🌱 Petition To Restore Merrimon Ave. + Firearm Found In Local Mailbox

Hello, Asheville. I'm here in your inbox today to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Cloudy with showers. High: 73 Low: 59.
• Saturday: A stray afternoon t-storm. High: 81 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories in Asheville today:

1. On Tuesday, May 9, business owners on Merrimon Avenue presented Asheville City Council members with a petition asking the city to reverse the recently implemented "road diet." Rusty Olson, the owner of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, presented the petition, which had 29 other Merrimon Avenue businesses' signatures on it, and said many businesses on the road are suffering since the road diet. The petition asks for traffic counts on Merrimon from pre- and post-reconfiguration, traffic counts on major intersecting arteries, vehicle accident counts, cyclist and pedestrian accident counts, vehicle speeds traveled pre- and post-reconfiguration, and first responder response times pre- and post-reconfiguration. (WLOS)
2. Asheville police were called to an Asheville apartment complex after a mail carrier found a loaded firearm inside a unit’s mailbox while delivering mail. Officers recovered a pistol that had one round in the chamber at the 200 block of Walton Street. Authorities advised anyone who finds a gun to avoid touching it, take a picture if possible, and contact the authorities. (FOX 8)
3. On Tuesday, May 9, the City of Asheville approved an action plan to use more than $1 million in funding to provide affordable housing. The funds, in the form of grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will go toward core services through nonprofit organizations like OnTrack Financial, Pisgah Legal Services, Habitat for Humanity, and Mountain BizWorks. (WLOS)

Today and tomorrow in Asheville:

Friday, May 12

• George Birge Live In Concert At UNC Asheville At Sherrill Center (7:00 PM)
• Comedy At Catawba: Emily Walsh At Catawba Brewing Company South Slope Asheville (7:00 PM)

Saturday, May 13

• Jazz Is Dead: 25th Anniversary Tour At Grey Eagle Music Hall (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• According to recent data, the state of North Carolina had the fourth-highest rate of U.S. teen driver fatalities in 2022. Bumper.com reports that “young drivers are statistically more likely than other age groups to be involved in fatal accidents.” (Bumper.com)
• For the first time in years, UNC Asheville welcomed 33 students from its sister city of Saumur, a town in western France, on May 10! The students will be in town until May 16. (WLOS)
• Looking for a four-legged ball of love and affection to add to your family? Check out all the adoptable pets at Asheville shelters, including a tiny mixed-breed puppy named Grocery! (Asheville Patch)

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Featured events:

• Sip & Shop Mother’s Day Pop-Up at The Omni Grove Park Inn (May 13)
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That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!