A number of familiar names and offices are on the 2018 midterm election ballot, and there are those 6 amendments everybody is talking about. What is likely not so familiar is the race for Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor. If you haven’t heard about it, you are not alone. BPR’s Helen Chickering reports It’s a sunny weekday, and the parking lot of the North Asheville Library on Merrimon Avenue is full of activity. This is an early voting site. There are signs everywhere and voters

The first of six proposed amendments to the North Carolina constitution on this year’s a ballot would preserve the right to hunt and fish in the state. Democratic state senator Terry Van Duyn of Buncombe County was one of just a handful of legislators - all of whom were Democrats - that voted against the bill that put the proposed amendment to voters. “When I asked in committee what will this amendment do, and what are the impediments to hunting and fishing in North Carolina, I could not get a

Open Enrollment for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act is now underway. The nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services held a press conference this week and urged consumers to get educated before enrolling. BPR’s Helen Chickering reports. “Number one, the ACA is still the law, and it is working” That’s Jackie Kiger, managing attorney with Pisgah Legal Services . Kiger notes that pre-existing conditions are still covered under ACA compliant policies. That may not be the case for the new short

On Halloween night, our hosts were ready to record an episode looking at some current events in sports with BPR's Matt Bush. Five minutes before recording was set to start, the headline flashed - the University of Maryland had fired head football coach D.J. Durkin a day after he had been re-instated by the school's board of regents over the objection of the university president. Durkin had originally been put on administrative leave after the death of Terrapin player Jordan McNair following an

The first women’s history trail in North Carolina is open in Franklin. Nine sites are located on the trail in about a half mile radius downtown around square. They highlight early entrepreneurial women of the 19th century who worked running the town store, a millinery and as mica workers to name just a few. A crowd of over 100 people gathered to celebrate the unveiling of the plaques that make up the history trail. One of the honored guests at the event was Dorothy Crawford. Now 100 years old,

Asheville Republican Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11) spoke with Cory Vaillancourt of Smoky Mountain News and BPR News ahead of the 2018 election. You can listen to their full interview here. Meadows is seeking a fourth term in office this fall. His challengers are Democrat Phillip Price and Libertarian Clifton Ingraham.

Early voting in North Carolina wraps up this weekend ahead of Election Day next Tuesday. When voters head to the polls in Western North Carolina’s 11 th Congressional District, they’ll have a choice between two challengers, or the Republican who’s held the seat since 2012. When Mark Meadows was first elected to Congress in 2012, the Senate and the presidency were both controlled by Democrats. Since then, Republicans have taken over all three, plus added two justices that will put the Supreme

Early voting in North Carolina is winding up ahead of Election Day, which is now less than a week away. The 11 th Congressional District covers most of Western North Carolina. That seat has been occupied by Republican Mark Meadows since 2012, but his two opponents are hoping to change that in the coming days. Congressman Mark Meadows is seeking his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Even though he’s become a popular figure on TV news talk shows and a powerful figure as chairman of

Buncombe County voters this fall will be electing a new sheriff for the first time in 12 years. The candidates seeking the office come from very different backgrounds – and hold very different views on a few of the key issues in law enforcement. When Van Duncan announced his retirement, it set off a scramble within the Democratic party for the nomination to become his successor. Quentin Miller emerged victorious from a five-candidate field in this year's primary. The 25-year-veteran of the

The Fed Cup, the women’s international team tennis tournament, is returning to Asheville this winter. The U.S. will play Australia on February 9th and 10th of 2019 at the U.S. Cellular Center. Tickets go on sale this Friday. This past February the United States defeated the Netherlands in the opening round of this year’s Fed Cup tournament in front of enthusiastic crowds at the U.S. Cellular Center. That made coming back to Asheville for next year's tournament very easy says Jeff Ryan of the U.S