Archive - Brevard NewsBeat

I'm Taking a New Job, but Budget Shows the Need to Keep an Eye on Transylvania

As excited as I am about my new post with Asheville Watchdog, an outstanding and inspired effort to revive local journalism, I worry about leaving my…

Jul 3 •

Helene, FEMA and the Long Wait for Home Fixes

The good news: The total number of flood-damaged homes that need to be rebuilt, elevated or demolished is less than it might have been. The bad news…

Jul 1 •

June 2025

Bigger Budget Not "Socialism," just Necessary, Commissioners Say

Most County Commissioners support a proposed budget funded by the first property tax increase in recent years and a bigger increase in the county's fire…

Jun 20 •

More Housing on Steep Slopes: City Wants It, Neighbors Don’t

Changes to Brevard’s law on developing steep hillsides will allow both an affordable project and greater density in the biggest residential developments…

Jun 6 •

May 2025

Opinion: Larry Chapman and Blurred Line between Patriotism and Militarism

Let's honor soldiers and sailors, especially, of course, the ones who died in battle, while being aware that exalting their service above others' can…

May 29 •

Market-Based Reassessment Means Higher Taxes for Residents, Big Cuts for Big Businesses

Transylvania County’s recent property reappraisal was conducted by the books, but in Brevard is leading to “unfair” tax burden on low-income residents…

May 23 •

Clarification in Column About River Clearance

I got things turned around in one section of the story.

May 16 •

Opinion: When it Comes to Clearing Storm Debris Clearance, Less is Better

Federal taxpayers could pay as much $66 million for removing debris from county rivers. Let’s think about trying to save money — and river habitat.

May 16 •

Opinion: Unlock SAFE. Nonprofit Needs to Open up to Restore Credibility. And I’ll Help

The domestic violence organization has made a good first step, hiring a new executive director. Now it needs to show it's serious about getting past its…

May 10 •

Excess Debris Removal in County Rivers Created “Ecological Crisis,” Critics Say, and Could Cost as much as $66 Million

The clearance of rivers choked with deadfall from Helene is needed to protect bridges and prevent future flooding. But critics decry its bloated costs…

May 2 •

April 2025

Community "Hero" Ora Wells' Latest Mission, Preventing Alzheimer's

The beloved retired pediatrician looks back on the rewards of his long career and talks about using his Alzheimer's diagnosis to spread the word about…

Apr 21 •

Masters Golf and the Argument for Keeping Some Things as They Are

A highly satisfying weekend of watching televised sports got me thinking about the value of tradition.

Apr 16 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts