ASHEVILLE – Nearly 200 Buncombe County residents have applied for assistance through a state-managed program assisting owners whose properties were damaged when Tropical Storm Helene swept through the region Sept. 27. Dozens are hoping to have their properties purchased outright. During the Dec. 2 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners briefing, County Manager Avril Pinder updated…
A wildfire near Marion, in McDowell County, an area hard hit by Tropical Storm Helene that downed trees and complicated firefighting operations, is now 100% contained as of Dec. 10, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire, which grew to 518 acres, mostly affected agency land in Pisgah National Forest. The fire started Dec….
VERONA — Augusta County’s bell-to-bell cell phone ban for schools will take effect in the second semester, although it was unclear if that will begin with the first day of classes in January or later in the semester. Superintendent Eric Bond said the school staff would begin notifying families soon. The school board approved the…
The University of Florida board could make a long-awaited decision this week on selecting a site for a planned graduate campus in the downtown Jacksonville area. UF and the city have been in talks over the past two years about the university building a graduate campus in Jacksonville financed by a mix of state, city…
Erie County could experience minor flooding as higher temperatures and rain are expected. Residents are advised to clear drains to help meltwater and rain reach drainage systems. Temperatures are expected to drop again later in the week, bringing with them a high probability of more lake-effect snow. As Erie County continues to dig out from…
Unofficial snowfall totals from volunteer spotters ranged from 22 inches to over 63 inches across Erie County. Neighboring Crawford County and Ashtabula County, Ohio, also experienced significant snowfall, with some areas receiving over 3 feet. If it feels like Erie County has been under siege by winter for more than a week straight, a look…
Children’s Services Council Executive Director Cecka Rose Green received high praise from most of the council’s board members, scoring above average on her professional duties in her annual evaluation. However, during a Thursday executive committee meeting some members didn’t believe her performance warranted a salary increase, as she is requesting. “I’m not in favor of…
Northwestern Pennsylvania is feeling the wrath of another winter blast, and Erie County is under a blizzard warning until 1 a.m. Saturday due to a pairing of heavy lake-effect snow and high winds. The rest of the region is under a lake-effect snow warning. What is a blizzard warning? The blizzard warning issued by the…
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Anik Paul’s family waits half-a-world away in Bangladesh for his phone call that likely will never come. A little more than a month ago — early July 3 — Anik Paul, a 31-year-old doctoral student from Bangladesh, climbed over the railing of the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge and leaped into…
A Tampa-based federal grand jury convened Tuesday morning in an investigation that involves Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. A sign outside a room at the U.S. District Courthouse in Tampa Tuesday –– the same room as was noted on a Nov. 16 grand jury subpoena involving Marceno –– urged visitors to stand back so as…