Justice

‘We’ve proved that we can’
Pandemic speeds criminal justice reforms

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Coronavirus has led to dramatic changes in crime and justice in Asheville from the courtroom to the cop on the street. Reported crimes are down, police are making fewer arrests and inmates are being sprung from jail. And the criminal justice system of the future may bear little resemblance to pre-Covid-19 with lawyers in masks,… READ MORE >

Gov't

Mark Meadows’ political protégé calls for reopening state’s economy despite health risks

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Republican congressional-candidate Lynda Bennett, who hopes to win the District 11 seat recently vacated by her political patron Mark Meadows, is calling for an immediate end to North Carolina’s stay-home order, calling pandemic restrictions an infringement “on our rights and freedom.” In a radio interview with ultra-conservative Breitbart News last weekend and infrequent follow-up comments… READ MORE >

Gov't

The COVID-19 campaign: Political candidates are staying home, too

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Morris “Moe” Davis had hoped to spend this spring roaming Western North Carolina, meeting voters one on one and building a campaign organization able to flip to the Democratic Party the congressional seat recently vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows. Instead, the Democratic nominee in the 11th Congressional District is stuck tweeting regularly and… READ MORE >

Tourism / Hospitality

Scared of Losing Everything

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Asheville’s celebrity chef Katie Button describes the challenges and stark realities facing her industry and business since closing her renowned restaurants Cúrate and Button & Co. Bagels on March 16. It’s really surreal, and I think that on a day-to-day basis I feel differently about it, whether that’s sadness or anger or hope. We have… READ MORE >

Tourism / Hospitality

The Long Road Back

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A post-pandemic Asheville faces a daunting return Asheville’s thrumming downtown, a darling of the “best of” list makers and an economic hub for Western North Carolina, stands quiet as its once harried restaurant owners, beer-thirsty tourists and Millennial workers hunker down to avoid the health threat posed by a deadly coronavirus. Boarded-up storefronts warn off… READ MORE >

Hello Asheville!

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Welcome to AVL Watchdog – a free, local and nonprofit news service.  We’re here because of you, our friends and neighbors, who told us that you want thoughtful and explanatory journalism to stay abreast of the issues and challenges facing Asheville and Buncombe County.   Our Mission: We are dedicated to providing news and analysis that… READ MORE >