JOHN BOYLE
Answer Man: Speed limit boost on I-26? Airport parking price increases?
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers:
Question: Oh Great Answer Man, now that I-26 is widened to four lanes, when is the NCDOT going to raise the speed limit to 70 mph? And will they restrict big trucks to the right two lanes?
My answer: I would like to formally note that “Oh Great Answer Man” is now my preferred form of address. Please take this under advisement. I will also note that the…
Keep readingPOLITICS
Trail mix: Nuggets from the 2026 midterms
The 2026 midterms are taking shape, and the campaign trail is offering plenty of storylines — from shifting odds and dubious claims to changing political fortunes.
Political columnist Tom Fiedler offers a few snapshots.
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Ager campaign fueled by 7,000 individual donations
Strong fundraising and the House’s 413-2 censure on Tuesday of outgoing Rep. Chuck Edwards bolster Democrats’ chances in historically Republican district. Democrat Jamie Ager now…
Answer Man: Is the gigantic pit a new drain for the Cesspool of Sin? Out of state plates on Amazon delivery vans?
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: You are uniquely qualified to explain something I stumbled onto. The Pit of…
Watchdog, other selected media denied access to cover G20 finance summit
The response, when it finally came, was terse. “Thank you for your interest in covering the U.S. G20 Finance Ministerial in Asheville, North Carolina,” the…
Opinion: New Publix in Mills River shows what grocery competition should look like
We do get excited about a grocery store in these parts. Especially a new Publix, it seems. When the new store in Mills River opened…
Answer Man: Cameras on the Blue Ridge Parkway? Low water pressure in West Asheville?
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: I’m hopeful that you can rake the muck a bit and get some…
Lawsuit alleges failure during routine surgery led to patient death at Mission Hospital
At 8:25 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2024, Noe Serrano Hernandez was put under anesthesia for a routine foot surgery at Mission Hospital. Over the next…
Jury convicts Asheville woman in property fraud case
A jury Wednesday found an Asheville woman guilty of forging deeds and illegally obtaining two Buncombe County properties that were flipped for a profit of…
Pink-slime journalism comes to North Carolina’s Senate race
Let’s start with the term “pink-slime journalism,” political propaganda dressed up to look like local news. Now add the term “dark money,” secretive campaign donations…
Answer Man: Why so many ugly tree stumps on Biltmore Avenue? Real ID renewal confusion?
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: There are many empty tree wells in our streets downtown. We counted five…
Trump plan to end roadless rule could worsen fire risk, experts say
In conversations about the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, its proponents often use the word “pristine.” There is good reason for this: The U.S. Forest…
New three-way stop — and police enforcement there — has some drivers riled up
Nobody likes a stop sign. You’re rolling along, with commitments to keep, maybe groceries to fetch, and here comes a sign telling you that you…
City Council delays fixes to ‘broken’ bus system
Bus riders like John Rowe illustrate the tension between building ridership and providing broad coverage that all transit networks must address — and that has stymied…
Answer Man: Why won’t APD use the term “gang-related” in recent shootings? Can I make a right on red at Long Shoals I-26 exit?
Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: With the recent deadly shootings in Asheville, why won’t the Asheville Police Department…
92 new hospital beds up for grabs amid anger at HCA, distrust of state regulators
The hearing Wednesday at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College was a routine part of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) certificate of need…
Global finance leaders to descend on Asheville for G20 summit
Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s 20 largest economies are set to converge on Asheville this month for a pair of high-level…
