Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers:
Question: Over the past 10 days, we’ve been getting notices that U.S. Postal Service packages can’t be delivered due to various reasons like, “driveway was blocked,” and “customer requested hold at post office.” These are just not true. When I went into our post office on Hendersonville Road, the Arden Post Office, I was truly shocked. The line was out the door with customers picking up packages. Everyone had similar stories. The post office employees kept blaming Amazon for too many packages and kept saying they were “swamped.” When I say the post office was unorganized, I mean it. Piles of boxes were everywhere. The staff told the customer in front of me to come back in two to three days because they hadn’t sorted the piles and, “we don’t know where your boxes are.” It truly looked like the Whoville post office after the Grinch did his Grinchy thing. I kid you not! It reached a new level this (past) weekend when a medical shipment for my child was left at the post office because “customer requested it be held.” This is simply a lie. They aren’t even trying to deliver packages. Instead they are making up excuses for why they can’t deliver them. This is inexcusable at best. They are holding up medical supplies from reaching customers. This post office has been troublesome for years and everyone in Arden talks about it. But these undelivered packages are a whole new level of irresponsibility. Is there anything you can do to help?
My answer: I’m happy to have a word with the Grinch over a nice Cold Mountain brew at Highland. Also, count me in for singing, “Fah Who Foraze, Dah Who Doraze” when all the whos gather around the Christmas tree.
Real answer: Postal Service spokesperson Philip Bogenberger provided some answers on this one, but I don’t think my reader is going to be fully satisfied.
“Like many Post Offices this time of year, the Arden Post Office is seeing a heavy rise in mail and package volumes, as well as increased customer traffic into Post Offices,” Bogenberger told me. “Still, the Postal Service remains committed to accepting each mailpiece and making every delivery. We are truly appreciative of our team members who are working diligently and efficiently to ensure customers receive their holiday cards and packages by Dec. 25 in addition to delivering non-holiday mail.”
Hey, I appreciate them, too, but I wondered if this building is just too small or they don’t have enough employees. Bogenberger said the Postal Service leases the building.
“There are no plans to relocate at this time, but the Postal Service continually evaluates facilities to ensure they are suitable for operational needs,” he said. “Regarding staff, there were some employees at that office who relocated following Hurricane Helene. During periods of high volumes, we implement contingency plans such as bringing in employees from nearby offices if possible, calling in substitute carriers and hiring seasonal employees. We are committed to delivering every mailpiece.”
In general, Bogenberger said the Postal Service “is more prepared than ever to deliver for the holidays, even as volumes increase to their highest levels.”
“We are processing mail and packages around the clock and our carriers are delivering earlier in the morning and later in the evening.”
Waste Pro’s contract with Buncombe County ends at the end of the year. The company is collecting its trash bins, but it’s not trashing them at the Buncombe County Landfill, the county says. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
Question: Is it true that Waste Pro is taking all the old trash cans to the dump?
My answer: I was kind of hoping this was true just because I’m a fan of irony.
Real Answer: Buncombe County’s new trash and recycling contractor, FCC Environmental, has been issuing new trash bins, and Waste Pro, whose contract ends at the end of the month, has been picking up its containers. But it’s not trashing them at the Buncombe County Landfill, said Johanna Cano, a Buncombe County spokesperson.
I had asked about this at Thursday’s Tropical Storm Helene briefing.
“We followed up with our Solid Waste department regarding your question about Waste Pro bins,” Cano told me. “They are temporarily staging them there. They will be hauled out to other markets for reuse. They are not being dumped at the landfill.”
Question: Buncombe County’s website gives the public access to their Graphical Information System (GIS) maps. Why is there no overlay that shows road blockages and construction/repair locations? This would be useful for planning travel, especially in areas like Fairview where a lot of work is being done. Surely, they must have this information in GIS just for their own planning and record keeping. This should have been up there within the first week of the Helene event. Nearly three months later, still nothing.
My answer: If you just assume that all traffic maps around here are bright red with congestion, no matter what app or website you use, that’s a pretty good bet.
Real answer: Buncombe County spokesperson Kassi Day checked in with the county’s GIS team for this one.
“Buncombe County acquires, develops, maintains, and uses GIS data in support of its internal business functions and the public services it provides,” Day said. “Since Buncombe County does not maintain roads, we do not maintain an overlay that shows road construction, blockages, etc.”
