If I’ve learned anything in three decades as an observer of local governments, it’s this: Don’t mess with residents’ garbage service.
More precisely, don’t mess up garbage pickups. People really, really, really don’t like it when their trash doesn’t get hauled off.
And since FCC Environmental took over garbage collection in Buncombe County at the start of the year, it’s had a lot of problems. I know the county has heard a lot of the complaints, and so have I.
Here’s a taste of what’s hit my inbox:
“Can you find what is going on with FCC Environmental?” Leicester resident Tom Leonard wrote. “They are missing my pickup, and when I call to complain I get a help center in Colorado and all they can do is take my information and pass the ticket along. I also filed a complaint with the county on their website. They missed me completely last week, and just got the trash this week. To make matters worse, WastePro didn’t pick up my recycling at the end of December, so I have over five weeks of recycling piling up here. I just got off the phone again and got the same call center in Colorado. Can you find out what is going on there, and if they even have a plan to clean up this mess they created? There are 38 homes in the development I live in (I’m in Leicester) and we all have overflowing bins sitting by the road … waiting.”
County resident Chip Boyd was even more blunt:
“You may already be on this one, but the new waste collection contractor for Buncombe County has started out by falling flat on their face. If you look at social media like nextdoor.com and Facebook, you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of people whose trash has not been collected for weeks. The county government is not responsive, FCC’s phone lines are either closed or have a 30-minute plus wait time, and emails go unanswered. I, for example, have not had a single pickup since they took over. Of course, one expects there to be some birthing pains as a new contractor takes over, but this looks to be much, much worse. Personally, I just finished hauling a month’s worth of trash and garbage in my SUV to dispose of it, so you can imagine that my attitude about this is not very positive.”
No, I imagine not.
FCC responds: ‘It’s just hard to avoid, no matter how hard you prepare’
I reached out to Charles Merkley, vice president of business development with FCC, and he told me Thursday the company is well aware of the complaints and has worked to knock them down and add personnel and equipment.
“I think the important thing is we’re here to partner with Buncombe County and the residents, and we’re doing everything we can to be able to provide them the service that they’re paying for, that they request,” Merkley said. “That’s always our mission. Always.”
He acknowledged that early in the transition FCC had received about 400 complaints. A 45-year veteran of the waste disposal industry, Merkley said all transitions into a new market come with hiccups.
FCC has 43 employees in Buncombe County, including 32 drivers. The company has 32 trucks working the county, with eight additional trucks in support roles. // Watchdog photo by John Boyle
“It’s just hard to avoid, no matter how hard you prepare,” Merkley said, noting that FCC did do dry runs throughout the community before taking over. “But once you actually get live and go in there, there is always something. New equipment — brand new carts we buy, they break, unfortunately.”
FCC has 43 employees in Buncombe County, including 32 drivers. The company has 32 trucks working the county, with eight additional trucks in support roles.
Asked if FCC hired former workers from Waste Pro, which previously held the garbage contract for the county, Merkley said, “Not many.”
“But we did get a lot of local, experienced people that may have worked in the industry previously,” Merkley said. “Our general manager is very, very local and very familiar with Buncombe County and the collection routing. He’s worked with other companies doing that.”
One issue has been the mountain terrain and in some cases narrow, steep roads that require specialty vehicles or four-wheel-drive trucks.
“We’ve added additional pieces of equipment over and above the scheduled routes that are scheduled, and that’s eight to 10 pieces of equipment, along with drivers,” Merkley said. “They’re coming from all over the country that are part of our startup teams.”
Some of these veteran drivers are mentoring newer FCC workers, or in some cases driving the vehicles and teaching employees the nuances of the equipment, Merkley said.
Merkley said FCC typically handles complaint calls locally but was overloaded early on.
FCC has a half-dozen people in Buncombe to handle phone calls, and the first backup for that is another center in Houston, where FCC is headquartered. Calls go to those two places first, then to Colorado, which is FCC’s “external, global call center.”
