Asheville Watchdog

Three days before polls open for early voting ahead of the March 3 primary elections, the five Democratic candidates in North Carolina’s District 11 congressional race participated in a forum hosted by the Black Mountain Democrats and open to the public. Beth Sutton-Ramspeck, the party’s cluster leader, invited me to moderate the forum with journalistic The post Democracy Watch: I moderated a Democratic District 11 congressional forum. Here’s what the candidates said. appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

The Dogwood Health Trust — the foundation responsible for enforcing HCA Healthcare’s compliance with the terms of its 2019 purchase of nonprofit Mission Health — has accelerated its oversight schedule in the wake of Mission Hospital’s latest violations of federal safety standards.  In a statement to Asheville Watchdog far in advance of the foundation’s official The post Dogwood Trust moves up public meetings with independent monitor in wake of recurring problems with Mission, HCA appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: Why and by whom am I being assigned a different, less convenient voting location? I have received a postcard titled, “Note: New Voting Location,” from the Buncombe County Board of Elections. The new location is a farther drive from my home than the The post Answer Man: Why was my voting location changed? Who’s responsible for shoveling snow from sidewalks? appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

CELO COMMUNITY, N.C. — On a 15-degree morning in January, a clinic in this small Yancey County community on the northern edge of Pisgah National Forest began to fill up with patients. An older couple in flannel pajamas sat together in the waiting room. A toddler waved as Patricia Hall walked past him, a stethoscope The post “Heartbreaking” DOGE cuts stun doctors who signed up for federal program to improve rural health care appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

By the time Asheville officials passed a slate of arboreal protections in 2020, it was clear that the city’s canopy was imperiled. A study the previous year had found that, over the course of a decade, it had lost nearly 900 acres of tree coverage. Many of the new rules acted as a bulwark against The post Asheville has money to plant and preserve trees. Why isn’t it using it? appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

In my mind, Tunnel Road in Asheville has always been an area teetering right on the edge of sketchiness, sometimes bordering on scuzz. That comes with a caveat, though: It’s also home to a thriving mix of businesses I’ve frequented over the years. So I don’t want to insult the hardworking folks of the area The post Opinion: ‘We’ve got to be more dignified than this!’: Is Tunnel Road sliding into downright scuzziness these days? appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: On your way to work someday, or sooner, drive northbound on Merrimon Avenue.  Take a look at the lane markings from the north exit/entrance to McDonald’s to the corner of Gracelyn Road. They are very ambiguous and dangerous. There is what appears to The post Answer Man: Confusing road markings on Merrimon Avenue? New water meter is in, but it’s not quite as advertised? Monthly water billing on the horizon? appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

An 88-year-old woman recovering from hip surgery at Mission Hospital died after going 13 hours without receiving a needed blood transfusion. Another patient’s heart stopped for 15 minutes leading to brain damage after staff didn’t respond to an urgent request for heart monitoring.  Short-staffed night shift nurses falsely documented that a 14-year-old patient had taken The post Two deaths, failure to isolate infectious diseases led to Mission’s latest Immediate Jeopardy appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

Citing “systemic and recurring patterns of noncompliance found during previous surveys,” the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services harshly informed Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe last week that its latest Immediate Jeopardy citation — the third in less than two years — would require “enhanced” remedies for continued participation in the CMS program. Mission The post Citing “systemic and recurring patterns” of harm at Mission, CMS rejects hospital’s latest plan of correction, sets new deadline appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers: Question: As we all know, early January was unseasonably warm, with temperatures at one point in the mid-50s — in the morning! Then in the last two weeks we’ve had two winter storms, temperatures in the single digits at night and windchills near 20 The post Answer Man: How are bears faring in this extreme weather? Why has Beaver Lake been nearly drained? appeared first on Asheville Watchdog.