Felicia Sonmez
Growth and Development Reporter at Blue Ridge Public Radio
Growth and development reporter at @BlueRidgePublic Radio. Former Washington Post national political reporter. Ex-@wsj and @afp in Beijing. ✉️: [email protected]
Articles
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4 days ago |
wunc.org | Felicia Sonmez
This is a developing story and will be updated. A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway was temporarily closed on Sunday after the discovery of an “improvised incendiary device,” according to a news release issued Monday from the National Park Service. The device, officials said, was found near the Folk Art Center in East Asheville.
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4 days ago |
bpr.org | Felicia Sonmez
The landscape for short-term rentals in Buncombe County has changed drastically since before Hurricane Helene. For years, Asheville and Buncombe County’s market for short-term rentals — such as those found on websites like Airbnb and VRBO — was booming. Things were going so well that some local residents began to worry about the impact on the city’s affordable housing supply. In 2018, Asheville enacted tight restrictions in response to those concerns.
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1 week ago |
bpr.org | Felicia Sonmez
Buncombe County’s labor market is continuing its slow recovery from Hurricane Helene, although the leisure and hospitality sector remains hard hit. Figures released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Commerce show that Buncombe had an unemployment rate of 4.7% in April, down from 5.3% in March. The Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area — which includes Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Madison Counties — had an unemployment rate of 4.2%. Statewide, the rate was 3.4%.
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1 week ago |
bpr.org | Felicia Sonmez
The debate over the Interstate 26 Connector isn’t over yet. On Tuesday, the Western North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the I-26 Citizens’ Coalition released their joint recommendations for the sprawling, $1.2 billion project, which would link I-26 in southwest Asheville with US 19/23/70 in the city’s northwest.
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2 weeks ago |
bpr.org | Felicia Sonmez
Norfolk Southern will rebuild a key section of track east of Asheville, officials confirmed Tuesday. The plan may pave the way for the eventual return of passenger rail service to Western North Carolina. The 16-mile stretch was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. It includes the historic Old Fort Loops, one of the most scenic — and most treacherous — stretches of railway in the country.
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