From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson stated in October 2026 that organized crime and gang activity are “absolutely a problem” in Asheville.

Specifically, while speaking on crime, gang presence and organized cartel-connected drug trafficking from Atlanta, Ga., into Western North Carolina, Ferguson stated: “It is a problem everywhere, but it’s absolutely a problem here in Asheville.”

Ferguson made the comments on Oct. 6 during an interview in Asheville with Asheville-based television station WLOS (News 13).

His view contrasts with local police departments who often attribute recent violent incidents to localized, retaliatory disputes between individuals. 

Following is a roundup of the U.S. attorney’s federal and law enforcement perspectives, based on the News 13 interview:

• Gangs and youth: Ferguson stated that criminals are getting younger and joining official — or loosely affiliated — gangs. 

• Cartel connections: Ferguson pointed to organized drug trafficking with connections to drug cartels bringing drugs from Atlanta into Western North Carolina. 

• Focus on severity: Ferguson stated that while general crime statistics may fluctuate or drop, the seriousness of individual violent acts remains a major concern.

Ferguson said the strategy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is to focus on prosecuting repeat offenders, removing illegal firearms, and funding youth intervention and after-school programs. 

In contrast, following is a summary of the Asheville Police Department’s perspective:

• Retaliatory disputes: Asheville police leaders, including Police Chief Jackie Stepp, have been cautious about labeling violent groups as traditional gangs, describing them instead as acquaintances involved in ongoing personal or retaliatory conflicts. 

• Crime trends: Local police data indicates that overall violent crime levels have fallen from previous peaks, aided by increased police presence and community violence intervention programs. 

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Costco has resubmitted plans to build a new warehouse club, 32-pump gas station, and tire center in Asheville, and the proposal was scheduled to go before the Asheville City Council on Oct. 13.

The timeline and status of the proposal is as follows:

• February: Costco withdrew its original application for the Enka Commerce Park site (located around 264 and 274 Enka Heritage Parkway near Sand Hill Road), citing expensive and extensive on- and off-site road and infrastructure improvement requests that inflated the project’s scope and timeline.

• September: Following months of talks with city officials — including Mayor Esther Manheimer — Costco resubmitted a revised conditional rezoning application.

• Oct. 7: Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the resubmitted developer application, moving the project forward.

• Oct. 13: Asheville City Council was set to consider and vote on the proposal.

Project details are as follow:

• Scale: Approximately 166,800 square feet of retail space on a roughly 39.7-acre property in Enka Commerce Park.

• Features: A 32-pump gas station, a tire center, and more than 800 parking spaces.

• Road work and traffic: A recent traffic study projected roughly 12,000 daily trips for the location. Under current agreements, Costco’s developer is responsible for funding and completing required North Carolina Department of Transportation road improvements prior to the store opening.

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The two candidates running for Buncombe County sheriff verbally clashed over key public safety and administrative challenges facing the county during an Oct. 3 forum hosted by the local Council of Independent Business Owners at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center.

Incumbent Democratic Sheriff Quentin Miller and Republican challenger Gary Parris sparred over a number of issues:

On jail staffing and morale, Parris argued that low morale and poor leadership are driving high vacancies inside the agency (citing roughly 80 unfilled positions across the department) and advocated for shifting more of the budget toward hiring and supporting deputies.

Conversely, Miller countered that staffing shortages in local jails and prisons are a nationwide struggle and noted that recruiting for the detention center is uniquely difficult given the high number of incarcerated individuals dealing with severe health and behavioral issues.

Regarding mental health and overcrowding, Miller maintained that an unresolved mental health crisis is at the root of the Buncombe County Detention Facility’s overcrowding. 

He stated that more than 50 percent of those currently incarcerated at the facility belong in a mental health institution rather than a jail, and pointed to a new partnership with healthcare provider Wellpath (launched on July 1) aimed at expanding nursing and mental health care inside the facility.

Parris criticized state-level cuts to mental health infrastructure, but argued the sheriff needs to actively lobby and work with state legislators, while proposing a regional task force with neighboring sheriffs to tackle the crisis.

The candidates also debated the future use of the former Craggy Correctional Center site (whether it should become a jail or a mental health facility), cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and how to handle rising homelessness and addiction issues in Asheville.

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Nearly two years after Tropical Storm Helene ravaged the region, Explore Asheville reported at its anual meeting on Oct. 2 that the local tourism recovery is progressing, though overall numbers remain below pre-storm and pre-pandemic levels.

Key recovery data reported by Explore Asheville includes the following:

• Visitor spending: Reached about $2.6 billion in Buncombe County last year, accounting for about 20 percent of the county’s GDP and supporting one in seven local jobs.

• Hotel occupancy: Year-to-date hotel occupancy through July was 62 percent, which is 4 points lower than 2025 and 9 points below 2019 levels.

• Vacation rentals: Running slightly higher at 67 percent in July, though total revenue still lags behind historical expectations.

• Conferences and events: Explore Asheville President and CEO Vic Isley noted that the organization has booked a record number of conferences and events over the past two years, expecting hundreds more to trigger more than $140 million in economic impact. “...not only to recover but to rebound,” Isley said during the meeting.

• Workforce challenges: The hospitality sector continues to experience labor and staffing shortages, which limit full service capacity across local restaurants and lodging.

Meanwhile, some skeptics and local business-owners have noted that Explore Asheville’s optimistic reports of a tourism “rebound” two years after Hurricane Helene mask an uneven, incomplete recovery.

Key skeptical points and realities are as follow:

• Trailing hotel occupancy: While tourism officials emphasize growth, year-to-date hotel occupancy through mid-2026 hovers around 62 percent to 65 percent, trailing both pre-storm and pre-pandemic levels.

• Lagging visitor spending: Visitor spending in Buncombe County has not caught up to 2023 peaks, leaving total revenue and combined lodging demand below pre-Helene baselines.

• Struggling workforce and small businesses: The local hospitality workforce remains understaffed, and a regional survey showed that more than half of responding businesses still needed assistance to stabilize.

• Uneven geographic recovery: Business-owners like Peter Pollay (co-owner of Posana restaurant) have pointed out that foot traffic and sales remain down in specific areas, mirroring a broader N.C. Rural Center study showing that economic recovery has not reached all mountain communities equally.

• Reliance on group events: Critics have contended that Explore Asheville’s narrative heavily leans on a record-setting volume of booked conferences and group events to offset sluggish independent leisure travel.