July 28 marked the one year anniversary of the passing of Asheville Fire Department Captain Jeff Bowen, who lost his life in the line of duty while fighting a 2011 blaze at 445 Biltmore Avenue. To mark the occasion and honor Capt. Bowen’s life and service, a memorial service was held at Asheville-Buncombe Community College. The [...]
#4: Find your way One of the best parts of Bele Chere is wandering around the festival, running into unexpected friends and searching for treasures in artist booths or stumbling upon a fantastic street performer. But sometimes, you want to get somewhere right now, be it a band or a bathroom, and you need to know how [...]
On July 9, friends, family and colleagues gathered to mark the retirement of Sgt. Danny Holden and celebrate his 20 years with the Asheville Police Department. Holden has a law enforcement career under his belt that totals nearly 30 years, having come to the APD from the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department in 1992. In 1999, he [...]
For 28 youths, this week was a chance to fill the boots of firefighters at the City of Asheville Fire Department’s Fire Escape camp. For the third year in a row, AFD hosted the three-day camp for boys and girls in grades six through eight. Attendance at the camp, held at the Asheville Firefighters Association Camp [...]
On May 15, the Asheville Fire and Police Departments, in partnership with Buncombe County EMS, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and the North Carolina Highway Patrol staged a mock motor vehicle fatality on the campus of Asheville High School to encourage teens to drive safely. Several hundred Asheville teens attended the demonstration, which was preceded by [...]
Each year the WNC Association of Firefighters gives an award to an outstanding individual who has distinguished himself or herself in the fire service. The association accepts nominations from across the western part of state from 395 departments and over 13,000 firefighters in search of just such an individual. This year, Asheville firefighter Jay Bettencourt [...]
ASHEVILLE – In recognition of Fire Safety Month and fire dangers associated with the fall and winter seasons – wood burning stoves, Christmas trees, etc. – the City of Asheville’s Risk Management Division and the Asheville Fire Department this week hosted portable fire extinguisher training for staff. The training focused on the general principles of portable [...]
ASHEVILLE – Local leaders say the community is best served during emergencies and national disasters when area governments work together, sharing information and resources under the unified goal of lessening risks and hazards to the public. This type of cooperation has a name: hazard mitigation. On Tuesday, Asheville City Council approved a resolution adopting the latest [...]
ASHEVILLE – Members of the Asheville community, city leaders and staff on Sunday gathered to observe the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony was led by the Asheville Fire Department and was held in the Ferguson Auditorium of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Officials say the total number of people killed in [...]
ASHEVILLE – The Development Services Center is continuing its emphasis on providing excellent customer service by seeking regular feedback from the people it serves. Staff recently issued an online customer service survey to gauge their performance. The goal is to keep doing what customers say is working and to improve in areas that customers felt were [...]
ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Police Department hosted the 2011 BadgeBall softball tournament Aug. 13-14 to raise money for the Fallen Firefighters Fund and North Carolina Special Olympics. Games were played the first day at Jackson Park in Henderson County, and the championship games were Sunday at McCormick Field in Asheville. The team from Henderson County took the [...]
ASHEVILLE – The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) fosters success stories for students year after year. From 2008-2011, the total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA students was more than $400,000. In addition, 100 percent of CAYLA students in 2008-2010, as well as the 2011 graduating class have been accepted to college. The below vignettes focus [...]