Day said they do recommend residents check the NCDOT website for real-time information on road closures, construction and incidents — drivenc.gov.
“Google, Waze, Apple Maps, etc. are the standards for routing, as those services provide directions, traffic information, and closures, etc., updated automatically by their algorithms and user input,” Day added.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 21:25:00
(The Center Square) – Authorization of sports agents to sign North Carolina’s collegiate athletes for “name, image, and likeness” contracts used in product endorsements is in legislation approved Wednesday by a committee of the state Senate.
Authorize NIL Agency Contracts, known also as Senate Bill 229, is headed to the Rules Committee after gaining favor in the Judiciary Committee. It would likely next get a full floor vote.
Last year the NCAA approved NIL contracts for players.
Sen. Amy S. Galey, R-Alamance
NCLeg.gov
“Athletes can benefit from NIL by endorsing products, signing sponsorship deals, engaging in commercial opportunities and monetizing their social media presence, among other avenues,” the NCAA says on its website. “The NCAA fully supports these opportunities for student-athletes across all three divisions.”
SB229 spells out the information that the agent’s contract with the athlete must include, and requires a warning to the athlete that they could lose their eligibility if they do not notify the school’s athletic director within 72 hours of signing the contract.
“Consult with your institution of higher education prior to entering into any NIL contract,” the says the warning that would be required by the legislation. “Entering into an NIL contract that conflicts with state law or your institution’s policies may have negative consequences such as loss of athletic eligibility. You may cancel this NIL agency contract with 14 days after signing it.”
The legislation also exempts the NIL contracts from being disclosed under the state’s Open Records Act when public universities review them. The state’s two ACC members from the UNC System, Carolina and N.C. State, requested the exemption.
“They are concerned about disclosure of the student-athlete contracts when private universities don’t have to disclose the student-athlete contracts,” Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, told the committee. “I feel very strongly that a state university should not be put at a disadvantage at recruitment or in program management because they have disclosure requirements through state law.”
Duke and Wake Forest are the other ACC members, each a private institution.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on the legislative development regarding NIL (name, image, and likeness) contracts for collegiate athletes in North Carolina. It presents facts about the bill, committee actions, and includes statements from a state senator without using loaded or emotionally charged language. The piece neutrally covers the issue by explaining both the bill’s purpose and the concerns it addresses, such as eligibility warnings and disclosure exemptions. Overall, the article maintains a factual and informative tone without advocating for or against the legislation, reflecting a centrist, unbiased approach.
SUMMARY: Donald van der Vaart, a former North Carolina environmental secretary and climate skeptic, has been appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner. Van der Vaart, who previously supported offshore drilling and fracking, would oversee the state’s transition to renewable energy while regulating utility services. His appointment, which requires approval from the state House and Senate, has drawn opposition from environmental groups. Critics argue that his views contradict clean energy progress. The appointment follows a controversial bill passed by the legislature, granting the treasurer appointment power to the commission.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 14:47:00
(The Center Square) – Called “crypto-friendly legislation” by the leader of the chamber, a proposal on digital assets on Wednesday afternoon passed the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Passage was 71-44 mostly along party lines.
The NC Digital Assets Investments Act, known also as House Bill 92, has investment requirements, caps and management, and clear definitions and standards aimed at making sure only qualified digital assets are included. House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said the state would potentially join more than a dozen others with “crypto-friendly legislation.”
With him in sponsorship are Reps. Stephen Ross, R-Alamance, Mark Brody, R-Union, and Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake.
Nationally last year, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act – known as FIT21 – passed through the U.S. House in May and in September was parked in the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Dan Spuller, cochairman of the North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, said the state has proven a leader on digital asset policy. That includes the Money Transmitters Act of 2016, the North Carolina Regulatory Sandbox Act of 2021, and last year’s No Centrl Bank Digital Currency Pmts to State. The latter was strongly opposed by Gov. Roy Cooper, so much so that passage votes of 109-4 in the House and 39-5 in the Senate slipped back to override votes, respectively, of 73-41 and 27-17.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a factual report on the passage of the NC Digital Assets Investments Act, highlighting the legislative process, party-line votes, and related legislative measures. It does not adopt a clear ideological stance or frame the legislation in a way that suggests bias. Instead, it provides neutral information on the bill, its sponsors, and relevant background on state legislative activity in digital asset policy. The tone and language remain objective, focusing on legislative facts rather than promoting a particular viewpoint.