“And unfortunately, they’re trained as best they can be, but they don’t always know specific answers, and that’s why we like to do it local,” Merkley said. “And we feel very strongly that as of now, and even by towards the end of the month, that all the external calls won’t be necessary.”
By the way, Leonard emailed me Friday to say FCC made it out to his neighborhood, Newfound Estates, the day before.
“They came and got the recycling for the whole subdivision,” Leonard told me via email. “I don’t think they would have gotten it if they didn’t hear from you. Now if they pick us up on Monday, that will clear out all that I had piled up here from the last five weeks.”
Fingers crossed, Tom.
Buncombe: ‘Our community has already endured enough challenges’
Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder addressed the FCC issues at the Jan. 22 community briefing.
“We know the delays and missed pickups have been incredibly frustrating,” Pinder said. “Our community has already endured enough challenges.”
To be fair, FCC got knocked back a day last week because of icy conditions Monday, so it was finishing up pickups on Saturday instead of Friday. But Pinder acknowledged the other customer complaints.
“We have set an action plan for FCC, and our expectations are for them to maintain a 98 percent collection rate beginning Feb. 1,” Pinder said. “They have agreed to this, and they are continuing to increase staffing and resources to get the job done that we’ve hired them to do.”
I’m glad that FCC is knocking down the complaints, because Buncombe has a history of poor garbage collection service. If you’ve been here since 2010 or thereabouts and live in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County, you probably have not-so-fond memories of Waste Pro’s startup here, and its collection woes that continued sporadically for years.
Waste Pro, Buncombe County’s previous trash contractor, generated complaints about collection issues that continued sporadically for years.
In June 2015 I wrote an article for the Citizen Times with the headline, “Buncombe trash contract to be rebid after Waste Pro issue.” The county was miffed about collection issues resulting in a deluge of complaints, “problems mostly driven by too few workers and equipment problems,” I wrote.
Back then, former Waste Pro spokesman Ron Pecora said the company was getting back on track after adding workers. This will sound familiar:
“We are doing everything we said we would and more in terms of people and equipment,” Pecora said in 2015. “Calls are dramatically down and we are caught up. We have made our promises and commitments, which will become obvious rather than (talking) about what we will do.”
The county and Waste Pro worked out their differences, and the contract continued through the end of last year. Buncombe chose FCC in part because the company’s rates were slightly lower than Waste Pro’s proposal.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Amanda Edwards told me the FCC topic is definitely on her radar — and poor service is unacceptable.
“We are working very closely with our solid waste team to get each and every one of these (complaints) addressed, and we do expect better service and better customer service for the residents of Buncombe County,” Edwards said.
I told her that some folks are really riled up, especially those with trash sitting in front of their homes for weeks.
“And that’s fair,” Edwards said. “Nobody wants that sitting outside their home or their neighborhoods.”
She told me that for any FCC-related email that comes to all of the commissioners, the board’s clerk is on the case.
“She is working with the Solid Waste team to address each and every one of them,” Edwards said. “The ones that have come to me directly, I have responded to every single one of them to date, and have responded directly, and have also shared those with the Solid Waste team, who then follows up.”
She said she’s actually had some residents reach back out and thank her for responding, noting they’d heard from the Solid Waste department.
For all county residents, I’m hoping FCC has a handle on the demands of our local area, and that the service smooths out.
Meanwhile, I await your emails.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s local 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 Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-09-05 09:01:00
State Sen. Bobby Hanig announced his Republican primary candidacy for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, aiming to challenge Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson and incumbent Democrat Rep. Don Davis. Hanig filed with the Federal Elections Commission, while Roberson plans to run. Hanig emphasizes conservative leadership aligned with the America First agenda. The district, covering 22 northeastern counties, was highly competitive in 2024, with Davis narrowly winning. Hanig, an Army veteran and former state representative, chairs key legislative committees and runs two Outer Banks businesses. He supports tax cuts, border control, pro-life policies, and Second Amendment rights, aligning with former President Trump’s agenda.
(The Center Square) – State Sen. Bobby Hanig will enter the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, hoping to defeat Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson and eventually second-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
Rep. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck
Michael Lewis via NCLeg.gov
Filing with the State Board of Elections is in December. Hanig has filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission. Roberson said he would run in April.
