From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Buncombe County is ranked as the fifth-highest county in North Carolina for per-capita fentanyl-positive deaths, based on the data released by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the 12-month period leading into early 2026, “with data as of March 2026 reviewed for a year,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on June 16.

“So far this year, 28 people have died from overdoses within Asheville city limits,” News 13 noted.

 “Every day there’s a number of incidents of overdose,” Micheal Woods, Western Carolina Rescue Ministries executive director, told News 13.

The TV station added, “Woods says overdose calls have become a near-daily reality. He frequently sees emergency notifications such as ‘Person in cardiac arrest after drug overdose in Asheville’ come up on his phone.

“‘Without question, we have a problem here in Asheville,’ Woods said.”

Over the last three years, Buncombe County has ranked among the 10 highest counties in North Carolina for fentanyl-involved deaths — and state reporting indicates the county recently ranked as high as 7th.

Meanwhile, recent data from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows the county’s rate now stands at 22.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, which is well above the statewide average of 12.5.

Despite historically high ranking percentiles, total fentanyl-positive fatalities and suspected overdoses in the county fell significantly between 2023 and 2024, though health officials maintain that local rates remain a major public health concern.

Detailed county-level figures and tracking metrics are published on the North Carolina Division of Public Health website and monitored by several local news media outlets.. 

News 13 stated, “A day after Asheville police confirmed a 23-year-old woman who had been reported missing was found dead from an apparent drug overdose inside a vacant public housing unit, sources confirmed additional overdose deaths at the same housing complex, with three total, including Rachael Tuck's suspected overdose.

On June 16, Asheville police confirmed Racheal Tuck, 23, who had been reported missing by family members earlier this month, died from an apparent overdose. Toxicology results are still pending and could take several months.

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville City Council on June 9 voted 4-3 to approve a $275.8 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27 with a property tax increase nearly 5 cents above revenue neutral.

Specifically, the plan required a property tax rate of 37.69 cents per $100 of assessed valuation — about 4.8 cents above the revenue-neutral rate — to cover rising costs, employee compensation, and essential services.

Voting against the budget were Vice Mayor S. Antanette Mosley and councilwomen Kim Roney and Sage Turner.

The divided vote followed a tense debate that exposed stark differences over the city’s financial trajectory, making it a key flashpoint ahead of the fall mayoral election

The primary drivers of the budget gap and subsequent tax increase included the following:

• Employee retention and compensation: City leadership heavily emphasized that a major chunk of the budget went toward adequately paying valuable city staff and keeping pace with Asheville’s high cost of living.

• Rising debt service: Significant cost increases stemmed from debt on $80 million in voter-approved bonds for parks, affordable housing, and public safety.

• Limited revenue tools: Mayor Esther Manheimer noted that North Carolina state laws severely restrict Asheville’s ability to raise revenue through local options,such as food/beverage taxes or sales taxes for transit.

• Cost-cutting measures: To minimize the burden on taxpayers, City Council and City Manager DK Wesley implemented $9 million in budget cuts before the final vote. 

These measures included the following:

• Eliminating more than 16 vacant city positions.

• Reducing community center hours to pre-COVID levels.

• Scaling back median, guardrail, and lawn maintenance.

Regarding the 4-3 divide and debate, the budget plan ultimately passed on a 4-3 vote, but exposed deep political friction as follows:

•:The opposition: Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley, alongside councilwomen Sage Turner and Kim Roney, dissented. Turner and Mosley advocated for an “austere” budget, citing long-term projections that predicted increasing structural deficits over the next five years.

From Staff Reports 

WEAVERVILLE, N.C. — For the nation’s 250th anniversary, Buncombe County is celebrating Independence Day with fireworks and more — but at a new location this year.

To that end, this year’s Fourth of July celebration will be held at North Buncombe Fields in Weaverville, according to the Buncombe County government.

For years, the county’s Independence Day event was held at Arden’s Lake Julian Park, but it will not be held there this year due to construction in the area, which is causing access issues, county officials said.

The event in Weaverville will start at 5 p.m. July 4 with live music from the Fuzzy Peppers and Mission Accomplished, food trucks and face-painting. The fireworks show will start around 9:15 p.m., just after dark. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. 

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Downtown Asheville will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding with a block party from noon to 10 p.m. July 4 that will conclude with fireworks around 9:30 p.m.

The gala will be based in downtown’s South Slope — Coxe, Banks and Buxton avenues.

The celebration will feature live music at Asheville Yards, food trucks, a car show, the Ultimate Air Dogs and a large fireworks finalé.

The headliner band at Asheville Yards will be The Empire Strikes Brass, beginning at 7 p.m. 

 Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.