In a tense 3-2 vote, Buncombe County commissioners Tuesday night voted for the route known as Alternative 3 for the Interstate 26 Connector route through Asheville.

The Laurelmor development in Watauga and Wilkes counties — one of WNC’s largest — has been sold as result of bankruptcy.

Mountain Xpress will be covering the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ meeting tonight, and we’re inviting all you citizen journalists to join us.

Local writer and activist Cecil Bothwell has announced that he will run for a seat on Asheville City Council in November.

In the future, Asheville’s downtown might be managed by a powerful independent board, with different types of development for each neighborhood “core,” better support for the arts, more green building, a shuttle system and police cameras on street corners. Those are some of the many initiatives presented in the draft of the long-awaited Downtown Master Plan. The city will hold a Jan. 15 forum on the plan.

The local unemployment rate took a dramatic leap in November, based on the latest statistics from the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

A report by former Asheville planning director Scott Shuford comparing the impact of I-26 connector alternatives says the plan drafted by the Asheville Design Center will have the most overall impact on several surrounding areas.

The combination of a tight budget and post-holiday cabin fever can get ugly. But before you Hulu.com yourself into a stupor, check out just how far you can stretch the change in your couch cushions with this round up of free (or almost free) entertainment.

A Progress Energy spokesperson reports that the coal-ash storage ponds at its Asheville plant are closely monitored and safe.

The Buncombe County Board of Health has chosen Alma “Gibbie” Harris as the county’s new health director.

Here’s your video sneak preview of the Wednesday, Jan. 7 edition of the Mountain Xpress.

Merrimon Square sculpture defaced; RiverSculpture sculpture stolen.

Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Richard Lutovsky told Xpress today that despite concerns raised about the Alternative 3 proposal for the I-26 connector, he still feels it is “best for the community in general” and superior to the Asheville Design Center’s Alternative 4b.

Here’s a video preview of this week’s Edgy Mama column.