“I’m running because northeastern North Carolina deserves true conservative leadership that will fight for our community and the America first agenda,” he said in a release.
The seat was the most competitive between Democrats and Republicans in 2024 and figures to again be so in the 2026 midterms. Davis outlasted Republican Laurie Buckhout 49.52%-47.84%, winning by 6,307 votes of more than 376,000 cast.
Twenty-two counties are touched in the northeastern part of the state.
Hanig, R-Currituck, is a veteran of the Army. He has served the Board of Commissioners in Currituck County, and was in the state House of Representatives for two terms. By trade, he began as “the pool guy” and operates two businesses serving nearly 400 properties across the Outer Banks.
He’s chairman of the State and Local Government Committee, and serves as chairman within the Committee on Appropriations for General Government and Information Technology. He’s vice chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government.
Four other assignments are Agriculture, Energy and Environment; Education/Higher Education; Regulatory Reform; and Transportation.
“I believe in President Trump’s America First Agenda and my record in the Legislature backs it up,” Hanig said. “I’ve cut taxes for North Carolina families, toughened border control in the state, stood up for life, and defended our Second Amendment rights.”
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: Center-Right
The article largely reports factual information about the candidates entering the North Carolina 1st Congressional District race, including their backgrounds, election filing status, and statements of political positions. It mainly quotes Sen. Bobby Hanig’s own words and campaign messaging, especially his alignment with “America First” and conservative values. The coverage uses neutral language without editorializing or explicitly endorsing any viewpoint. However, the focus on Hanig’s quoted statements about tax cuts, border control, pro-life stance, and Second Amendment rights, along with an absence of equivalent direct quotes from the Democratic incumbent or the other Republican candidate, subtly frames the narrative from a conservative perspective. This leads to a slight center-right tilt, as the piece highlights Hanig’s positions without presenting counterpoints or Democratic viewpoints in comparable detail. Overall, it functions as informational content about the race rather than overt advocacy, but the emphasis on conservative policy references indicates a modest center-right leaning.
SUMMARY: Laura Leslie, a veteran North Carolina political reporter with 21 years of experience, will become the new editor of NC Newsline on September 29. Leslie, currently WRAL’s capitol bureau chief, led the innovative NCCapitol project covering state politics across multiple platforms. Previously, she was capitol bureau chief at WUNC public radio and authored the award-winning blog “Isaac Hunter’s Tavern.” An Emmy winner recognized nationally, Leslie replaces Rob Schofield, who retired in August. She expressed gratitude to WRAL and enthusiasm for joining NC Newsline, part of the expanding States Newsroom nonprofit network. Leslie’s last day at WRAL is September 5.
North Carolina’s 2025 crop season shows promise with healthy corn, soybeans, cotton, and apples, a major improvement from 2024’s drought and storm damage. However, challenges remain: Tropical Depression Chantal caused flooding, wet conditions hurt tobacco, and relief payments from last year’s disasters are delayed. Farmers face financial stress due to low crop prices, rising input costs, trade tariffs impacting exports, and labor shortages exacerbated by strict immigration policies and higher wages. The USDA relocating operations to Raleigh raises hopes for better local support. Despite struggles, a bountiful harvest is expected, supporting the state’s agricultural resilience and fall agritourism.
by Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press September 4, 2025
The news about crops out of North Carolina farms is good this year: the corn is tall, the soybeans leafy, the cotton fluffy and the apples ripe.
Compared to last year’s disastrous summer, when it seemed flooding was the only relief from extreme drought, this summer has left farmers feeling hopeful. In Wayne County, extension agent Daryl Anderson says this is the best corn crop the county has seen in 50 years.
That’s a major turnaround from last year, when dry conditions decimated cornfields from the coast to the mountains.
Still, no year in the fields is free of struggle. Rainy weather, delayed relief payments, market conditions and dramatic federal policy shifts have kept farmers on their toes.
