Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:
Question: Is it true that Publix plans to build a new store on New Leicester Highway? Or is that just a rumor and wishful thinking? It would be great if that was true. Also, Publix has had a sign up in Mills River that a store is coming there near the Amazon building. When will that be built?
My answer: Wishful thinking? Not at all. Now hoping for a second Trader Joe’s somewhere in the greater Asheville area? That’s crazy talk, which is one step beyond wishful thinking!
Real answer: The property in question is about 10 acres at 14 Hitching Post Lane, which has considerable frontage on New Leicester Highway. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners addressed the site at its Jan. 21 meeting.
“The Board of Commissioners recently approved a rezoning request for this property, but we are unsure if it will eventually house a Publix,” Buncombe County Planning Director Nathan Pennington said via email. “Developers/grocers/retailers typically keep these matters guarded until they are ready to announce.”
That is certainly the truth.
“We are always looking to bring the Publix experience to new areas across North Carolina, however, we do not have any plans to share for a new store at that location,” Publix Super Markets spokesperson Jared Glover told me via email. “As for Mills River, we do not have any update to share other than we are still moving forward with the project.”
I will note that the applicant for the Leicester rezoning request was Florida-based Equity
Development Group LLC, which has been involved in past Publix developments, according to a quick Google search. I reached out to the company contact listed on Buncombe County planning documents but didn’t hear back by deadline.
The commissioners agreed to rezone the Hitching Post Lane property from R-2 residential to Commercial Service. The Commercial Service designation allows an array of uses, including “commercial planned unit developments, veterinary clinics, banks, cargo and freight terminals, commercial greenhouses, hotels and motels, kennels, manufacturing operations, medical clinics, vehicle impoundment, repair, and sales lots, gas stations, fitness centers, business offices, restaurants, retail, business schools, warehousing and mini-storage, vacation rental complexes, and more,” according to the planning documents.
The planning documents also note that the commercial service district is “primarily intended
to provide suitable locations for clustered commercial development to encourage the concentration of commercial activity in those specified areas with access to major traffic arteries, to discourage strip commercial development, and to allow for suitable noncommercial land uses.”
Headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, Publix has 1,390 stores nationwide and 55 in North Carolina, including ones in south Asheville, Weaverville, Waynesville and Hendersonville, according to the company website.
All in all, I’d say the wishful thinking looks fairly positive, but stay tuned.
Question: Both our previous and current trash collectors use containers that look identical and are made out of the same type of plastic. The containers are used to pick up both garbage and recyclables. From previous articles I’ve read, only number one and number two plastics have the highest level of recyclability. What number of plastic are these containers, and are they recyclable?
FCC and Waste Pro bins can be recycled, Curbside Management President Abe Lawson says. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
My answer: I’d say to just toss them in the recycling bin, but they are the recycling bin.
Real answer: So this really comes down to whether the local recycling handler, Curbside Management in Woodfin, can handle them. And company President Abe Lawson has good news on that front.
“Curbie can and does recycle them,” Lawson said via email. “The rolling recycling bins/carts are made of #2 HDPE plastic, however, they are not the same grade as the #2 HDPE bottles that would typically be put into the recycling bins.”
As you can imagine, the bins’ large size poses some problems.
“Due to their overall size, thickness and chemical properties — a result of the manufacturing process — these bins have to be treated differently and go to different end users with the proper equipment,” Lawson said. “We receive these cans regularly — daily to weekly — from various municipalities, haulers, and through collecting our own worn-out cans.”
The metals on the cans have to be removed, “but then they are all baled and recycled,” Lawson 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.
