asheville City Council essentially gave its blessing Thursday to postponing consideration of a revamp of the city’s bus routes that sparked significant opposition from people dependent on the transit system.

Council had been scheduled to vote next week on a proposal to eliminate some less used bus routes and increase the frequency of service along key city corridors. The intention was to get more people to use the system but without a significant increase in city spending on transit.

But Mayor Esther Manheimer this week said a vote would be postponed because of concerns by many city residents that losing routes would be a hardship for people who do not drive or live in neighborhoods that would no longer be served by the system.

FULL STORY IN THE COMMENTS 👇

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