Crops lie ruined in fields in Person County after Tropical Depression Chantal, which passed through the area on July 6, 2025. Provided / Person County Cooperative Extension
It’s been a wet year — at times, too wet. Tropical Depression Chantal flooded fields in Central North Carolina in early July. Unusually wet conditions all summer hurt the tobacco crop across the state.
Plus, state relief money for the tribulations of 2024 is coming slow. The legislature just approved an additional $124 million to address last year’s agricultural disasters, but farmers still haven’t received the money originally allocated to the Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program in March.
For Henderson County extension director Terry Kelley, the money is an urgent matter. In Kelley’s neck of the woods, apple farmers are still recovering from the devastation Helene wrought on their orchards. Finances are starting to spiral out of control for many.
“Our farmers are really anxious to get that money,” Kelley told Carolina Public Press.
Rains and flooding from Tropical Storm Helene create a massive washout in a Mills River tomato field in Henderson County in 2024. Provided / Terry Kelley / Henderson County Extension
“They’ve got bills due from last year. They’ve used their credit up to their limit and beyond. We need that money. It’s been a long summer of waiting.”
Though Helene upped the ante in the West, Kelley’s anxieties are felt across North Carolina. In Bladen County, where many 2024 crops were devastated by Tropical Storm Debbie, extension agent Matthew Strickland says there’s been a dearth of information about how the program works.
“We are not sure when those payments will be issued and exactly how they will be calculated,” Strickland said. “We were told they’d go out mid-summer. There’s been no update. Who knows when they’ll go out? Nobody really knows.”
The financial pressure extends beyond those delayed relief payments. North Carolina farmers find themselves at the whim of unexpected shifts in both the market and federal policies.
Though both quality and yield are high for field crops this year, the price of those crops at market is low. Meanwhile, input costs continue to rise. This makes for an unsettling financial equation for farmers.
Plus, President Donald Trump’s tariffs have made American crops less desirable overseas, according to Strickland. Before recent tariff hikes, lots of North Carolina corn, soybeans and tobacco made its way to China. Now, not as much.
“With the political trade wars, we’re really worried when it comes to our soybeans and tobacco,” Surry County extension agent Ryan Coe told CPP. “A lot of farmers are still waiting to see what’s going to happen. We don’t have a crystal ball.”
The tariffs haven’t been all bad, though. While some crops suffer, others have found opportunities. Kelley says the lack of Mexican tomatoes on the market has created a higher demand for local Henderson County tomatoes, for example.
Labor, too, is giving farmers pause. Many rely on legal migrant workers, but the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies have tightened the market.
“It’s more difficult now to get labor, even with legal workers,” Kelley said. “It’s not available as it once was, and it’s terribly expensive.”
That’s because wages for migrant workers on legal H-2A visas continue to rise. In North Carolina, farmers must now pay migrant workers $16.16 per hour. This number is called an Adverse Effect Wage Rate, and it’s designed to ensure that wages for American workers don’t fall.
A cornfield at Trask Family Farms outside Wilmington on Aug. 29. Jane Winik Sartwell / Carolina Public Press
There’s a chance, however, that going forward, North Carolina farmers may have a bigger say in American agricultural policies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving major operations to Raleigh, in an effort to bring the department closer to the nation’s farming hubs. Some North Carolina farmers are excited about it.
“Having the USDA in this area will be good for all farmers in North Carolina,” said Mikayla Berryhill, an extension agent in Person County, where farms were flooded by Chantal’s heavy rains. “We will be able to show them what specific problems we have here in North Carolina and get help with those.”
In the meantime, it looks like it will be a bountiful harvest of crops here in North Carolina. This fall’s agritourism attractions, from corn mazes and county fairs to hay rides and apple markets, should reflect that agricultural resilience.
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 content presents a balanced and factual overview of agricultural conditions in North Carolina, highlighting both challenges and positive developments without evident partisan framing. It discusses impacts of federal policies, including tariffs and immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, in a straightforward manner without overt criticism or praise. The article focuses on practical issues affecting farmers, such as weather, market conditions, and government relief efforts, maintaining a neutral tone throughout.
