With lawmakers back in Raleigh, we’re speaking with some of those members from out here in the west. Today, John Ager, a Democrat of Buncombe County. Ager is a farmer out of Fairview serving his second term in the North Carolina House.

Impact fees are imposed by cities and counties on developers to help pay for infrastructure costs associated with new development. For example, if a hotel is built a city or county might impose a fee to help pay for any necessary traffic lights, roads, water needs, etc. HB436 would outlaw the practice. It was filed by the powerful House Speaker Pro Tem Sarah Stevens of Mt. Airy. Its only other co-sponsor is Bryson City Republican Mike Clampitt.

On Tuesday, the Asheville city council will discuss the results of a poll it commissioned regarding the creation of districts for future elections. In response to last year’s bill in the General Assembly that would have created districts for city council elections, current council members decided they would pay for a poll to gauge voter interest on a potential switch from at-large seats. The results - 54% of those polled say the city should keep its current system. But, 72% believe the issue

The Eclipse Science-Art Competition Deadline has been extended to June 15!

Western North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows chairs the ‘Freedom Caucus’, a group of hardline conservatives known for their aversion to government spending and desire for deep budget cuts. But there’s one federal program Meadows does not want to see slashed. It’s one that operates in his backyard. The Appalachian Regional Commission gives federal funding to parts of 13 U.S. states to aid job creation and infrastructure upgrades. Congressman Meadows Western North Carolina district almost

Last year’s wave of wildfires is still fresh in the mind's of many mountain residents. Whether that was a one-time event or the new normal is something environmental groups from Western North Carolina are trying to figure out. It was a packed house at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, as well over a hundred residents turned out for the “Before We Burn Again” panel discussion. The goal of the event was simple: to raise awareness about the threat of future wildfires in the mountains, after

Congressman Mark Meadows says “steps in a positive direction” are being made in regards to resurrecting Republican hopes of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, known to many as "Obamacare". The Western North Carolina Republican chairs the ‘Freedom Caucus’, which consists of the most conservative members of the GOP-controlled Congress. Their opposition to the initial health care bill led Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump to pull it before it was voted on. The Trump

A bipartisan bill sponsored by Henderson County Republican Representative Chuck McGrady aims to give more flexibility to North Carolina craft brewers to run their businesses. At a news conference last week, McGrady unveiled House Bill 500 , an omnibus bill making changes to the way alcohol is governed in the state.

Among the many federal programs and agencies President Donald Trump is proposing to eliminate in his budget plan is the Appalachian Regional Commission . The agency serves parts of 13 states, including Western North Carolina . President John F. Kennedy first proposed the ARC, though it was not officially created until after his death. Smoky Mountain News reporter Corey Vaillancourt stopped by BPR News studios to discuss the history, reach, and impact of the Appalachian Regional Commission - and

In the dining hall of the VA Community Living Center in Asheville, 96 year old Wayne Carringer sat tall in his wheelchair, stationed next to the podium, where former State Representative Joe Sam Queen, recalled the brutal highlights of his distinguished military career “He has lived the blood and guts of history, and served admirably “ Former State Representative Joe Sam Queen told the crowd. The Graham county native had been stationed in the Philippines for just two weeks when Pearl Harbor was