A ban on handheld cell phone use by drivers will be one of the first bills lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly will be take up next year. Texting and driving is against the law in North Carolina. But talking on the phone is still legal for most motorists, and supporters of stronger restrictions say that is still very dangerous behavior. Neighboring Georgia passed a hands free ban that took effect earlier this year, making it the first state in the southeast to do so. Jennifer Smith

Asheville city council has given approval to a ‘road diet’ plan for Charlotte Street in north Asheville. A ‘road diet’ for Charlotte Street means it will lose one lane for motor vehicles – going from four to three. That leftover space will then go to bike lanes and safer routes for pedestrians along the road from I-240 to Edwin Place. Like a lot of Asheville, that area has seen a lot of growth in recent years – not just in economic activity but also in vehicle traffic. And Asheville mayor Esther

As Americans commemorate the sacrifices of our soldiers this Veterans Day, one Macon man recounts his time as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, which he called “an eternity away” from his boyhood Franklin home. When Tom McNish finally returned to his 400-acre boyhood home, tucked up next to a babbling brook near the top of a broad mountain holler in rural Macon County, he found seven years worth of Christmas presents sitting under a tree. But it wasn’t Christmas; it was May, 1973, and McNish

This episode picks up where the prior one left off - with a continued look at the culmination of events starting from the death of University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair to the firing of the Terrapins head football coach on Halloween night. In this episode, we focus on power - the power of money, the power of trauma, and the power of collegiate athletes. (Music featured includes Trusting Each Other and Fog In The Street by Borrtex)

Asheville police chief Tammy Hooper says the department is in a better place than it was three years ago when she arrived. It's one of many reasons why Hooper gave her resignation this week. Hooper intended to resign earlier this year, going so far as give notice in February to then Asheville city manager Gary Jackson. It was at the end of that month that video was leaked to and then published by the Asheville Citizen-Times showing then-Asheville police officer Chris Hickman beating and choking

Republicans in Macon County were celebrating the passage of four out of the six amendments on the ballot. The two amendments that failed would have limited the governor’s power to structure the state elections board and appoint judges. On Wednesday, the past five North Carolina Governor's thanked citizens for “preserving checks and balances.” Republican State Representative Kevin Corbin is excited that four amendments: hunter’s rights, a voter photo ID requirement, a lower state income tax rate

Like the election results from across the country, results from across the state show a mixed bag, with some Republican gains but also some important setbacks. The same goes for Western North Carolina, where the political landscape will change, but not by much. An expected “blue wave” prophesized by Democrats didn’t exactly materialize on Nov. 6, and Haywood County Republican Party Chair Ken Henson thinks he knows why. “I do think people are tired of wanting to go towards socialism. They don’t

Incumbents at the state and federal level did very well in Western North Carolina. BPR caught up with the Macon County Republican Party in the town of Franklin as they celebrated their victories. Macon County, a traditionally conservative county, stuck with that trend. State Senator Jim Davis (R) and State Representative Kevin Corbin (R) both won. This will be the 5th term for Davis and the 2nd for Corbin. Record turnouts encourage Corbin that he is representing the people well. “That’s always a

Buncombe County elected Democrat Quentin Miller as its first African American sheriff. The former Asheville Police officer told supporters at the county Democratic party event Tuesday night he hopes to rebuild community trust in law enforcement. The volume rose several decibels as soon as Quentin Miller’s black fedora could be seen peeking over the top of the crowd. Unity was his central message. "When we started a year ago talking about a community of we, I think we have it here tonight. A

Just like any region, the opinions of Appalachians range across the political spectrum. Two topics came up the most: honesty and healthcare. “Healthcare is a big issue right now,” says William Johnson of Whittier. “We tried universal healthcare with Obamacare and that just kind of went belly up.” Johnson is looking out for how Congress can compromise to improve the current healthcare system. Carrie Beth Livingston says that her number one issue is climate change. “I have young children and I