Former Asheville firefighter Charles Alexander Diez will spend four months in prison for shooting cyclist Alan Simons in July. Diez plead guilty to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill yesterday.

The Citizen-Times provided details today about it’s online collaborative journalism project, LINC, which similar to a Seattle Times project, and is part of a five-paper project sponsored by American University’s J-Lab Institute and funded by the Knight Foundation.

Kilwin’s Chocolates was named the judges’ favorite in the Asheville Downtown Association’s annual holiday-window-display contest.

The City of Asheville has released a list of bus routes altered due to road closings during Saturday’s Holiday Parade.

The Buncombe County Health Department will offer the H1N1 flu mist vaccine to certain populations between the ages of 2 and 49 at seven schools around the county from 4 to 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 19).

After a tense public hearing that saw one person thrown out of the chambers, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners reinstated countywide zoning in a 4-1 vote.

The idea of restoring assenger railroad service to Asheville has been discussed for years. The WNC Rail Corridor group met today to see where the issue stands.

Asheville’s Economic Development Director has been appointed to oversee the Asheville Civic Center.

Eight months after a court ruling struck down Buncombe County’s zoning ordinance, the Board of Commissioners is giving it another go, with a public hearing on the new zoning maps dominating the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting.

Here’s the weekend oh-so-local “news & views report,” as seen from the Xpress Twitter feed, including a homicide/suicide, a post-modern prom, the doings at the River District Studio Stroll, swimming in the French Broad, and a whole lot more.

Urban homesteading pioneer Jules DerVaes and Natural Food Resources co-sponsor potluck, documentary screening on Saturday, Nov. 14

In last week’s election, Asheville City Council member Robin Cape received 4,478 write-in votes, according to figures from the Board of Elections. While Cape’s bid for a second term was serious, many of the other write-in votes were not (Squirt the Wonder Clam, really?).

The fire that destroyed Building 21 in Hillcrest Apartments Monday was arson, according to the Asheville Fire Department. Investigators are compiling a list of suspects at this time, and continuing to pursue leads.

The explosion and fire that consumed a building in Hillcrest Apartments yesterday was caused by natural gas, Asheville Fire Chief Scott Burnette told Xpress today. Investigators have yet to determine if the blaze was an accident or arson.